Our Company - Omni Public

Cesar R. Hernandez

FOUNDER & CEO

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Cesar R. Hernandez is a first-generation American of indigenous Mayan immigrants of the K'iche tribe of Guatemala. Hernandez has found great success during his 12 years as an innovation policy advisor, public affairs strategist, and government relations professional; most recently serving on Mayor Jane Castor’s Transportation Advisory Committee and task force on Racial Justice. He has advised various government agencies, public officials, and political candidates. His work has been featured in Forbes, INC, Entrepreneur, Disrupt and he is published in Oxford Universities, Oxford Strategy Review.

Cesar’s grandmother led a life of political activism against the Communist regime in Guatemala until she could no longer handle the sudden disappearances and deaths of friends and colleagues. Upon visiting America, Christina Garcia decided to move the family to Brooklyn, New York, where she still lives. Cesar likes to say he went from the literal jungle to the concrete jungle of New York City. Cesar’s childhood in Brooklyn taught him with his first life lessons and later, his motivation to leave. After a misunderstanding with the New York City Police Department brought him to “the tombs” [windowless holding cell for criminal intake] grouped with the likes of gangsters, drug dealers and fiends Hernandez prayed, "Lord, if you get me out today, I’m leaving New York City”.

A few short days later, Cesar stood before the judge to plead guilty at his hearing for the charge of Aggravated Assault on a Detective. Someone stepped in from the side and slid the judge a note. After reading it, the judge tells Cesar he was free to go, and fulfilling his promise to the Lord, three months later Hernandez moved to Florida to begin his quest of personal reinvention.

A man whose spirit aligns with words once uttered by Sam Cooke, I was born by a river and just like a river….I’ve been running ever since, Cesar has embraced radical reinvention. Cesar Hernandez became a student at the University of South Florida [USF] in 2008 studying Biomedical Science, Political Science, and Economics. Cesar also served as former Student Body President and University Trustee at USF, a solid foundation of education and leadership which completely changed his perspective. Hernandez then earned a Certificate in Disruption Theory from Harvard Business School. In 2017 he studied at Brown University's EMBA program, where he was named Entrepreneur of the Week by the prestigious Jonathan M. Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship for his work on integrating mobility programs with public agencies.

When Cesar’s immensely successful tenure with government agencies ended, he felt compelled to take full advantage of his American freedom by founding his own consulting group, a firm of the future. In the beginning, Hernandez operated his business from Blind Tiger Café in Ybor City, steadily building the firm to locations in Florida and New York, with national and international clients and working with companies such as Tesla Motors, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Ford Motors, Bird Rides, and advising various entrepreneurial support organization such as the Tampa Bay Wave, Synapse Florida and Tampa Bay Ventures.

Omni Public is one of Florida’s leading Public Affairs and Consulting firms and one of the top emerging consulting groups in the country.

For more on Cesar check out his full interview on Entrepreneur.com

Jennifer Webb

MANAGING PARTNER

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The Honorable Jennifer Webb is an anthropologist by training who specializes in launching multi-sector regional and statewide initiatives. Jennifer and her team help deploy new concepts and ideas into the marketplace and navigate media, government, and industry for their clients.

Jennifer was born and raised in Louisiana, where she graduated summa cum laude from Louisiana State University with baccalaureate degrees in History and Anthropology. She is a lifetime member of Phi Beta Kappa, the United States' oldest and most prestigious academic honor society. Immediately following her undergraduate studies, Jennifer relocated to Massachusetts, where she served in AmeriCorps before working at the intersection of workplace and economic development in Western Massachusetts.

Over a decade ago, Jennifer was recruited to Florida by the University of South Florida to pursue an advanced degree in the top public anthropology department in the nation and to assist in launching the Office of Community Engagement and Partnership. She graduated summa cum laude from USF in Anthropology and helped USF be awarded the Most Engaged Campus prior to running for public office. Jennifer proudly served Florida as a state legislator during which she was voted one of the most effective freshman legislators, given multiple legislative leader recognition, and awarded NAMI’s legislator of the year award. She presently serves as Secretary of the Bay Pines VA Foundation Board and as a member of Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services.

