Colorado PR Team

Whether steering clients through systemic collapses, international scandals or unanticipated crises, Michelle Lyng is Colorado’s go-to communications professional, always challenging the status quo.

Michelle is the founder and CEO of Novitas Communications, an award-winning, full-service public relations firm based in downtown Denver. She founded Novitas during the Great Recession of 2008 and quickly became best known for her work in issue management, corporate communication and crisis communication in highly regulated sectors, including education, oil and gas, real estate, technology, healthcare and financial services.

Michelle has over 25 years of experience in strategic communications and reputation management, executive positioning, community engagement, issue management, corporate communication, and crisis communication. She advises a wide range of clients, from Fortune 100 companies to start-ups and nonprofits, on responding proactively and reactively to emerging communications issues. She has helped implement organization-wide communications strategies to uphold a reputation when the stakes were highest, and secured media coverage for her clients in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Reuters, USA Today, Washington Post, CNBC, CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, among many other national and local media outlets.

Under Michelle’s leadership, Novitas has won numerous awards, including the PR News Agency Elite Top-100 Award, the PRSA Silver Anvil Award of Excellence, the Gold Bulldog Award for Best Public Affairs Campaign, the Ragan Award for Best Public Affairs Campaign and the PRSA Colorado Chapter Gold Pick Award. Today, Novitas is ranked by O’Dwyer’s Public Relations News as the fastest-growing public relations firm in Colorado, offering innovative and strategic communications services to a wide range of national and international clients.

Michelle earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business from Illinois Wesleyan University.

Fun Fact: A thirteenth-generation American, Michelle’s family built the oldest wood-frame home in the United States, “The Balch House,” in Beverly, Massachusetts. It’s now a historic museum!

Jaime Gardner brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Novitas, having been a small business owner with her own firm, she held positions within multiple levels of government agencies and corporations, and has many life adventures that all inform her background and perspective. She has supported clients covering multiple industries - from energy and natural resources to telecom to food and travel bloggers and housing.Jaime has over 20 years' experience working for and with trade associations, businesses large and small, and more. She provides a variety of resources to our clients, supports and advises our staff, and loves taking on all manner of new and diverse projects.

Jessie Koerner has over a decade of strategic digital communications and public relations experience. She has worked with private businesses, public agencies and nonprofits, and on election and legislative campaigns to successfully impact policy and behavior change.
She’s managed communications and government affairs for oil and gas, acted as campaign spokeswoman for two successful 2016 statewide ballot initiatives, and developed digital strategy empowering audiences to plan for the end of life.
Jessie earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Furman University and her Master of Arts in Global Health and International Security from the University of Denver. She’s a Denver native and competitive equestrian.
Fun Fact: Jessie is a proud and unapologetic horse girl. Today, she owns four horses: Finale, Parker, Fitz and Ace!

Sarah Rosasco is a Communications Associate at Novitas. She recently graduated from Saint Mary's College of California with a BS in Business Administration, with a concentration in Interfaith and Intercultural Leadership. She brings her business background into her role as an associate, along with her passion for PR and leadership. In her free time, you will most likely find Sarah skiing, hiking, or at the gym.
Fun Fact: Sarah loves to ride horses.

Ben Lasseter’s newsroom experience in multiple regions of the U.S. influences his communications expertise and skills. From state Capitol politics to mountain-town economies to University of Alabama sports during college, Ben thrives at the intersection of professional responsibilities with personal interests.

With 26 years of public policy and community problem solving experience, John Brackney is an expert in community engagement, relationship building and community investment. Today, John helps businesses and organizations become more productive and efficient through mentorship and relationship building. In his role at Novitas, he supports team members’ personal and professional development, engaging them on strategic growth goals, corporate culture and relationship building.

John was elected for a first term as Arapahoe County Commissioner in 1996. In 1999, he was re-elected to a four-year term and served as chairman in 2000. He then served as chairman of the Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority (Centennial Airport), and as president of the Arapahoe County Water and Wastewater Authority. Director of Public Policy at the South Metro Denver Chamber from Jan 2003-April 2004. Later on, he served as the President and CEO and member of the Board of Directors of the South Metro Denver Chamber from April 2004 to March 2014.

As a life-long resident and native of Colorado, he managed state legislative races while attending law school. He enlisted in the Colorado Army National Guard in 1991 and graduated from Officer Candidate School in 1993. In 1995 he became a Company Commander of the 147th Combat Support Hospital, then later served as a Captain at the National Guard State Headquarters. He was honorably discharged in 2003 and received the Meritorious Service Medal twice.

Fun Fact: John has run every day, for the past 2500 days, outdoors and in shorts. That’s almost seven straight years! In snow, sleet or rain, you’ll find John outdoors, enjoying Colorado’s trails.

Virginia Garcia Ovejero Pivik has provided Spanish language insights and communications for more than 20 years. Her vast experience includes public relations, media relations, writing, editing and serving as a spokesperson for the Latino community in Denver and Colorado.

Since 2017, Virginia has been working in close collaboration with CDOT on the Central 70 Project serving as the media specialist producing, writing, and overseeing TV, radio, print, and social media campaigns. She writes scripts, leverages media interviews, hosts media open houses for Latino representatives and more. In this role, she is also responsible for press release transcreations and distributions among the Hispanic media outlets.

Her bilingual experience as a spokesperson, transcreator/translator of campaign communication ensures best practices in conveying messages to the Hispanic community that are culturally and linguistically sensitive. Virginia provides added value for Novitas Communications clients working the Hispanic communities.

A Native Coloradan, Jared Petsche is a graduate of Colorado State University with a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and minor studies in History, Religious Studies & Entrepreneurship. Since graduation he has worked in the film/media industry, state government and with the surrounding Denver communities’ many non-profits.

Jared’s nonprofit board service includes Open Media Foundation, Colorado Film & Video Association and AdClub.