Holly Bartecki

Executive Vice President

Holly has been a senior leader at JT for more than 20 years. She provides firm-wide client services, including creative, strategy and message development to support communications and community engagement; major writing assignments; crisis communications planning and management; customized communications training (message, media and presentation)and facilitation of meetings and focus groups. Holly joined JT after a 12-year career in the nonprofit and public higher education sector.

In this role, Holly leverages her graduate degree in adult and higher education, formal training in meeting planning and facilitation, and instructional design expertise to support JT clients in planning interactive workshops, retreats, training sessions and focus groups that engage and energize participants to collaborate, brainstorm, and iterate new ideas and approaches.

• For example, during her time as a community college leader in Chicago’s south suburbs, Holly was trained to, then planned and facilitated, an annual community engagement initiative to promote public deliberation about difficult public issues using the Kettering Foundation’s National Issues Forum framework. This powerful approach encourages positive interaction between people who are not expected to agree, but are encouraged to find a shared direction. A Forum typically begins with a “starter” video related to the discussion topic. Unbiased facts and research are provided in a briefing book that provides participants knowledge and context. Through face-to-face discussion, participants explore several possible solutions to the issue at hand. Rather than “picking sides,” solutions are examined through a lens of shared values and what’s important to the group as a whole. Because the issues discussed are often challenging, every solution comes with a set of costs and consequences that must be thoroughly measured. This method of discussion removes bias and doesn’t allow one-sided lecture, polarizing positions or citizen passivity. Rather, it puts participants in the position of responding to a challenge or opportunity in their community, and asks them to help solve it. Pre- and post-session pencil-and-paper surveys track both individual and collective shifts in attitudes and priorities. As stated by the Kettering Foundation, ‘After all, who knows more about the effects of both the issue and the possible solutions better than those who are living with it, experiencing it, in touch with it?’

Following are some additional examples of relevant projects for which she has provided a similar scope of services as sought by CMAP for this project:

• As a former elementary school board president and enrollment management/marketing administrator at two Illinois community colleges, Holly leads much of the firm’s work on behalf of K-12 school districts, colleges and universities. Her expertise in this area is widely recognized and she is a frequent presenter on school communications topics. In this role, she has planned and facilitated community forums, interactive strategic planning and training sessions, and town hall meetings on contentious and challenging topics, including school finance/tax referenda, school closings/boundary changes and teacher contract negotiations.

• Holly also has deep experience building and implementing communications and community engagement strategies for philanthropic organizations, particularly community foundations. Most recently, she served as project manager for JT’s work to support The Indianapolis Foundation in introducing its new leadership team and Equity Imperative 2030 five-year strategic plan focused on racial equity and economic opportunity at a major event late last month called, “Imagine IF…” Her role included the program planning for a panel discussion of high-profile local leaders who addressed the importance of the four priority areas (housing, economic equity, health equity and environmental equity) that will be the focus of the Foundation’s work moving forward.

• Previously, Holly was a senior leader for JT’s work to support a steering committee of staff, Board and civic leaders who supported the Chicago Community Trust in its planning to support that organization’s 100th anniversary. This included planning and facilitation of Board and staff retreats and design charettes for both local Chicago-area and national community foundation leaders. As part of this effort, she was part of the creative team responsible for the development of the award-winning On the Table civic engagement initiative, an annual forum designed to take people places—to offices, schools, libraries, restaurants, and other spaces—where they meet others, share ideas, and explore ways to improve our region face-to-face over a shared meal. The results were exciting new relationships, elevated civic conversations, and genuine pathways toward collaborative action around outcomes to make our communities more connected, resilient, and resourceful.