Jennifer lives in Gulfport with her wife, Cynthia Wurner, and their adopted puppies, Bailey and Winston.

Zain Nensey

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Zain Nensey, CPA, MBA, is a native of the Tampa Bay area. He serves as Omni Public’s CFO and leads Omni Public’s financial operations. Zain also offers tax planning and CFO services, particularly among startups, small businesses, and nonprofits. Zain can also assist in finding tax solutions to help companies whether through COVID-related tax provisions, research and development credits, and tax-favored reinvestment opportunities.

Zain is a two-time graduate of the University of South Florida, first with his Bachelor’s in Accounting in 2010, and then his Master’s in Business Administration in 2020.

Dave Jordan

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Dave Jordan is the Director of Public Affairs for Omni Public. His role is to craft messaging for our clients and to ensure those messages are accurately communicated and reflected in press coverage. Before working in public affairs, Dave spent 25 years as a print and broadcast journalist covering a multitude of stories across the country. He has worked in several news markets including Savannah, Georgia, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Greenville, South Carolina and Tampa, Florida. He reported extensively on politics, crime, healthcare, business and industry, finance, weather/climate, and public safety. His work helped lead to the arrest of businessmen and violent criminals leading to multiple convictions, changed both state policy and state law.

Dave’s work has been published in Bloomberg News and the New York Times. He also appeared on CNN, Headline News, and the Weather Channel. He was nominated for three Emmy awards and won first-place honors from the Society of Professional Journalists (Oklahoma Chapter) the Radio and Television News Directors Association of the Carolinas and OkWatchdog.Com for his investigative journalism and political coverage.

Lissette Campos

SENIOR ADVISOR IN COMMUNICATIONS

Lissette Campos is an eight-time Emmy Award winning journalist, media, and communications strategist. Now in consultancy, she is credited with media campaigns that have raised the bar for quality local programming, and community outreach initiatives yielding lasting and positive results. The former news anchor and 30+ year media veteran is best known in the Tampa Bay region as the host of “Positively Tampa Bay” spotlighting local non-profits and advocacy groups for more than a decade, as well as her work on the nationally recognized “Taking Action Against Domestic Violence” campaign at WFTS TV / Scripps Media Company.

Her career also includes Crisis Communications and Public Affairs for the Disney Company, University of South Florida, and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida.

Alan Cohn

SENIOR ADVISOR IN COMMUNICATIONS

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Alan Cohn is a Peabody Award-winning journalist and was the 2020 Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress in Florida's 15th Congressional District.

Chosen for the highly selected "Red to Blue" Program, Cohn raised over 3.2 million dollars; more money than any Democrat or Republican ever in the Florida-15. Cohn defeated an incumbent state representative by 8-points to win the primary. Alan was endorsed by President Joe Biden, Former President Barack Obama, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Cohn received 174,297-votes, more votes than any Democratic Nominee ever in the Florida-15.

Before running for Congress, Cohn was the anchor/managing editor of ABC 7 News at 7 p.m., which takes an in-depth, investigative look at hot issues of the day.

Cohn is the recipient of the 2007 George Foster Peabody Award, one of journalism's highest honors, for uncovering those defective parts were installed on Black Hawk helicopters built by Stratford-based Sikorsky Aircraft.

For over 30-years, Alan has been speaking truth to power. Whether it's taking on corporations making defective equipment for the military, exposing criminals and corrupt politicians, or crusading for consumer rights, and standing up for veterans, Alan Cohn earned the reputation as one of the most respected and investigative reporters in the nation.

As Chief Investigative Reporter at WFTS-TV in Tampa, he exposed a fake U.S. Marine masquerading as a decorated war hero in Tampa. Alan exposed a political candidate who took a half-million dollars from a wealthy businessman to buy an undisclosed vacation home and cheating by the state championship high school football team resulting in their title being stripped.

In his eight years at WTNH-TV, Alan not only won the Peabody Award, but he also uncovered a ring of DMV employees selling driver's licenses illegally on the black market resulting in a state-wide scandal and criminal convictions.

