OUR TEAM
THE ENTIRE MPS TEAM HAS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ON THE CITY, STATE, AND NATIONAL LEVELS. SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2013, MPS HAS BECOME A DRIVING FORCE IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS CAMPAIGNS.
NEAL KWATRA
Founder & CEO
Since the founding of MPS in 2013, Neal Kwatra has been at the forefront of the most hotly contested political and issue advocacy campaigns in New York and across the nation. His influence spans electoral campaigns, worker-focused advocacies, and groundbreaking climate change initiatives, notably aiding the development of New York's budding offshore wind industry.
In his first year running MPS, Kwatra made history. He spearheaded Ken Thompson’s campaign for Brooklyn District Attorney as Chief Strategist, resulting in Thompson becoming the first African American Brooklyn DA. Notably, Thompson introduced the nation's first conviction review unit in a DA's office, emphasizing criminal justice reform.
In the subsequent years, Kwatra expanded the reach of MPS into the strategic management of nationally recognized grassroots and issue advocacy campaigns, including: the #FightFor15 where New York became the first state to pass a $15 minimum wage; the United for Affordable NYC campaign that enacted the largest affordable housing program in a US city anywhere in the country; the passage of transformative criminal justice reforms on behalf of the Innocence Project, Paid Family Leave, Tuition Free College and medical marijuana expansion legislation in New York; and the ShareBetter campaign that has driven a global movement to enact regulations around Airbnb and the short-term rental industry.
He has been a constant advocate for Maimonides Medical Center, a critical safety net hospital serving thousands in New York City with dynamic, cutting-edge medical innovations, and a leading voice for organized labor in the expansion of gaming in New York State. He has been trusted by countless organizations to lead independent expenditures that have shaped the results of city, state, and federal elections.
More recently Kwatra has focused his work on climate change at the cross section of the public and private sectors. He has led a number of successful campaigns for building decarbonization at the city and state level. His work advocating for offshore wind with international renewables leader, Ørsted, has laid the groundwork for the creation of offshore wind and renewables that will create thousands of union jobs across New York while providing hundreds of thousands of homes with clean energy from one of the largest offshore wind farms in the United States.
From 2011-2013, he was the Chief of Staff for the New York State Attorney General's Office. Here, he directed the office's trajectory and daily functions, making headway in combating mortgage fraud and launching the I-STOP system to counteract prescription drug abuse. Preceding this, Kwatra revolutionized the New York Hotel Trades Council (HTC) as the Director of Political and Strategic Affairs. Between 2008 and 2011, he transformed the HTC into a political powerhouse, with impressive campaign successes including Mayor Michael Bloomberg's re-election. Kwatra's strategies enabled thousands to join the hotel workers union, solidifying HTC's political clout. Earlier, as Deputy Director of Strategic Affairs for UNITE HERE, the national hotel workers union, Kwatra pioneered the union’s hotel development initiative.
Recognized by Crain’s "40 Under Forty" in 2012, Neal Kwatra is consistently listed in City and State's top consultants for New York City and Albany from 2014 to 2023. In 2021, he was 31st in City & State's “New York City Power 100" and 10th in their ‘Power of Diversity: Asian 100’. By January 2022, he ranked 5th in City & State's "Political PR Power 50.” He was also recognized by Schnep’s Media in 2022 as Power Players for Elections and, as of October 2023, chosen by AM New York as a ‘power player’ in PR and Lobbying.
JASON HEARD
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & Director of Operations
Jason’s experience as a financial professional spans 20+ years with a diverse range of clients from the legal industry, medical, public relations, non-profits and the hotel industry.
His focus is on improving financial efficiencies, increasing the bottom-line and streamlining the accounting processes for his clients. Prior to being an independent consultant, Jason was the COO of a real estate law firm and a financial advisor with American Express.
Not long after college, Jason spent two years living and working in the south of France for a software company (one of his clients that hired him after his consulting with them for just 3 months). This experience was critical in understanding the diverse people and business situations that he would encounter throughout his career. Jason continues to focus on professional development and staying current on all aspects of business financial management.
JONAH ALLoN
VP OF Public Affairs
Jonah Allon brings a wealth of experience managing press operations at various levels of city government. Before joining MPS in 2023, he served as Deputy Press Secretary for New York City Mayor Eric Adams, overseeing a wide-ranging portfolio of city agencies including the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Labor Relations, and the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. During his tenure, he successfully led the public rollouts of contract agreements with major municipal unions including District Council 37, the United Federation of Teachers, and more, resulting in newly-ratified contracts for approximately 88 percent of the city’s represented workforce. He also played an instrumental role in shaping the media narrative around New York City’s groundbreaking short-term rental registration law, helping to preserve the city’s housing stock while promoting the recovery of the city’s vital tourism industry.
Prior to serving in the Mayor’s Office, Allon was proud to be part of the team that helped elect Eric Adams as the second Black mayor in New York City history. The campaign put together an outer-borough working-class coalition to overcome a crowded field in the city’s first ranked choice primary. The carefully honed message of a safer, more equitable city resonated with New Yorkers throughout the city, and ultimately catapulted Adams to a resounding general election victory.
Before that, Allon served as Press Secretary for then-Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams. In that role, Allon leveraged citywide and local media to elevate the office’s key priorities, including gun violence, STEAM education, and food equity. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he joined Borough President Adams as he traveled throughout the borough distributing PPE, meals, and other needed supplies to essential workers, helping to assuage Brooklynites’ concerns during a period of deep uncertainty. After the tragic murder of George Floyd in 2020, Adams’ unique background made him a national voice on police accountability and public safety.
Allon began his career in city government as Press Secretary for New York City Councilmember Rafael Espinal, where he secured positive coverage on the Councilmember’s legislative agenda, including a bill mandating green roofs on new buildings and a first-in-the-nation “Right to Disconnect” law.
A born-and-raised New Yorker, he lives in Brooklyn.