Daniel Casse, the founder of High Lantern Group, has spent nearly 20 years working with clients on how to improve leadership communications. He has lead workshops on how to crystalize strategy, create a business narrative, and share complex ideas in every industry. He has been an advisor to more than 100 Chief Executives and Senior Business Leaders.

Earlier in his career, Daniel was special assistant to the president for Cabinet Affairs in the White House and has served as a senior advisor to four presidential campaigns.  His articles and book reviews have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Commentary, and other national publications.

Olivia Clift is a Senior Account Manager based in HLG’s New York office, where she supports healthcare and pharmaceutical clients with strategic communications initiatives. Her work centers on helping clients maximize the impact of their presence at conferences and deepen engagement with healthcare professionals. 

 Before joining HLG, Olivia worked in medical communications and as a certified child life therapist, bringing a unique blend of clinical empathy and strategic insight to her role. She holds a deep passion for translating complex healthcare issues into compelling narratives that resonate with both expert and lay audiences.

Mary Davis is an Associate in High Lantern Group’s Washington, DC office, where she supports clients through research, strategic communications, and advocacy strategy across a range of industries. She brings a passion for policy and a solutions-oriented mindset to her work.

Prior to joining HLG, Mary worked at international nonprofits, using data-driven strategies to expand outreach and build new partnerships. She holds a BA in Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government (CLEG) and a Master’s in Public Policy from American University, where her research focused on the impact of conflict on institutional resilience and economic development.

Mitzi Davis joined Council Advisors in 2012 and currently serves as General Counsel. In this role, she oversees all legal matters for Council Advisors. Her responsibilities include review and negotiation of all contracts for Council Advisors, including client engagement agreements, independent contractor agreements, and confidentiality agreements. In addition, she advises on employment and real estate matters as well as company policies and procedures.

Prior to joining Council Advisors, Ms. Davis served as Counsel for IBM’s Software Group where she partnered with various groups including Strategy and Technology; Product Development; Marketing/Social Media; Software Standards Organizations; and Mergers and Acquisitions. She engaged in various projects in addition to drafting and review of outbound software licensing agreements, drafting and negotiation of intellectual property policies, and review and drafting of governance documents. Prior to IBM, Ms. Davis was a corporate associate at Davis and Gilbert LLP where her main responsibilities included drafting and reviewing SEC filings for domestic and foreign private issuers.

Mitzi is based in New York City. In her non-work hours, she enjoys reading a good book and listening to podcasts.

Kim Durante is a Associate Director at High Lantern Group’s Washington, DC office. She supports healthcare and pharmaceutical clients with research, strategy and advocacy needs. Prior to joining High Lantern Group, Kim worked with non-profit professional scientific and medical societies, including the Clinical Research Forum and American Society of Bone and Mineral Research, where she managed educational conferences, implemented process improvement, and created strategic priorities to promote the translation of basic and clinical research to improve human health.

Kim also has experience working with pharmaceutical clients, leading strategy development for alliances between industry, government, professional healthcare associations and patient advocacy groups. 

Kim attended Clemson University, where she earned a BS in Health Sciences and Chemistry in 2017.

Sabrina is an Associate at High Lantern Group, specializing in strategic communications and digital marketing. She brings a background in content creation, with experience developing written and visual materials for both internal and external audiences. Her career spans many industries including logistics, tech, printing, and marketing where she’s held roles that sharpened her editorial skills.

A former newspaper editor and writing instructor, Sabrina holds a bachelor's degree in professional writing and a certification in publishing. Her passion for language extends beyond work, and she spends much of her free time reading and writing.

Michael Hodin is CEO of Global Coalition on Aging, Managing Partner at High Lantern Group, and fellow at Oxford University's Harris Manchester College. Mike features on Huffington Post and Fiscal Times’ Age and Reason Blog.
 
Mike was a Legislative Assistant with Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan in his first term. He was honored as a Visiting Scholar at Brookings Institution, on U.S. Foreign Economic Policy. He was senior executive at Pfizer, where he created and led International Public Affairs and Public Policy operations.
 
