Brendan Sullivan
FOUNDING PARTNER
Brendan Sullivan is a Founding Partner at Weymouth/Watson and has been a leader in event production and management in private business, government and campaigns for over a decade. His diverse experience is indicative of his abilities as a leader who exhibits strong communication skills, attention to detail and a trademark ability to remain calm under pressure.
He has been trusted to lead dozens of projects nationally and internationally, including management of the Democratic Primary Debates in ten cities across the United States and coordination of principal movements across rural Vietnam. He managed and produced the inaugural Obama Foundation Summit in Chicago which featured President and Mrs. Obama, Prince Harry, Jose Andres and Bryan Stevenson as well as a concert featuring Chance the Rapper, The National, Gloria Estefan and Lin Manuel Miranda. With the onset of COVID-19, Brendan temporarily rebuilt the business to reflect his clients' needs for virtual programming. As a result, his prior firm was proud to have hosted over seventy-five percent of the virtual daytime programming for the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
Brendan draws from government experience in the White House as Senior Advance Lead for President Obama and the Pentagon as an Advance Officer for two Secretaries of Defense. In government, he led advance teams across the United States and in more than twenty countries, from allies like Canada and Germany to the conflict zones of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Prior to his work in the Obama administration, Brendan worked on the Obama for America campaign of 2012, in the United States Senate office of then-Senator John Kerry and as a field director on many Massachusetts based campaigns.
A native of Weymouth, MA, Brendan resides in Washington, DC with his wife Ashley and dog Rory.
Abbey Watson
FOUNDING PARTNER
Abbey Watson is a Founding Partner at Weymouth/Watson and an executive producer with over a decade of experience creating high-profile events. As a project manager, she brings together large, diverse, multi-functional teams into a collaborative process marked by strong organizational structure and detailed planning . She is well-versed in every element that goes into making an event successful, from frictionless registration to fabrication and technical production.
Over the course of her career, Abbey has managed and produced events for some of our nation’s highest-profile principals, organizations and coalitions. Whether developing the agenda for a five-day Congressional delegation to Central America, producing a ten-hour live broadcast from Times Square, or leading a 100 day nationwide campaign of coordinated advocacy events, she specializes in turning big ideas into reality. Favorite projects include RightsCon, the largest human rights conference in the Middle East/North Africa region, two separate cross-country tours of the Save My Care advocacy bus encapsulating dozens of unique events in more than 20 states; the White House Frontiers Conference, a landmark collaboration between Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and the Obama Administration’s Office of Science and Technology Policy to celebrate breakthrough technological achievements; and on a pro bono basis, the March for Our Lives rally, the largest single-day protest in the history of our nation’s capital.
Abbey spent seven years traveling around the world on behalf of the Obama White House as an Advance Lead. Prior to starting her own business, Abbey served as the scheduler and personal assistant for former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Most recently she served as the Senior Director of Principal Operations on the Pete Buttigieg campaign where she oversaw scheduling, advance, briefings, correspondence, Chasten Buttigieg’s team and surrogate operations.
Originally from Colorado, Abbey lives in Washington, DC with her husband, Dan and pup, Cricket.
Jessica Stout
DIRECTOR
Jessica Stout (she/her) is a seasoned communications professional with extensive experience across government, political, nonprofit, corporate, and issue advocacy communications. She brings particular expertise in leveraging innovative strategies, ranging from traditional PR to large-scale event production—to drive meaningful impact in today’s fast-moving digital news environment.
As a Director at Weymouth Watson, Jessica leads teams executing multi-day events with complex stakeholder matrices. Her favorite projects blend storytelling and logistics, using strategic production and creative decision making to extend the core message of an event well beyond game day.
Jessica has served as a Segment Producer for the 2024 Democratic National Convention, helping shape one of the nation’s most visible political events. She was also part of the team behind the Emmy-nominated television special Celebrating America and worked as a post-production producer for the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Her portfolio also includes work on the 43rd and 44th Kennedy Center Honors, two nationally televised specials celebrating the arts.
Earlier in her career, she served as Deputy Creative Director for the 2016 Democratic National Convention and as a producer for primary debates hosted by the Democratic National Committee—acting as a key liaison between campaigns, networks, and production teams.
In addition to her work in large-scale event production, Jessica’s foundation is in strategic communications, supporting a wide range of clients from national nonprofits, coalitions and corporations to elected officials.
A proud native New Mexican, Jessica currently lives in Hobbs, NM with her husband, son, and daughter.
Becky Siu
DIRECTOR
Becky Siu (she/her) brings 20 years of service with the U.S. Army to her role as a Director where she has led program development and execution for in-person, virtual and hybrid events. Her highlights include RightsCon New York, Costa Rica and Taiwan; America Clean Power; the 2025 DNC Candidate Forums; and a fairlife facility groundbreaking ceremony for the Coca-Cola Company. Recently, she served as the managing producer for Micron’s Supplier Day and Awards Dinner which brought over 400 C-suite and senior executives from over 10 countries. Becky also managed a nationwide bus tour for Mobilize Recovery which spanned Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. with 27 events in 13 states over 3 weeks.
