The Team

Our principal team members have worked on hundreds of elections at every level of government in more than 15 states, including races for U.S. President, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Governor, State Legislatures, and Municipal campaigns.

John Shallman | Owner, President & Lead Strategist

John Shallman is an award-winning media, advertising and campaign professional with an unparalleled record of political victories for clients throughout the country. The LA Times profiled his propensity for pulling off political upsets in their article entitled, “He’s Led Political Darkhorses to Surprising Wins.” Shallman’s roster of wins includes Governors, U.S. Senators, Congressmembers, State Legislators, and local elected officials from Mayor to District Attorney. Shallman is a “go-to” crisis management expert for A-List celebrities, corporate executives and athletes. He has consulted for a number of television and film projects, appeared on television news including ABC’s Nightline, CNN, Fox News and has lectured at Universities and Colleges across the country. John served as President of the Los Angeles Transportation Commission, is a volunteer basketball coach for a local public park league and is Chairman of the Board of Directors at Campbell Hall School. A passionate sports fan, Shallman has especially enjoyed consulting for NFL teams and his beloved Los Angeles Clippers. John is married to Lani Barrameda-Shallman and they have four children, two dogs and a bunny.

Morty Shallman | Vice President & Creative Director

Morty Shallman has been helping his brother John win tough political campaigns since Loretta Sanchez’s upset victory over notorious right-wing Republican B-1 Bob Dornan in 1996. Morty specializes in pairing provocative imagery with profound – and often humorous – copy, resulting in some of the most “devastating” (LA WEEKLY) and effective political advertising on the California scene. In addition to his creative direction and strategic input on political campaigns, Morty helped direct the public education and rebranding campaign for the $4.11 Billion Capital Improvement Project at LAX called LAneXt. When he’s not working on campaigns, Morty spends time writing novels, producing records and music videos, and performing his original songs in venues from L.A. to Liverpool.

Debra Shallman-Blick  |  Vice President, CFO

Debra Shallman brings extensive corporate, creative and executive experience to Shallman Communications. Over the course of her 10-year career in A&R at Geffen Records in Los Angeles, Debra coordinated multi-platinum recording projects with artists such as Aerosmith, Cher, Jimmy Page, Whitesnake, Berlin, and Olivia Newton-John. She was also responsible for scouting and signing new artists to the label. At Shallman Communications, Debra’s duties run the gamut from executive administration to financial, office and special project management. Debra lives in Woodland Hills with her husband Brad and two sons, Aaron and Ethan, and is a strong advocate for Public Education in Los Angeles.

Madeline Albright | Account Coordinator

Madeline Albright is an experienced community organizer with hands-on knowledge in the non profit sector, local initiatives, and grassroots organizations. During her time at UCLA she served on the Board of Directors for the low-income student housing cooperative, as well as worked extensively to advocate for the unsheltered community with Bell Shelter at the Salvation Army. Madeline is eager to continue the good work of helping real people nationwide through strategic outreach and neighborhood empowerment. At Shallman Communications, she devotes her time to campaign strategy, logistical optimization, and leading the Shallman internship program. Madeline is a proud Bay Area native and enjoys meeting new people and traveling.