• Based upon the success and impact in Chicago, On the Table was subsequently replicated by more than 20 community foundation across the country with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. Holly worked with more than 10 community foundations in diverse markets across the country to adapt the model to meet the needs and opportunities of their local communities. In Lexington, Kentucky, for example, she supported the Blue Grass Community Foundation in leverage the On the Table grassroots dialogue framework as a novel approach to the legally-mandated public participation process around the City-County’s comprehensive plan for the next decade—an invigorating departure from the stiff, formal and often intimidating prior approach of verbal and written testimony at public hearings. Holly also supported the Southeast Michigan Community Foundation, based in Detroit, in focusing its On the Table conversations on how the community can better support its youth – both as participants, through discussion prompts and a customized survey was created for youth under 18. Nearly 2,000 local youth across seven southeast Michigan counties participated. In Miami, post-Hurricane My Miami Story conversations discussed priorities for rebuilding the City and in San Francisco, discussions between housing policy experts, nonprofits and families struggling to keep a roof over their heads focused on the urgent issue of affordable housing.

• Holly is also one of two JT leaders supporting the City of Chicago’s Department of Public Health in its communications and community engagement around its efforts to ensure a healthy and safe environment for residents by reducing environmental hazards. In this role, she has assisted CDPH in the development of a robust and proactive communications framework to ensure that other City departments, alderpeople, community organizations and local residents receive timely and actionable information that provides awareness about pending permit activity for consequential industrial operations, as well as about opportunities to provide feedback and ask questions about these projects. Among other projects, this included strategic counsel on communications and community engagement during a 15-month process to develop and announce Chicago’s first Cumulative Impact Assessment, a citywide project to provide data on how environmental burdens and other stressors vary in impact across the City. This Assessment, co-led and co-designed with people and organizations who live with these issues every day, identifies neighborhoods that experience the greatest cumulative impacts and provides strategies and actionable policy recommendations to guide decision-making on issues such as land use/zoning, permitting, enforcement, transportation planning, and more. Similar to CMAP’s approach with the Community Alliance for Regional Equity (CARE), the engagement process and implemented strategies were designed in close coordination with community-based environmental justice organizations to drive broad, ongoing public awareness of the Assessment process and its findings.

Holly’s work at JT has garnered professional recognition and awards at the local and national level, including the Publicity Club of Chicago’s Platinum Trumpet Award for her work on Cool Globes: Hot Ideas for a Cooler Planet, a national PR Week award for the Chicago Community Trust’s On the Table civic engagement initiatives and various regional and national Paragon awards from the National Council on Marketing and Public Relations for excellence in community college communications and public engagement.

Outside of her work at JT, Holly serves as an adjunct faculty member at Columbia College of Chicago, where she developed the curriculum for, and each fall, teaches a PR Issues & Crises course.

A resident of the south suburbs, Holly serves on the executive committee of the board of directors of the Moraine Valley Community College Foundation, where her family endowed a memorial scholarship in honor of her late mother. She also serves on the executive committee of the board of directors for Women Employed, a Chicago-based nonprofit that is focused on achieving equity for women in the workforce by effecting policy change, expanding access to educational opportunities, and advocating for fair and inclusive workplaces so that all women, families, and communities thrive.

Jonathan Perman

Senior Advisor, Government Affairs

Jonathan serves as Senior Advisor, Government Affairs at Jasculca Terman Strategic Communications in Chicago. There he has managed clients ranging from municipalities and higher education institutions to private sector firms and real estate developers. His work includes communications and media strategy, building narratives that fit the objectives of the client, and providing political strategy and counsel.

He is also the founder of the American Congressional Exchange (ACE) and co-directed the unique initiative at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C. from 2017-2024. Under the ACE program, members of Congress visit another member of the opposite party in their district. The meetings and experiences on these illuminating trips result in new constructive relationships and a genuine interest in working together across the aisle.

Jonathan began his career in Washington in the 1980s, first working for the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition and Institute and then as a professional staff member for the U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Energy, Nuclear Proliferation, and Government Processes. During his time in Washington, Jonathan also performed with and wrote lyrics for the renowned Capitol Steps musical political satire group. From 1988-1992, Jonathan served as director of governmental affairs for The Greater New Haven, CT Chamber of Commerce and then became the executive director of The Evanston, IL Chamber of Commerce (1992-2010).

