New Leadership for The Hatcher Group

January 23, 2019

The Hatcher Group, a full-service national communications firm, today announced new owners: marketing and communications professionals Amy Buckley and Amy Fahnestock, who will operate the firm as a woman-owned small business (WOSB).

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., The Hatcher Group provides strategic communications, media relations, design, digital marketing, social media and web services to its clients, which include major national and regional foundations, nonprofits and other organizations that work to advance social change.

“It is an honor to lead a firm that has established itself over two decades as a leader in progressive communications and continues to expand,” said Buckley. “We’re excited to take The Hatcher Group to new heights, explore new lines of business and continue to help mission-driven organizations deliver high-caliber communications and marketing.”

Founded in 2000, The Hatcher Group launched specialized events, crisis communications and fundraising practices in 2018 and tripled the size of its design team, which recently won 11 national awards. The firm also won its first federal contract to provide communications services for the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the release of the Nation’s Report Card. This team includes veteran journalists, public relations professionals, graphic and web designers, digital media specialists and experts in policy and grassroots advocacy.

“The Hatcher Group has never been stronger,” said Fahnestock. “Amy and I look forward to leveraging those strengths to help improve education, support working families, protect the environment and advance social change. And as a woman-owned small business, we are excited about the possibilities to expand our work.”

Amy Buckley has more than 25 years of experience in strategic marketing and communications. As a principal at Reingold, she managed large public awareness campaigns for clients, including the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and several prominent education organizations. While an executive at Varsity Group, she developed an industry-leading e-commerce service for schools and oversaw a national marketing network on college campuses.

Amy Fahnestock has over two decades of experience specializing in program management, strategic communications and change management. At Booz Allen Hamilton, she led program and delivery management across significant engagements for the federal government and has managed cross-functional client delivery teams. She also served as a business leader to help expand Booz Allen’s strategic communications practice, and later co-founded a women-owned small business with a specialization in mission-based communication efforts.

Buckley and Fahnestock acquired the firm from founder and president Ed Hatcher and co-owner Angie Cannon, who will both continue to be engaged at the firm in a consulting capacity.

“Amy and Amy bring a standard of excellence that will advance our mission to inspire change for good,” said Hatcher. “I am thrilled to see the leadership of The Hatcher Group in such great hands.”