A revolution in technology is unlocking value across markets, economies and sectors, and politics and policy are setting the pace.

TEAM

• Salim Alameddin

Salim Alameddin

Salim Alameddin is a Senior Vice President at Crossroads Strategies. Salim represents clients across numerous industries before legislative and executive branch officials and staff, focusing on foreign trade, energy and environment, federal lands, and tribal matters.

In addition, Salim provides strategic guidance and tailor-made issue monitoring resources to clients in a wide array of legislative and regulatory fields, applying a deep network among congressional staff to hone in on clients’ specific concerns and priorities.

Prior to joining Crossroads Strategies, Salim worked in both Chambers of Congress for then-Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn and Representative Will Hurd, where he assisted on issues including but not limited to tax policy, health care, and international trade.

A Texas native, Salim also assists clients in engaging his home state delegation and the broader Gulf Coast. He is active in campaigns for federal office in the region and has worked extensively at the intersection of clients’ state and federal government affairs.

Salim grew up in Sugar Land, Texas, and graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.A. in Political Science and History.



• Michelle Baker

Michelle Baker

A Partner at Forbes Tate Partners, she is public affairs and communications leader experienced across major corporate, government and nonprofit stakeholders. With a broad understanding of today’s complex policy, communications, and advocacy landscape, Michelle crafts groundbreaking initiatives addressing today’s pressing policy and advocacy challenges.

Michelle has spearheaded major campaigns and programming in health care, education, food, agriculture, defense, tech, and other industries. Her broad health care experience includes leading corporate and public affairs work across health systems, biopharmaceutical companies, government agencies, payers, professional medical associations, and nonprofits. In addition, Michelle developed and led coalitions and campaigns focused on a range of health issues including heart disease, cancer, pharmaceutical safety, vaccinations, addiction, and emerging public health threats.

Previously she worked as Chief of Staff at Ketchum where she developed and led their health equity offering, as well as a mental health communications consultancy. Other public affairs experience includes leading the health practice at Weber Shandwick/Powell Tate, and as a senior leader at Signal Group and Chandler Chicco Agency/Syneos Communications.

An advocate for family caregiving and memory care, Michelle is a board member of the Caregiver’s Action Network (CAN) and is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Arts for the Aging (AFTA).



• John Breaux Sr.

John Breaux Sr.

A Principal & Director of Crossroads Strategies, Senator Breaux led a long and distinguished career in the US Congress. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1972 at the age of 28 – at the time of his election, he was the youngest member of Congress. He represented the 7th District of Louisiana for 14 years before being elected to the United States Senate in 1986. Senator Breaux was a widely recognized bipartisan leader in the Senate, and in 1993, was appointed by his Democratic colleagues to the post of Chief Deputy Whip, a position he held until his retirement. He also held a number of key Senate committee positions.

A senior member of the Finance Committee, Senator Breaux served as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy. He also held positions on two other Finance subcommittees, the Subcommittee on Health Care and the Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight. Senator Breaux also served on the Senate Commerce, Science and Technology Committee, where he was a leader on telecommunications and transportation issues, along with his work on fisheries and ocean policy.



• Barry Brown

Barry Brown

Barry Brown, Senior Vice President, brings over thirty years of legislative, political, and professional advocacy expertise to the Alpine Group. Brown has a proven track record of successfully advising Fortune 500 companies, state universities, and other industry leaders in energy, higher education, defense, critical infrastructure, and communication issues.

Prior to his tenure at the Alpine Group, Brown spent over two decades on Capitol Hill where he served as Chief of Staff to both Congresswoman Kay Granger (R-TX), previous Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, and Congressman Michael C. Burgess, MD (R-TX), Chairman of the House Rules Committee and senior Republication on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Prior to his role as Chief, Brown served as Legislative Assistant to Congressman Larry Combest (R-TX), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, and Legislative Director to Congressman Kevin Brady (R-TX), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. During his years on the Hill, Brown closely advised representatives on energy, telecommunications, higher education, judiciary, trade, and defense matters.

Brown currently sits on the board of the Texas State Society of Washington, D.C., the Board of Governors of the National Republican Club of Capitol Hill, and the executive Committee on the National Capitol Area Council Boy Scouts of America. Previously, Brown held the position of President of the National Board of Directors of the Texas Tech Alumni Association and served on the National Board of the Red Raider Club.



• Cindy Brown

Cindy Brown

A Partner at Forbes Tate Partners and a former Chief of Staff to Representative Ron Kind (D-WI), Cindy provides strategic advice on an array of critical issues including, health care, tax, trade, and technology. At FTP, she provides instrumental guidance to many of the nation’s innovative companies, leading trade associations and coalitions on how to maximize their impact both inside the Beltway and beyond.

Previously, Cindy served as Vice President of Legislative Strategies for The Campaign to Fix the Debt, deploying a campaign-wide strategy targeting policymakers on the Hill and in the Administration. As Chief of Staff to Rep. Kind, Cindy helped lead the New Democrat Coalition (NDC) launch their first successful Political Action Committee (PAC) and worked closely with the House Ways and Means Committee and House Leadership.

Today, she serves as advisor to the New Democrat Leadership, the NDC PAC, and actively raises money for moderate Democratic candidates.



• Brendan Buck

Brendan Buck

Brendan Buck is a Partner at Seven Letter. With the rare distinction of having served two consecutive Speakers of the House, Brendan has an acute understanding of the convergence of Capitol Hill, the White House and the media. Prior to joining Seven Letter, Brendan spent more than a decade on Capitol Hill, where he navigated countless crises and helped drive the enactment of landmark tax, trade and budget legislation. Most recently, he was counselor to House Speaker Paul Ryan, leading messaging and communications strategy for the speaker and the broader House Republican leadership team. Before that, Brendan served as communications director at the House Ways and Means Committee, where he shepherded enactment of bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority legislation.

Brendan also spent time working in corporate communications, serving as vice president for communications at America’s Health Insurance Plans. At AHIP, he was the insurance industry’s top spokesman and drove a major campaign on health care affordability.

Prior to that, Brendan was press secretary to House Speaker John Boehner. Under Speaker Boehner, Brendan worked extensively with the White House press corps to shape the coverage of the Obama administration. Brendan was also on the 2012 Romney-Ryan presidential campaign, serving as press secretary to the Vice President nominee. He’s held several other senior communications roles on Capitol Hill, including for now Speaker Kevin McCarthy and former Rep. Tom Price.

Frequently quoted in print and a familiar face on television, Brendan is a Political Analyst for MSNBC and NBC News and is regularly sought out for his insights and commentary on politics and the issues of the day. In 2022, he was a Resident Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics.

POLITICO named him to its inaugural Power 30 list in 2017, and in 2020, PR Week named him to their annual ’40 Under 40’. He was also named a ‘40 Under 40’ alumnus by the University of Georgia, which is where you can find him many Saturdays during football season.



• Mike Burns

Mike Burns

Mike is the­­ Managing Partner at KP. With a wide variety of clients, Mike has been involved in several major policy areas including energy, water resources, environmental regulation, and ports and the supply chain.

In addition to public affairs issues, Mike has managed communication programs that involved crisis communications, social media, corporate reputation, and product marketing. He works with California corporations and small business owners, state business associations, and philanthropic and foundation groups.



• Vanessa Cajina

Vanessa Cajina

Vanessa Cajina is a lobbyist with KP Public Affairs, one of the largest lobbying and public affairs consulting firms in California. Vanessa has been with KP since 2012 and leads the firm’s health care practice, and advises numerous clients on state budget work. She organizes and leads coalition efforts on some of the most pressing issues every legislative session, and provides in-depth policy expertise using her unique background coming from nonprofit advocacy and direct community service. She has secured millions of dollars of state budget support for clients over the last decade.

In addition to her work at KP, Vanessa serves on the board of directors of Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), which is focused on ensuring political and economic parity for Latinas through leadership, advocacy, and education.



• Joe Crosby

Joe Crosby

Joe serves as MultiState's CEO. He is involved in all aspects of the firm’s efforts to help clients resolve the challenges they face in the state and local government arena, with a concentration on providing strategic counsel, identifying and deploying political assets, and advancing tax policy objectives.

Prior to joining MultiState in 2011, Joe was with the Council On State Taxation (COST) for more than a decade, ending his tenure there as COO & senior director, policy. Joe has also served as national director of state legislative services for Ernst & Young LLP; vice president with a state legislative tracking firm; and director of a grassroots canvass operation in California.

Joe is a nationally recognized expert on state and local business tax policy. He was identified by State Tax Notes as the “single most influential person in state taxation” and named as the publication’s inaugural Person of the Year. Joe is routinely quoted in trade and national publications on tax policy matters, has regularly testified before state legislatures, the U.S. Congress, and other state and national policy-making bodies, and has given hundreds of presentations to local, regional, and national business groups.

