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People

Cathy McElrath Renna, Managing Partner

Cathy is nationally recognized as a media relations expert and as a leader within the LGBT community.

As a major force behind the success and growth of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), where she worked for 14 years, Cathy served as a primary spokesperson for GLAAD, as well as its first National News Media Director. She contributed to the strategic, crisis communications and community relations components of the organization’s most visible campaigns. When she served as Training Services Manager, Cathy developed the materials and curriculum for GLAAD’s highly sought after “MediaEssentials” training series. She also developed “Train the Trainer” materials for the organization, as GLAAD’s staff expanded and media training services became an integral part of the work of its Regional Media department. In her role as Community Relations Director at GLAAD, Cathy conducted hundreds of media trainings and presentations across the country to a diverse array of progressive groups of all sizes.

Most notably in terms of crisis and strategic communications, Cathy played a central role while at GLAAD in shaping media coverage of both the beating death of Matthew Shepard in 1998, a tragedy that became a cultural marker for a shift in the level of media visibility of LGBT issues, and the sexual abuse scandal within the Catholic Church, during which her efforts contributed to thwarting Church officials’ attempts to link the dynamic of abuse to sexual orientation.

Since leaving GLAAD, Cathy has worked to increase the visibility of clients such as 2004 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Wangari Maathai, the Matthew Shepard Foundation, the Point Foundation, Family Pride and the Williams Institute. In her 17 years working in media relations, Cathy has garnered placements in every major newspaper and television outlet in the country, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, the New York Times, USA Today, the Washington Post, Newsweek and a cover story of Time magazine.

In addition to her work as a communications consultant, Cathy continues to be highly sought after by the media as a spokesperson on LGBT issues and has appeared on the O’Reilly Factor, Hannity and Colmes, CNN, MSNBC, Good Morning America and numerous local affiliate shows throughout the country.

Leah McElrath Renna, Managing Partner

Leah is an expert on communications and language with nearly two decades of experience helping people and organizations clarify and reach their goals.

As a professional clinical social worker with a Master of Social Work degree from the Smith College School for Social Work, Leah has extensive experience both as a communications consultant working with individuals and organizations and as a psychotherapist working with adults and children, individuals and families. Leah’s areas of clinical expertise include child development, family dynamics and the impact of trauma and abuse. In addition, she is an experienced group facilitator and has conducted participatory trainings for groups ranging in size from eight to more than 150 people and hundreds of interactive small group sessions.

Prior to achieving her Masters degree, Leah earned a BA magna cum laude in Economics and International Relations from Smith College and studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science. In addition to her clinical and communications practice, she also has experience in the field of finance, including working as a licensed stockbroker and financial advisor.

Leah is also a talented writer and has authored and contributed to the production of materials published both under her own name and for attribution to others in the New York Times Magazine, USA Today, the New York Daily News, AM New York, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Advocate.com, Gay.com, Time.com and other influential media outlets. Many of these pieces were created for clients in response to breaking news and current events and published as part of strategic or crisis communications campaigns.

Simon Aronoff, Vice President

Simon has nearly a decade of public interest communications expertise and a deep commitment to advancing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) equality.

Most recently, he served as a special projects consultant for Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG National) helping the organization to launch and publicize its new, multi-year Straight for Equality program. Prior to his consultant work, Simon served as the Deputy Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) where he directed the organization’s programs and communications—substantially increasing coverage of transgender issues in the media. Before joining NCTE, Simon worked in the San Francisco and Washington, DC offices Fenton Communications, the country’s largest public interest communications firm. While at Fenton, he provided communications counsel to a wide range of clients in the progressive movement, with a focus on strategic planning, messaging and media relations for LGBT nonprofits.

On behalf of the ACLU, National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Equality California, Simon helped coordinate on-the-ground media relations for San Francisco’s historic issuing of marriage licenses to same-sex couples. His work for the American Medical Association’s underage drinking prevention program contributed to a major reversal by NBC to stop airing hard liquor ads on TV. He also spearheaded communications strategy and led media relations for Gonzales v. Raich, the high-profile medical marijuana case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2005.

Simon has garnered significant media placements in major broadcast and print outlets around the country, including “Good Morning America,” “O’Reilly Factor,” “CNN Headline News,” MSNBC, NPR, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, the Associated Press, the Advocate, and the Washington Blade, among others.

He has held an appointed seat on the City and County of San Francisco’s Transgender Civil Rights Implementation Task Force and was a founding board member of the Transgender Law Center. He is currently on the board of directors of the National Stonewall Democrats. A graduate of Smith College, Simon represents Renna Communications in Washington, DC.