Rising Stars: Emma Manoukian Chung, Bicker, Castillo, Fairbanks & Spitz Public Affairs

If anyone is up for a good challenge, it’s Emma Manoukian Chung. At 23 years old, Manoukian Chung had her sights set on a job at Bicker, Castillo, Fairbanks & Spitz Public Affairs (BCFS). Sure enough, they weren’t hiring. Undeterred, she pitched herself to the team, and before long, she was working on some of California’s most high profile ballot measures.

Now, at 25, Manoukian Chung has earned two promotions at BCFS. Just before the New Year, she was promoted to Account Supervisor.

“I think that I have always been a go-getter, and I don’t take no for an answer on things,” says Manoukian Chung. “To my core, I’m super competitive. I think that really meshes well with the public affairs space. It energizes me.”

Prior to working at BCFS, Manoukian Chung explored several career paths. From a family of zinfandel grape growers in Healdsburg, California, she thought perhaps she would pursue a career in the wine industry. She went on to study Agricultural Communications and Agricultural Business at Cal Poly.

While she dabbled in these various fields, Manoukian Chung always felt an interest in politics simmering. So, she interned for Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R), who was a local representative to San Luis Obispo, and for a consulting firm in Washington DC that specializes in agricultural trade. Her most impactful internship was in public affairs, in which she worked on two ballot measures.

“What I really liked about public affairs, which I got a taste of, interning in 2020, was being able to identify unlikely voices on an issue,” says Manoukian Chung. “I really was attracted to ballot measures and the initiative process because it provides a really powerful tool for communities and constituencies to make their case directly to voters.”

After graduating from college, she became a Capital Fellow for Assemblymember Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) in Sacramento.

A major accomplishment there was her work on AB 3, which aimed to increase penalties for street racing. Before the first committee hearing, the bill received opposition from high-profile groups such as the ACLU.

Manoukian Chung did not let their opposition deter her; instead, she negotiated with them and found solutions to improve the bill, resulting in the removal of their opposition. AB 3 was later passed and signed into law.

“In my 21 years in the Legislature, Emma is by far the best fellow I have worked with,” says Nghia Nguyen, Fong’s chief of staff. “From the time I met Emma, it was abundantly clear that her sky-high potential was matched by her ambition and her desire to serve.”

As a new hire at BCFS, Manoukian Chung continued to assume leadership roles on projects. The first project she worked on with BCFS was NO on Proposition 27, a campaign to stop the legalization of online sports betting in California.

Manoukian Chung recruited an addiction specialist from Stanford Medical, a homeless and housing advocate, and a concerned mother for the advertisement campaigns. The campaign resulted in a devastating defeat for Prop 27.

Another career highlight for Manoukian Chung was her role in developing the strategy for NO on AB 1228 – Stop the Attack on Local Restaurants.

“In my 21 years in the Legislature, Emma is by far the best fellow I have worked with.”

“The most rewarding part of this campaign was meeting hundreds of local restaurant owners,” she says. “Oftentimes, these folks were disillusioned by politics and didn’t recognize how powerful their stories are. I loved having the opportunity to bring their voices to Sacramento and provide them a platform to tell their story, influence policymakers, and experience making a true impact on the political process.”

Since Manoukian Chung has notched such an impressive array of career victories under her belt at a young age, it’s only natural to ponder what her secret is. Her answer: “I don’t believe in short-cuts. There is no replacement for rigorous preparation and unrelenting execution.”

For her, each success is the result of a combination of personal ambition and the efforts of her mentors. She stresses that for any young professional, first impressions are crucial.

“Coming out of the gate, building a positive reputation really helps boost your professional trajectory,” she says. “I would encourage every young professional to tackle every task—big and small—with maximum effort and a ‘can-do’ attitude.”

Brandon Castillo, a Partner at BCFS and Manoukian Chung’s current boss, attests to her work ethic, stating “she shows experience and poise beyond her years. Emma is the best-of-the-best and has a promising future as a campaign strategist and tactician.”

Manoukian Chung declined to comment on current projects with BCFS, but she guarantees that she is “laser focused on delivering wins in 2024” and that she has no plans to leave anytime soon.

In her free time, Manoukian Chung enjoys exploring Sacramento’s diverse gastronomic scene with her husband, Sam Chung. “Two of our favorites are Kasbah and Seoul St. Midtown,” says Manoukian Chung. “We love enjoying Armenian and Korean food together as a way to share each other’s cultures and feel connected to our roots.”

She also enjoys building relationships with her colleagues, whom she invested in Sacramento Kings tickets with. She describes the season so far as “fun, also very disappointing, but fun.”

As a young professional, Manoukian Chung has demonstrated a commitment to building strong professional and personal relationships and an unwavering drive to succeed, as reflected in her work victories and the praise of current and previous mentors, such as Nguyen.

“At 25, Emma has been trusted to tackle some of the most high-profile issues facing Californians, and she’s just getting started,” says Nguyen. “In her drive to achieve professional success, Emma continues to help others around her. It’s been an absolute pleasure watching Emma grow, and she is no doubt a rising star.”