In 2006, he founded The Perman Group, a public affairs and public policy consultancy based in Chicago, and from which ACE was originally created. Jonathan is an accomplished corporate and government/public affairs executive and civic leader with a proven record of providing expertise and guidance to businesses, non-profit institutions, governmental bodies, and professional and trade organizations. A graduate of Macalester College, Jonathan holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan.

Land-Use and Planning Experience and Expertise

Jonathan is an expert in municipal zoning codes and comprehensive general plans, and regularly performs Fiscal-Economic Impact Analysis for clients, He has also been asked by municipalities to review impact analyses of otherconsulting firms.

Other expertise and experience includes:

• Land-use Conflict Resolution while creating “social contracts” with communities

• Placemaking

• Zoning/Permitting Approval Analysis and Support

• Transit-Oriented Development including parking/traffic analysis/bicycle infrastructure, and green space.

• Tax Increment Finance Districts

• Business/Institutional Partnering and Coalition-Building

• Niche Marketing Strategy and Business Development

• Developing and executing community engagement plans

• Town-Gown relations in university communities

• Crafting messages and analytics that upset the conventional wisdom by looking at the incremental change in use rather than focusing just on the total generated externalities

Examples of work:

· Builder of coalitions. For example, while at The Evanston Chamber of Commerce, he created the Evanston Convention & Visitors Bureau. But the more important accomplishment was convincing several adjoining municipalities to collaborate on tourism marketing which led to the establishment of Chicago’s North Shore CVB.

· Village of Winfield, DuPage County: provide messaging, strategic counsel, stakeholder support, and community engagement for proposed TIF District.

· Transit-Oriented Development Projects for clients in Chicago metro such as: Focus Development, AMLI Residential, Centrum Properties, Horizon Realty Group, Lakeview East Chamber of Commerce. Project partnerships with The Lakota Group and Goodman-Williams.

· IL-53 Corridor Study. Broaden stakeholder involvement, develop messages which turn controversy into positive arguments for economic and cultural advancement.

· Long-time member of the Roscoe Village Zoning and Land Use Committee, and board of the Chicago Area Public Affairs Group (CAPAG).

· Extensive network across the region with municipal leaders and their planning departments, chambers of commerce, and organizations such as: Metropolitan Planning Council, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Chicago Architectural Foundation, World Business Chicago, Building Owners and Management Association, Illinois Restaurant Association, and many cultural/arts organizations. Also knows the residential and commercial real estate community: developers, investors, brokers, contractors, and architects.

NELL DECOURSEY-BRENNAN

Senior Account Executive

At JT, Nell uses her passion for telling impactful stories through her work with the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative, where she provides communications strategy and support for their Sankofa Wellness Village – a community driven initiative to improve the life expectancy of residents living in West Garfield Park. She plays a pivotal role in the use of strategic storytelling through message development, social media strategy and implementation, and media relations to support the Collaborative’s expansive community engagement efforts.

Nell provides message development, research and communications support to bp on a variety of legislative and community engagement projects. She supports a variety of clients with advocacy work, messaging updates, website content development, and social media including Lurie Children’s Hospital Center for Childhood Resilience and One Nation / One Project’s national campaign, Arts for EveryBody.

Nell was able to hone her media skills working on behalf of Brookfield Zoo, where she provided day-to-day support for the zoo’s local and national media relations, crafting press releases for animal announcements, major events and program initiatives. She also assisted in the development of communications and thought leadership strategies.

Additional clients Nell has supported during her time at JT include Walder Foundation’s Biota Awards, the Chicago Department of Public Health, Lion’s Pride, and more.

Before joining JT, Nell worked with a lifestyle PR firm out of New York City where she supported account staff with media relations work and helped run the firm’s social accounts. She joined JT after graduating in 2022 from American University with a degree in Public Relations/Strategic Communications.