Joe is past president of the State Government Affairs Council, the premier national association for multistate government affairs executives, and he served on the board of the Washington Area State Relations Group. He earned his bachelor's degree in history from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and completed graduate course work in economic policy at American University in Washington.



• Rick Davis

Rick Davis

Rick Davis is a partner at Stone Court Capital, a private equity investor located in New York City. He has a long and distinguished career in both the public and private sector.

Having served on President Ronald Reagan’s political team and served in three Reagan Administration Cabinet Agencies before becoming the White House special assistant to the president for the Domestic Policy Council. President George H.W. Bush appointed him as deputy executive director for the White House Conference on Science and Economic Research Related to Global Climate Change. In 1988, Davis worked for the George H.W. Bush presidential campaign and also in 1996 for Robert Dole’s presidential campaign. In 2000 and 2008, Davis served as Senator John McCain’s national campaign manager, leading all aspects of the campaign activity.

Davis currently serves on the board of the Environmental Defense Action Fund. He lives in Alexandria, Va., and is married to Dr. Karen Davis.



• John Doherty

John Doherty

John Doherty joined the KP team in 2024. Prior to joining KP Public Affairs, Doherty was the principal of Doherty Law Group. He has over 20 years of experience in state and local policy and politics, including serving as Chief of Staff to Assembly Majority Leader Alberto Torrico for his entire term; serving as Vice President of Government Affairs for United Health Group, a Fortune 10 company specializing in healthcare; serving as General Counsel for TechNet, an association of the world’s largest technology companies; and serving as CEO of the Civil Justice Association of California.



• Jay Driscoll

Jay Driscoll

A Managing Partner at Forbes Tate Partners, Mr. Driscoll served as the Director of Government Affairs at CTIA – The Wireless Association® prior to joining CFW and FTP. There, Jay led the group’s Democratic lobbying shop. He was responsible for implementing the CTIA’s legislative agenda – which focused on tax, competition, and spectrum issues.

Jay also spearheaded efforts to develop the PAC budget for House and Senate Democrats.

Before his tenure at CTIA, Jay was a top Legislative Assistant for former Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) – handling a broad set of issues before the Commerce, Finance, and Energy and Natural Resources Committees.

Mr. Driscoll’s most noteworthy efforts during his time with Senator Baucus include his work on Universal Service and Spectrum Reform, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA-LU), Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization, and the Energy Policy Act of 2003.

Before joining Senator Baucus’, Jay served as a leading economist for the Montana Public Service Commission. Here, he concentrated on the economic analysis of the telecommunications, and oil and gas industries. Along those lines, Mr. Driscoll also served as the chief analyst on numerous high-profile dockets that involved investor-owned and regulated utilities – and provided valuable counsel to several national public utility organizations.

Long active in Democratic politics, Jay served as Chief of Staff to the Minority Leader of the Montana House of Representatives and Regional Political Director for the Montana Democratic Party. He was also an active member of the Obama campaign’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications Task Force, where he helped to shape then-Senator Obama’s technology and innovation platform.

A third-generation Montanan, Mr. Driscoll has a Bachelor’s in Economics from the University of Montana. He resides with his wife Erin P. Billings in Washington, DC.



• Jenny Dudikoff

Jenny Dudikoff

As a professional at KP, Jenny has a focus on public affairs and public relations clients. She has more than 15 years of experience in issues management, crisis communications, media relations, corporate communications, government relations, brand and reputation awareness, and ally development. With a background representing Fortune 500 companies, trade groups, multigenerational family businesses, and consumer products, she has served in campaign, agency, and association leadership roles.



• Jeff Forbes

Jeff Forbes

A Co-Founder at Forbes Tate Partners, Mr. Forbes began his involvement in politics more than 25 years ago, during then-Senator Al Gore’s 1988 Presidential bid. Since that time, he has worked with and coordinated more than nine different campaigns, ranging from municipal candidates to the U.S. Congress, as well as the White House.

Prior to starting Forbes Tate, Mr. Forbes was a Founding Partner at Forbes-Tate’s predecessor, Cauthen Forbes & Williams. He served as the Democratic Staff Director for the US Senate Committee on Finance in 2003. Before assuming this role at the Committee, he served as Chief of Staff to former Senator Max Baucus from 1999-2002. Beyond his knowledge of the intricacies of tax and trade, Forbes is a veteran strategist for the Democratic National Committee. From 1993-1995 he served as Midwest Political Director. Mr. Forbes later served the national committee as Chief of Strategy in 1999.

A stalwart of the Clinton-Gore Administration, Mr. Forbes was the New Hampshire Field Director for then-Governor Clinton’s 1992 Presidential campaign. In President Clinton’s 1996 re-election bid, Forbes was Deputy Political Director and Director of Delegate Selection. Following the campaign, Mr. Forbes went on to serve as a Special Assistant to the President and Staff Director for Legislative Affairs in 1997. From 1998-99, Mr. Forbes served as the Deputy Assistant to President Clinton and was the Deputy Director of Scheduling at the White House. Mr. Forbes also served as Senior Advisor to the Obama for President Campaign in New Hampshire in the 2008 presidential election. Mr. Forbes was a member of the Democratic National Committee’s special Democratic Change Commission to improve the presidential delegate selection process and has been a member of the DNC since 2009.

Mr. Forbes was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Northfield, Minnesota. He earned a BA in Political Science with an Economics minor from Denison University in Granville, Ohio, in 1987. Jeff and his wife live in Chevy Chase, Maryland with their three sons.



• Trevor Francis

Trevor Francis

A Founding Partner at Seven Letter, Trevor specializes in corporate reputation and issue management, and is responsible for a number of issue, advocacy and cause campaigns aimed at shaping public perception and influencing government decision-making. Previously, Trevor served as President of JDA Frontline, which merged with Blue Engine Message & Media in 2018 to form Seven Letter.

Prior to JDA Frontline, Trevor was a Senior Vice President and Partner at FleishmanHillard. There, he led a wide array of national and state advocacy and grassroots campaigns. He also provided strategic communications, media relations and issues management counsel to clients confronting reputational challenges.

Trevor previously served as Communications Director for the Republican National Committee. In this role, Trevor served as chief spokesperson and strategist tying together earned and paid media, technology, and research to advance the party’s message and agenda on Capitol Hill, in state capitals and among grassroots organizations.

Trevor’s tenure at the RNC followed more than five years at Burson-Marsteller, a global public relations firm, where he was a managing director. There, he managed a number of issue campaigns including efforts aimed at influencing potential actions by Congress, state legislature and federal regulatory bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency.

Trevor has significant experience in the executive branch, having served in communications positions at the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Commerce. In both agencies, he played key roles in support of Administration priorities including Trade Promotion Authority, tax cuts and other policy initiatives.

Furthermore, the political experience gained from four presidential campaigns and multiple Congressional races gives Trevor the battle-tested mindset and campaign metabolism that clients expect from Seven Letter.

Trevor grew up in Montville, New Jersey and graduated from The George Washington University with a degree in Political Science.



• Thomas Gensemer

Thomas Gensemer

Thomas Gensemer joined PPHC after nearly 20 years in the advertising, public affairs and politics. From 2005-2013 he served as CEO and Managing Partner of Blue State Digital (BSD) where he led the agency from its early founding through years of rapid growth until its ultimate acquisition by WPP in late 2011.

In 2014, Thomas was named Chief Strategy Officer for BURSON (then Burson-Marsteller), one of the world’s largest public relations networks (also a WPP company), where he oversaw a portfolio of global clients (Accenture, Ford, Nestle) and led the firm’s research, analytics, and creative functions.

In 2019, he joined PPHC as an advisor and assumed his current role in early 2020.

Thomas’ work and insights have been featured in global media including Bloomberg, the Guardian, Wall Street Journal, Economist, and Business Week. He’s also appeared on CNN, CNBC, ITV, BBC, and Bloomberg TV.

Thomas continues involvement in organizations including the World Economic Forum, Aspen Institute, International Rescue Committee, Kasita, a hospitality start-up, and Court Avenue, a digital transformation agency. He also serves on the boards of the Public Goods Projects (PGP), the Purpose Foundation, the It Gets Better Campaign, and is a longtime advisor to the Family Equality Council.

He lives in Brooklyn, NY with his husband, their baby daughter, and two very spoiled dogs.



• Matt George

Matt George

Matt George is a Partner and Head of Research at Seven Letter. Matt's strategic communications research career spans 13 years as a partner with Luntz Global Partners (a boutique message research group) as well as his own independent strategic research firm, Matt George Associates.

