Amie Hixon
Amie joined BMCG in 2020 as an Analyst, where she honed her ability to turn raw data into information-driven decisions, especially in the social media space. Given her background in Mathematics, she quickly established herself as an asset in the fast-paced environment of crises by interpreting complex data with clarity and impact which, in turn allows leadership to strengthen stakeholder confidence through informed decision-making.
Amie has continued her work with BMCG helping clients build resilient operational capabilities through the development of Crisis Management, Crisis Communications, and Emergency Operations Plans. As an Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP), she combines analytical rigor and attention to detail to tailor strategies and toolkits that ensure coordinated response both within and between leadership and operational teams.
In addition to plans, Amie develops microsites and digital web solutions to streamline client communications and provide stakeholders with singular sources of truth, strengthening message consistency, information flow, and institutional identity in today’s highly scrutinized operating environment.
Beyond client work, Amie contributes to BMCG’s continuous innovation, having developed processes and tools that improve both firm operations and client deliverables. She manages critical project workflows, oversees asset organization, and oversees the planning of BMCG’s annual Issues & Crisis Leadership Retreat.
Amie holds a B.S. in Mathematics, a B.A. in Spanish, and a minor in Accounting from Hope College, Michigan.
Rebekah Carmichael
Rebekah Carmichael is a communications strategist with nearly two decades of experience in federal government and higher education, specializing in real-time crisis response, strategic planning, and institutional storytelling. She helps leaders and organizations build trust, incorporate reputational risk into decision-making and to develop the skills needed to navigate complexity and crisis both internally and externally.
Before joining BMCG, Rebekah held senior communications and marketing roles at New York University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Emerson College, where she led cross-functional teams, launched strategic and crisis plans, served on senior administrative councils; and advised leadership on issues including deaths, assaults, outbreaks, and other public safety concerns; academic freedom and freedom of speech; lawsuits; data breaches; leadership and program changes; and navigating viral negative attention.
Earlier in her career, Rebekah served as a public affairs officer for the U.S. Department of Justice, with roles in the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of New York and the District of New Jersey, and as spokesperson for the Department’s Criminal Division in Washington. She advised leadership and managed media relations through high-profile matters including the prosecutions of Bernie Madoff and Viktor Bout, the resignation of Governor Eliot Spitzer, the “Bridgegate” investigation, and the Inspector General’s report on Fast and Furious.
Rebekah holds a B.A. from James Madison University and a M.A. from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Erin Bossen
A media and public relations strategist, Erin has built upon her 20 years experience as a journalist with expertise in crisis communications, issues management, reputational risk assessment, and emergency response. With a keen understanding of the nature and speed of modern media, she offers clients real-time, discerning advice aligned with their core values and principles.
Most recently, Erin served as senior director of media and public relations for one of California’s top-ranked private universities, Loyola Marymount University, where she was responsible for the institution’s external communications strategy as well as safeguarding and enhancing its public reputation. A trusted adviser to university leadership, she developed plans for and responded to issues surrounding COVID-19, public safety, Title IX, academic freedom, high-profile speakers, DACA, protests, doxxing, public art and imagery, Greek life and athletics. She led the successful campaign to host a presidential debate on campus, elevating the university’s national profile. She also expanded its roster of trained public speakers and media experts, coaching campus leaders and faculty to respond to media inquiries and appear on television, radio, podcasts and digital outlets.
Erin is an Emmy award-winning journalist who served as a senior producer at CNN/HLN where she covered breaking news, civil unrest, extreme weather, the opioid crisis, high-profile trials, the military and politics. She led editorial teams producing live newscasts, talk shows and special programming. Prior to joining the network, she was an executive producer in San Diego covering political debates, elections, wildfires, immigration and environmental issues. She began her journalism career as a news editor at the #1news/talk radio station in Arizona.
Erin earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism, magna cum laude, from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
Jennifer Rettig
Jen leads the development of BMCG’s crisis readiness assessment methodology and supports clients through the development of crisis management exercises, business resiliency, crisis and communication plans, and facilitated crisis management planning sessions. She also directs stakeholder research and creates proactive messaging platforms including promotional videos and issue dark sites.
Over the past five years, Jen has supported our client response to a variety of issues and crisis events including racial and sexual harassment, whistleblower claims, academic freedom issues, protests, and terrorism. On the planning side, she developed and facilitated both domestic and international tabletop exercises and led functional exercise simulation cells.
Prior to launching BMCG, Jen was a Senior Marketing Manager for Math Solutions, a division of Scholastic where she developed nationally recognized marketing campaigns, a Producer with Sony PlayStation, and a Product Manager for Riverdeep, an educational software division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Jen has an MBA from Cornell, an MA in Japanese Studies from Ehime Daigaku, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Simon Barker
Simon Barker is Managing Partner at Blue Moon Consulting Group. Prior to founding Blue Moon, he was a senior vice president in Marsh & McLennan’s Reputational Risk & Crisis Management practice. Simon provides issues and crisis management advice and counsel to clients spanning high profile product recalls, protests, cyber attacks and data breaches, active aggressor events, natural disasters and a broad range of ethical, financial and social issues. He brings this “hands-on” experience and applies it to helping clients in advance of a crisis or issue and has developed crisis management and crisis communications plans for clients in the higher education, technology, financial services, consumer goods, healthcare, and sports industries amongst others. He has led training sessions, tabletop and functional exercises for organizations in the US, Europe and Asia.
Prior to joining Marsh, Simon was a vice president at Visa International where he was recruited to build and then manage Visa’s global issues and reputation management program. He led Visa’s approach on a range of issues including data security, fees, corporate governance, and global sponsorship risks. In addition, Simon was responsible for developing Visa’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy prior to the company’s IPO.
Earlier in his career, Simon was a vice president of the International Public Affairs group at Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, in Washington, DC. Clients included the International Monetary Fund, Chevron, the government of Portugal and the government of Kazakhstan amongst others.
In other roles, he has served as a strategic advisor to the head of communications of the International Labor Organization in Geneva, and was also an international news reporter at a Japanese television network. Simon has his MBA from Cornell University, New York, his MA in Japanese Studies from Ehime Daigaku, Japan, and his BA in English Literature from Leicester University, UK.