Anthony Matthews Email & Phone Number

Sacramento, California, United States

I apply my knowledge of policy, politics, and communications to create compelling narratives to develop and manage some of the firm's most high-stakes projects that combine earned, paid, and social media as well as grassroots engagement tools. Translating complex material into persuasive, actionable content is my specialty to help clients advance their legislative, budget, and regulatory goals.

Sacramento, California, United States

Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco)

-Provided intellectual and strategic leadership to advance the member’s priorities through legislation, legislative oversight, the state budget, district events, constituent mail and email, communications, and media outreach.-Managed office budget, staff, and systems to ensure development of the member’s briefing materials and communications content, including press releases, speeches, op-eds, and multi-platform communications content.-Served as primary press contact for the member and… Show more -Provided intellectual and strategic leadership to advance the member’s priorities through legislation, legislative oversight, the state budget, district events, constituent mail and email, communications, and media outreach.-Managed office budget, staff, and systems to ensure development of the member’s briefing materials and communications content, including press releases, speeches, op-eds, and multi-platform communications content.-Served as primary press contact for the member and the Assembly Budget Committee.-Organized press conferences and pitched stories to shape outcomes focusing on the member’s most contentious legislation, the state budget, and key events in the member’s district.Organized agendas, guest speakers, and policy discussions for the bicameral Bay Area Legislative Caucus in order to build consensus on regional priorities.Accomplishments: -Managed communications campaigns leading to: budget reforms impacting the Office of the President of the University of California; the enactment of legislation stripping the state Board of Equalization of many powers and reassigning them to the newly created California Department of Tax and Fee Administration; expanding the state’s Earned Income Tax Credit to include minimum wage earners and gig economy workers; and the creation of thousands more student enrollment slots in public universities.-Oversaw joint legislative and communications strategies with organizations representing the LGBT community, small businesses, and women to enact the first gender neutral restroom law, AB 1732 of 2015, for single-use facilities.-Worked with Bay Area lawmakers to advance regional priorities in landmark agreements for state transportation funding, affordable housing, and climate change. Also partnered with area lawmakers and stakeholders to prompt agreement on funding allocations on a $4.45 billion transportation and transit bond approved by Bay Area voters on the June 2018 ballot. Show less

Sacramento, Ca

-Served as press contact, responded to media inquiries, organized press conferences, and pitched stories.-Prepared press materials, op-eds, speeches, social media content, and online content to promote the member’s priorities. -Provided intellectual and strategic guidance to junior legislative staff to ensure passage of member’s priority bills.Accomplishments:-Worked with food justice community to create an incentive framework for CalFresh participants to shop at farmers’… Show more -Served as press contact, responded to media inquiries, organized press conferences, and pitched stories.-Prepared press materials, op-eds, speeches, social media content, and online content to promote the member’s priorities. -Provided intellectual and strategic guidance to junior legislative staff to ensure passage of member’s priority bills.Accomplishments:-Worked with food justice community to create an incentive framework for CalFresh participants to shop at farmers’ markets through AB 1321 of 2015. -Coordinated advocacy and media outreach with City College of San Francisco teachers and students when the school faced closure during review of its accreditation. The State Legislature unanimously passed Senate and Assembly resolutions, HR 41 and SR 47 in 2014, urging accreditors to keep the school open for its 80,000 students.-Crafted legislative and communications strategies with the Student Aid Commission and education advocates to enact AB 2160 of 2014, which streamlines GPA verification in CalGrant applications in order to help thousands more students apply for and use these funds to obtain a higher education each year.-Helped design a workshop for the member to teach parents how to shape their kids’ schools through new education funding reforms and conducted an annual communications push targeting parent teacher associations to host these workshops. Show less

Sacramento, Ca

-Served as press contact for the committee and Chair Bob Blumenfield (D-Woodland Hills), responded to media inquiries, organized press conferences, and pitched stories. -Prepared press materials, op-eds, speeches, social media content, and online content to shape outcomes affecting contentious legislation and the state budget. -Managed junior legislative staff, developed bill ideas, staffed assigned bills, and provided strategic counsel for chair.-Aided message development shaping… Show more -Served as press contact for the committee and Chair Bob Blumenfield (D-Woodland Hills), responded to media inquiries, organized press conferences, and pitched stories. -Prepared press materials, op-eds, speeches, social media content, and online content to shape outcomes affecting contentious legislation and the state budget. -Managed junior legislative staff, developed bill ideas, staffed assigned bills, and provided strategic counsel for chair.-Aided message development shaping Assembly Budget Committee reports and hearings.Accomplishments:-Spearheaded media campaign highlighting committee hearings about systemic leadership failings at the Public Utilities Commission and contentious governance and conflict of interest reforms adopted in the 2013-2014 State Budget.-Worked with the California Center for Civic Participation on the 2013 Roast of Assemblymember Bob Blumenfield. Show less