His clients include Fortune 500 companies, education and environmental nonprofits, entertainment creators, issue advocacy groups, tech companies and trade associations.

Drawing on a background of international relations, policy analysis, and statistics, Matt’s research approach is grounded in attention-to-detail and a focus on understanding context. By identifying underlying biases that explain why consumers, voters, and donors behave the way that they do, Matt’s research goes beyond WHAT… it explains WHY.

Matt attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he received dual bachelor’s degrees in political science and film studies, and has a Masters of International Security Policy Studies from The George Washington University’s Elliot School of International Affairs. He lives in Springfield, Virginia with his wife and two children.



• Patrick George

Patrick George

Patrick is a Partner at KP and runs a wide variety of local and statewide public relations programs for KP clients. He has more than 25 years of professional public relations experience serving as a client leader, overseeing policy and corporate outreach campaigns, thought leadership platforms, crisis management, coalition building in the healthcare, education and technology industries. Patrick also has extensive media connections with both California and national sources.



• Jason Gleason

Jason Gleason

Jason Gleason is an Executive Vice President at Crossroads Strategies with expertise in many areas such as energy, environment, and the tech sector. He thrives in solving complex problems that require difficult political and policy decisions. Jason has helped clients develop and implement advocacy strategies to secure federal funding from numerous agencies, advance legislation on challenging issues, and build longstanding relationships with key decision-makers. He helps lead Crossroads’ engagement with the House Democratic Caucus.

Jason joined Crossroads Strategies in 2018 after nearly two decades of service in the House and Senate. As Chief of Staff for Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD), Jason helped secure the Congressman’s assignment on the prestigious Energy and Commerce Committee. He advised the Congressman throughout the committee’s consideration of the Affordable Care Act, as well as comprehensive climate change and energy legislation. Jason also served on the staff of former Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD). During that time, Sarbanes chaired the Senate Banking Committee and authored the landmark Sarbanes-Oxley law. Jason led the Maryland Congressional Delegation’s successful 2005 BRAC campaign, bringing tens of thousands of high-tech and intelligence jobs to the state.

Jason graduated from Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg, VA with a B.A. in History.



• Amilia Glikman

Amilia Glikman

Amilia is a lobbyist representing KP’s clients on various environmental regulatory, legislative, and policy issues. She is an attorney with 20 years of experience in environmental law and policy in both the public and private sectors.

Before joining KP in 2022, Amilia worked as an attorney for the State of California, including as Chief Counsel for the Department of Toxic Substances Control and as a Deputy Legislative Counsel for the Office of Legislative Counsel. Amilia also previously worked as an environmental law attorney with the law firm of Downey Brand LLP, and as a legal research attorney with the Superior Court of California, County of Sacramento.



• John Green

  Chief Client Officer
John Green Chief Client Officer

John is Chairman and Co-founder of Crossroads Strategies, LLC, a multidisciplinary federal government relations firm based in Washington, DC. During his 21 years in the advocacy community, John has successfully achieved policy changes in virtually every field of federal advocacy, notably in technology policy and resources issues. Prior to his work at Crossroads, John co-founded Federalist Group, LLC. Federalist Group was acquired by Ogilvy Public Relations and grew to be one of the top five government relations firms in Washington.

John has been involved in public policy and politics at the federal level for two decades. He began his career working in the United States Senate, where he handled policy and administrative matters for the Assistant Majority Leader and eventual Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate. Additionally, he has served as a campaign manager for a successful congressional campaign, national finance chairman for multiple U.S. Senate campaigns, and a senior advisor to a presidential campaign.

John holds a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies from the University of Mississippi.



• Libby Greer

Libby Greer

A Partner at Forbes Tate Partners, Ms. Greer served for nearly eight years as Chief of Staff to former Congressman Allen Boyd (D, FL-2) before joining CFW and FTP. As Congressman Boyd’s top advisor, Libby directed the legislative and political operations for Boyd, overseeing teams in both Florida and Washington, DC.

Additionally, Ms. Greer directed the work of a group of nearly 50 fiscally conservative Democrats in implementing Congressman Boyd’s work as Co-Chairman for Administration of the Blue Dog Coalition in the 110th Congress.

In this role, Libby keenly crafted political strategy, drafted a fiscally responsible, pro-growth legislative agenda, and facilitated outreach to key allies throughout Democratic and Republican leadership – across the different caucuses of Congress and in the U.S. Senate.

In previous Congresses, Ms. Greer aided Boyd’s efforts as Co-Chairman of the Blue Dog PAC, shepherding its growth from roughly $250,000 in contributions to more than $2.6 million.

Along the way, Ms. Greer volunteered on numerous congressional and legislative races across the country. Prior to joining Boyd’s staff, Libby worked from 1999-2001 as a Senior Finance Consultant with the DC-based firm Kimball Stroud & Associates. Her clients included numerous members of Congress, Senators, and Gubernatorial candidates, as well as the non-profit Citizenship Education Fund and the Creative Coalition.

Volunteering on the Clinton-Gore coordinated campaign in Birmingham in 1996 led to Ms. Greer’s first job in politics – first as a Field Director, then Finance Director for the Alabama Democratic Party in 1997 and 1998. From there, she joined Cauthen & Associates as a Managing Director, where she consulted on a variety of issues and served as a volunteer fundraiser for Vice President Gore’s presidential campaign.

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Ms. Greer earned a Bachelor’s degree in English from Birmingham-Southern College, where she graduated with a Distinction in Leadership Studies in 1998.

She and her husband and two children live in Washington, DC.



• Trevor Hanger

Trevor Hanger

A Senior Vice President at Forbes Tate Partners, he was President and Director of Research at Height Capital Markets, an investment bank in Washington, DC prior to joining FTP.

At Height, Trevor oversaw the research, consulting, and investment banking divisions at the firm and led teams tasked with advising institutional and private equity clients on corporate and investment strategy with a focus on legislative and regulatory policy issues. Prior to Height, Trevor spent two years working on political campaigns through the Campaign Corps program at EMILY’s List.

Trevor began his career spending eight years as a trader and head of policy research for a pair of hedge funds in Dallas, TX.



• Casey Hernandez

Casey Hernandez

Casey Hernandez is a Partner at Seven Letter. Prior to joining Seven Letter, Casey was senior vice president for global corporate communications at Herbalife, a publicly traded nutrition and wellness company headquartered in Los Angeles. In her role, Casey was responsible for the company’s external and internal communications, overseeing the strategic positioning of the company. She managed the company’s overall communications strategy, including CEO positioning and communications, media relations, internal communications, creative content development, ESG communications and social media engagement.

Casey joined Herbalife in 2017 as vice president for communications content strategy and successfully built a new business function focused on raising the profile of the company through content and distribution.

Casey served in senior communications roles in the Obama administration at the United States Department of the Treasury and the Department of Transportation. She was associate creative director on the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee, and in 2012, she was the national regional director for paid media and polling on President Obama’s reelection campaign, overseeing advertising for battleground states and the campaign’s Spanish language paid media.

Casey was press secretary to former Mayor of Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa, overseeing strategic communications planning for the Mayor in the second largest media market in the country. She led communications and media relations for issues related to public safety and homeland security, education, transportation, and economic development.

Prior to City Hall, Casey got her start working for leading political consultants in Los Angeles, helping to advise on local and state campaigns.

Born and raised in Bakersfield, CA, she’s a proud Californian who now calls Los Angeles home. Although she finds herself living in our nation’s capital from time to time, where she currently lives with her husband and two children. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and Psychology from the University of Southern California and her Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University, where she served as managing editor of the Harvard Journal of Hispanic Policy.



• Brittany Hernandez

Brittany Hernandez

Brittany J. Hernandez is an Executive Vice President at Crossroads Strategies, LLC. She primarily works with clients in the health care, transportation, and state and local government sectors.

Brittany joined Crossroads Strategies in March 2021. She began her career in the office of Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), where she led policy related to Memphis’s thriving transportation industry in her role as Rep. Cohen’s lead staffer for his assignment on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Brittany was also responsible for Rep. Cohen’s health care portfolio, concentrating on policy aimed at improving the health of Memphians and supporting its complex health care sector.

After more than eight years with Rep. Cohen, Brittany departed Capitol Hill to lead federal affairs on health care access and quality for March of Dimes. She most recently served as the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s head of policy and advocacy, where she was responsible for launching MDA’s government affairs operation and leading its work with Congress and the Administration. As a trusted leader in the health care policy space, Brittany has led numerous multi-stakeholder coalitions focused on issues including access to care and coverage, newborn screening, federal health research funding, and more.

Brittany received a BA in History and Political Science from the University of Memphis.



