About Us

Why We Exist

With a proven track record from President George W. Bush to Donald Trump and countless local and state elections, we bring years of experience to help you succeed. When you partner with us, you get specialists in general consulting, direct mail, digital advertising, and crisis communications, offering innovative approaches tailored to your needs. 

Our commitment is to strategize and execute with boots on the ground, ensuring you navigate the modern political landscape effectively. By creating cohesive, integrated strategies, we empower you to win, influence public policy, and achieve your goals. 

We exist to make a meaningful impact in your world of politics and public affairs.

Meet the Echo Canyon Consulting Team

Leadership Team:

  • Jon Seaton, a founding partner at Echo Canyon, offers clients personalized strategic counsel, direct voter outreach, and campaign management. With 20 years in grassroots politics, Jon has advised numerous Republican campaigns, advocacy groups, and corporate clients on grassroots and public affairs strategies.

    Jon played pivotal roles in Senator John McCain’s Presidential Campaign, serving as National Field Director, Iowa Caucus Director, and Regional Campaign Manager for Ohio and Pennsylvania. As Regional Campaign Manager, Jon led grassroots operations, communication strategies, finance events, and candidate travel in these crucial battleground states. He later managed field and voter contact efforts for the Senator’s 2010 re-election and served as chief strategist for the Independent Expenditure effort on behalf of his final campaign in 2016.

    Jon served as Associate Director of Political Affairs in the George W. Bush White House. In this capacity, Jon was the chief liaison between the White House and all Republican campaigns, state parties, and elected officials within his 13-state region. He coordinated all Presidential and senior administration travel within his jurisdiction, which included providing political briefings to the President and senior staff and working with all relevant elected officials. 

    Jon has also been a guest lecturer at Yale University, as well as at the New Institute Korea’s Campaign Strategy and Leadership Workshop in Seoul, South Korea. Jon is a graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Born and raised in Berkeley, CA. He now lives in Alexandria, VA with his wife, Kristina Seppala and their daughters, Annabelle Marie and Gabrielle Lynn.

Jon Seaton

CEO, Partner

  • A founding partner of Echo Canyon Consulting, Ryan Price has over 15 years of experience in domestic and international politics with contacts and networks in all 50 states. In addition to his extensive public affairs work ranging from Fortune 500 companies to smaller boutique organizations, Ryan recently oversaw the Trump for President campaign logistics team at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee.  In 2017, he served as the Director of Public and Special Events for President-elect Trump’s inaugural.  Ryan also led the Trump convention team at the 2016 Republican National Convention as the Director of Caucus Operations

    In the 2012 presidential election cycle, Ryan served as the Director of Operations for the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa where he managed an $11 million budget and the Romney campaign on convention strategy and tactics.  He also managed two presidential and one vice-presidential debates for the campaign as the Director of Debate Operations for the GOP nominee.

    As Deputy Political Director for Senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, Ryan oversaw ballot access ensuring ballots with filed delegates in every state and territory included Senator McCain.  Additionally, Ryan managed over two dozen state conventions while developing an extensive national grassroots network that he mobilized enroute to John McCain winning the Republican presidential nomination.

    Ryan received his start in politics in his native Florida where he worked for Jeb Bush.  Ryan graduated from Appalachian State University in North Carolina with a Bachelor of Arts in communication and received his law degree from the University of Miami School of Law. Ryan also served in the U.S. Army’s First Ranger Battalion. He and his family reside in the Washington, D.C. area.

Ryan Price

President, Partner

  • Matt Kenney, a Founding Partner of Echo Canyon Consulting, is a specialist in public affairs with nearly a decade of experience. He has led national, statewide, and local political and initiative campaigns as well as corporate public affairs projects. Matt and his team have successfully assisted corporations, associations, and trade groups in creating effective communications and advocacy campaigns on a broad range of issues.

    Previously, Matt served as the executive director of a multi-million dollar independent expenditure effort to re-elect Senator John McCain in 2016 before becoming the Executive Director of the Arizona Republican Party. During his tenure, Matt oversaw three special elections and managed the RNC’s National GOTV Program for Arizona, demonstrating his capability in steering significant political efforts.