Becky’s superpower is building collaborative relationships with clients; weaving the team, vendors, and production partners into an integrated crew on site; and fostering a positive work environment.
Originally from Ohio, Becky resides at Fort Meade, Maryland with her fiancé, an active duty service member, and their 7-year old lab. When not traveling for events, Becky can be found in DC, cheering on her beloved Washington Nationals and Capitals.
Gab DeFranceschi
CONSULTING PRODUCER
As a Consultant, Gab brings nearly a decade of experience in fast paced and around the clock global events, travel and operations. This experience guides her belief in developing strong operational processes so as to maximize efficiency and increase space for creativity.
Gab has served two White Houses as Deputy Director of Advance for the Office of Vice President Harris and Senior Advance Coordinator for the Office of President Obama. She also served The Obama Foundation's International Team in their first four years, creating, launching and managing the full-scope event, production and travel infrastructures for nine global year-round leadership programs.
Zoë Frolik
ASSOCIATE
Zoë Frolik (they/them) draws on their decade of on-the-ground and headquarters experience in political, corporate, and music event spaces to support their current work as a producer for large-scale events. From setting up chairs to executing 17,000-person events, Zoë believes that there is no challenge too big, no task too small. Their highlights with Weymouth Watson include serving as the Production Manager for RightsCon Taipei, Budget Manager for the Harris-Walz Election Eve Rally/Concert in Pittsburgh, and Experience Coordinator for a corporate groundbreaking.
A proud Vermonter, Zoë has been producing events for Senator Sanders since 2015. They are also proud of their work on Biden 2020, where they managed the execution of more than 80 events in 28 days; on the Emmy-nominated television special “Celebrating America”; and on foreign trips supporting Former Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.
Zoë currently resides in Seattle. In their spare time, you can find them reading a book or floating on the lake, likely dreaming of the next great event.
Jared Thompson
DIRECTOR
Jared Thompson (he/him) brings a decade of professional experience to his role as a Director at Weymouth Watson. Since joining the team in 2022, Jared has played key roles in producing a number of the firm's complex and high-profile projects including Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s inauguration, RightsCon 2023 and 2024 in Costa Rica and Taiwan respectively, and the Harris-Walz Election Eve event in Pittsburgh, PA. Whether it be for a groundbreaking ceremony in a construction zone, a broadcast production in a hotel ballroom, or a bus tour across the country, Jared embraces a forward thinking and collaborative approach to event production to help bring clients’ visions to life on time, on budget and on message.
Prior to joining Weymouth Watson, Jared worked in a variety of roles across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. That’s included everything from the White House Easter Egg Roll and State Arrival Ceremonies in the Obama Administration, organizing housing advocates and lobbying Congress during the 2017 ACA fight, door-knocking and advancing for Pete Buttigieg across Iowa and the country, and even managing a Congressional race in his hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Jared is a proud Hoosier, with a degree in Public and Nonprofit Management from Indiana University. When he’s not on the road, Jared lives in Washington, DC, where he can often be found searching for new music, enjoying some baseball or football (depending on the time of year) and complaining about his beloved Cubs or Bears (year round).
McKenzie Clarke
DIRECTOR
McKenzie Clarke is an experienced events professional and strategist, with a background in project management and event operations. She designs and implements client engagement strategies that continuously innovate event experiences to meet the dynamic priorities of today’s thought leaders. McKenzie centers on her leadership acumen and planning skills to curate impactful high-touch events that seek to hone the convening powers of diplomatic, government and business communities.
McKenzie formerly worked as an associate director at the Atlantic Council, executing foreign policy-focused programming with senior U.S. government officials and global leaders, launching several key domestic initiatives and supporting international flagship events. Having spent five years at Goldman Sachs’ headquarters in New York City prior to that, she also brings a profound working knowledge of managing Fortune 500 clients and delivering premiere multi-million dollar corporate events.
McKenzie is a Miami native and a proud alumna of Princeton University where she earned an A.B. from the School of Public and International Affairs with a concentration in Conflict & Cooperation. In her free time, you can find her making her way through her ever-growing pile of books to be read or putting one of her four passports to good use on her next adventure.
Leila Sebastian
ASSOCIATE
Leila Sebastian (she/her) uses her past experience in communications and client management to guide and enhance her current work as an Associate at Weymouth Watson. While with the company, she has worked extensively as a Travel Desk and Associate Producer, supporting the production of varying events, ranging from galas to cross-country bus tours to political rallies. Most notably, Leila was the Production Manager for the 2025 GIFFORDS Community Violence Intervention Conference and the Registration & Travel Lead for Carbon to Sea's 2025 Annual Convening, managing the registration of approximately 200 attendees and the travel logistics of 49 domestic and international travelers. Leila is most proud of these recent events, along with the work she did as event support for the Ride to Decide Bus Tour in 2024, as she enjoys fast-paced projects that invite collaboration among team members.