• Ed Hill

Ed Hill

A Partner at Forbes Tate Partners, Ed is a recognized expert in financial services policy and advocacy. With over 30 years of experience in the field, he advises and works with clients that have policy issues before Congress and financial regulators.

Most recently, Ed served as Senior Vice President and Head of Government Affairs for the Bank Policy Institute. In that role, he helped to lead BPI’s federal advocacy efforts on member company priorities, including those in the areas of capital and liquidity, consumer banking, technology, and national security.

Prior to joining BPI, Mr. Hill spent nearly two decades with Bank of America representing the bank before federal policy makers on issues including capital markets reforms, investment research, and retail banking. He also worked for the National Governors Association, the Financial Services Roundtable, and Ernst & Young, LLP in their Bank Regulatory and Risk Management Practice.

Mr. Hill holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Emory University, a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University, and a Master of Science in Finance from George Washington University.



• Adam Hitchcock

Adam Hitchcock

A senior advisor to Concordant, Adam Hitchcock is the managing partner of Great Lakes Global Holdings (GLGH), a holding company at the nexus of finance and politics. GLGH originates, executes and manages investment opportunities that require capital and political solutions. GLGH partners with other institutions - asset managers, investment banks, law firms, lobbyists and consultancies - to deliver integrated strategy and execution across geographies and sectors.

Before founding GLGH, he was a Managing Director at Guggenheim Partners, reporting to the executive chairman. Before entering finance, Adam served in the Obama White House in the Office of the Chief of Staff and the Council of Economic Advisers. Before joining the Obama White House, Adam was on the Obama-Biden White House Transition Project and the Obama 2008 presidential campaign. Previously, he worked for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Adam is a member of the Dean’s Council at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, serves on the Development Committee of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, and is a board member with Business Forward. He previously served as a member of the Chair’s Council on Climate at the Export-Import Bank of the United States and was a lecturer at the University of Chicago for four years.

He is involved with the non-profit community in Chicago serving on the board of Urban Initiatives and leadership council of A Better Chicago.
Adam earned his B.A. from Indiana University and J.D. from DePaul University College of Law.



• Jay Ireland

Jay Ireland

A senior advisor to Concordant and Co-founder of Earlylands, a strategy and risk advisory firm focused on global markets, Jay Ireland brings decades of cross-functional, senior leadership experience, including a 38-year career with GE in a wide variety of senior positions across business units and functions. Jay is also currently the executive chairman of Milele Energy, a power-generation company investing in clean-energy projects across sub-Saharan Africa.

As the CEO of GE Africa (2011-2018), Jay led GE’s operations on the sub-continent, growing revenue in Africa from $750M to nearly $4B. Other leadership roles included CEO of GE Asset Management, President of NBC Universal Television Stations, CFO of GE Plastics, and Director of Investor Relations. Jay was a GE company officer and member of the company’s Corporate Executive Council.

Jay is a board member of the Mastercard Foundation and a non-executive director of the publicly-listed Gates Industrial Corporation. He is also a Trustee of St. Lawrence University, where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1977.



• Cheryl Jaeger

Cheryl Jaeger

Cheryl Jaeger joined Crossroads in 2023. With over two decades of experience, Cheryl is well known for her substantive health care policy knowledge, strategic counsel, and ability to creatively address client priorities with real results.

She began her 15 year Hill career as a legislative aide to former Congressman Christopher Cox and then transitioned to serve as a professional staff member on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

After her Committee experience, Cheryl advised the House Republican leadership team on health care policy for nine years, one of the longest serving leadership aides. She was a senior policy advisor to former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor and former Senator Roy Blunt when he served in House Leadership.

Since departing public service, Cheryl has successfully advocated for Fortune 500 companies, start-up companies, patient organizations, and trade associations at a previous firm prior to joining CRS.

Cheryl has been recognized as a leader in the rare disease space with Rare Voice award in 2014. She serves on the National Advisory Board of the Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center. Cheryl received her B.A. from the University of Virginia and her Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University.



• Todd Johnson

Todd Johnson

A senior advisor to Concordant and Co-founder of Earlylands, a strategy and risk advisory firm focused on global markets, Todd Johnson has spent 25 years working at the intersection of risk, strategy, and corporate affairs, with a focus on emerging and frontier markets. Todd served from 2019-2022 as the Global Risk Leader for Standard Industries, a privately-held company with holdings that include some of the world’s largest manufacturers of building solutions and performance materials. From 2011-2019, Todd was the Johannesburg-based Risk Leader for GE Africa. In this position, he managed all non-financial risk mitigation efforts for GE on the sub-continent. Prior to joining GE Africa, Todd was a member of a strategy team that exclusively served then-GE CEO Jeff Immelt. He began his career and served for eight years as a political-military intelligence analyst with the Central Intelligence Agency.

In addition to his professional roles, Todd is a visiting professor at IESE Business School in Barcelona, where he focuses on business strategy in Africa. Previously, Todd was an adjunct faculty member at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs. He is a board member and finance committee chair for Emerging Public Leaders, a non-profit co-founded by Nobel Laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf that develops apolitical civil service cadres across Africa.
Todd has a BA in Political Science with Distinction from the University of Kansas and a Master of International Public Policy with Honors from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He is a former Council on Foreign Relations Term Member.



• Pat Joyce

Pat Joyce

Pat Joyce is a lobbyist at KP Public Affairs who provides strategic counsel on policy, regulatory consulting, and legislative advocacy for a variety of clients. He has over a decade of experience in government affairs and political campaigns in California and Washington, DC.

Prior to joining KP, Pat was a political consultant who managed and advised campaign finance operations for a half dozen Democratic members of Congress in Washington, DC raising millions of dollars from federal PACs and individual donors during the 2012 and 2014 campaign cycles. Before that, he served as Finance Director for an Ohio Congressman during the 2010 election cycle.



• Mathew Lapinski

Mathew Lapinski

Mathew Lapinski is CEO of Crossroads Strategies, LLC. Mat represents a broad spectrum of clients across multiple practice areas. With nearly two decades of advocacy experience, he is an expert in navigating Washington’s federal legislative and regulatory institutions.

Beginning as a lobbyist for health care and insurance interests, Mat now covers a broad array of policy disciplines, including financial services, energy, health care, trade, education, and technology.

Called one of Washington’s most persistent lobbyists, Mat has spent his entire career dedicated solely to managing the legislative and regulatory process. He is adept at developing and implementing advocacy campaigns for corporate, association, and non-profit clients. He also provides risk management advisory services to clients seeking to better understand the impact of government action on business.

He has led client representations related to the largest federal interventions of the last 20 years, including the response to the 2008 financial crisis, the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and the ongoing response to COVID-19.

Prior to joining Crossroads, Mat was a Principal of the public policy practice at Dentons and part of the lobbying team at the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

Mat is a 2002 graduate of Georgetown University.



• Stephanie Leger

Stephanie Leger

Stephanie brings 25 years of legislative policy experience in public, private and non-profit sectors to CRS.

Starting her career with Senator John Breaux, she rose to Legislative Counsel primarily focused on energy issues before moving to the private sector. Returning to public service, Leger served as the Director of Louisiana’s D.C. office for Governor Kathleen Blanco and worked closely with state, local and federal governments in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. She also served as Deputy Projects Director for Senator Mary Landrieu helping secure funding for numerous projects in Louisiana through the appropriations process. Leger left the Senate to work for Securing America’s Future Energy, a non-profit focused on energy security, as Senior Director.

Since 2012, Stephanie has focused primarily on energy issues first working for and then representing a large domestic independent oil and gas exploration company.

A graduate of Louisiana State University, Stephanie holds a J.D. from the Catholic University Columbus School of Law.



• Rich Lopez

Rich Lopez

A Senior Vice President at Forbes Tate Partners, Rich specializes in Transportation issues and Hispanic Diversity. In addition to working with the White House and Capitol Hill, he has extensive working knowledge of the Department of Transportation, the Federal Communications Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission.

Prior to joining Forbes Tate Partners, Rich was Director of Federal and Administration Affairs at General Motors. He specialized in Safety, Emerging Technologies, Defense Appropriations and Intellectual Property. Rich was also GM’s Hispanic liaison in Washington, D.C. where he served on the Corporate Advisory Boards of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI), UnidosUS and League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). Additionally, Rich is proud to be a founding Board Member of the Hispanic Lobbyists Association (HLA).

Before joining GM, Rich spent nine years at the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, three years at the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and two years on his own where he successfully built and managed his own fundraising firm.

Prior to these experiences Rich began his career working on statewide campaigns in Nevada and Texas, as well as working in and with the Texas State legislature.

Rich holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with a double minor in economics and Spanish from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Rich lives in Washington D.C. with his wife, two children and their rescue dog.