    Since transitioning from political campaigns, Matt has been a lead consultant on advocacy initiatives for veteran and military reforms, public safety causes, energy policies, and numerous other issues. His expertise in navigating complex public affairs challenges has made him a valuable asset to his clients, enabling them to achieve their strategic goals and effectively influence public policy.

    Before his public affairs career, Matt served as a US Army Infantry Officer and is a combat veteran. He holds Bachelor’s and Juris Doctor degrees and certificates in American Public Policy and International Studies from Arizona State University. Currently, Matt serves as a Commissioner of the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services and on the Attorney General’s Military and Veteran Families Advisory Group. He is also an active member of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, AZ Defense and Industry Coalition, and the American Legion.

    Residing in Phoenix, Arizona, Matt lives with his wife Brittany and their three children, Braiden, Eden, and Rowan. His dedication to his family, community, and country is evident in his professional accomplishments and ongoing public service.

Matt Kenney

President of Echo Canyon Public Affairs, Partner

Campaign Team:

  • Kathryn Dalke serves as Vice President of Voter Contact and Business Development at Echo Canyon Consulting. She has over a decade of experience in local, state, and federal campaigns. Kathryn’s political journey began during her college years, where she actively participated in two campaign cycles and gained experience on Capitol Hill. She’s held positions in Chairman Pete Sessions' and Congressman Roger Williams' Washington, D.C. offices, and served as Executive Director of the Dallas County Republican Party where she has hosted fundraisers with notable speakers such as Former Texas Governor Rick Perry, Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, and Eric Trump and consulted on state and local races. Kathryn leads direct mail campaigns nationwide and provides strategic direction in key races up and down the ballot. 

    Kathryn holds a bachelor's degree in Corporate Communications & Public Affairs and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Southern Methodist University. She currently resides in Dallas with her Border Collie, Annie.

Kathryn Dalke

Vice President of Voter Contact and Business Development

  • Matt Hilton serves as the Vice President of Paid Field Programs at Echo Canyon Consulting. He specializes in large-scale, data-driven door-to-door contact initiatives. In the past, he played a key role in Governor Abbott’s re-election statewide paid field program, where his team successfully knocked on over 3.4 million doors and collected high-quality data on 1.5 million voters. Matt has received numerous awards for leading successful paid canvassing and AB/EV chase programs. Prior to joining Echo Canyon, Matt served as the Deputy State Director for Governor Youngkin’s campaign in Virginia, overseeing all voter contact operations in Hampton Roads. Earlier in his career, he served as a Regional Field Director for the Colorado State Party during the 2020 election cycle.

    Matt graduated Summa Cum Laude from Norwich University with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Additionally, he was a two-time captain and a four-year letterman of the Norwich Men’s Soccer Team. Today, he resides in Dallas with his fiancé Audrey and their dog, Euchre.

Matt Hilton

Vice President of Paid Field Programs

  • Melanie Abrajano serves as Chief of Staff at Echo Canyon, bringing over two decades of experience managing high-profile political campaigns and holding senior executive positions with some of America's largest trade associations.

    In her role overseeing all operations for the Missouri Club for Growth and its affiliated PAC, Melanie transformed a small volunteer based organization into a statewide powerhouse, leading multimillion-dollar campaigns to promote candidates committed to responsible government and individual liberty.

    During the 2008 Presidential election cycle, Melanie served as the Political Director for the McCain-Palin campaign in Missouri, where she led a robust team of campaign professionals and secured the campaign's only victory in a targeted state.

    Before her work with the McCain-Palin campaign, Melanie traveled extensively throughout the Midwest in various regional executive roles for several trade associations. Her previous positions include Midwest Field Director for the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, Executive Director of Congressional and Public Affairs for the Great Lakes Region of the United States Chamber of Commerce, and Regional Political Director at Associated Builders and Contractors.

    Melanie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a concentration in Political Communications from Ohio University. She currently resides in Northern Virginia with her husband and two children.