Luke Galambos

Brand and Visual Identity

Born and raised in a small town of Illinois, Luke Galambos is ingrained with Midwestern-hospitality and community values. He is a self-made professional in the Chicagoland region who found his career of design at Illinois State University. After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Illinois State, Luke started his career at a world-renowned Chicago design firm, where he worked on clients such as GE, IBM, Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, Allstate and more – but primarily focused on Harley-Davidson for most of his tenure. He was also an integral part of developing the brand of the Chicago 2016 Olympic bid.

 In 2010, Luke decided to begin a new venture and started his own design business, Galambos + Associates. He started G+A based on the basic principle that good design is a visual language that adapts to each circumstance – across every challenge, every goal and every client. At G+A, he is driven to create dynamic and effective solutions for client’s objectives, cultivate awareness and grow business. His work has been recognized in AIGA, the Black Book AR 100 show, Communication Arts, Step Magazine, Creativity, Logo Lounge, Art Directors Club, How and Print. He also designed the Grammy award-winning John Prine album “Fair and Square.”

Luke is a self-driven entrepreneur who not only finds happiness in bringing life to organizations through design, and helping others in general – but lives his life to its fullest and always has his foot on the gas. He is married to his college sweetheart of 25 years and has three young children. He enjoys traveling the world with his family – exploring and experiencing the many cultures across the globe. He believes all experiences shape perspective and he strives to continue learning, developing and sharing not only as a professional, but also as a human being.

In 2010, Luke decided to begin a new venture and started his own design business, Galambos + Associates. He started G+A based on the basic principle that good design is a visual language that adapts to each circumstance – across every challenge, every goal and every client. At G+A, he is driven to create dynamic and effective solutions for client’s objectives, cultivate awareness and grow business. His work has been recognized in AIGA, the Black Book AR 100 show, Communication Arts, Step Magazine, Creativity, Logo Lounge, Art Directors Club, How and Print. He also designed the Grammy award-winning John Prine album “Fair and Square.”

Morgan McDonough

Director of Digital Strategies

Morgan McDonough is dedicated to meeting audiences where they are, using creativity and current trends to craft engaging digital content that resonates across diverse platforms. His approach to social media is rooted in the belief that effective communication can drive significant impact for organizations and causes.

Morgan began his career in the digital space through political campaigns, where he developed a keen sense for creating persuasive content. At Brookfield Zoo Chicago, he produced viral content on Instagram and TikTok, tapping into trending sounds and memes to capture public interest. He also managed daily Instagram stories that highlighted animal education, zoo updates, and ticket sales.

In his current role at JT, Morgan leads social media strategies, manages content calendars, oversees community engagement, and develops content for various clients, including Arts For EveryBody, Hope Chicago and The Indianapolis Foundation. Under his leadership, the Arts For EveryBody initiative saw its social media following grow to nearly 20,000 within a year.

Morgan has also contributed to important public health initiatives, creating content for the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Lake County Health Department to promote environmental health and youth COVID-19 vaccinations. His work included designing social media posts, graphics, flyers, and educational materials.

With a Bachelor of Arts in political science and secondary education from Belmont University, Morgan's background in civic education informs his approach to digital content creation. He also leads a national journalism competition for high school students, encouraging young reporters to explore systemic change strategies in their communities in partnership with the National Scholastic Press Association.

Karla Bailey

Vice President, Events & Stage Production

Since joining JT in 2006, Karla has coordinated logistics for many client events including the Special Olympics Global Law Enforcement Torch Run, the AFL-CIO Democratic Presidential Forum, 1871’s grand opening, UIC’s Urban Forum, Chicago’s Department of Aviation runway grand openings and Advocate Charitable Foundation’s INSPIRE Gala. In 2017, Karla helped coordinate event logistics for the North American Climate Summit in Chicago, which included more than 130 national and international mayors, Mayor Emanuel and President Barack Obama.

