Press - Sykes Global Communications

Kathy Hochul Is Trying to Prove Nancy Pelosi Wrong

By Errol Louis
September 20th, 2024

It’s important to remember that even building a kick-ass political machine won’t necessarily save Hochul. “I don’t think her legacy is necessarily marked by whether or not she wins congressional races. I’m not sure the average person thinks of it that way — it’s very insider stuff,” says Michael Oliva, a veteran campaign consultant based in Suffolk County. “The mistake Democrats keep making is that they prioritize campaign strategy and methodology above issues. They keep thinking, If we do outreach and knock on more doors and excite the base, we’ll be victorious, instead of saying, ‘Hey, what do people care about?’ Is it crime, or putting food on the table, or the education of their children?”

Down ballot, voters have voice for the bench, party politics

By Dan Rivoli
June 24th, 2024

“When you win a civil court seat, you could be sent to Criminal Court, you could be sent to Family Court,” Michael Oliva, a political consultant who has managed judicial campaigns, said. “You want somebody who is qualified to sit on the bench in all of those areas of law?” He said it’s unfortunate that voters are typically uninterested in these races, particularly in a presidential year. But they should — a name on the ballot today can become a name in the headlines tomorrow. Judge Arthur Engoron would know. He was the judge in former President Donald Trump’s Manhattan civil trial. “He was on the scene, trying to become a judge, like so many people I worked with,” Oliva said. “You never thought in a million years he would be presiding over a case for the former president, which is amazing.”

N.Y. reconsidering adoption policies following controversial policy change reversal

By Bernadette Hogan
May 24th, 2024

Adoption policies in the state could be changed after a memo prompted an outcry by some would-be parents. New York’s Office of Children and Family Services came under fire after declaring a limit on a financial support that adoptive parents can provide to birth mothers. Although the decision was reversed, critics say they still want the state to better explain its policy. Now, experts say New York needs laws that are compatible with other states to ensure more kids get matched with homes. “When you eventually receive your child, which is your child, that is the most beautiful thing in the world and you’re meant to have that child,” Michael Oliva said.

Opinion: New York should not make adoption harder for our residents

By Max Rose and Michael Oliva
February 17th, 2024

As it is for many couples, the ability to conceive is hard. A common reply they often hear is, “There are so many kids who need homes, why not just adopt?” What many people don’t understand is just how hard going through the adoption process usually is. Prospective adoptive parents routinely endure an expensive, onerous and highly regulated process. This leads them to be faced with feeling overwhelmed emotionally, physically and mentally. Financially, it is costly and many have to make major monetary decisions, whether that be tapping into a 401k, taking a high interest loan, or borrowing from family and friends. Sadly, after several years of trying, many give up on their dream of becoming parents.

Sykes Global Communications Named to City & State's 2024 Political PR Power 75

By City & State
January 28th, 2024

The power couple of Ronnie and Michael Oliva lead Sykes Global Communications, which has delivered public relations and marketing services since its launch in 2007. Michael Oliva has a long career as a political and campaign consultant, while Ronnie Oliva is the founder of the firm.

Sykes Global Communications Named to PoliticsNY & amNY Metro’s 2023 Power Players in Public Relations & Lobbying

By Lea Tomaswick & Isabel Parigi

Michael Oliva has been a premier advisor in politics, business and public affairs for decades. Named “Court Contest King” by NY Daily News, he’s consulted on dozens of judicial campaign victories. With a keen focus on demographic targeting, he has a hard-earned reputation for electing prominent women to office. Michael’s knack for achieving the unexpected has kept him high atop the list for insurgent candidates and aspiring organizations striving to make their mark on history.

Sykes Global Communications Named to City & State's 2023 Political PR Power 50

By City & State
January 9, 2023

In 2022, Sykes Global Communications positioned iBrain, the International Institute for the Brain, as a premier school for children and young adults with brain injuries. The firm publicized its annual fashion show, where students worked with professional fashion designers to develop their own outfits that they themselves modeled on the runway, raising funds for brain injury research. The public relations firm also partnered with philanthropist Daniel Rose and the W. E. B. Du Bois Museum Foundation to help launch the development of a multimillion-dollar museum honoring the historian, civil rights activist and scholar W. E. B. Du Bois, in Ghana, West Africa.

Michael and Ronnie Oliva Named to PoliticsNY & amNY Metro’s 2022 Power Players Rising

By Lea Tomaswick

Ronnie Oliva is the leader of a sophisticated, savvy team that produces high-level, integrated public relations campaigns. Her ability to bring the smartest and most talented people together for a common goal has sustained her company’s steady and consistent growth for over a decade, acting as a bridge between thought leaders, stakeholders and the media. A straight-shooter and hands-on strategist, Ronnie has over 20 years of experience in crisis assessment and management, strategic counseling, issue analysis, and media relations, making social accountability paramount in the overarching objectives of her work.

Ronnie Oliva, Founder & CEO, Sykes Global Communications

Michael & Ronnie Oliva: How NY’s political couples are enduring the pandemic together

By Nyasha Dafi & Mymoena Kalinisan-Davids`
February 1st, 2022

Ronnie Oliva was born in Manhattan, New York City. She describes herself as a true native of the city, claiming that she is afourth-generation New Yorker in her family. Oliva grew up in the city, attending elementary, high school, and college in Brooklyn. Her childhood was spent at her parents’ home in Brooklyn. She attended Brooklyn College, State University of New York College at Old Westbury, and New York University.

Michael and Ronnie Oliva named to City & State's 2021 Political Consultants Power 75

By City & State
October 25th, 2021

The married duo of Ronnie and Michael Oliva run Sykes Global Communications, a firm that recently opened a division devoted to judicial candidates and worked with New York City Council Member Adrienne Adams – a leading candidate to be the next council speaker.

How NY’s political couples are enduring the pandemic together

By Caitlin Dorman
February 13, 2021

“You have to come to terms with the fact that there will be emotional overlap between your professional and private lives, and complete compartmentalization is unrealistic. … You have to be sensitive to the fact that the two worlds can often bleed into one another spiritually and psychologically, including their mutual and respective joys, frustrations, accomplishments, setbacks, successes and failures. … Recognizing this opens up your love and understanding of each other’s mindsets, and provides the necessary patience to move forward together successfully in both facets of your lives.”