Before joining Weymouth Watson, Leila was the Marketing & Sales Assistant at the Georgetown University Press where she managed authors, peer reviewers, and external endorsers under a strict publication timeline, ensuring project deadlines were met and all tasks were executed efficiently.
Leila lives in Washington, DC and when she is not working she is likely listening to music or perusing Goodreads in search of her next book.
Nora Keefe
DIRECTOR
Nora Keefe (she/her) is a strategic communicator and seasoned event producer with over fifteen years of experience leading high-stakes campaigns, large-scale productions, and message-driven moments across politics, government, and advocacy. She specializes in building experiences that feel as intentional as they are impactful — where message, medium, and people align seamlessly.
Most recently, Nora served as Director of Surrogate Communications for the 2024 Democratic National Convention, where she led a team that secured more than 1,500 media interviews and helped design and integrate Studio 2024, a first-of-its-kind, in-house broadcast studio and creator program. Earlier in her career, she served as Trip Director for Elizabeth Warren’s presidential campaign, producing hundreds of events across 30 states and leading a 35+ person advance team. From campaign trails to convention halls, Nora has been trusted to deliver in the most high-pressure environments, always with calm, clarity, and intention.
Nora’s approach is equal parts logistical precision and gut instinct. She believes the best events aren’t formulaic; they have chemistry. That magic happens when message, environment, and people align, and Nora knows how to get them there. Whether she’s shaping narrative strategy, managing media under pressure, or building an event from the ground up, she brings warmth and an unshakable sense of purpose.
Originally from Worcester, Massachusetts, and now based in Chicago, Nora thrives on collaboration and believes great work starts with great teams. At Weymouth Watson, she brings a deep bench of experience and a steady presence to every room she walks into.
Aidan Nguyen
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Aidan Nguyen (he/him) joined Weymouth Watson in early 2025, bringing nearly a decade of project management and external relations experience from intergovernmental and international organizations, campaigns, non-profits, and the private sector.
Aidan comes from the UN system, serving in the Executive Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, managing global communications, advocacy, partnership, and fundraising efforts — including managing UN General Assembly planning, major fundraising summits, advertising and marketing initiatives, spearheading a $60 million dollar increase in donor funding, and planning over 100 ministerial or Head of Government/State-level summits and international missions. He previously worked in communications and organizing for both the Biden and Buttigieg presidential campaigns in the 2020 cycle. He was also the Associate Director for Media Logistics for the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, before joining the Harris campaign on advance, managing press and crowd planning for campaign rallies across the country.
Elizabeth Mark
DIRECTOR, OPERATIONS
Elizabeth Mark (she/her) brings her diverse background of customer relations, workforce management, and financial strategy to her role as Operations Director. She primarily works behind the scenes, keeping an eye on employees, contractors, and the books. Elizabeth has served as Staff Director for large scale events including the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the Harris-Walz Election Eve Rally in Pittsburgh and Rights Con Taipei.
Before joining the Weymouth Watson team, Elizabeth could be found at the Gershwin Theater in New York City wrangling the merchandise sales force and at REI in Colorado corralling its team of outdoor enthusiasts.
A theater devotee always, Elizabeth enjoys spending her time in Denver with her family and friends, tapping her toes under her desk, scheduling her next ski adventure and plotting which passport stamp she will collect next.
Rebecca Choate
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Rebecca Choate (she/her) is an Emmy nominated and Telly Award winning producer from Arlington, Va. Before joining Weymouth Watson, Rebecca served as the Deputy Studio director at the Democratic National Committee, where she produced shoots with Vice President Kamala Harris as part of her 2024 presidential campaign.
During the campaign, Rebecca line produced productions large and small, serving as a liaison between the DNC, the Harris Campaign, and production crews. Before joining the campaign, Rebecca was a production manager at a public access network in D.C. In 2024, she was nominated for an Emmy and a Gold Telly Award for her work on LIYT Nights and Drag Duels, a multi-part series about drag performers in the DC region.
Perhaps her most adventurous years were spent as a local news reporter and producer, when she repelled down the side of a skyscraper, flew in a biplane, and got to know her hometown better than she ever could’ve dreamed.
India Gonzales
ASSOCIATE
India Gonzales brings her past experience in varied production environments and team management to their work as an Associate at Weymouth Watson. Her work with Weymouth Watson includes extensive virtual production with the DNC, advance and planning for Mobilize Recovery’s nationwide tour, and production management for Trending Up. India loves any opportunity to work in a fast paced environment and celebrate team collaboration and creativity.
Prior to working with Weymouth Watson, India was a production assistant at American University's Greenberg Theater and production deputy for the Student Union, bringing artists including Flo Rida and Rich the Kid to D.C. and local talent from the Washington Ballet and Chamber Dance Project. India lives in Washington, DC but maintains their Californian roots by finding vegan food and Philz Coffee across the country.