AM Strategic Communications

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HELLO! 

Meet Ana Maria Rosato.

Ana Maria Rosato is a seasoned, disciplined, and savvy political communications expert. She possesses stellar expertise in media relations & coaching, message development, and crisis communications. She’s expert in both old-school and digital comms.

 

Ana Maria on the Political Frontlines
From reproductive rights to the voter rights, Ana Maria is battle-hardened from years on the frontlines of our nation’s political battles on local, state, and national levels. Ana Maria’s expertise and experience is perfect for today’s battles to protect and expand our hard won civil liberties and civil rights, to protect our democracy, and to protect the soul of our nation.

 

Ana Maria’s Work From Sea to Shining Sea
Ana Maria’s experience and expertise is made for this moment in our nation’s history. Her political work spans the nation from the outskirts of New Orleans along the Mississippi Gulf Coast to the heartland of Nashville, Tennessee, from the nation’s capital in Washington, DC, to the capital of Silicon Valley, California, and most recently from the battleground state of Georgia with the ACLU of Georgia.

 

Ana Maria’s Passion for Justice
Ana Maria channels her passion for justice to help Democrats persuasively communicate their values and vision for life in a way that resonates with voters.

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Ana Maria Rosato stands strong for justice.
Ana Maria Rosato stands strong for justice.
Ana Maria Rosato in a blue shirt that states "Never underestimate an Italian Woman."
"Never underestimate an Italian Woman" - one of Ana Maria's mottos.
Ana Maria Rosato reads Prof. Drew Westen's "The Political Brain."
Ana Maria Rosato reads Prof. Drew Westen's "The Political Brain."
Photo credit: Paige Manieri  

Ana Maria Rosato Fights for Our Sacred Right to Vote.

Ana Maria Rosato sports a yellow sweatshirt with bold black letters declaring to COUNT EVERY VOTE.
 
COUNT EVERY VOTE — one of Ana Maria Rosato’s core values. Photo credit: Paige Manieri

In the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, Ana Maria decided she needed to go to the political frontlines to protect and expand all citizens’ sacred right to vote. Upon learning that the ACLU of Georgia – the nation’s premier protector of our civil liberties – was headed by Andrea Young and the affiliate was looking for a communications director, Ana Maria knew that she had found her home for the foreseeable future. 

 

Ana Maria worked side-by-side with the ACLU’s best voter rights lawyers to protect our sacred right to vote — the foundation of our nation’s democracy and the right upon which all others depend. This has been one of Ana Maria’s many career highlights.

 

 

MORE on ANA MARIA’S FIGHT for OUR SACRED RIGHT to VOTE.

 

Ana Maria Rosato Fights For Reproductive Freedom.

ANA MARIA’s MANTRA

Politicians must NEVER tell a woman — or a couple — when to start or expand a family. EVER.

 

Ana Maria Rosato grew up in a devout Catholic family and attended Catholic schools from kindergarten through high school. However, life as an adult taught her that the right to decide whether and when to start or expand a family must remain with a woman and those she trusts – her spouse, family, doctor, spiritual advisors.

 

As a young adult, Ana Maria volunteered as a Planned Parenthood clinic escort. She then worked as the political director for Tennessee NARAL and lobbyist for Tennessee Planned Parenthood. 

 

To date, her proudest work has been publicizing SisterSong v Kemp, the ACLU of Georgia’s lawsuit that challenges the state’s abortion ban. She greatly admires the legal work of her ACLU of Georgia colleagues and the strong leaders throughout Georgia working to protect the right of a woman and couple to decide for themselves without any politician’s interference.  

 

 

 MORE on ANA MARIA’s FIGHT to PROTECT

EVERY WOMAN’S RIGHT to DECIDE.

 

Protests at the Georgia capitol when the governor signed the state's abortion ban into law.

 

Protests at the Georgia capitol when the governor signed the state’s abortion ban into law May 2019. Photo credit: ACLU

Ana Maria Rosato Fights for Criminal Legal Reform.

People from all over Georgia attended a June 2020 march to protest the murder of Mr. George Floyd, Mr. Ahmaud Arbery, and others at the hand of law enforcment throughout the nation. Photo credit: Ana Maria Rosato for the ACLU of Georgia

As the ACLU of Georgia’s communications director from 2017 – 2021, Ana Maria Rosato has been actively involved in promoting racial justice.

 

From cash bail reform to marijuana decriminalization and from the protesting of the police murder of Mr. George Floyd to the three white men who murdered Mr.Ahmaud Arbery, Ana Maria has leveraged her formidable communications expertise to promote theACLU of Georgia’s great work.

 

Backstory to the Publicity on the Murder of Mr. Ahmaud Arbery
Before the video showing three white men murdering Mr. Ahmaud Arbery, a young Black man in Brunswick, Georgia, Ana Maria Rosato put a New York Times reporter in touch with Christopher Bruce, ACLU of Georgia’s policy director, who connected the reporter with key people on the ground in Glynn County. On April 26, 2020, The New York Times published Two Weapons, a Chase, a Killing and No Charges. the article that publicized this gruesome murder to its nationwide audience. Again, this critically important article came out before the video of the murder surfaced and was made public.

 

 

MORE on ANA MARIA’S FIGHT for CRIMINAL LEGAL REFORM.

