OUR TEAM
Autumn Burke, President
Autumn Burke is a Partner at Axiom Advisors, a firm in California specializing in integrated government affairs, strategic consulting, and crisis communication. During her tenure at Axiom Advisors, Autumn has continually showcased her expertise and accomplishments in policy and political strategy. Her clientele encompasses Fortune 500 corporations and non-profit entities alike.
Her professional competency covers various domains, including energy, health, finance, technology, economic justice, and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). From her strategic navigation of the legislative process to her experience with community engagement, campaigns, and initiatives, Burke consistently delivers innovative solutions and drives positive change across diverse spheres of influence.
Burke's distinguished career includes her service in the California State Assembly, where she left an indelible mark with a chain of impactful achievements. She skillfully collaborated to reach a bi-partisan extension of California's pioneering Cap and Trade Market System, now recognized as a global model for mitigating the adverse effects of climate change while transitioning to a sustainable clean energy economy. Also, she led the bipartisan Lifting Children and Families Out of Poverty Task Force, with a mission to reduce child poverty statewide.
Furthermore, Burke played instrumental roles on the Domestic Violence Advisory Council, advocating for policies that enhance the safety of domestic violence victims, and on the State Allocation Board, responsible for overseeing a $42 billion voter-approved school facilities construction program.
Her legislative acumen extended to groundbreaking wildfire legislation, protecting Californians from unexpected electricity costs while establishing a fund to address future wildfire liabilities. She also assisted in establishing landmark legislation, Transformative Climate Communities, a successful program that empowers communities most impacted by pollution to choose their own goals, strategies, and projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution. She received due recognition, highlighted by the Sacramento Bee as a pivotal figure in healthcare policy in California.
Autumn Burke's proficiency extends into crafting strategic communication plans for large-scale endeavors, marked by innovative and multifaceted strategies for communication, external relations, philanthropy, government engagements, and corporate affairs to address intricate challenges. Notably, her strategic community engagement strategies prioritize marginalized communities across California, fostering direct and meaningful dialogues.
Burke emphasizes the importance of community participation in projects by focusing on education, job training, and opportunities for local small businesses. Her deep-seated relationships with elected officials, community leaders, and environmental justice groups further amplify her impact.
From Northern California to the Central Valley to Southern California, Autumn Burke exhibits a distinctive ability to create multilingual marketing and outreach campaigns, focusing on reshaping narratives surrounding contentious issues. Her diverse portfolio also includes advisory roles in legislative and political strategies and contributions to caucuses centered on critical subjects such as energy, housing, and insurance.
Autumn Burke epitomizes a consummate expert in her field, consistently delivering innovative solutions and driving positive change across diverse spheres of influence. Burke is also the President and Founder of BIWOC, a non-profit geared toward uplifting Women of Color working in policy and politics. She is on the Board of Women in California Politics and on the Board of the California Problem Solvers Foundation, a Bicameral and BiPartisan Foundation geared towards educating elected officials, legislative staff, and members of the public on policy issues and to encourage political leadership that puts the public good above partisan political ideology.
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Axiom Advisors, LLC
1201 K Street, Suite 920
Sacramento, CA 95814
O: (916) 444-7464
C: (310) 560-7361
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Tish Rylander, Vice President
Leticia “Tish” Rylander is a political powerhouse, bringing more than 23 years of leadership in California state politics as Partner at Deveau Burr Group. Renowned for her adeptness as a legislative and political strategist, Tish has played a pivotal role in advancing groundbreaking legislation. Her contributions span a diverse spectrum, from addressing international war crimes and wildfire prevention to advocating for tax relief for small businesses and working families, and championing reproductive health policies.
Before joining Deveau Burr Group, Tish served as the Senior Vice President at Strategies 360 in Sacramento. Here, she specialized in various domains, including healthcare, energy, natural resources, taxation, insurance, telecommunications, and the innovation and tech economy. Over her two decades in California politics and policy, Tish collaborated with members of the Democratic Caucus, cultivating invaluable relationships with elected officials, agency representatives, and legislative staff across the state.