• Sen. Trent Lott

Sen. Trent Lott

A Principal & Director of Crossroads Strategies, Senator Lott represented the people of Mississippi in Congress for 35 years and is one of a handful of officials to have held elected leadership positions in both the House of Representatives and Senate. During his 16 years in the House and 19 years in the Senate, he worked closely with seven presidential administrations and was regarded as a savvy coalition builder and dealmaker. Senator Lott joined the House in 1973, representing Mississippi’s Fifth Congressional District. From 1981 to 1989, he served as House Minority Whip, the second-ranking Republican in the House.

In 1995, Senator Lott was elected Senate Republican Whip, giving him the distinction of being the only person to hold that position in both the House and Senate. He served as both Senate Majority and Minority Leader from 1996 to 2003.



• Donna Lucas

Donna Lucas

Over the course of her career, Donna has earned a reputation as a smart, strategic and successful communications consultant and businesswoman.

Since opening Lucas Public Affairs in 2006, Donna has grown the firm into a team of accomplished public affairs professionals who work collaboratively with clients on many of the major public policy challenges facing the state in energy, environment, health care, higher education, technology, tourism and more. At LPA, Donna provides strategic counsel to each of the firm’s clients ranging from business and financial institutions to nonprofit organizations, foundations and government entities.

Over her 30-year career, Donna has held senior executive positions in both the public and private sectors. She served as deputy chief of staff for strategic planning and initiatives for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and chief of staff to First Lady Maria Shriver. Donna also served as deputy press secretary for Gov. George Deukmejian, deputy treasurer for state Treasurer Tom Hayes, and California press secretary for the 1988 presidential campaign of then-Vice President George H.W. Bush.

Donna was the global and public affairs practice leader for Porter Novelli, an international PR firm, after Porter Novelli acquired Nelson Communications Group, where she served as president and CEO for several years.

Donna is a graduate of the University of Southern California in Journalism. She resides in Sacramento with her husband Greg Lucas, California’s State Librarian.



• Alison Macleod

Alison Macleod

Alison is a Partner at KP and runs a wide variety of local and statewide public relations programs for KP clients. She has extensive experience in strategic communications programs, media relations, coalition building, project siting, grassroots outreach, stakeholder engagement and community education. Her clients include local governments, healthcare associations, transportation agencies, non-profits, businesses and trade groups.



• Ed Manning

Ed Manning

Ed is a Partner at KP. He is a registered lobbyist and an attorney specializing in environmental, energy, water, and resource issues with over 30 years of experience. Ed has managed broad coalitions and developed winning strategies on diverse issues including construction defect reform, water supply, climate change, gaming, energy infrastructure, and transportation infrastructure issues.



• Rob Mathias

Rob Mathias

A Managing Partner at Forbes Tate Partners, he is skilled at using the external communications function to achieve and bolster business goals, raise individual and corporate profiles, and achieve public policy objectives. Having held senior positions in the U.S. Department of Energy, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, and the National Park Foundation (NPF), Robert has deep public and private sector knowledge and experience. Robert is a leader with the ability to motivate teams to achieve their very best and beyond, and he has a demonstrated record of accomplishment through all phases of the business cycle and organizational change. He has developed numerous successful advocacy and communications-based solutions to high-level/high-stakes business challenges, helping organizations successfully navigate difficult and, at times, unknown territory while saving them millions of dollars in potential losses.

Prior to joining Forbes Tate Partners as a Managing Partner in 2022, Robert was the Chief of External Affairs for the NPF, the leading national conservation organization dedicated to the protection and enhancement of America’s national parks. Robert led the team responsible for all government relations, communications, marketing and corporate partnerships, where he successfully retooled both the approach and apparatus necessary to carry out external functions in support of NPF’s mission. NPF initiatives under Robert’s leadership included congressional passage of landmark conservation legislation, the development of a new NPF brand platform (Wonder Calls), creation of a dedicated social media function, realignment of corporate the partnership program, and the creation of a nationwide advertising campaign. The Foundation raises approximately $100 million per year to protect and enhance the nation’s national parks and connect more people to them.

Earlier in his career, Robert was the President of Ogilvy Washington for 15 years where he was responsible for all aspects of this multi-disciplinary Ogilvy & Mather office that includes public relations and public affairs, and advertising, as well as the nation’s leading social marketing practice. Ogilvy Washington’s clients included Fortune 100 companies, industry trade associations, and key federal agencies. Under Robert’s leadership, Ogilvy Washington became the fastest growing and most profitable office across Ogilvy’s global public relations network.

While still responsible for the day-to-day operations of Ogilvy Washington, Robert was appointed North American CEO for Ogilvy Public Relations. In this capacity, Robert managed seven offices across the United States, a nationwide P&L of $150 million, and a team of approximately 500 people. Prior to assuming the leadership of the Washington office, Robert served as the head of Ogilvy PR’s San Francisco office.

Robert has also had extensive experience in the federal government, having served in President George H.W. Bush’s administration (41) as the Executive Assistant to U.S. Energy Secretary James D. Watkins and, subsequently, as Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Energy where he managed an expansive federal budget, career employees and government programs. Robert has also worked abroad in Saudi Arabia where he was a member of a team that pioneered the development and implementation of a Kingdom-wide public health program.

Robert holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Vermont and a Master of Business Administration from the Yale School of Management.

Robert is a past Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Lab School of Washington, an internationally recognized school for children and adults with learning disabilities. Robert also served on the Board of Trustees of The Yellowstone Park Foundation, a private philanthropy dedicated to the protection and preservation of Yellowstone National Park.

He was inducted into the Public Relations Society of America Hall of Fame for the National Capital Chapter and, subsequently, into the PRNews Hall of Fame.

Robert lives in Washington with his wife, Sarah, where he is an avid outdoor enthusiast and beekeeper who enjoys hiking, biking, and photography. Rob and Sarah have two adult daughters, Clare and Catie.



• Ryan McConaghy

Ryan McConaghy

As a Partner helping to lead and expand the firm’s public affairs practice, he uses a diverse skill set honed in Congress, on the campaign trail, and in the think tank community to guide successful advocacy efforts and help clients navigate Capitol Hill.

Prior to joining Forbes Tate Partners, McConaghy was a senior advisor to Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer, helping to shape policy development and issue strategy. While leading the Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Center (DPCC), he built and directed campaigns integrating policy analysis, legislative action, media outreach, public opinion research, rapid response, and stakeholder engagement on topics including economic policy, budget and tax, implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and immigration reform, among others. Most recently, he served as the Assistant Democratic Secretary, counseling senators on how to use the rules and precedents of the Senate to accomplish their goals.

Previously, McConaghy served as the Director of the Economic Program at Third Way, where he helped to guide the organization’s efforts on an array of issues tied to economic growth and middle-class success. In that role he organized public forums, and often appeared on national media outlets to represent the organization’s views and comment on political matters. He was also able to successfully engage members of Congress, resulting in several policy proposals being introduced as legislation and enacted.

Mr. McConaghy has also served as Legislative Director for Representative John Hall and worked in the office of Senator Charles Schumer as the Legislative Assistant overseeing energy policy, national defense issues, foreign affairs, and agriculture. In those roles he was able to repeatedly work with bipartisan coalitions to achieve results.

In 2006, McConaghy served as Policy Director during Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s successful campaign in Rhode Island, where he was responsible for policy briefing and development, issue research, and rapid response support.

Mr. McConaghy graduated from American University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in International Studies. He currently resides in Alexandria, VA with his wife, son, and their dog Lucky.



• Samantha McLean

Samantha McLean

A Senior Vice President at Forbes Tate Partners, she has served over a decade in the United States Senate, leading a policy portfolio related to national security and foreign relations. As the senior legislative sssistant for Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), the Ranking Member on the Senate Commerce Committee, she was responsible for crafting the senator’s national security platform, including matters spanning the Senate’s Committees on Foreign Relations, Armed Services, Banking, Commerce, Science and Transportation, Homeland Security and Government Affairs, and Judiciary.

During her tenure in the Senate, Samantha managed the National Defense Authorization Act process, securing dozens of initiatives each fiscal year. Additionally, she served as the personal representative of the member (PRM) on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where she advanced measures relating to democracy, human rights, and sanctions.

Samantha has cultivated and maintained a decade’s worth of relationships with policy experts, diplomats, contractors, and elected officials, which has been a leading contributor to the senator’s success in the enactment of bipartisan measures and building his policy record.

Samantha is a graduate of Clemson University where she received a B.A. in political science and government. Originally from Massachusetts, Samantha now lives in Virginia with her husband and their pointer, Finn.