Mike is Member of Council on Foreign Relations, and was Adjunct Senior Fellow on population aging.  He’s on the Boards of Foreign Policy Association, Business Council for International Understanding, American Skin Association, American Federation on Aging Research and Emigrant Savings Bank, where he serves the Risk and Audit Committee. Mike is on the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Aging.
 
Mike holds B.A., cum laude, Cornell University, M.S. in International Relations from London School of Economics and Political Science, and M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University.

Mark Hoffmann, Ph.D. has nearly 20 years of experience in strategic and leadership communications. He has worked closely with executives, advocates, STEM professionals, and healthcare leaders to frame arguments and make complex material clear and persuasive. Mark has worked with global organizations of all shapes, sizes, and industries to improve how they communicate, share ideas, and build strategies that motivate internal and external audiences. Mark is the author of numerous speeches, articles, white papers, and training materials, and he has edited countless more. Prior to joining High Lantern Group, Mark worked in international settings with private companies, universities, and governmental organizations in Argentina, Cambodia, England, the Philippines, Samoa, Thailand, and Vietnam. Mark sometimes apologizes for earning a doctoral degree in writing and rhetorical theory, and he serves on the Board of Directors for the Otsuka Patient Assistance Foundation, which provides medication to eligible applicants free-of-cost.

Drew Holzapfel brings a deep foundation in healthcare strategy to High Lantern Group and our clients.  Over the course of his career, Drew has held positions in the federal government and with pharmaceutical companies, device manufacturers and consulting firms, including Pfizer, The White House and US Department of Health and Human Services.  As a partner at High Lantern Group, he has led the firm’s work with top biopharmaceutical companies to drive market readiness, position key policy issues, build partnerships and gain third-party organization support. He also has helped many nonprofit organizations and coalitions develop their positioning strategies and strengthen their influence and impact. 

Drew has unique expertise in Alzheimer’s disease, mental health and neuroscience and has been recognized for his work with policy makers, advocacy organizations, corporations, international organizations and governments.  He is a Founding Board Member of The Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation, the Executive Director of The Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease, Founding Board Member of Commit2Kind, a non-profit focused on anti-bullying, and served as Acting President and Board Member of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s.  Drew earned his Bachelor’s degree from Emory University and a Master’s of Business Administration from The University of Maryland.

Kira Jones is a Director at High Lantern Group’s Philadelphia office. She supports pharmaceutical, technology, and non-profit organizations. 

Prior to joining HLG, she worked as a journalist, a digital marketer, and a public relations professional. She has collaborated with a diverse portfolio of B2B and B2C clients in industries ranging from sports to hospitality, technology to healthcare.

Kira earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Haverford College and master’s degree in Specialized Journalism from the University of Southern California.

Jill Keasel is a Director at High Lantern Group working remotely from Columbus, Ohio. She brings over 20 years of experience in the meetings, trade shows and events industry. At HLG, she collaborates with client leads to strategize, source, plan and implement engagement opportunities via roundtables, summits, conferences, and events.

Prior to joining HLG, she worked for AMEX GBT and Maritz Global Events as a Sourcing Manager, where she sourced venues and negotiated contracts for her clients Cardinal Health and Microsoft. While doing this she helped her clients minimize their financial liability, significantly reduce their meeting spend and secure an appropriate and effective location for their meetings.

She has planned pharmaceutical meetings and product launches along with meetings and tradeshows for organizations such as Nestle, Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Zaner-Bloser (owned by Highlights for Children).

Lindsay Kent is an Associate at High Lantern Group based in the Philadelphia office. She works at the intersection of strategy and communications to help leading health organizations engage stakeholders and drive impact. Her work centers on crafting clear, strategic communications and building coalitions that elevate visibility and foster alignment.

Previously, Lindsay led debate programs and taught students how to integrate AI tools into public speaking and argumentation. She holds a BA in Law and Policy from Dickinson College.

Kattie Krewer is a Senior Director at High Lantern Group’s Philadelphia office. She has worked in the marketing and communications field for almost ten years and has an extensive background in the non-profit and healthcare industries. Kattie takes a customer-centric approach to marketing and branding with a strong focus on digital channels, including social media, search engine optimization, content marketing, and email automation. Her creative and strategic approach to work is rooted in data and analytics.

