New Heights Communications is a lobbying and public relations firm in Washington, D.C. Its clients are left-of-center nonprofit and advocacy groups. It was founded by longtime Democratic operative Christy Setzer in 2010.

Background

New Heights Communications is a public relations firm based in Washington, D.C. that primarily works with political campaigns, government agencies, advocacy groups, and nonprofits in their efforts to pass legislation and influence the public. It was founded by Christy Setzer in 2010. ¹

Services

New Heights Communications officers services in issue advocacy, media relations, strategic communications and development, digital communications, crisis communications, and campaign and coalition management. ²

Clients

New Heights Communications’ past clients have included CDA Foundation, EMILY’s List, Jobs with Justice, Common Cause, Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Rachel’s Network, Women’s Refugee Commission, Generation Progress, the German Marshall Fund, Earthjustice, Act on Climate, National Women’s Law Center, WomenRising, EcoEnergy, the Center for Popular Democracy, Mothers Out Front, and Social Security Works. ³

Leadership

As of 2023, Christy Setzer was serving as the president of New Heights Communications. The founder of the firm, Setzer was formerly the national spokesperson on the presidential campaigns of Vice President Al Gore, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean (D), and then-U.S. Senator Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT). She has also worked for the AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). ⁴

As of 2023, April Avant was working as the senior vice president and New Heights Communications. Avant is a former staffer at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and Physicians for Social Responsibility. ⁵

As of 2023, chair of left-of-center judicial policy organization Fix the Court and longtime Democratic Party and labor union political operative Josh Cohen was serving as an advisor to New Heights. ⁶ Cohen has worked as a consultant for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Obama for America, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), the SEIU, the AFL-CIO, the Center for Secure and Modern Elections, For Our Future, and many others. ⁷

1. “New Heights Communications.” LinkedIn. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/company/new-heights-communications/.
2. “Skills, Etc.” New Heights Communications. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.newheightscommunications.com/#section-team.
3. “Clients.” New Heights Communications. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.newheightscommunications.com/#section-team.
4. “Christy Setzer.” New Heights Communications. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.newheightscommunications.com/staff_trusted/christy-setzer/.
5. “April Avant.” New Heights Communications. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.newheightscommunications.com/staff_trusted/april-avant/
6. “Josh Cohen.” New Heights Communications. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.newheightscommunications.com/staff_trusted/josh-cohen/.
7. “Josh Cohen.” New Heights Communications. Accessed August 21, 2023. https://www.newheightscommunications.com/staff_trusted/josh-cohen/.