• Rachel Miller

Rachel Miller

A Managing Partner at Forbes Tate Partners, she leads the firm’s energy practice. She is a highly respected energy and environmental expert with 16 years of corporate, regulatory, and congressional experience,

Rachel joined the firm as a Senior Vice President in 2012 – providing clients with unique government relations strategies, coalition management, third party outreach and deep ties within Executive Branch agencies and throughout Capitol Hill.

In today’s budget-focused times, Ms. Miller’s deep knowledge of the federal appropriations and budget processes has proven to be an invaluable asset. She has helped countless clients secure large Department of Energy grants – which, in turn, enable their projects to move forward.

Prior to joining Forbes Tate Partners, Ms. Miller served as Vice President of Energy and Environment Practice at Capitol Solutions. Before that, she worked on mandatory climate change legislation and policies to support low-carbon power, as Director of Federal Affairs for BP America. There, she co-founded the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Contact Group and managed BP’s legislative agenda within the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (USCAP).

Ms. Miller served for nearly four years as Legislative Assistant to Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), the former Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, as a policy advisor on energy, transportation, and agriculture issues.

While on Senator Feinstein’s staff, Rachel drafted legislation that laid the groundwork for the first statutory increase in fuel economy standards adopted since 1975. She also played a key role in drafting energy market transparency legislation that was eventually incorporated as part of the 2008 Farm Bill.

Ms. Miller also served in the House of Representatives as a Legislative Assistant for former Congressman Eliot Engel (D-NY). She focused on energy policy, the environment, and education issues.

She was founder and President of the National Board of the Women’s Energy Network (WEN), and is a past President and founder of the DC Chapter of WEN. Born and raised in New York, Ms. Miller received a Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a Master’s degree in Political Management from George Washington University.



• Chris Miller

Chris Miller

Chris Miller is an Executive Vice President at Crossroads Strategies, LLC. Chris advocates for clients in a range of industries, including Energy and Environment, Trade and Foreign Relations, Transportation and Homeland Security, and Tribal Governments.

Prior to joining Crossroads Strategies, Chris served as an Executive Vice President at Capitol Strategies and Vice President at Denny Miller Associates, where he represented multiple clients ranging from Fortune 100 companies, Federally Recognized Tribes, State and Local Governments, and non-profits.

Chris began his career working in both the U.S. Senate and in the House of Representatives. Most recently, Chris served as Chief of Staff to former Representative Dave Reichert, a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee. He started with Representative Reichert as Legislative Director, where he was an adviser for energy and trade policy and was the principal staff for the Homeland Security and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees. Chris’ first positions on Capitol Hill included serving Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR), Senator Tim Hutchinson (R-AR), Representative Jennifer Dunn (R-WA), and Representative Gary Miller (R-CA).

Chris received a Master of Business Administration from the Carson College of Business at Washington State University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Marketing from Oregon State University.



• Drew O'Brien

Drew O'Brien

Drew O'Brien is a Partner at Seven Letter. Formerly Executive Vice President and Managing Director at Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW), Drew led the firm’s business throughout the Northeast region, including management of the firm’s single largest global corporate client. Concurrent with that role, Drew also served as President of Direct Impact, BCW’s grassroots communications and advocacy practice.

Immediately prior to entering the private sector in 2016, Drew served as Secretary John Kerry’s Special Representative for Global Partnerships at the US Department of State. Under Drew’s leadership and with the engagement of a cross-section of private companies and NGOs, the Office of Global Partnerships played a major role in the US Water Partnership, the Secretary’s Our Oceans Conference, the Global Entrepreneurship Summit and the US response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa in 2014. Throughout the course of his tenure at State, Drew joined a leadership team which leveraged over $800 million in public and private resources with over 1600 partners around the world.

Prior to his service at the Department of State, Drew held several positions in public service, including State Director and Senior Advisor to US Senator John Kerry, Special Assistant to Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston, Executive Director of Mayor Menino’s Office of Neighborhood Services, Special Assistant to the Director of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, Chief of Staff to the Massachusetts State Lottery Commission and Deputy Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Drew has also worked on numerous political campaigns at the local, state and national levels throughout his career, including in several capacities during John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign in Iowa, New Hampshire, Ohio, as well as at the Democratic National Convention in Boston.

Additionally, he has lectured on politics and government at colleges and universities in Massachusetts and throughout the country. In 2007, Drew was named one of the city’s “Ten Outstanding Young Leaders” by the Boston Jaycees and in 2009 he was named one of Massachusetts’ “Top Ten Political Operatives” by Campaigns and Elections Magazine. Drew was the recipient of the Chancellor’s Medal from the University of Massachusetts Medical School for work in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake and in January of 2017, he was presented with the State Department’s Distinguished Service Award by Secretary Kerry.

Drew holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a Master of Public Administration degree from Northeastern University.



• Tom O'Neill

Tom O'Neill

Tom is the founder and chief executive officer of O’Neill and Associates. A former state legislator and Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Tom’s work has long focused on the intersection of government, business and nonprofit causes. His expertise spans the public and private sector in areas that include transportation, healthcare, higher education, financial services and nonprofit development.

From offices in Boston, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C., Tom oversees all aspects of O’Neill and Associates, including strategic planning, marketing, long-term growth and client servicing. From 1975 to 1983, Tom served as Lieutenant Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. During his term in office, Tom created and administered the Commonwealth’s Office of Federal-State Relations in Boston and Washington, D.C. His work focused largely on securing federal transportation infrastructure funding for the state by coordinating the efforts of New England governors with the Northeast and Midwest congressional delegations. During his term of office, he also served on the U.S. State Department Ambassadorial Screening Committee. From 1973 to 1974, Tom represented the City of Cambridge and the Town of Belmont in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

A longtime leader in Greater Boston’s health care sector, Tom has served in prominent roles on several health care governing boards including Tufts Health Plan, Mount Auburn Hospital and Caregroup. He is also prolific in his community and philanthropic work. In addition to his longtime presence on the Boston College board of trustees, Tom serves on the boards of Regis College, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, and the American Ireland Fund. He currently acts as the chair of the board for Tufts Health Plan Foundation and has recently become the first President of the Boston Irish Abbey Theatre Association. He is particularly active with Cristo Rey Boston, the innovative work-study program that began at his alma-mater North Cambridge Catholic High School. He is a member of the statewide board of The Salvation Army as well as a member of the board of Catholic Democrats, a national advocacy organization dealing with faith and politics.

The oldest son of the late U.S. Speaker Tip O’Neill, Tom O’Neill began in politics by running his father’s campaigns and later his own. Tom earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston College and a master’s degree in public administration at the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government.



• Scott Olsen

Scott Olsen

A Partner at Forbes Tate Partners, Scott was Senior Vice President for Federal Advocacy at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). In that role, Scott led PhRMA’s federal government affairs initiatives, working with a range of stakeholders on and off Capitol Hill to develop and advocate for health policies fostering innovation and ensuring patient access to new medicines.

Prior to his work at PhRMA, Scott led federal advocacy at Amgen, Inc, where he served as Executive Director of Federal Government Affairs. Being fluent in Japanese, Scott subsequently managed Amgen’s investment opportunities in Japan, China, Russia, and the European Union.

Scott leverages his 20+ years of experience working with Democrats and Republicans on health care policy. Scott began his career working in the office of then-Senator Max Baucus (D-MT). As the Senator’s top health policy aide, he supported the Senator’s health care work on the Senate Finance Committee. Additionally, as the lead Democratic lobbyist and Senate team leader at PhRMA, Scott worked on the passage of the Medicare Modernization Act in 2003.

Scott holds a bachelor’s degree and graduated magna cum laude from Boston University. He completed foreign affairs training with the U.S. Department of State and was a Mike Mansfield Fellow with the Japanese Department of Health and Welfare.



• Lucy Panza

Lucy Panza

Lucy Panza is an Executive Vice President at Crossroads Strategies, LLC. Lucy primarily advocates for clients in the judiciary, tech, appropriations, and immigration policy areas, providing strategic counsel to clients as well as direct advocacy before Congress.

Before joining Crossroads, Lucy spent three years at Amazon on the political affairs team. There, Lucy focused on outreach to Senate Democrats and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus on a wide range of issues, including competition and antitrust, workplace health and safety, tax, immigration, telecommunications, postal and delivery logistics, sustainability and environmental corporate responsibility, diversity in media and film, customer privacy issues, and more. Lucy was also proud to help lead Amazon’s Political Action Committee and political giving strategy.