She has been appointed to serve on the Advisory Council for The Digital Marketing Certificate Program at The University of South Florida, Muma College of Business.

Olivia is a Associate Director at High Lantern Group’s New York office, where she supports clients in the development and execution of advocacy and communications strategy. She is particularly interested in the intersection of policy and corporate strategy and brings a background in applying rigorous analytic frameworks to complex problems through her experience in management consulting and marketing. 

Olivia graduated from Princeton University in 2020 with a BA from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, where she specialized in European and American refugee policy.

As Director of Business Services, Emily manages operations across High Lantern Group’s five offices, driving improvements in company processes, elevating the employee experience, and advancing client engagements. She collaborates cross-functionally with teams in finance, HR, IT, and legal at Council Advisors and SSA & Company to ensure business services are aligned with broader organizational goals. 

Susannah Loss is a Senior Associate in the Atlanta office. Susannah supports clients with research, narrative development, and communications strategy across a range of industries. She is passionate about mission-driven work that delivers results with impact.

Susannah is a graduate of the University of Virginia where she earned a Bachelor of Arts with Highest Distinction in Government and Spanish. Her undergraduate thesis explored the history and evolution of legal aid and its role in securing access to justice and equality before the law. Prior to joining High Lantern Group, Susannah held positions at UVA’s Center for Politics and at the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership. 

At High Lantern Group, Connor advises leading healthcare companies and advocacy organizations within the neuroscience and mental health arenas.  He brings unique expertise across business strategy, coalition management, and strategic communications. Clients look to Connor to distill complex ideas, navigate new and emerging environments, and build consensus amongst diverse stakeholders to drive towards solutions.   

Prior to joining HLG, Connor served in a variety of roles in the academic, pharmaceutical, and financial fields. At the National Science Foundation, he advised QUBES a community of math and biology educators who collaborate to better prepare students to tackle real, complex, biological problems.  With GSK’s Global Clinical Sciences & Delivery Unit, he led a matrix team review and disclosure of a Phase 2 Dermatology Trial. He also spent time in private banking at SEI, where he executed market research and authored numerous abstracts on asset management trends. Connor holds Bachelor's degrees from the University of Pittsburgh in both Biological Sciences and Business Administration.

Cortland Mercer is a Managing Director at High Lantern Group, where he helps clients gain influence, share ideas, and shape the operating environment across a range of sectors. In more than a decade with HLG, Cortland has honed a practice that focuses on the client: the people leading organizations, driving innovation, and creating value. He believes the best engagements are built on trusted collaboration – with teams that are relaxed in their approach, but rigorous in their commitment to excellent work.

Cortland opened and leads the Atlanta office, where he directs high-impact communications and marketing engagements, including narrative development, product strategy and positioning, executive coaching, and leadership communications.

Prior to joining HLG, Cortland served in a variety of roles in the public affairs arena, including the Coro Fellowship and work with the executive team of the University of North Carolina system. Cortland received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where he recently served as Chair of the Alumni Board of Directors.

Melissa Gong Mitchell brings to High Lantern Group more than a decade of public affairs experience, specializing in policy-related and CEO-level strategic communications, advocacy campaigns and coalition building. Melissa also serves as Executive Director of the Global Coalition on Aging, an organization conceived, created and operated by HLG and recognized as the leading global business voice on aging policy and strategy. 

Prior to joining HLG, Melissa served as Director of Industry Relations and Strategic Outreach at the U.S. Travel Association where she led grassroots development and industry initiatives including the organization’s CEO Roundtable, legislative fly-in and political action committee.  She previously served as Executive Director of the Travel Business Roundtable, a CEO-based advocacy organization, and an Associate at Prime Policy Group (formerly BKSH & Associates), a Washington-based government affairs firm. Melissa holds an MBA from Georgetown University and a BA in Journalism and Psychology from the University of Mississippi.

Bao Tran Nguyen is a Senior Program Director at High Lantern Group working remotely from her hometown of Austin, Texas. Prior to joining the HLG’s Philadelphia team, she was a certified clinical research professional with ACRP and specialized in project management. She led the clinical research operations for various medical devices: spinal disc replacement, mechanical heart valve, total knee replacement, computer-assisted surgical system, and genetic testing. Tran has a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry.

