WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 7, 2020: Strategic Marketing Innovations (SMI) today announced that Patricia Rojas-Ungar has joined the firm as a Vice President.
“Patricia is a proactive, politically savvy and effective Washington advocate and I am thrilled to welcome her to the SMI team,” said SMI Chief Operating Officer Bill McCann. “During these unprecedented times, our clients need partners with the know-how to deliver result. Patricia’s extensive experience working with Congress and the Executive Branch, strong policy expertise and track record of achievement will allow us to deliver unmatched value to existing clients and help us grow our practice areas.”
Rojas-Ungar brings nearly twenty years of senior-level government affairs and congressional experience to SMI. Most recently, Rojas-Ungar led the Outdoor Industry Association’s (OIA) advocacy efforts as vice president of government affairs representing the interest of 1,300 retailers, manufacturers and suppliers of outdoor gear and products. In this role, she lobbied heavily on trade, tax and environmental policy among other issues. Prior to OIA, Rojas-Ungar served as vice president for both public affairs and government relations at the U.S. Travel Association where she worked on behalf of the $2.6 trillion travel industry which includes multiple Fortune 500 companies. Rojas-Ungar used her homeland security expertise to design and implement a lobbying strategy that helped upgrade the nation’s aviation security landscape and secured legislation that delivered millions in federal dollars for travel promotion.
Before her work with industry associations, Rojas-Ungar worked as a professional staff member on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, where she honed her expertise in border and transportation security, passenger security screening, immigration, and disaster recovery and mitigation. She also served as the Committee’s SME for the homeland security budget and appropriations. Before the U.S. Senate, Rojas-Ungar served as legislative assistant to Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), the current Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. Her responsibilities included managing the funding requests for the homeland security, commerce, justice, science and foreign operations appropriations subcommittees.
“SMI’s mix of technical federal experts and Capitol Hill veterans sets it apart and allows it to deliver winning results for its clients,” said Patricia Rojas-Ungar. “I am excited to join such a unique and reputable team and look forward to using my expertise in homeland security, trade and appropriations to help SMI’s clients achieve their goals.”
Founded in 1993, Strategic Marketing Innovations (SMI) has been the premier choice in Washington for companies, universities, nonprofits, and industry associations seeking enhanced strategies for technology development and enterprise growth. Representing over seventy clients nationwide, SMI combines both lobbying and government affairs support with technical consulting services.
