Longtime public servant, political organizer and policy expert will strengthen the Sacramento-based firm’s emerging capabilities while extending its reach across Southern California
SACRAMENTO – Axiom Advisors, one of California’s fastest-growing government relations and public affairs consultancies, proudly announced today that Autumn R. Burke is joining the firm as a Principal.
Burke will be based in Sacramento and Los Angeles and will bring more than two decades of experience as a public servant, fiscal and public policy expert, community organizer, environmental justice advocate and business owner to Axiom’s expanding roster of California private-sector, public-sector, political campaign and non-profit clients.
Until recently, she was a Member of the California State Assembly serving South Bay and Westside communities of Los Angeles County. She was Chairwoman of the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation. Before that, she was a small business owner, management consultant and entrepreneur.
Her first foray into the public spotlight came in 1973 when her trailblazing mother, former Congresswoman and Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, became the first sitting Member of Congress to give birth while in office. As a baby, she appeared with her mother on the March 1974 cover of Ebony magazine.
Her father, Dr. William A. Burke, accomplished business leader and philanthropist, recently retired as the longest-tenured member and longest-serving Chairman after 27 years on the South Coast Air Quality Management District Governing Board.
She will focus on strengthening Axiom’s clean energy, financial services, infrastructure investment, information technology, reproductive health and health access, housing supply and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) practices while growing Axiom’s portfolio in Los Angeles and Southern California.
“After some family-focused downtime, it’s an honor to be offered a position of senior leadership with the highly-respected Axiom team and to become a part of their emergent growth trajectory,” said Burke. “Axiom is known for serving a diverse book of California-based clients and shares the same values and commitment I have to the State of California and all the people who live here. Joining Axiom is a natural progression of my career in public service and will allow me to continue making a positive impact on public policy, while maintaining a healthy family balance and as a single mother. I am truly excited to continue the work that means so much to me.”
“As a woman of color, it’s particularly meaningful to me to join as a Principal in one of the industry’s leading firms,” she continued. “It’s simply vital for black women to be able to see themselves in positions of power on all of California’s political playing fields.”
“Axiom was founded to serve those committed to doing both well and good for California,” said Cassie Gilson, Axiom’s Co-Founder and Managing Partner. “As California grows and changes, Axiom will enthusiastically grow and change with it. We are therefore overjoyed to be expanding the Axiom family to welcome Autumn Burke, who has dedicated her career to smart public policy, a more productive economy and a more equitable society. She will be an invaluable asset for all of Axiom’s clients, both present and future, and we look forward to working alongside her to build a brighter future for all California.”
What Others are Saying:
“Autumn has been an outspoken champion for women, health equity and access to reproductive health care for all,” said Jodi Hicks, CEO & President of Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California (PPAC), an Axiom client. “She understands your zip code, income, race, age, or immigration status shouldn’t limit your access to care. At this crossroads moment for abortion in America, we are delighted to be able to continue working with Autumn on the frontlines of the fight to protect the right to control our bodies and ensure everyone has access to the health care they need.”
“As a legislator, Autumn was always a fierce and fearless fighter for big, bold ideas that elevated Californians,” said Mona Pasquil Rogers, formerly a pioneering Capitol staffer, now President of California Women Lead. “Her leadership and experience will be transformative for Axiom, and I am pleased to see this important acknowledgment of the power, network, and insights that only a woman of color can bring.”
“Congratulations to Autumn Burke,” said Susan Bonilla, former Assemblywoman, current Chair, Women in Power PAC and CEO of the California Pharmacists Association. “It’s heartening to see her assume a new role within a top Sacramento firm. Women – and women of color especially – still struggle to be equally represented in executive positions. It is beyond time for women with proven skills like hers to be elevated to key leadership positions.”
“I’m proud that my sister Autumn Burke, an extraordinary and accomplished black woman, is continuing her good work with such a great company as Axiom Advisors,” Taisha Brown, Executive Director, Black Women Meet Up and former Chair, California Democratic Party Black Caucus. “I know this partnership of Autumn Burke and Axiom will bring even more amazing outcomes for the people of California.”
About Autumn R. Burke
Autumn R. Burke is a longtime public servant, community leader and small business owner from Los Angeles County. She is a former Member of the California State Assembly, where she was Vice Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus, Chair of the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation and the Select Committee on Career Technical Education and Building a 21st Century Workforce, Assistant Speaker pro Tempore, a Board Member of the State Allocation Board, and Domestic Violence Advisory Council. Her legislative successes include the Fact Act, requiring that all clinics provide clear and accurate information for pregnant women, and the creation of California’s Lifting Children and Families Out of Poverty Act, which directed the state to reduce deep child poverty by 50%. She played a pivotal role in negotiating the extension of California’s Cap-and-Trade system and promoting achievement of California’s climate goals while maintaining affordable utility rates and economic productivity. She is the daughter of longtime Congresswoman and Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke and recently retired South Coast Air Quality Management District Chairman Dr. William A. Burke. She is the mother to her seven-year-old daughter, Isabella.
About Axiom Advisors
Axiom Advisors is a leading, full-service government relations and public affairs firm dedicated to providing strategic consulting, advocacy, public affairs, crisis communications, campaign management, ballot measure expertise and regulatory counsel to our clients across issue areas. The Axiom team leverages decades of experience and political acumen to deliver winning results for a diverse list of clients, including Fortune 500 companies, national non-profits, small businesses, large corporations, statewide trade consortiums, and national advocacy organizations.
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