In her capacity as Chief of Staff for Assemblywoman Autumn Burke, Tish demonstrated her bipartisan acumen, working closely with legislators from both sides of the aisle. She played a key role in establishing the first "Bipartisan Working Group," which developed comprehensive policy recommendations on critical issues facing California. This included negotiating amendments and fostering consensus on major legislation such as cap and trade, wildfire mitigation, employment, and energy policy. Tish's experience as Chief of Staff to the Chair of the Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee deepened her understanding of tax policy implications in both surplus and deficit years, including the challenges posed by the pandemic.
Beyond her professional achievements, Tish is actively involved in community initiatives. Currently serving as Vice-President of the 501(c)(3) "BIWOC on K St.," she is dedicated to creating support networks for professional Black, Indigenous, Women of Color through mentorship and connections in public policy.
In her personal time, Tish served as the organizer for the annual Legislative All-Star Charity Softball game, raising over $300,000 for local community non-profit organizations. Additionally, she established the Capitol Women's Group, the first mentorship group entirely devoted to supporting legislative staff.
Tish Rylander, Partner
M: (916) 952-0349
Larisa Mercado, Executive Director
Larisa Mercado is fueled by her passion for politics and advocacy, at both the state and federal levels of government. Before interning with Pinnacle Advocacy, Larisa worked in various positions, crafting a diverse and valuable perspective. Larisa had the honor of serving Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in her Sacramento Senate office and during her time with The Press Shop, Larisa worked on behalf of California state agencies and Fortune 500 clients. Additionally, Ms. Mercado worked on the 2018 election campaign of Dave Jones for Attorney General.
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During her time at Pinnacle, Larisa has successfully secured policy provisions and critical budget funding for clients. Ms. Mercado is motivated by her eagerness to foster her pursuit of service and stewardship on behalf of Pinnacle Advocacy clients.
Larisa is a proud member of the California Latino Capitol Association (CLCAF) and currently serves as the Interim Executive Director of a non-profit, Black Indigenous Women of Color BIWOC on K), and organization created to uplift female minorities in the third-house. Larisa has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Chicano Studies from the University of California, Davis.
Larisa Mercado
Pinnacle Advocacy LLC
1127 11th Street Suite 1030
Sacramento, CA 95814
O: (916) 443-6181
C: (916) 837-3945
Alicia Priego, Treasurer
Alicia Priego, Senior Policy Advisor
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schrek, LLP
Alicia Priego brings two decades of experience working in the California State Legislature, Administration, and private sector. Alicia serves as a trusted consultant to clients ranging from Fortune 500 corporations to nonprofit organizations. Her work includes helping clients navigate emerging opportunities such as voluntary carbon markets, community choice aggregation and how to provide clean energy for residents and businesses at competitive rates. Alicia’s clients benefit from her extensive legislative and public sector experience in energy, natural resources, technology and innovation, and cannabis.
Previously, Alicia was a senior vice president at Strategies 360 and also served as an advocate and state government affairs manager for San Diego Gas & Electric and Southern California Gas Company, Sempra Energy’s two California regulated utilities. She also has prior experience serving in multiple staff roles in the California Legislature for nearly a decade and within the Administration with California Public Utilities Commission.
Alicia R. Priego
Senior Policy Advisor
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP
1415 L Street, Suite 800
Sacramento, CA 95814
916.594.9713 tel
Brownstein - we're all in.
Amanda Gualderama, Secretary
Amanda is the Chief Lobbyist for California Broadband & Video Association (CalBroadband). She joined the Association in 2022 with over a decade of legislative and regulatory experience. Prior to CalBroadband, Amanda was the Legislative Director for AAA where she directed the legislative advocacy of the company within six states. Prior to that she was the Government Affairs Director for Sentry Insurance where she directed the legislative and regulatory advocacy for fifteen states.
Amanda has her Bachelor’s Degree in History from California State University, Sacramento and her Juris Doctorate from Lincoln Law School of Sacramento. She became a member of the California State Bar in 2015.