Lucy began her career in the United States Senate, first with Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and then with Democratic Leader Charles E. Schumer. She first joined Leader Schumer’s team as Counsel when he was serving on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she focused on immigration, domestic violence, and terrorism victim issues, and then in the leadership office, where she led on these issues on behalf of the Leader and the entire caucus. During her time in the Leader’s office, Lucy was proud to play a critical role in passing dozens of pieces of legislation, ranging from government funding bills to new immigrant green card provisions, to the Violence Against Women Act reauthorization, to a bevy of new laws compensating victims of terror. Lucy also helped to shepherd the caucus through two government shutdowns.

Lucy holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. from New York University. She is a proud immigrant from Argentina and resides in Maryland with her family.



• Curtis Philp

Curtis Philp

Curtis Philp joined the Alpine Group after serving as deputy chief of staff to former Congressman Lamar Smith (TX-21) and as a staff member with the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.

During his tenure on Capitol Hill, Curtis was the primary staff member responsible for policy and communications in Congressman Smith’s personal office. In this capacity, Curtis oversaw all legislative and press operations, which focused heavily on House Judiciary Committee issues – including intellectual property, privacy, telecommunications, technology, and immigration. He also provided counsel to the House Science Committee on intellectual property matters.

Prior to joining Congressman Smith’s office, Curtis worked for Representatives Louie Gohmert (TX-01) and Bill Cassidy (LA-06) handling a similar portfolio of issues. Curtis started his Congressional career in the office of Senator Charles Grassley (IA).

Curtis earned a B.B.A. in Management and Marketing from the University of Iowa and a J.D. from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He resides in Northern Virginia with his wife, Erin, and their daughter.



• Steve Posner

Steve Posner

Steve Posner is a Partner at Seven Letter. Steve has led the communications efforts of a multi-stakeholder coalition focused on the promotion of intellectual property rights and spear-headed the rollout of a best-selling book on evidence-based governance. Previously, Steve was a Partner at Blue Engine Message & Media, which merged with JDA Frontline in 2018 to form Seven Letter.

Prior to joining Blue Engine, Steve served as the Associate Director for Strategic Planning and Communications at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). In his role running OMB’s communications office, Steve served as the lead spokesperson for OMB and coordinated communications around budget, management and regulatory issues with White House staff and all federal agencies. He was the lead writer and editor of President Obama’s Fiscal Year 2014 and 2015 Budgets, as well as other OMB documents and communications materials. Steve was profiled in National Journal’s 2013 Decision Makers edition.

Before joining OMB, Steve served as Communications Director and Deputy Communications Director for the Senate Budget Committee, where he was responsible for drafting all budget materials, speeches and chart presentations for the committee chairman. Prior to his Budget Committee role, Steve worked in the Clinton Administration’s Treasury Department, where he was the Department’s spokesman for economic and tax policy issues.

Steve started his communications career at the public affairs firm Powell Tate, where he worked as an Account Executive in the firm’s International Trade Group. Steve grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey and holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Harvard University and a Bachelor’s degree in History from Colgate University.



• Cassandra Pye

Cassandra Pye

For 35 years, Cassandra Walker Pye has enjoyed a successful career in communications, government, politics and advocacy for corporate interests in global, national, state and local arenas. She joined Lucas Public Affairs in October 2019.

Cassandra provides strategic counsel to the firm’s clients from all sectors and industries and guides a team of accomplished public affairs professionals in leading strategic communications and public affairs campaigns on clients’ behalf.

Cassandra has served in leadership roles in the public and private sectors in Sacramento and in Washington, DC. In 2014, she launched 3.14 Communications, LLC, a full-service communication consultancy with clients in a range of sectors. She began her career at the Food Marketing Institute and directed government relations operations for the California Grocers Association and the California Retailers Association. As senior vice president for APCO Worldwide, Cassandra co-led the agency’s global food and consumer products practice group. In 2003, Cassandra was appointed deputy chief of staff to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and served as a member of his post-election transition team. She is former political director and corporate affairs vice president for the California Chamber of Commerce, where she launched the JobsPAC, ChamberPAC and the Coalition for California Jobs.

Cassandra brings crisis management, corporate communication, message development and issue/political campaign experience to the firm. Since 2016, she’s been a lead facilitator, throughout the country, for the American Leadership Forum’s (ALF) Leading Consciously trainings, providing insights into unconscious (implicit) bias and its impact on societal structures and institutions.

Cassandra is a graduate of George Washington University. She is a passionate professional soccer fan and was among the original group of supporters for Sacramento Republic Football Club. Cassandra and husband Kelvin have four adult sons. They reside in Sacramento.



• Keenan Austin Reed

Keenan Austin Reed

Keenan, a Principal of Alpine Group and Capitol Hill veteran, has spent the past decade guiding and advising principals in all levels of government. In her role as Chief of Staff, she served as the Congressman's top policy advisor and an advisor to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where she crafted strategies to elevate the Congressman’s work as a national leader on climate change, environmental justice and rural broadband. She also led McEachin’s work as the Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus, building consensus around the Caucus’ priorities and advancing its agenda with House leadership.

In 2018, Keenan co-founded the Black Women’s Congressional Alliance (BWCA), a membership organization of more than 300 bipartisan and bicameral Black women Hill staffers. She has led dozens of professional development briefings, events and webinars to inform staffers about new career opportunities, provided a platform to elevate their profiles to the broader Capitol Hill community, and pushed growth in diverse hiring in the United States House and Senate. BWCA has been featured in the Majority Leaders Podcast, The Brown Girl’s Guide to Politics Podcast, VICE, Essence Magazine, and Washingtonian.

During the 2016 presidential election, Keenan served as Hillary for America’s Statewide Political Director in Florida, the largest political battleground state in the country. In that role, she was responsible for all federal, state, and local elected relationships within the state on behalf of the campaign and also managed the organization’s largest political staff. Previously, Keenan served as Chief of Staff to Councilmember David Grosso of the Council of the District of Columbia City. Prior to that, she served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (FL-24), managing a portfolio including political outreach, stakeholder engagement, constituent services, and legislation. In 2010, she managed Congresswoman Wilson’s first election to Congress.

A proud Rattler, Keenan received her bachelor’s degree and MBA from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.



• Edward Reno

Edward Reno

A Partner at Forbes Tate Partners, Ed has spent his career working in government and for corporations to develop policy and strategies related to global and U.S. federal and state law/regulations.

He worked for clients in the pharmaceutical, biotech and gene therapy sectors as well as companies focused on diagnostics. This work has led him to focusing on areas such as rare disease, addiction, neuromuscular and aesthetic medicine where he has experience working with all levels of organizations to support drug development and commercialization. Prior to this, Mr. Reno worked “in house” for life sciences companies leading their lobbying and policy interests including Allergan, Inc where he served as the Chief Government Affairs Officer.

In addition to this work, he serves on the Board of Advisors at Goldman Edwards LLC, a leading Information Technologies service provider, the Board of Directors of Verde Technologies, manufacturer of the at home pharmaceutical drug disposal system Deterra Pouch® which is addressing the connection between unwanted/unused opioid pills and the opioid abuse and overdose epidemic, and he is an Advisor to IACTA Pharmaceuticals, a leading drug development company focusing on the ophthalmic marketplace.

Prior to this Mr. Reno worked in the U.S. Senate and the Governor’s Office of the State of California.



• Joe Rinzel

Joe Rinzel

Joe Rinzel joined MultiState in 2019 and currently serves as Principal and a member of MultiState's Board of Directors. Joe is part of the Strategic Government Relations team and runs several different issue campaigns for MultiState clients. In addition to strategic assistance to clients, Joe also works to promote MultiState’s services, including issue management, compliance, and lobbying services.

Prior to joining MultiState, Joe was Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), which represents America’s largest and fastest-growing retailers. Joe led the association’s lobbying efforts on priority issues at the federal, state, and local levels in addition to managing multi-million-dollar issue campaigns in all 50 states on behalf of the industry.

Prior to RILA, Joe served as Senior Director of Public Affairs and lead spokesperson for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), an organization of state legislators. Most recently, he was a partner at Align Public Strategies, a boutique public affairs firm with a focus on helping corporate brands navigate external relations in order to inform their internal decision-making. Joe currently serves as communications chair for the State Government Affairs Council (SGAC). He is a graduate of Villanova University and lives in Washington, DC.



• Jon Ross

Jon Ross

Jon is a Partner at KP. He started his lobbying career with the San Francisco law firm of Landels, Ripley and Diamond, which he left in 1996 to help start the predecessor firm to KP, the Kahl Pownall Companies. Jon leads KP’s advocacy efforts for financial services clients, including Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and the California Mortgage Bankers Association, among others. He also leads KP’s technology practice and has become a key voice on virtually all issues impacting Silicon Valley. Jon was the first outside lobbyist retained by Google (in 2006) and subsequently has been retained by other technology leaders, including Cisco, Airbnb, and Lyft. Jon also represents five large, national accounting firms (PWC, KPMG, EY, Deloitte and Grant Thornton). Jon’s other clients include NBC Universal, the California Restaurant Association and the Hertz Corporation.