 

Ana Maria Rosato Fights for Public Education.

Initiative 42 logo
Initiatve 42 would have amended Mississippi’s state constitution to require the state legislature to fully fund public education.

Following in her mother’s footsteps and using the lessons learned at her mother’s knee, Ana Maria fights for providing the necessary resources to ensure every student has access to world-class public education.

 

During the 2015 election cycle in Mississippi, Ana Maria worked with the Mississippi Association of Educators (MAE, a state affiliate of the National Educators Association (NEA). She worked to pass a constitutional amendment that would have required the state legislature to fully fund public education.

 

Ana Maria Rosato is adamantly opposed to public tax dollars funding private charter schools. During the 2015 cycle, Ana Maria also was the sole advisor to a public education champion running for state representative. His  opponent was a private charter school lobbyist.  Ana Maria’s client won.

 

 

MORE on ANA MARIA’S FIGHT for PUBLIC EDUCATION.

 

Ana Maria Rosato Fights Man-Made Environmental Catastrophes. 

US EPA ASPECT Scientists and Ana Maria Rosato, communications director, Office of Congressman Gene Taylor

US EPA ASPECT Scientists and Ana Maria Rosato, communications director, Office of Congressman Gene Taylor, after eating dinner on August 8, 2010.

Five years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged her hometown New Orleans-Mississippi Gulf Coast region, BP’s deliberate neglect created our nation’s worst man-made environmental catastrophe. Not only were 11 people killed, but also the impact devastated many lives and livelihoods as well as the Gulf Coast waters teaming with sea life.

 

As if all of that failed to be enough with which to contend, a behind-the-scenes fight between the nation’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Congressman Gene Taylor (D-South Mississippi) developed. At the time, Ana Maria Rosato worked as Taylor’s communications director. 

 

Unhappy with how Ana Maria Rosato’s crisis communications expertise provided Congressman Taylor with local, regional, and national media attention, an EPA middle management bureaucrat threatened to withdraw needed resources unless  Ana Maria got her boss — the congressman — to stop criticizing the department in the press. She laughed in his face as she informed the EPA guy that she would increase the media attention such that the agency would be unable to retaliate.

 

 

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the BP OIL ENVIRONMENTAL CATASTROPHE
in the GULF of MEXICO.

 

Ana Maria Rosato Fights Corruption:
Big Insurance, FEMA, & the Republican White House

 

When Ana Maria returned home 18 months after Hurricane Katrina, she became furious with the Republican White House and politicians who abandoned her hometown region.

 

Channeling her fury, Ana Maria created A.M. in the Morning! , her blog to pull the media’s coat, even embarrass them if she could. Before she knew it, Ana Maria became a resident expert on the corruption with Big Insurance, the Republican White House, and the FEMA — often referred to locally as Fix Everything My Ass.  

 

Not for the faint of heart, A.M. in the Morning! provided first-hand accounts of life in the Katrina ravaged region, particularly focusing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Written from a distinctly progressive political point of view and a scathing style redolent of the region’s famous cuisine — hot, strong and spicy, nobody escaped Ana Maria’s wrath whether they were the callous insurance industry, the bumbling leadership of FEMA, do-nothing politicians, or incompetent government contractors.

 

Ana Maria’s blog and podcast caught the attention of Congressman Gene Taylor (D-MS). Taylor recruited Ana Maria to join his congressional campaign team after which she joined his district staff.  Taylor also had a spicy way of talking. He once called Grover Norquists anti-tax group “Lying sacks of scum.“

 

 

MORE on ANA MARIA FIGHTING CORRUPTION:

BIG INSURANCE, FEMA, and the REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATION

Ana Maria Rosato with sign Congressman Gene Taylor put up in his yard after Hurricane Katrina: All State & State Farm Axis of Evil.
Ana Maria Rosato with sign Congressman Gene Taylor put up in his yard after Hurricane Katrina: All State & State Farm Axis of Evil.

Ana Maria Rosato Fights Sex Discrimination in Education.

Drum Major Ana Maria Rosato conducting the Saint Stanislaus marching band during a high school football game.

Drum Major Ana Maria Rosato conducting the Saint Stanislaus marching band during a high school football game.  Photo from SSC Band Alumni Facebook Page.

Coming from a long line of musicians and oozing musical talent out of every cell in her body, Ana Maria dreamed only of pursuing music as a career. 

Ana Maria then hit the college campus, and at the tender age of 18, she experienced the pain that outright sex discrimination inflicts on its prey.  The Marching Band Director refused to allow her to tryout for drum major and offered Ana Maria to try out for the flag corps.  In 1977, flag corps were all female. 

 

Ana Maria’s 18-month battle with the University of Southern Mississippi’s music department succeeded in opening up drum major tryouts. The ONLY reasons for that success is because federal law — Title IX — prohibiting sec discrimination had significant teeth in it at that time, and she had a very good attorney who filed a complaint with the proper federal agency.

 

The entire ordeal completely transformed Ana Maria’s life and career in ways she never envisioned. Specifically, the ordeal politicized her, and her career centered around social justice. See above. 


 

 

MORE on ANA MARIA’S
JOURNEY FROM MUSIC to SOCIAL JUSTICE.