Our Team
Meet your trusted partners in PR.
CEO
Safiya Jafari Simmons
SJS Consultants CEO Safiya Jafari Simmons has more than 20 years of experience in strategic communications, PR and media relations strategy and management. A former adjunct professor in PR and public affairs at Howard University, she’s had the honor of being the spokeswoman, strategist, and providing PR counsel to a number of change-making clients, including the late U.S. Congressman Elijah E. Cummings; former DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee; and nonprofits like The Katal Center and the GenForward Survey Project.
SENIOR EDUCATION ADVISOR
Azalia Hunt Speight
Azalia Hunt Speight has served students, schools, youth organizations, and local government agencies as an education leader for over fifteen years in both Washington, DC, and Maryland. After leading in the classroom as a teacher in DC Public Schools (DCPS) and Prince George’s County Public Schools, Mrs. Speight’s worked to effect education policy change at the city level as a Program Analyst for the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) in DC.
SOCIAL MEDIA CONSULTANT
Ariel Cassell
Ariel C. Cassell has over ten years of digital communications and brand optimization experience. Before amassing the experience that inspired her moniker, Ariel began as an entertainment blogger and videographer while attending Clark Atlanta University. During this time, she directed several music videos, interviewed and photographed many up-and-coming musicians, and wrote articles about music, fashion, film, and more.