10.16.13

WASHINGTON — As Blue Engine Message & Media celebrates its seventh anniversary, the firm is pleased to announce the addition of Jaime Horn, Kat Maramba, Jacob Sittig and Kara Ferguson to its rapidly growing strategic communications practice.  The addition of these talented team members will strengthen Blue Engine’s ability to provide innovative counsel to clients on traditional and digital media strategic communications, crisis mitigation, and thought leadership.

“The key to our firm’s growth over the past seven years has been our ability to apply the best practices from both political and corporate communications to complex public affairs and crisis challenges.  As our practice representing major corporations, national non-profits and leading issue advocacy coalitions grows, bringing on new talent like Jaime, Kat, Jacob and Kara, with diverse backgrounds will ensure we continue to offer the highest-quality service and innovative strategic tools to our clients,” said Blue Engine founder Erik Smith.

With more than 14 years of experience in communications, politics, and international development, Jaime Horn is a media relations and publicity specialist, serving clients in the public affairs, political and non-profit sectors. She joins Blue Engine following work with The Institute for Inclusive Security where she executed various communications campaigns to elevate the role of women in the peacebuilding process. She is also a former Vice President of Communications at Air America Radio and has partnered on multiple campaigns with Dan Klores Communications for clients including Esquire Magazine and Jann Wenner Media. Jaime has a Masters of Arts in Conflict Transformation from the School for International Training and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Texas Christian University. She also co-launched The Andi Leadership Institute for Young Women, a non-profit organization that seeks to equip the next generation of female peacebuilders with the necessary skills to become leaders in their own communities.

Kat Maramba comes to Blue Engine from the Climate Action Campaign (CAC) where she worked on clean energy and climate issues as well as political strategy. Prior to her work in communications, Kat was with the law firm McDermott Will & Emery LLP where she developed research experience in patent prosecution.  Kat earned her M.A. in public communications from American University in Washington, D.C. in 2012.

Blue Engine Message & Media also welcomes Jacob Sittig, former Deputy Press Secretary to U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu.  Prior to his time on Capitol Hill, Jacob was a leadership conference facilitator with the National FFA Organization, one of the nation’s largest youth organizations, where he planned and presented three sets of innovative curriculum to high school students in Washington, D.C., and 14 different sites across the U.S.

Kara Ferguson, a graduate of Denison University, will play a key role in Blue Engine’s growing media monitoring and social media services. Prior to joining Blue Engine, she worked at KRC Research, a subsidiary of Weber Shandwick.

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