Melanie Abrajano

Campaign Chief of Staff

  • Jonathan Bleacher serves as the Data and Recruitment Director at Echo Canyon Consulting. He specializes in data-driven initiatives. In the past, he was the Iowa Deputy State Director for Donald Trump for President in 2023. Prior to that, he was the Iowa Election Integrity State Director for the Republican National Committee in 2022 where he implemented a data driven approach for targeting critical precincts, leading to the successful resolution of 100% of issues during Early Voting and Election Day. Earlier in his career, he served as a Regional Field Director for Governor Youngkins Campaign in Virginia, overseeing all voter contact efforts in 31 counties across the valley and coalfields.

    Jonathan attended Colorado Christian University, where he pursued degrees in Biology and Historical Theology. During his time at CCU, he presented his paper An Evaluation of Christian Ethics on Genome Editing at the University of Oxford, Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion Conference in 2018. Today, he resides in Fort Worth with his cat, Finnegan.

Jonathan Bleacher

Data and Recruitment Director

  • Tyler serves as the Deputy National Field Director at Echo Canyon Consulting. He started his career in politics while in college, working on multiple campaigns in Orange County, CA. His experience includes running direct voter contact programs for Gubernatorial, Congressional, school board, and state legislature races. Tyler has also worked for a U.S. Congressman, both on the campaign and in a District Office in Texas.

    After graduating from Cal State Fullerton in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in political science, Tyler moved to a family farm in the Waco area where he breeds dogs, goats, and donkeys. Additionally, he serves as an Assistant Coach for the Baylor University Men's Lacrosse team.

Tyler Caronia

Deputy National Field Director

  • Joelle Elredy serves as the Campaign Associate at Echo Canyon Consulting. She developed a passion for politics at a young age and began her political career with a Congressional internship during college. After graduating, she entered the world of campaign consulting and voter contact, where she found an exciting way to impact local and statewide campaigns at a grassroots level. During the 2022 elections, Joelle led her field teams to reach hundreds of thousands of voters as part of Governor Abbott’s paid-door initiative. She then took on the role of Virginia State Director, leading innovative and impactful projects for races across the state. 

    Joelle graduated from Baylor University’s Honors College with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. During her time at Baylor, she served as senior officer and chaplain for the Baylor Dance Company. Currently, she resides in Waco, Texas with her husband Laith and daughter Laila. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and serving at her local church.

Joelle Elredy

Campaign Associate 

Public Affairs Team:

  • Haylye Plaster is the Integrator at Echo Canyon Public Affairs, with nearly a decade of experience in business management, operations, public opinion polling and market research. Her career began in operations at a startup public opinion firm in Phoenix, and Haylye has since become known as a dynamic, results-driven leader and expert in bridging the gap between data and actionable insights.

    As a Fractional Integrator, Haylye specializes in high-impact strategies and organizational growth. She is passionate about aligning business endeavors with overarching strategic objectives, and she excels in fostering top-tier leadership teams to effectively execute the company's mission.

    She is a graduate of Oklahoma Christian University with a bachelor’s in Political Science, where she held the role of VP of Pi Sigma Alpha, as well as a certificate for Data Analytics from the University of Arizona. A proud Arizonan, Haylye now lives in Central Phoenix with her dog, Zelda and two cats, Xena and Zoey. 

Haylye Plaster

Integrator

  • Cale Ottens is a Senior Director of Public Affairs at Echo Canyon Consulting with over a decade of experience in journalism, public affairs, media relations and political campaigns. His career began as a business reporter at a small daily newspaper in West Texas and has since taken him from Washington State to Washington, D.C. – with numerous stops in between.

    As a journalist, Cale’s work has appeared on the front page of the Los Angeles Times, the USA Today, both the Phoenix and Los Angeles Business Journals and the Arizona Republic, among other publications. Since then, Cale has leveraged his media background to help countless political candidates, private companies, public agencies and nonprofit organizations reach their target audiences with messages that resonate. 

    He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communication from Arizona State University, and also studied at the University of Missouri’s Truman School of Government and Public Affairs. A proud Arizonan, Cale now lives in Central Phoenix with his cat, Mushu. 

Cale Ottens

Senior Director of Public Affairs

  • Rudy Cota is a Senior Director at Echo Canyon Consulting with nearly a decade of public service and government affairs experience. He has been privileged to work for three reputable Members of Congress in the United States House of Representatives, where he worked on justice, defense, veterans, and foreign policy issues. 

