Jonathan Graffeo

Jonathan Graffeo is a managing director at Penta. With nearly two decades of experience on Capitol Hill, Jonathan served in senior roles on U.S. Senate committees at the center of the most consequential crises in recent years. He brings this experience to Penta clients, advising them on crisis and issues management. Jonathan also assists clients on their strategic messaging in complex political, legal, and regulatory environments.

Prior to joining Hamilton Place Strategies in 2021, Jonathan served as deputy staff director on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, where he oversaw messaging and legislative strategy for Chairman Richard Shelby and played a key role in crafting legislation that provided trillions of dollars in aid to combat COVID-19. During the global financial crisis of 2008–09, and the Dodd-Frank financial reform that followed, Jonathan served as communications director for Sen. Shelby, then the top Republican on the U.S. Senate Banking Committee. Through these experiences, Jonathan forged deep relationships with the news media, the Senate Republican Conference, and the Senate Democratic Caucus.

An Alabama native, Jonathan studied political science at Auburn University and later earned an MBA from Duke University. He is currently working toward a Ph.D. in public relations from the University of Alabama, focusing on the role of emotion in crisis communication. Jonathan lives in the Washington, D.C., area with his wife and three sons.