Joanna Burgos, Founder, COMPEL 

Joanna Burgos last spoke at the February 2024 training session on political advertising and paid media. She is an award-winning ad maker – in English and Spanish. Whether it’s Cuban and Venezuelan voters in South Florida, Puerto Ricans in Central Florida or Mexican-American voters across the Southwest, she knows how to break through with these diverse audiences who can make a difference in close races. Burgos has led communications, earned media, paid media, digital, focus groups or polling on some of the largest, highest stakes political projects in modern times: a $100 million Governor’s race, multiple U.S. Senate races, national political conventions, House and Senate IE campaigns, Congressional Leadership Fund’s record-breaking 2022 year, and the largest House Majority takeover in recent history.

A native of Miami, Burgos began her career at Walt Disney World Resort. She then worked at top-rated PR agencies representing clients in the health care, entertainment and technology industries. After that, she joined the Bush Administration. She has advised dozens of candidates and Members of Congress and has served in numerous communications roles in the executive and legislative branches, in national political committees, and on presidential and congressional campaigns – including the White House, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Republican Congressional Committee, the Republican National Committee and the 2008 Republican National Convention.

Beyond politics, Burgos is passionate about fighting for a free and democratic Cuba. Over 10 years ago, she co-founded Roots of Hope/Raices de Esperanza, a non-profit organization dedicated to bridging the gap between young Cubans on and off the island and raising awareness about their struggles.