Maria Cardona-A Strong Powerful Latina Mother

Maria Cardona is a seasoned Democratic strategist, public affairs and communications professional with more than 18 years experience in the political, government, public relations, campaign, community and coalition building arenas.  She joined the Dewey Square Group (DSG) – a premier national public affairs firm – as a Principal in February of 2005 to assist DSG’s corporate, non-profit and trade association clients with strategic partnerships at the national, state and local level, especially within the Latino community.  Ms. Cardona is also instrumental in helping DSG clients, within an overall communications strategy, take advantage of the ever-growing opportunities for exposure in the Hispanic media.

Most recently, Ms. Cardona served as a Senior Advisor to the Hillary Clinton for President Campaign where she took on the role of campaign surrogate and spokesperson representing the campaign on major national TV, radio as well as Spanish language television news and political shows.  She also served on Senator Clinton’s formidable Hispanic Outreach team, helping to ensure Senator Clinton’s message reached Latinos all across the country.  Ms. Cardona is now serving as a key surrogate for the Obama for America campaign appearing on all manner of national news shows.

Formerly, as Senior Vice President for the New Democrat Network (NDN) and Director of NDN’s Hispanic Project, Ms. Cardona lead NDN’s $6 million initiative to communicate effectively to Hispanics across the country. This undertaking was the largest ever effort to conduct dedicated research and polling, develop effective messages geared toward Latinos, and to promote Democratic values and identity in the Latinos community through Spanish language and bilingual advertising.

Prior to coming on board with the NDN, Ms. Cardona served as Communications Director for the Democratic National Committee.  For her work as the top communications officer in the Democratic Party, she was chosen by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the country.

From 1998 to 2001, Ms. Cardona was the Director of Communications for the Department of Justice’s Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), acting as the Clinton Administration’s top spokesperson on the complex issues surrounding immigration.

Before working at the INS, Ms. Cardona spent five years at the Department of Commerce, first as Deputy Press Secretary to Secretary Ronald H. Brown, and then as Press Secretary to Secretaries William Daley, and Mickey Kantor.  During her time at the Commerce Department, she acted as lead communications strategist for the passage of NAFTA in 1993.  In 1997, she was awarded the Department of Commerce’s Silver Medal Award for Meritorious Federal Service.

Ms. Cardona graduated from Duke University, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Hoops Sagrado, a non-profit organization that provides learning and leadership opportunities to DC youths through a basketball exchange program in the highlands of Guatemala.  She is a native of Bogotá, Colombia and lives in Washington D.C. with her husband and young son.