David Niles is President of SSA & Company, a leading management consulting firm, and G100 Companies, a professional services holding company. Dave sits on the board of Leading Edge Aviation and is an investor in private companies and venture capital funds. He is also Chairman of the advisory board of the Deming Center for Quality and Competitiveness at Columbia Business School and a member of the Gotham Chapter of YPO.
 
Previously, David was a Partner at Castling Group, a management consulting firm and private equity fund.  Before Castling, David was a member of Booz, Allen and Hamilton's Media and Entertainment Practice. Earlier, David led corporate development for a division of Bertelsmann AG and served as a Senior Advisor to the CEO of the Signature Group, a $1B membership-services company.  David started his career as an Account Executive with Ogilvy and Mather.  He holds a MBA, with distinction, from Columbia Business School and a BA from the University of Virginia.

Danny O’Keefe serves as a Senior Director at High Lantern Group with nearly a decade of corporate communications and media relations experience. Prior to joining HLG, he was an Associate Director at Bevel PR, where he advised banks, financial technology companies and venture capital firms on their public profiles. He also worked as a Vice President at City National Bank, where he was responsible for financial reporting, political and economic research as well as supporting the bank’s media relations and corporate communications initiatives.

 Danny earned his master’s degree in international relations from American University and his bachelor’s degree in business economics from Loyola University Maryland. Active in the community, he’s a member of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall.

Chandler serves as a Senior Associate in the New York office. At High Lantern Group, she brings her interest and experience in distilling big ideas into winning arguments for clients in emerging technology, healthcare, and government. She is passionate about considerations related to disruptive technologies and their role in transforming communities, business, and policy. Prior to HLG, Chandler held roles in defense, international organizations, and financial services.

Chandler is a graduate from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science in International Affairs.

Charles brings to High Lantern Group his experience and interest in strategic communications across a range of forums and issues. He is particularly drawn to the potential of well-crafted narratives to challenge conventional thinking and introduce compelling new ideas, transforming dialogues in business and government. He has produced research reports, advised clients and shaped messaging in a variety of industries and policy areas, including healthcare, energy and emerging technology.

 He attended Davidson College, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in Political Science. While in college, he traveled throughout India and edited the humor section of the student newspaper.

Michiel Peters is a Senior Director at High Lantern Group. He has more than a decade of experience in the public and private sectors. Michiel is passionate about bringing together governments, businesses, and other societal stakeholders to start a conversation and engage in finding solutions for the challenges we face.

Michiel is an expert communications professional and strategist who worked on local, state, and national campaigns before serving as a Senior Press Officer in the Dutch Parliament – specializing in communications and political strategy on a broad range of policy areas, including healthcare and sustainability.

After eight years of working in the public sector, he transferred to the private sector to build up the corporate and public affairs functions for a large family-owned multinational in the agricultural industry. In this role, he served as a trusted advisor to C-suite and was the company’s principal representative in national and international industry associations and public-private partnerships. While there, he led the development and implementation of the company’s worldwide sustainability strategy.

At High Lantern Group, Katy advises business and non-profit leaders and senior staffers across a host of industries and issue areas, from healthcare and energy to travel and tourism. Organizations look to Katy to help them navigate complex operating environments, assess and respond to organizational risks and emerging threats to their industries and identify opportunities for growth.

Before joining HLG, Katy led the Government Affairs team at Alzheimer’s Research UK, the largest charitable funder of dementia research in Europe. During her tenure, the UK Government committed to an ambitious goal of a disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s by 2025. Katy helped craft the supporting strategy, while also managing multiple issue campaigns on key legislative priorities. She led the development of a program of work focused on the impacts of dementia on women, which established the organization as a thought-leader on the issue.

Previously, Katy served as the Deputy Finance Director for a Congressional campaign and later worked in lobbying for a diverse range of municipal and private clients, as well as a large trade association. A native Oregonian, Katy graduated with Honors from the University of San Francisco with a degree in Politics.

Emily Scholler is a Senior Associate at the HLG New York City Office. Emily brings her passion for Alzheimer’s disease to HLG where she helps non-profit and pharmaceutical clients develop and implement their positioning and advocacy strategies.