While at New England Cable News in Boston, Alan received a Page 1 byline in the Boston Globe for uncovering brutal police beating, and he earned an Emmy Award after discovering a convicted killer trying to become and Boston police officer.

In Miami, Alan earned an Emmy Award for winning back benefits for a lost and forgotten Vietnam veteran.

Along the way, Cohn has worked for ABC News, reported for NBC News, and worked five years at CBS News in New York, where he helped cover the 1980 and 1984 Presidential elections.

Cohn is a graduate of Hofstra University and a 2011 graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy, where he joined other select community leaders in Tampa in participating in courses involving terrorism, espionage, white-collar crime, and cybercrime.

Alan and his wife Patricia live in Tampa, FL., and have two children Ann and Aaron.

Gabrielle Pacatte

PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATE

Gabrielle Pacatte is a journalist at Grit Daily and writer for Omni Public. Graduating from The University of Tampa with a degree in marketing she values non-profits, grassroots, and sustainable business efforts. Sykes Business School, ranked #7 in the nation in 2015, allowed her passion for developing solutions to become a skill. Elle covers consumer market trends, emerging markets, tech startups and entrepreneurs. Inspired by nature, Elle is actively researching the effects humans have on this planet while exploring everything Mother Earth has to offer. You’ll most likely find Elle riding a bike down the Tampa Bay Riverwalk with her pup trotting alongside or soaking up the rays of the local beaches.

Marlen Abrahantes

SENIOR ADVISOR IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS

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Marlen Abrahantes has recently been named Vice President of Business Development for Ponsol Health. She is responsible for overall company growth, new contracts and overseeing sales. Ms. Abrahantes was Vice-President of Marketing for Health Family Insurance (HFI) and Pro Insurance Consultants, Miami Lakes, FL, from February 2020 through August 2021. She managed brand(s) advertising and promotion including community events. Ms. Abrahantes spearheaded the corporate community effort throughout 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. The corporate donation program included personal protection equipment (PPE) such as masks to first responders, families in low-income communities and agricultural workers. In addition, a food drive was established to serve and deliver hot meals to Miami Dade Seniors, families, and places of worship in our neediest communities.

Previously, Ms. Abrahantes was the Chief Executive Officer of Abrahantes Communications, a group of television stations located within the state of Florida. She founded the Station Group in 2012, bringing more than 10 years of Television industry expertise and sales experience to her role with the company. Marlen Abrahantes supervised the corporate direction and strategy for Abrahantes Communications (D.B.A. MI TV/Mega TV Ch. 93 & 897 Bright House, Ch. 28 FIOS, Ch. 30 & 47 DirecTV, Ch. 30 & 47 Over the Air) in Central Florida's field operations, including sales, consulting, marketing and alliances and channels. She focuses on strategy, leadership, innovation, and customers.

Since founding the Company, she has worked to share MiTV Network's strategy and vision with customers, partners, shareholders, and investors. To further strengthen MiTV Network"s strategy, Ms. Abrahantes formed a strategic programming alliance with the Spanish Broadcasting System's (SBS) Mega TV Network. On February 15, 2016, the MiTV Network/Mega TV affiliation was launched.

Before founding Abrahantes Communications, Ms. Abrahantes was a top-ranking Senior Sales Executive at the Telemundo Television Network, where her focus on customer service, sales, improved operational efficiency, and execution led to significant company growth.

Prior to Telemundo, she spent 10 years at Wittnauer Duty Free Mexico. At Wittnauer she held various management positions, such as, operations, sales, and marketing roles, ultimately serving as the company's CEO and President. Ms. Abrahantes led the company towards improving operational efficiency, strengthening the product line, and driving growth.

Mike Suarez

SENIOR ADVISOR IN GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

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Mike Suarez is a third-generation resident of Tampa, with deep roots in West Tampa. After graduating from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s degree in political science and while completing work on a Master of Public Administration degree, Mike began working as an unpaid intern with Senator Bob Graham’s office in Tampa and soon became a part time Staff Assistant. He was eventually asked to take the Central Florida District Representative position in 1990.

