Our Staff

Robert George, President and CEO

As president and CEO of StratComm, Bob manages client and subcontractor relationships, defines project scopes, and implements action plans. He is particularly involved in identifying and acquiring the appropriate resources needed for each client program that we manage, and oversees contract negotiations with those resources. He specializes in management of complex client and subcontractor relationships, overseeing highly successful programs at StratComm for USAID, the Social Security Administration, and the Department of State.

Bob founded StratComm (then called Boston Publishing Company) in 1978 after having been a vice president at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, and prior to that, serving in the U.S. Marine Corps as a combat fighter/attack pilot in Vietnam. In the 1980s he oversaw the publishing of the landmark 25-volume Time-Life Books series The Vietnam Experience, which was twice nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and sold more than 11 million copies. He has recently published the illustrated military history books Tall Ship Odysseys, The War of 1812 and The Rise of the U.S. Navy, The Medal of Honor: A History of Service Above and Beyond, and The Vietnam Experience: Reflections on an Era.

Michele Tezduyar, Chief Operating Officer

Michele oversees StratComm’s strategic mission as well as our daily operations, and in addition heads our new business capture and proposal development efforts. She drives StratComm’s organizational strategy, implementing cross-functional policies to achieve objectives and advance company goals. She monitors and maintains appropriate staff levels, ensuring that qualified resources are assigned to projects in order to maximize productivity. She holds a BS in Civil & Environmental Engineering as well as an MBA in Computer Information Systems. Michele joined StratComm in 2013 after having owned a successful internet-based logistics and fulfillment company, bringing more than 20 years of experience in business strategy and planning, client management, international logistics, and finance.

Heather Barboza, Chief Financial Officer

As the Chief Financial Officer, Heather is responsible for the management of StratComm’s financial operations – directing all accounting, bookkeeping, billing, and invoicing functions. She also oversees the daily accounting of our Social Security Administration program, including managing all financial aspects of our proprietary web application, DASH, which is a communication, scheduling, and invoicing portal developed specifically for this program. Previously, Heather was the Assistant Controller for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, bringing more than 14 years of process improvement expertise and federally funded contract experience. Heather is a key member of the company’s management team and plays a critical role in analyzing and assessing business development opportunities.

Jennifer Azar, Director of Operations

Jen directs day-to-day operations at StratComm, managing our project management teams and resources across all programs, as well as our editorial, design, and web teams on content and website development projects. She also plays a large and integral role in business development and contract management. With extensive experience in program management, strategic planning, and team building, she oversees the execution of highly complex client projects from launch to final delivery while supervising budgets and schedules. Previously, she was Director of Brand Strategy & Services at Mind Over Media and Director of Print & Creative Services at Carnegie Communications.

Thomas Santos, Director of Human Resources

As Director of Human Resources, Tom focuses on fostering a high performance culture at StratComm that enables our company to grow and our staff to thrive. In his role, he develops and implements policies, processes, and procedures for current staff and for new hires. He works closely with members of the StratComm management team to create and support initiatives in areas including workforce development; leadership development; diversity, equity, and inclusion; talent acquisition, review, and development; and workplace culture. Before joining StratComm, Tom had been a C-level or director-level Human Resources executive for the last 15 years, most recently as COO for a multidisciplined engineering and technical/professional services provider to federal, state, and commercial markets.

Kayla Foley, Project Director

As project director for our content programs, Kayla performs a significant role in many different client-facing and internal operations projects at StratComm. Supporting areas including business development, social media, and program management, Kayla has a hand in a variety of StratComm’s day-to-day activities. She manages projects for both private and public sector clients such as Babson College, RTI, Department of State, and the USDA, communicating daily with key stakeholders. Before joining the StratComm team, Kayla held positions as an account executive at a communications firm, and in account planning, marketing, and social media. 

David Shapira, Senior Editor

David leads our editorial department, overseeing writing, editing, and content development at StratComm and its book publishing imprint, Boston Publishing. He manages our contributing writers, editors, and subject matter experts and is the chief editor of all content that StratComm creates for public and private-sector clients, including the Department of State, Department of the Treasury, Department of Labor, and Goldman Sachs. David also develops much of StratComm’s internal communications and was the senior editor on Boston Publishing’s books, The Medal of Honor: A History of Service Above and Beyond and The American Experience in Vietnam: Reflections on an Era. David joined StratComm in 2011 after spending much of his career in journalism and publishing project management. 

Kibbe Edwards, Senior Graphic & Web Designer

Kibbe oversees StratComm’s graphic and web design initiatives, working directly with clients and managing our design team. Kibbe is a seasoned designer with more than 15 years of experience in graphic design, website design and development, and art direction. Kibbe has most recently held positions at Clarks America, where he supervised their e-commerce design team and directed digital creative projects, leading the launch of several websites and a complete digital marketing platform. Previously, he was a print and digital graphic designer at Entercom Radio Boston. Kibbe holds a bachelor’s degree from Westfield State University and a graphic and web design certificate from Clark University.

Alison Lutes, Project Manager

Alison supports programs for several of StratComm’s clients, including the National Library of Medicine and the Social Security Administration. Bringing more than 20 years of expertise as a marketing manager, Alison serves as both a project manager and liaison for our clients, ensuring each project is completed on schedule and within scope. She has proven experience, having managed multimedia programs for such companies as IDG, IBM, VMware, Dell, Google, and AT&T, and has held positions as an editor, producer, and publishing coordinator throughout her career. She utilizes this experience to provide our clients with exceptional, personal service.

Julie Aponte, Project Director

Julie is the project director for our Verbatim Hearing Recorder (VHR) and Vocational Expert (VE) programs. She manages project management staff assigned to these programs and oversees VHR and VE scheduling, performance, suitability, and training. She works directly with VHRs and VEs regarding proper procedures, and with SSA hearing offices, providing them with reporting on VHR and VE subcontractors. An excellent communicator with a degree in psychology from Westfield State University, Julie plays a large role in contract management and coordinating invoicing between StratComm, VHR and VE subcontractors, and SSA regional offices.

Lauren Griffin, Manager of Office Administration

Lauren assists the senior management team in daily operations and supports key StratComm business areas such as marketing and communications, project management, personnel management, business development, and logistics. With her keen organizational skills and deep knowledge of operations, she is a valuable member of the growing StratComm team. She has a breadth of experience in all aspects of office management, including sales and marketing, bookkeeping, scheduling, file management, and facility and operations management.

In memoriam: Rick Hardy, former Director of Human Resources

Rick was a respected and admired HR professional who worked with us for five years. Rick served on the StratComm Executive Board and touched all areas of the company in many important ways. All of us admired his work ethic and dedication, but most importantly, his smile and perpetual good humor. He was truly a friend to all at StratComm. Rick passed away on March 8, 2022. He will be dearly missed.