Michael C. Woloz joined the established public affairs firm, Connelly & McLaughlin in 2000 after serving for several years in the New York City Council Governmental and Legal Affairs Division and as a New York City-based freelance reporter, writing for outlets that included The New York Times and Newsday. In 2011, he was made a named partner in what became known as Connelly McLaughlin & Woloz and in 2020 he became President and CEO of the renamed CMW Strategies LLC.

Over the last two decades, Michael Woloz has managed successful lobbying and public relations campaigns on behalf of clients in the transportation, technology, corporate, real estate and non-profit sectors, earning widespread recognition among his peers and in publications including the New York Times, Crain’s New York Business, City and State and other media outlets that cover New York City and New York State politics.

Regina Poreda Ryan, Senior Vice President, brings to CMW Strategies decades of public service and New York City government experience. She is a City budget expert with a deep understanding of City operations.   

Ms. Ryan served at the New York City Council through the terms of five Speakers. Initially working as a legislative aid for the Chair of the Public Safety Committee, Ms. Ryan was engaged in the restructuring of the Police and Fire Departments and legislative and oversight work related to all public safety agencies. She transitioned to the Council’s Finance Division and served on several committees including Contracts, Cultural Affairs and Education. She was instrumental in advancing the Council’s education agenda for years, developing a host of new Council initiatives, and winning budget changes.  Most recently Ms. Ryan was the Deputy Director of Finance leading a team of budget analysts, managing the Council’s budget priorities and supporting the oversight and legislative work of the Council.

Evelyn Pope joined CMW Strategies in the fall of 2021. She got her start in New York City politics with New Deal Strategies, a political consulting firm, working on various NYC primary campaigns through providing fundraising, communications, and operations support.

Prior to joining CMW Strategies, Evelyn worked on a couple of California based political campaigns including George Gascón for Los Angeles District Attorney and completed internships at Planned Parenthood  and the United Nations Populations Fund.

Evelyn Pope has a B.A in Political Science from Occidental College.

CMW Strategies, formerly known as Connelly McLaughlin and Woloz, is a full service government relations and consulting firm specializing in strategy, lobbying, coalition-building, community organizing and public relations. For more than three decades, we have played a significant role in shaping legislation, initiatives and public opinion throughout multiple city and state administrations, legislative bodies and in the media.

CMW Strategies is often the force behind some of New York’s highest profile projects representing a vast array of clients in virtually every type of business.

CMW Strategies is fortunate to have received some of our industry’s leading awards and accolades.  City and State magazine, a leading publication covering the public affairs industry in New York, called CMW Strategies a “go-to public affairs firm” in its 2015 “Power 100” issue and featured CMW Strategies professionals as “40 Under 40 Rising Stars” in 2009, 2013 and 2014. The New York Times calls us “influential.” Crain’s New York Business listed us among “City Hall’s in-crowd of lobbyists” in 2014. The Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, New York Post, Bloomberg News, NY1 News, Fox 5 News, WABC, WNBC, WCBS, Associated Press and dozens of other media outlets across the country consistently turn to CMW Strategies’ professionals for insight and expert opinion.