Sacramento, Ca

-Served as press contact for the member and the Assembly Budget Committee, responded to media inquiries, organized press conferences, and pitched stories.-Prepared press materials, op-eds, speeches, social media content, and online content to promote the member’s activities, the work of the Budget Committee, and Assembly Democrat budget priorities.-Developed bill ideas, staffed assigned bills, and staffed the Committee on Governmental Organization.Accomplishments:-Worked… Show more -Served as press contact for the member and the Assembly Budget Committee, responded to media inquiries, organized press conferences, and pitched stories.-Prepared press materials, op-eds, speeches, social media content, and online content to promote the member’s activities, the work of the Budget Committee, and Assembly Democrat budget priorities.-Developed bill ideas, staffed assigned bills, and staffed the Committee on Governmental Organization.Accomplishments:-Worked with the chair and technical staff to develop and deploy messaging and communications materials to frame the most controversial state budget actions, including the elimination of redevelopment agencies, the adoption of public safety realignment, and the case for taxes to help balance the state budget over a cuts-only approach.-Collaborated with veterans advocates to enact the Combat to College Act, AB 2133 of 2012, which gives veterans a 15-year timeframe from honorable discharge to use four years of preferred enrollment in California’s public universities.-Oversaw development of communications to highlight the nation’s first law, AB 1215 of 2011, requiring all used car sales to include a title report to protect consumers from unknowingly buying an unsafe car. Show less

Sacramento, Ca

-Served as press contact for the member and the Assembly Budget Committee while Evans served as Chair.-Organized press conferences and prepared press materials, op-eds, articles, speeches, newsletters, constituent mail, and online content to promote the member’s activities and priorities.-Developed bill ideas, staffed assigned bills, and staffed the Committee on Governmental Organization.-Advised the member on agricultural, budget, environmental, infrastructure, tax, utilities, and… Show more -Served as press contact for the member and the Assembly Budget Committee while Evans served as Chair.-Organized press conferences and prepared press materials, op-eds, articles, speeches, newsletters, constituent mail, and online content to promote the member’s activities and priorities.-Developed bill ideas, staffed assigned bills, and staffed the Committee on Governmental Organization.-Advised the member on agricultural, budget, environmental, infrastructure, tax, utilities, and water issues.-Served as interim Chief of Staff in 2008.Accomplishments:-Worked with the Women’s Caucus to organize and get media exposure of a rally at the State Capitol, in 2010, protesting Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposals disproportionately impacting women, children, and students.-Managed a media campaign showing disproportionate impacts on state services in Republican districts of a cuts-only approach to the deficit, which helped create bipartisan support for tax increases in the FY 2009-2010 State Budget.-Developed and posted content for member’s state budget blog, http://californiabudget.blogspot.com.-Collaborated with California’s wine industry to organize and attend a trade mission to Cuba, in 2009.-Worked with the State Treasurer’s Office and the Assembly Budget Committee to convene a hearing about the state infrastructure bond freeze, which stopped thousands of projects across the state. Staffed related legislation, AB 1364 of 2008, which created a framework for managing project delays. -Coordinated advocacy strategies with local government partners to direct hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure bond funds towards flood protection in the Napa Valley and projects for Highway 12 and 101 expansion.-Partnered with medical providers and advocates for women to enact AB 2251 of 2006, which protects patients and employees of reproductive clinics by enabling them to keep their home addresses, telephone numbers, and images off the internet. Show less

Sacramento, Ca

-Drafted press releases, briefs, speeches, fact sheets, and correspondence for the member.-Advised member on budget, economic development, environmental, judiciary, and utilities issues.-Staffed assigned bills and the Committees on Governmental Organization and Appropriations.Accomplishments:-Staffed legislation, AB 2984 of 2003, to preserve minimum purchasing power in benefit levels for Sonoma County Employment Retirement Association members if authorized by the Sonoma… Show more -Drafted press releases, briefs, speeches, fact sheets, and correspondence for the member.-Advised member on budget, economic development, environmental, judiciary, and utilities issues.-Staffed assigned bills and the Committees on Governmental Organization and Appropriations.Accomplishments:-Staffed legislation, AB 2984 of 2003, to preserve minimum purchasing power in benefit levels for Sonoma County Employment Retirement Association members if authorized by the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. Show less

Washington, Dc

-Prepared press materials, wrote speeches, and organized events promoting rural development and poverty reduction.-Assisted in the development of institutional marketing materials and reports.-Built advocacy coalitions to support IFAD and rural development through joint Congressional and media outreach.Accomplishments:-Helped coordinate outreach campaign of anti-poverty advocates and IFAD executives targeting key Congressional and United States Treasury Department officials… Show more -Prepared press materials, wrote speeches, and organized events promoting rural development and poverty reduction.-Assisted in the development of institutional marketing materials and reports.-Built advocacy coalitions to support IFAD and rural development through joint Congressional and media outreach.Accomplishments:-Helped coordinate outreach campaign of anti-poverty advocates and IFAD executives targeting key Congressional and United States Treasury Department officials that resulted in a 25 percent IFAD funding increase, in 2002.-Worked with in-country partners, in 2000, to conduct media tours of microfinance projects in Sub-Saharan Africa leading up to my attendance at the Microcredit Summit in Harare, Zimbabwe. Show less

Master Of Arts (M.A.), International Development

Bachelor Of Science (B.S.), Political Science