After COVID-19 shut down in-person events, Karla worked with GCM Grosvenor to quickly pivot and produce their first completely virtual Diverse and Women Managers conference in June, 2020. She helped facilitate content and prep calls with all speakers, moderators and panelists on how to comfortably use the virtual event software from their homes. Karla also worked closely with the tech partner to ensure smooth technical execution and create seamless transitions for all attendees for the two-day conference. With almost 800 participants logging on, almost double the amount that normally attend in-person, the conference was deemed a great success. Karla has since helped GCM Grosvenor produce three more well-attended virtual conferences, including technical training of over 100 speakers.

In 2020, Karla worked with Chicago Foundation for Women’s on their signature fundraising luncheon, which featured a virtual keynote from Stacey Abrams. Over 1,000 attendees gathered or tuned into this hybrid-style event, including a robust speaking program that plays a vital role in ensuring that women, girls, trans, and gender non-binary individuals across the Chicago region have the resources they need to thrive. Karla led the project team to help research virtual platforms, creating the program’s run-of-show, working and managing all technical partners to produce the event and stage manage the in-person luncheon elements.

From 2014-2018, in partnership with The Chicago Community Trust, Karla served as the outreach liaison for the On the Table initiative, an annual forum designed to elevate civic conversation, foster new relationships and inspire collaborative action across the Chicagoland region.

Behind the scenes, Karla helped to coordinate the host registration process, as well as managed participant recruitment and communication. Since its inception in 2014, tens of thousands of Chicago-area residents have participated in mealtime conversations to discuss the challenges and opportunities our communities face, and aim to inspire new ways we can work together to make communities stronger, safer and more dynamic.

Karla has also acted as stage manager for many clients, including: the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, the grand opening of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, Urban Prep Academy’s Graduation Ceremony and CURE’s annual Chicago benefit.

Internationally, Karla worked as the lead site advance in Khartoum, Sudan for President Carter during The Carter Center’s election monitoring trip. She also helped coordinate site visits, lodging and transportation logistics for a delegation visiting Ethiopia from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Karla also traveled with former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn to coordinate all logistics for his delegation’s trade-mission trip to Beijing.

Karla earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Ball State University.

Andrew Jasculca

Senior Vice President

Andrew joined the firm in 2005 and today serves as a regular project manager of complex events, leading client projects from the ideation and strategy development phases through to execution.

As clients have come out of the virtual world and started to do in person events Andrew has helped them to reimagine what their events can be. He has worked closely with clients who are just starting out with events or have had annual events for years. He helps clients find new ways to engage their current audience while also finding ways to engage new audiences. Andrew uses technology, video and lighting while also finding ways to create compelling programs that help bolster annual events as well as create an impact for new events.

Andrew worked as part of a team to bring the Democratic National Convention to Chicago. He helped plan and coordinate logistics for the visiting members of the DNC as they toured the city meeting with business leaders, partner hotels, and city and state officials. He created a three day itinerary for a delegation of 25 people that helped showcase what makes Chicago a perfect choice to host the DNC.

Andrew was the Atlanta lead on behalf of the Carter Family for Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter's funeral service in November of 2023. He worked closely with the family, the military district of Washington D.C. and the Carter Center to coordinate logistics for her lying in state as well as her funeral service at Emory University. He managed coordination with each venue, the transportation for motorcades and guests as well as liaison with the White House and all the former Presidents and First Lady’s teams.

He has worked with The Walder Foundation on their Annual Biota Awards. He just wrapped year three where he has helped develop the program and found ways to enhance it each year. He helped guide them on best venues in environmental space and ways to keep the event eco friendly. Andrew coordinated with all vendors as well as the venue. He also worked with the speakers to make sure the program ran smoothly.

In April and August 2018 Andrew worked closely with the City of Chicago Mayor’s Office and World Business Chicago on developing and executing the visits by the Amazon delegation responsible for identifying a second headquarters for the company. Andrew led complex logistical coordination and helped to shape compelling itineraries for both visits.

