Tracy Williams founded Olmstead Williams Communications in 2008 to provide focused public relations counsel to high-growth tech and healthcare companies, and the professional service firms that work with them. Her strategic insights have been responsible for new revenue, investors and partners for hundreds of organizations. She is sought after when crisis hits or a lawsuit threatens brands and reputations. Tracy trains CEOs, politicians, scientists, lawyers and professors to become savvy, in-demand media sources. She began her career at Hill & Knowlton in Washington, D.C. and worked with U.S. and European giants in aerospace and defense. After moving to LA, she built a public relations practice for tech firms such as Hewlett-Packard, Acer Inc. and Computer Sciences Corporation.

She serves on the executive committees of the California Council on Economic Education and Town Hall Los Angeles. She was a member of the Workforce Investment Board of Los Angeles; the Board of Directors of the Downtown Women’s Center; the board of governors of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation and the Board of Trustees of St. Matthew’s Parish School.

Tracy earned a bachelor’s degree from The Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University. She was a scholarship debater and brings her inquisitiveness and quick thinking to her clients’ issues and strategic goals.

Samantha Short joined Olmstead Williams Communications in 2019 and works with the firm’s healthcare, finance and tech clients. She works directly with client senior leadership and has a solid track record pitching media and earning coverage. In addition to strong media relations skills, she develops content strategies and develops comprehensive social media analytic reports. Sam is detail-oriented and thrives on developing deep knowledge of client products of services. Sam has a strong background in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors and joined OWC after working in healthcare and with an organization supporting wounded and homeless veterans.

Sam has developed and managed operations for large events and secured media coverage for them in over 20 cities across the United States. This experience made her a seasoned media relations expert, tailoring stories to a variety of print and broadcast media outlets from big cities to small rural towns. Sam supports OWC’s healthcare and finance practices by closely following reporters and studying their current topics of interest (with a special focus in the top 20 markets throughout the country) and pitching relevant reporters to cover client news.

Born and raised in Poughkeepsie, New York, Sam moved to Los Angeles in 2017 to pursue her career in public relations. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Communications from The College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY. Sam has become an avid cyclist and enjoys riding her bike as much as possible. Although she will always be a New Yorker at heart, the sunny and warm California weather has made it easy for her to call LA her forever home.

Paulo Acuña is a four-year associate at Olmstead Williams Communications who oversees the firm’s social media and digital division. He specializes in writing, editing, photography and designing across various traditional and digital platforms.

Acuña also supports national and international public relations initiatives for the firm’s clients, including media relations, email newsletters, thought leadership campaigns and event development. He is the firm’s go-to in managing editorial and awards calendars and is a seasoned essayist for winning award submissions.

Acuña began his career at Eisner Pediatric & Family Medical Center, a nonprofit, federally-qualified health center, where he developed its newsletter, built media databases, supported social media campaigns and assisted in the production of special events.

Acuña was born and raised in Puerto Rico. He earned a bachelor’s degree cum laude in journalism with a minor in history from Marquette University in Milwaukee. He was a reporter and managing editor of the Marquette Journal, the campus-wide student magazine.

Acuña has resided in Koreatown for the past four years but still sees himself as a tourist exploring Los Angeles’ hidden treasures.

Tiffany Rodriguez brings more than 5 years of media relations, executive communications, writing integrated brand marketing and brand awareness to businesses of all sizes. She has been part of a team running communications for a casino and recently generated attention around a $300 million casino expansion, making it the largest on the west coast.

Rodriguez also has lead account teams within marketing and public relations agencies to support clients in various industries, including technology, automotive, lifestyle, hospitality/tourism, consumer products and entertainment. She is a veteran media relations professional focused on generating the right coverage for her clients, be it print, broadcast, digital or trade media. Rodriguez has a keen awareness of client business objectives and has successfully helped meet them. She’s a quick study, great at synthesizing complex ideas into compelling news stories and is a highly-skilled writer.

Rodriguez has launched brands deploying innovative marketing strategies, such as the Sprint partnership with Chrysler to develop a new wireless in-vehicle connectivity experience for the Ram 1500 pickup. As a result of her effort, the company earned coverage from WIRED, CNET and FOX News.

A graduate of California State University, Fullerton, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, Rodriguez is the rare Southern California native living in Temecula with her husband and two daughters.

Hailing from North Carolina, Yakira Muhammad arrived in Los Angeles in the fall of 2021 as an Associate to support ongoing client initiatives, including media database development, event research, editorial calendar tracking and social media reporting.

Muhammad graduated with a BA in communications from East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. She was a reporter for the university’s newspaper, The East Carolinian, covering large events such as a cancer benefit concert on campus.

Phyllis wears a lot of hats at Olmstead Williams Communications, from maintaining the database of client media coverage to troubleshooting IT systems and overseeing all firm purchases. She makes sure senior leadership and everyone else on the team has the tools to do their jobs and she keeps the office running smoothly. Previously, she worked as an executive assistant at Pardee Homes.

Michelle is the financial controller and full-charge bookkeeper with over 20 years of experience. She records the day-to-day financial transactions at Olmstead Williams Communications and oversees all client invoicing. She began her career in real estate management and manufacturing companies in Boston and New York. Her client list has grown to include entertainment firms, non-profits, public relations firms and restaurants. She earned a bachelor’s degree at Northeastern University School of Business.