Cynara Lilly is a Principal at RALLY specializing in communications, message development, political strategy, and public affairs.
Cynara oversees the strategy and leads teams for a variety of clients including Raise.me, the Washington Charter School Association, Green Dot Public Schools, among others. Most recently, her team created the Act Now for Washington Students campaign and led the effort to save public charter schools in Washington state in conjunction with the Washington Charter Schools Association and its coalition. In addition to her work directing teams in the political and environmental space, Cynara manages RALLY’s well-recognized education vertical.
Previously at RALLY, Cynara led the team that handled the national launch of XQ: The Super School Project and oversaw the communications strategy for year one of the challenge. She also led the Our Bay on the Brink public awareness campaign, which employed a variety of tactics (including this interactive documentary) to move public support for addressing the flooding threat in the Bay Area region by more than 10 points. Other projects include guiding strategic planning with the Center for American Progress and working with multiple foundations to help launch their communications initiatives.
Cynara has more than a decade of experience developing and implementing strategic plans for a wide range of corporate, nonprofit, and political clients. She brings a public affairs practice to RALLY as well expertise in media relations, strategic positioning, message development, coalition building, and politics. Before joining RALLY, Cynara served as a Director at both WE Worldwide, working in the tech sector, and at Seattle-based Sound View Strategies. She has managed statewide political efforts in Washington, Oregon, California, including directing 2014’s Marshall Tuck for California State Superintendent of Public Instruction campaign, which drew national attention.
Cynara graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in French and Studio Art and lives in Los Angeles. She recently relocated from Seattle and is enjoying the sunshine.