In 2011 Mike ran for Tampa City Council District 1 successfully getting elected and subsequently reelected to that position in 2015. He was termed out in 2019 and that year he was a candidate for Mayor of Tampa.

In 1993 Mike began a career as an insurance professional working in several capacities. His 28 plus years in the business have included positions as a designer of insurance products for specific industries, insurance marketing professional, and is currently President of Suarez Insurance, Inc. a OneSource Insurance Partner.

During his time on City Council Mike had been selected to serve on the following:

Tampa City Council, Chairman (2016-2017)
Hillsborough Area Rapid Transit (HART), 2011-2019,

Chairman (2013-2016)

Lowry Park Zoo Board of Trustees (2011 to 2018)
Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority (TBARTA),

Board Member (2012 to 2016)

TECO Historic Streetcar
Tampa Museum of Art, Finance Committee (2017-Present)
Florida Aquarium Board (2017-2019)
Chair, Tampa City Council Transportation Committee (2017-2019)
Chairman, Public Works Committee (2011-2017)

Mike continues to serve the community on the following non-profits and community organizations:

President, Strong Cities Alliance a 501 (c)(4) Organization promoting City government solutions throughout the U.S.
Member of PAC Board for Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA)
Lion’s Eye Institute, Largest Eye Bank in the World
Board Member, Finance Committee
Board Member Joint Nominating Committee Member
Feeding Tampa Bay, Local organization providing food throughout a 10-county area in West Central Florida.
Current Board Member
University of South Florida, Master of Public Administration Advisory Board Member
Florida Regional Leadership Network, Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino (2019 to Present)

Mike has been married for over 30 years to Laura Ankenbruck and they have three adult sons, Vincent, Anthony, and Nicholas.

Gabriella Iannacone

MARKETING & COMMUNITY AFFAIRS LEAD

Gabriella Iannacone is a skilled marketing and public relations professional. She graduated from the University of Tampa with a bachelor’s degree in Advertising & Public Relations. Gabriella has a passion for marketing and a strong interest in the Tampa Bay entrepreneurial ecosystem. She is a part of the team at Synapse, Florida’s innovation hub that works closely with entrepreneurs and investors.

As Omni Public’s Marketing and Community Affairs Lead, Gabriella works directly with clients, coordinates marketing events, and facilitates relationships with companies across the nation. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis and going on adventures with her dog, Finn.

Allison DiStasi

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Allison DiStasi is a skilled social media and Marketing professional. She is originally from Long Island, NY and moved to Florida to attend the University of Tampa. Allison will be graduating in Spring 2022 with a degree in Marketing. Throughout her college career she has mastered conducting marketing research, curating marketing plans and innovative strategies.

Allison has been certified in the executive program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan Business school in Social Media Strategy. She has also received an Inbound Sales Certification.

As Omni Public’s social media manager, she runs the presence of all our social media platforms as well as other clients across the nation. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new places and photography.

Joy Peterson

RESIDENT CREATIVE

Joy Peterson is a Tampa native born Super Bowl Sunday, January 27, 1991. The Bills lost by one point but Earth, as well as parents Mike and Sharon Peterson, gained a creative soul on fire. She graduated with honors from Henry B. Plant High in 2009 choosing to study Photography and Creative Writing at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Her God given gift with words shone brightest in Poetry; being published in artemis: a student literary journal of the savannah college of art and design in 2012 with Tampa to Savannah and Backyard in 2012 and What It Costs in 2013. Joy now has a tremor in her shutter finger, one of the few remaining symptoms after suffering Traumatic Brain Injury as a Junior at SCAD on March 09, 2012, but finds words flowing freely from her fingertips writing for Omni Public.

Who We Are

We are Omni Public

Our Tribe

Cesar R. Hernandez

Jennifer Webb

Zain Nensey

Dave Jordan

Lissette Campos

Alan Cohn

Gabrielle Pacatte

Marlen Abrahantes

Mike Suarez

Gabriella Iannacone

Allison DiStasi

Joy Peterson

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