about
Principals
James F. Capalino, Chief Executive Officer 
Jim is recognized as one of New York’s premier urban problem-solving strategists. His background combines senior management roles in government, public relations, real estate, and construction management, with extensive public sector experience at senior levels of New York City government. Prior to establishing Capalino+Company he founded The Growth Strategy Group – helping senior corporate managers to refine growth strategy, manage change and increase returns – and served as COO of AJ Contracting, one of the nation’s largest minority owned contractors, increasing its revenues from $125 million to $400 million in three years. Jim’s government career began in 1972 when he joined the staff of Congressman Edward I. Koch. In 1977, he co-managed the mayoral campaign of Congressman Koch when he was elected the 105th Mayor of the City of New York. He was named Commissioner of General Services, a 2,000+ employee, $750 million agency, at the age of 28 (still, the youngest commissioner in City history). Jim managed the Mayor’s successful third term re-election, which he won by the largest margin in the City’s history.
Jim holds an M.A. in Management and Urban Affairs from the New School University, and a B.A. in Political Science, cum laude, from Colgate University. He currently sits on the boards of Safe Space and Friends of the Hudson River Park. He was also a founding member of the Board of Directors of Friends of the High Line.
Travis H. Terry, Chief Operating Officer 
Travis brings to Capalino+Company’s clients more than a decade of hands-on experience providing strategic advice to some of New York’s leading not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. Since 2002, Travis has been a senior executive at Capalino+Company, becoming its Chief Operating Officer in 2006. In this position, Travis is responsible for the firm’s strategic planning and managing some of the firm’s major accounts including Time Warner Cable, Rudin Management, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of the Moving Image. Among his successes at Capalino+Company include raising hundreds of millions of dollars in public sector funding for various clients and advising Related Companies on its successfully rezoning of the West Side Railyards, one of the largest rezonings in New York City history.
Prior to joining Capalino+Company, Travis worked in management consulting, advising Fortune 100 Companies on strategic planning and organizational efficiency, and in the branding and sports marketing fields. He is a graduate of CORO Leadership New York and sits on the Development Advisory Board for the Bank Street School for Children and the New York City Board of Directors for Computers for Youth, a national not-for-profit. He has also been a guest lecturer at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Service and evaluated proposals for Echoing Green, a global not-for-profit that funds social entrepreneurship.
Travis holds a B.S. in Business Management and Marketing from Cornell University and lives in Forest Hills, Queens with his wife and two kids.
Mark P. Thompson, Senior Vice President 
Mark has spent more than two decades advising real estate clients in New York, the United States and Eastern Europe. His clients have included institutions, governments and private investors in both advisory and transaction oriented roles. Mark advises clients on real estate development strategies, including zoning and project approvals, permit applications, responses to RFPs and RFQs, landmark issues and economic incentives. A resident of Manhattan, Mark is active in civic affairs and serves as Chairman of Manhattan Community Board 6. He is a member of the Stuyvesant Cove Park Association and of the Stuyvesant Park Neighborhood Association (until recently he served as a member of both organizations’ Boards). He is a graduate of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the University of Southern California and is a member of the American Planning Association.
George M. Fontas, Vice President 
During George’s four years at Capalino+Company he has earned a reputation as an innovative public policy and community relations strategist. George’s work ranges from managing and advising on ULURP strategy, legislative policy advocacy, and budget lobbying. During his tenure he has secured in excess of thirty million dollars in public sector funding for various not-for-profit clients and successfully advised on land use projects such as: Thor Equities’ Coney Island Rezoning, Starrett Corporation’s citywide development projects, and Hampshire Hotels & Resorts’ Dream Hotel Downtown.
From 2004-2006 George served as the Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs for former New York City Council Member David Weprin, Chairperson of the City Council Finance Committee. During his time with the City Council, he was recognized as a specialist in the formulation and implementation of the City’s capital and expense budgets. He also managed the legislative agenda of Council Member Weprin working to pass Local Law 88 of 2005. A veteran of numerous political campaigns across New York State at every level, George has been tremendously successful guiding political candidates to victory on election day. A lifelong New Yorker with close ties to his native Brooklyn, George is a member of Community Board 10BK, serving as Chairman of the Pedestrian Safety Committee and Parliamentarian. He holds a B.A. in Government from Manhattan College as well as a Masters Degree in Government and Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in International Relations from St. John’s University.
Brooke Schafran, Vice President 
Brooke’s work focuses on resolving operational and regulatory issues, including permits and licensing, working to secure permits and approvals and shepherding projects through the City’s complex and myriad processes. In this role, she coordinates Clients’ teams (including project managers, attorneys, architects, expediters and others) to achieve quick, successful solutions. Among the public bodies she deals with are Community Boards, the Departments of Buildings, Environmental Protection, Consumer Affairs, Landmarks Preservation Commission, and Con Edison. In addition, Brooke guides our Clients through the City’s and State’s Lobbying Compliance Requirements.
A native New Yorker, Brooke worked in the hospitality industry for more than 15 years, beginning her restaurant career at the River Café, working her way up to General Manager of Isabella’s, one of Steve Hanson’s B.R. Guest Restaurants. She continued on to supervise the Quality Assurance and Guest Services department for all B.R. Guest properties, which included thirteen New York restaurants at the time. Brooke’s years of working in the ever changing and demanding hospitality arena have given her the skills to play a variety of roles at Capalino+Company. After graduating from New York University, Brooke went on to the Hospitality Management Programs at both Bermuda College and the University of San Francisco.
Bob Dillon, Vice President 
Bob has over 25 years of experience in the advertising and television industries in New York, Los Angeles and Boston. At Capalino+Company, Bob is advising clients on how to expand revenues by developing new business opportunities, and creating better branding and communications programs, particularly when transitioning to the digital world and new media.
Bob’s agency history includes account management for an array of high-profile clients at firms such as Hill Holiday Connors Cosmopulous, Saatchi & Saatchi/Compton, and Grey Entertainment & Media. His television credits include stints at A&E Television Networks, Odyssey Channel (which he helped reposition and transition into the Hallmark Channel), and at Viacom working on several successful syndicated program launches including The Cosby Show, Roseanne and Montel Williams. Bob holds a B.S. in Business Administration with a Marketing major from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