Prior to joining HLG, Emily has helped develop support programs for those living with Alzheimer’s and their care partners and spent time at a tech-start up working to increase participation in Alzheimer’s clinical trials. Emily also volunteers at a non-profit as a support group leader for adult children caring for a parent with Alzheimer’s or related dementias.  

Emily holds an MPH from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health with a concentration in Health of an Aging Society, and she also holds her B.S. in Neuroscience from Lafayette College.

Jane Schumacher is an Associate Director in High Lantern Group’s New York office and with the Global Coalition on Aging, where she works closely with the executive team. In her time at HLG, Jane has managed project execution with global external partners and supported clients across sectors, particularly on public health issues. She enjoys writing and editing client communications, and analyzing and communicating complex topics with clarity.

Jane is a graduate of King’s College London with an MA in Shakespeare Studies, with a focus on the intersection of corporate and government arts funding, public policy, and political artistic speech. She has previously worked in the legal, arts, and education sectors.

Susan Wile Schwarz is a public health expert and communications strategist. In addition to her role at HLG, she serves as Head of Health Programs for the Global Coalition on Aging. Prior to joining HLG and GCOA, she established the communications practice and advised on research design for a global health economics think tank, advisory group, and implementation partner to governments and the private sector. Susan also worked as a policy and research analyst at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. As an independent consultant, Susan advised not for profit organizations and mission-driven businesses on management, research, communications, partnership opportunities, and growth strategies. She has a Master’s of Public Health from Emory University and a Bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in American History and Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies.

Emma Stutts is an Associate Director at High Lantern Group's Atlanta office. She enjoys assisting clients as they address complex challenges, undergo transitional periods, and explore new opportunities. Her work includes strategy development, thought leadership, product positioning, and more.

Specializing in the tech sector, Emma is inspired by her clients' innovative work to shape the future today. Beyond tech, Emma supports clients in diverse industries, from consumer goods to enterprise products to healthcare.

Prior to joining HLG, Emma worked for a foreign consulate and several NGOs. Emma holds an MS in International Affairs and a BS in International Affairs and Mandarin Chinese, both from Georgia Institute of Technology.

Ben Tiede provides clients with a range of expertise across healthcare strategy, policy, advocacy and communications. Prior to joining High Lantern Group, Ben spent a decade at Johnson & Johnson and its Janssen Pharmaceutical organization. Most recently, Ben led Janssen’s field reimbursement teams across four therapeutic areas. Before that, Ben was the chief of staff to the company’s Vice Chairman prior to his appointment as CEO. Ben also worked within the company’s Government Affairs & Policy, Global Public Health and Global Commercial Strategy organizations. His work focused on numerous topics, including access and affordability, antimicrobial resistance, intellectual property, technology, data science and more. While helping to launch the Global Public Health organization, Ben oversaw the expansion of CaringCrowd, a crowdfunding platform for non-profit organizations in public health.

Before joining Johnson & Johnson, Ben was a Director at Global Health Strategies, an international consulting company focused on health in developing countries. He holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology and a Master in Public Policy from Princeton University.

Parm Thind is a Director at High Lantern Group. Parm specializes in strategic transformation and creating operational efficiencies. She has experience working across a variety of industries including healthcare research, finance & internal strategy, sustainability as part of the United Nations Association of Canada, and venture capital. Parm brings a unique perspective to HLG and will be focusing on the portfolio of HLG's healthcare-related accounts.

She completed her bachelor's degree in biomedical sciences from McGill University and master’s degree in Management of Innovation at the University of Toronto.

Daphne is an Associate at High Lantern Group based in the Philadelphia office, where she supports clients through research and strategic communication. Driven by her interest in psychology and public health, Daphne supports patient advocacy work across several therapeutic areas.  

Daphne graduated from Temple University with a BS in Neuroscience and a certificate in Music Technology. Her passion for mental health has led her to roles in behavioral analysis and public health research. Before joining High Lantern Group, Daphne served as a research assistant for a USDA-funded project working to improve green space access for children in Philadelphia. She previously supported developmental psychology research projects at the University of Sapienza in Rome.