Staff Bios

Michael Lux, CEO

Mike Lux is the co-founder and CEO of Progressive Strategies, an innovative consulting firm that is guided by a mission of building the progressive movement through collaborative work between progressive organizations, issue campaigns and causes. Progressive Strategies assists a variety of clients in political positioning, coalition building, developing short and long-term public education campaign strategies, and by turning ideas into reality.

Mike currently serves on the boards of several important organizations, including the Arca Foundation, Netroots Nation, Americans United for Change, and USAction, the latter two of which he helped to launch. Mike sits on the Advisory Board of the Democratic Strategist. He also was a co-founder and a former board member of Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, Progressive Majority, Women’s Voices/Women Vote, and the Center for Progressive Leadership. He played a role in helping launch the Center for American Progress and Air America, as well as MoveOn.org and People for the American Way PAC (PFAW PAC). From January 1993 to mid-1995, Mike served in as a Special Assistant to the President for Public Liaison in the Clinton White House. He has played a leadership or staff role on five Presidential campaigns.

Carla Ohringer Engle serves as the President of Progressive Strategies. Carla has worked in Democratic politics for almost two decades — from the Hill to the Florida recount to the 2010 campaign for health care reform — there is not a political environment her background does not cover. She has specialized in coalition building, working to get new organizations and campaigns up and running, and fundraising and communications strategy. Through her myriad of experiences in and out of the political arena, she has amassed a strong network of political operatives, activists and donors. Some highlights of Carla’s experience include serving as Executive Director of American Family Voices, Director of the Progressive Donor Network, as part of the Renaissance Weekend team, and as part of the Democratic National Committee’s finance team during the 2000 election as the Director of the Federal Victory Fund and as a Regional Finance Director, working in and overseeing activities in a number of key states. Throughout the 1990s she served in various leadership roles for a number of Democratic U.S. House and Senate campaigns.

Carla lives with her husband Mitch, owner of Lynn Jewelers, in the D.C. suburbs.

Alex Palombo is the Online Strategy Director and Executive Assistant at Progressive Strategies. She specializes in writing, online multimedia and social media. Alex also oversees the intern program and coordinates CEO Mike Lux’s travel and schedule.

Before she joining Progressive Strategies, Alex worked for American Bridge 21st century, a progressive super PAC founded to keep conservative politicians accountable for their words and actions. At American Bridge, she was in charge of keeping the content media system organized, as well as doing video research.

Alex interned for progressive communications firm Well and Lighthouse, where she helped maintain the social media campaigns for eight senatorial campaigns and served as a research aid. She also interned as press secretary with the Rochford and Southend East Labour party in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK during the 2010 election. Alex is from Delaware, and graduated from Ithaca College with a journalism degree, and minors in politics and international communications.

Please direct press requests to Alex via .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) with the word "PRESS" in the subject line or by calling 202-628-7771.