    During his time working for the House, he became adept at turning intricate policy landscapes into relatable narratives, and gained a reputation for fostering impactful relationships with government bodies, community leaders, and important stakeholders. Rudy is a meticulous policy analyst and enjoys uncovering key insights and crafting data-driven solutions.

    As a fourth generation Arizonan, he and his family have seen the immense growth and prosperity that has blessed the great State of Arizona. He is proud to serve his community and his fellow Arizonans and hopes to see Arizona’s continued success.

    Rudy is a graduate of the School of Politics and Global Studies at Arizona State University, where he solidified his passion for service. He and his wife live in Gilbert and are expecting their first child and a fifth-generation Arizonan in August 2024. 

Rudy Cota III

Senior Director of Public Affairs

  • Mandi Boyce is an Associate Director at Echo Canyon Consulting, with a background in government relations and advocacy. She has spent years helping organizations develop and amplify their voice to advance business and policy objectives, particularly in the energy and natural resource sectors. As a graduate of Thunderbird School of Global Management, Mandi holds a Masters degree in Global Affairs and Management. 

    She began her career at a Fortune 500 mining company where she executed a global campaign to bolster support for affordable electricity. Later, she worked in Washington, D.C. advocating for the federal International Affairs Budget. Mandi has traveled extensively and also enjoys civics, cooking, hiking, and painting. She now resides in her hometown of Phoenix with her husband and two young children.

Mandi Boyce

Associate Director of Public Affairs

  • Sam Yonan is an Associate Director of Public Affairs at Echo Canyon Consulting. Sam

    graduated with a bachelor's degree in Government with an Emphasis in Public Policy in 2020,

    and a master’s degree in Public Administration in 2022–both from Grand Canyon University.

    Sam brings 4 years of experience in political advocacy, grassroots engagement, and public

    relations. Prior to joining Echo Canyon, Sam was the Director of Partnerships at Choices

    Pregnancy Center, where he managed relationships and engagement with over 300 local

    churches and organizations, and networked with influential leaders in the Phoenix area.

    Sam is proud of his family’s Assyrian roots; but even more proud to be an American. And he’s

    proud to be from a small, humble town in Northern California; but loves living in Phoenix,

    Arizona with his wife and growing family.

Sam Yonan

Associate Director

  • Marcus Milam is an Associate Director at Echo Canyon Consulting with extensive relationships

    in the Phoenix area, having spent more than two decades in advocacy and government

    relations. A graduate of both Arizona State University and Arizona Christian University, Marcus

    spent twenty years in ministry and education, having taught at the junior high and high school

    levels.

    In 2018, he joined the district office of Congresswoman Debbie Lesko before having spent the

    last three and a half years at the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office, where he led their call

    center management efforts as well as serving as a Public Information Officer. He has led tours

    and brings an understanding of election administration, government services and agency

    management built over the course of two decades of public life, having served as both a

    Legislative District chairman in 2020 and he has held a variety of leadership roles.. Marcus has

    traveled extensively and enjoys history, politics and all things related to the San Francisco

    49’ers.

Marcus Milam

Associate Director

  • Denise is a Staff Assistant at Echo Canyon Consulting. She specializes in researching, writing,

    and aiding her team wherever needed. Prior to joining the firm, she was a teller at a local credit

    union and holds a strong background in customer service. With these experiences, she has

    learned to handle different teams for creative content and sound strategies.

    She graduated from Glendale Community College in Arizona with a Bachelor in Arts in English.

    She then graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelors of Arts in English and a

    Writing Certificate with an Emphasis in Editing and Publishing. Her time at Glendale Community

    College opened up her love of journalism. She worked as a freelance student reporter and later

    as the student copy editor for the student newspaper “The Voice.” At Arizona State University

    she was a member of the West Writers writing club and a student editor for the campus’ online

    literary magazines “Canyon Voices” and “Write On, Downtown!” Proudly residing in Arizona, she

    hopes to continue her formal education and pursue a Masters degree.

Denise Parker

Staff Assistant

Our Reach

With a team strategically placed across the country, emphasizing the West and our strong connections to DC, we are positioned to provide unparalleled support and insight to your political campaigns and public affairs initiatives.

Take Your First Step to Victory.

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