Andrew has served as project manager since 2014 for GCM Grosvenor’s annual Small Emerging Markets (SEM) Conference held in Chicago hosting more than 800 attendees. SEM has grown into a two-day conference with multiple sessions and keynote speakers, such as President Barack Obama, Madeline Albright and Sara Blakely, among other influencers.

He has worked on CURE’s (Citizens United Researching Epilepsy) annual fundraiser since 2014, managing event logistics and coordinating all the headlining performances, which have included Paul Simon, James Taylor, Miguel Cervantes, Eddie Vedder and Jon Stewart.

Andrew was event lead on the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates in Chicago. He managed both primary conference sites, as well as the transportation plan for all the Laureates and VIP delegations.

Andrew earned his bachelor’s degree from Marquette University.

Claire Tatman

Junior Account Executive

Claire joined JT in January 2024 after earning her degree in Social Relations and Policy from Michigan State University. With a strong foundation in social issues and public policy, Claire is dedicated to leveraging her skills in support of a diverse array of clients, including nonprofits, government agencies, and foundations. 

Since joining JT, Claire has played a pivotal role in supporting Hope Chicago, a nonprofit organization committed to providing debt-free post-secondary education to students and their parents. In this capacity, her main responsibilities involve project management support and media relations. By helping to elevate the organization's profile, Claire has contributed to increasing awareness about Hope Chicago's mission and achievements, ultimately fostering greater community engagement and support.

Recently, Claire led a successful media outreach campaign for the Indianapolis Foundation, coordinating all aspects of a virtual media briefing to unveil the Foundation's new five-year strategic plan. Her efforts resulted in extensive coverage across multiple print and broadcast stations in Indianapolis, significantly enhancing the Foundation's visibility and public engagement.

In her collaboration with the Chicago Department of Public Health, Claire facilitates the rollout of key public health initiatives and strengthens the department’s advertising efforts for various behavioral health programs. These programs include medication assistance recovery (MAR NOW) and suicide prevention initiatives, which are crucial to improving community health outcomes. Claire’s work in this area highlights her ability to manage complex projects that require a nuanced understanding of public health messaging.

Claire has also joined the project team supporting the Chicago Foundation for Women, where she engages in social media projects and provides essential project management support. Her role also includes conducting media coverage scans for various events, helping to ensure that the Foundation's activities receive the attention they deserve.

Claire’s portfolio of clients also includes West Side United, the Academy Group, and One Nation/One Project. Through these collaborations, she has crafted various media materials, conducted comprehensive media monitoring, and developed strategic communications plans that align with each organization’s goals.

Kevin Kujawa

Video

Kevin first joined Jasculca Terman Strategic Communications (JT) in 2005, and in 2010 helped launch JT’s in-house video department. His award-winning videos have showcased client stories of impact, mission and calls-to-action. Kevin is more than a visual storyteller; he's a creative ally who strives to illuminate client messages through their own voice in order to help them “paint a picture and tell a story.”

Kevin has worked extensively with Sinai Chicago and their research institute, SUHI, to create video assets that support and market their service areas and promote their work to achieve health equity on the west side of Chicago.

He designed and created a series of animated videos for Forefront focused on boosting participation across the state during the lead up to the 2020 Census. These videos contributed to an increase in participation from communities that were severely undercounted in previous years.

Whether it's traditional video, animation, graphic or audio design, Kevin’s work has supported a diverse array of clients, including Chicago Transit Authority, Lake County Health Department, Teachers' Retirement System of Illinois, and Sinai Chicago. His videos have played a pivotal role in shaping digital and legislative campaigns, electrifying events, and bringing to life organizational messages.

Kevin is a member of the Screen Actor’s Guild and American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and pursued Fine Arts at DePaul University, and then went on to refine his film editing skills with Chicago Filmmakers.