Lobbyist Hicks goes to Mercury Public Affairs

Sacramento lobbyist Jodi Hicks, a specialist in health care issues and a partner in DiMare, Brown, Hicks and Kessler, is leaving DBHK to take a ranking position at Mercury Public Affairs.

Hicks will become a national co-chair of Mercury, the first woman to hold that position.

Three other people at DBHK also are going to Mercury:  Laura Parra and Ryan Spencer as senior vice presidents, and Nikki Ragsac as director.

A formal announcement describing the changes is scheduled Tuesday. Capitol Weekly received an advance copy of the statement.

Before DBHK, Hicks was vice president of government relations at the California Medical Association (CMA). Prior to that, she was legislative director at the California chapter of the National Organization for Women. Jodi also served on the board of directors for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte and the Legislative Committee for Women Empowered Against Violence (WEAVE).

Hicks currently serves on the board of Open California, the nonprofit, nonpartisan publisher of Capitol Weekly.

“We are incredibly proud to welcome Jodi Hicks to our team as a National Co-Chair.” said Fabian Núñez, Mercury partner and former Assembly speaker. “Jodi and her team are a crucial addition to the firm as we continue to strengthen our bipartisan ranks with exceptional, senior talent in every office around the world.”

He added that, “Laura, Ryan, and Nikki are seasoned government affairs professionals who will significantly expand Mercury’s capacity and services in and around the Capitol.”

Prior to DBHK, Parra served as a lobbyist liaison for the California Latino Capitol Association Foundation and as a legislative aide for then-Assemblymember Ricardo Lara and former Assemblymember Hector De La Torre.

In addition to his role at DBHK, Spencer served as a lobbyist for the CMA and a consultant for Speaker Anthony Rendon, and former Speakers John Perez and Toni Atkins.

Ragsac has two decades of Sacramento experience including work at the CMA and the California chapter of the National Organization for Women.

Mercury is a bipartisan public strategy and communications firm, with clients that include corporations, political entities and advocacy groups. The company has U.S. offices in Washington, DC, New York, California, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, and Tennessee, as well as international offices in London and Mexico City.