Message, Audience, Medium
The three pillars of influential communication and public affairs campaigns. Strategically aligned, these elements move people, impact issues. and drive results. The Lafayette Company delivers comprehensive solutions for when it matters most.
Our experience spans the political, policy, non-profit, and corporate landscapes. From presidential campaigns to presidential nominations. From single policy think-tank engagements to crisis communication playbooks. Across the spectrum, the consistent catalyst of success is delivering on the promise that real results come from not just fighting but fighting smarter.
Our Core Values
- We care about what we do.
- We are bold.
- We win when our clients win.
- We believe character counts.
- We elevate others.
Ellen Carmichael
Founder & President
Ellen Carmichael is the founder and president of The Lafayette Company, a full-service political communications consultancy dedicated to delivering the real results that matter for political, campaign, corporate and non-profit clients. She has spent nearly 15 years serving as a senior communications strategist to a variety of public figures and organizations, including a front-running Republican presidential candidate, several Members of Congress, statewide elected officials, large political non-profits, Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, advocacy groups, and more.
In recognition for her achievements, Carmichael was named a member of CNN’s 2011 “New Guard,” a distinction awarded to a handful of top newsmakers each year. In 2014, Red Alert Politics named her one of the top “30 Under 30” professionals in the political industry. She is a frequent columnist and commentator in hundreds of publications worldwide and a regular contributor to National Review. She often serves as a guest lecturer at universities, campaign schools, and for international corporations on the state of American politics and communication strategies.
A proud Louisianan, Carmichael graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Mass Communication: Political Communication. She is a member of the Junior League of Washington and the Daughters of the American Revolution, as well as a parishioner at the Basilica of St. Mary. She resides in Alexandria, Va., with her husband, Walter, and their three children aged two and under: Elizabeth, Christian, and Camille.
Follow Ellen Carmichael on Twitter.
Bobby Panzenbeck
Vice President, Client Services
As a public affairs and communications strategist in Washington D.C., Bobby has built a reputation as a connector, working with academics, think tanks, and public policy organizations across the ideological spectrum to design effective public policy campaigns that help clients achieve their goals.
Bobby has spent nearly a decade developing winning communications and campaigns strategies for Fortune 100 companies, trade associations, political candidates, and human rights organizations in the United States and overseas, building coalitions, crafting crisis responses, and working with organizations to implement strategies to serve their stakeholders.
Bobby is a graduate of New York Law School, where he served as president of the Federalist Society. He’s also a native Long Islander and a long-suffering Jets fan. Bobby, his wife Cassie, and their children (Robert, Doris, and Vivian) are parishioners at Elizabeth Ann Seton in Lake Ridge, Virginia, where they live.