• Elisabeth Rutledge

Elisabeth Rutledge

A senior advisor to Concordant, Elisabeth draws upon 25+ years of experience in advocacy communication, strategic message development, coalition management, campaign development and reputation management. Elisabeth combines strong strategic vision with seamless tactical planning to deliver nimble and results-oriented campaigns and crisis communications strategies.

Elisabeth has worked with clients large and small to protect and enhance their brand equity and stakeholder relationships. Her clients have included some of the country’s best-known names in energy, health insurance, healthcare distribution, retail, private equity, civil rights advocacy, and transportation.



Elisabeth’s career has featured roles as a senior vice president at The Eller Group and Hill + Knowlton Strategies, as well as a managing director at Public Strategies.



Previously, Elisabeth worked as a communications and grassroots-organizing consultant for clients nationwide. She has held field, fundraising and press positions on political campaigns and worked as a Legislative Aide for then-Representative Debbie Stabenow on Capitol Hill.



She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in American Studies. Elisabeth is also a graduate of the Leadership Texas program and is a board member of the Texas Humane Legislation Network.



• Jason Schendle

Jason Schendle

Jason Schendle joined the Alpine Group with an emphasis on energy and environment policy issues. Prior to joining the Alpine Group, Mr. Schendle served as a Washington Representative with the American Petroleum Institute focusing on exploration and production issues. He served as the point person on the Gulf of Mexico Security Act of 2006, issues surrounding royalty relief and represented API on a large coalition of companies and trade associations focused on Outer Continental Shelf issues. Before API, Mr. Schendle served nearly nine years with Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) where he was her primary energy, environment and agriculture advisor as well as any energy related tax issues. In his capacity as Legislative Counsel, Mr. Schendle advised the Senator during the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which established the $1 billion Coastal Impact Assistance Program as well as the 2002 Farm Bill.

At Alpine, Mr. Schendle advises clients on legislative and regulatory strategy as well as their PAC contributions. His diverse portfolio includes preparing clients to testify before Congress on legislative and regulatory topics as well as testimony in the investigative and oversight realm. He has an in depth understanding of all stages of the legislative process. His client portfolio includes trade associations to serving as the Washington representative for companies without a Government Relations office in Washington. He has strong bi-cameral and bi-partisan contacts.

Some of the legislative efforts where he has played a significant role include the Energy Policy Act of 2007, the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, the Pipeline Safety, Regulatory Certainty and Job Creation Act of 2011 and the RESTORE Act of 2012.



• Rhod Shaw

Rhod Shaw

Rhod Shaw brings over 35 years of high-level government experience to his colleagues and clients at the Alpine Group. Mr. Shaw has successfully represented a diverse group of Fortune 500 companies, major international trade associations, state and local governments, and other industry leaders on matters pending before the legislative and executive branches of government. He provides clients critical strategic policy advice, business insights, and has created and implemented comprehensive legislative and grassroots action plans for effecting successful change in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

His keen understanding of both policy and politics has earned Mr. Shaw the distinction of being known as one of Washington’s elite consultants. Recognized throughout his career as an elite consultant who blends political insights and profound relationships with substantive policy knowledge, he is unique in that his reach and relationships span across the Senate and House and across the partisan political spectrum.

Mr. Shaw’s extensive policy experience includes specialized work affecting key industries such as telecommunications, energy, automotive, technology, financial services, and those requiring the protection of intellectual property rights, as well as other leading industries.

Mr. Shaw has also helped expand the Alpine Group’s expertise and reach through his work serving in leadership positions with groups such as FIPRA International, which leverages the expertise of firms in the capitals of the 50 largest economic markets of the world. This global network ensures that clients and policy makers have access to the best information, representation, and perspective from North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, and South America. He also serves as an advisor to several start-up businesses across the technology, energy, and sports/entertainment realm.



• Jessyca Sheehan

Jessyca Sheehan

Jessyca Sheehan has extensive experience partnering with state, national and global organizations on high-profile, strategic communication and public affairs campaigns on energy and climate issues.

As the lead for Lucas Public Affairs’ work in energy and climate, Jessyca brings a depth of experience in corporate communications, strategy and message development, issues management and crisis communications to the firm’s clients spanning water, energy, technology, transportation and more.

Jessyca provides strategic guidance to LPA clients, managing statewide public affairs campaigns and corporate initiatives. She is also a sought-after speaker, leading public speaking and message training seminars for Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit organizations and senior executives. She serves as a valued member of the firm’s executive team and is an experienced mentor for the staff.

Before joining LPA, Jessyca was vice president of a Bay Area-based public affairs agency where she oversaw strategic communications and engagement programs for high-profile statewide initiatives in the energy and utility sector. Previously, she was a director at the Sacramento office of APCO Worldwide where she led the firm’s North America Energy and Clean Tech practice. Earlier, she worked at the California Chamber of Commerce supporting public affairs activities and at a statewide nonprofit organization.

Jessyca has a Bachelor of Arts in English and French from the University of California, Los Angeles. Following her graduation, she taught English at a high school in the southwest of France. Jessyca is an avid runner with countless long-distance runs under her belt, including numerous half-marathons in national parks across the western U.S.



• Erik Smith

Erik Smith

Erik Smith is the CEO at Seven Letter. Erik leads the firm’s business strategy, manages the client development process and collaborates on client work across the firm by advising corporations, nonprofits, and individuals on the development and implementation of communications strategy. Most often, these engagements deal with complex situations such as crisis, litigation, legislative challenge, regulatory change, leadership transition or public policy advocacy in such diverse industries as health care, energy, financial services, consumer products, entertainment, and philanthropy.

As Seven Letter’s CEO, Erik has built an industry leading crisis communications and public affairs agency starting with the founding of Blue Engine Message & Media as a sole proprietor in 2006. Since then, Erik has managed the acquisition or merger of JDA Frontline, Tessio Labs, Matt George Associates and the O’Neill and Associates public relations practice group to create a full-service, integrated agency consistently recognized by PR Week as a “Best Place to Work" and by PR News as one of the "Agency Elite Top 100".

Erik was also a co-founder of Bully Pulpit Interactive, a digital marketing firm and The Analytics Media Group, which tracks advertising analytics that has since rebranded as 605.

Before entering private practice, Erik worked for more than a decade as a lead strategist and counselor to U.S. Senators and Representatives as well as national party committees. During his time as a Capitol Hill press strategist, spokesman and media trainer, Erik was regularly recognized by Roll Call newspaper as one of the 50 most powerful staff people in Congress. Most notably, Erik’s crisis communications expertise was deployed during his time serving as Communications Director for the House Democratic Leader shaping congressional communications strategy in the days after 9/11, the Congressional anthrax attacks and the shooting at the U.S. Capitol.

In 2008 and 2012, Erik was a senior advisor for advertising and message development to the Obama-Biden presidential campaigns where he designed, developed and placed television, radio and print advertising as part of a team that, according to The New York Times, ‘unleashed an advertising campaign of a scale and complexity unrivaled in the television era.’ Erik produced high-profile political media events including the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Democratic National Conventions and the historic Obama-Biden 30-minute network television broadcast seen by more than 35 million viewers in October 2008. Erik also served as Creative Director for the 2009 and 2013 Presidential Inauguration Committees.

Erik is a founding board member of Business Forward, a pro-business advocacy organization and has previously served on the board of the Washington Nationals Youth Academy and as a founding board member of President Obama’s nonprofit, Organizing for Action. He also served for four years as a delegate to the China-US Exchange Program, cosponsored by the Center for America Progress.

A frequent source for leading political and business reporters and guest on cable and radio news programs, Erik has been quoted as an expert in the pages of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Axios, Politico, and has appeared on CNN, FOX News Channel, NPR and others. Erik has been a featured speaker at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, The Annenberg Public Policy Center at The University of Pennsylvania, The Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, the American Bar Association and the Foundation Nationale des Sciences Politiques in Paris.



• Eric Solomon

Eric Solomon

A senior advisor to Concordant, Dr. Eric Solomon has worked at the convergence of branding and marketing, technology, and consumer psychology for nearly 30 years. He began as an academic, earning his PhD in cognitive science with a focus on language and artificial intelligence. Transitioning to business, Eric led research and brand strategy for agencies before taking up senior marketing positions at YouTube, Spotify, Google, Instagram, and Bonobos (owned by Walmart), where he served as their Chief Marketing Officer. Currently, he's at the helm of The Human Operating System, an advisory platform dedicated to integrating human-centric strategies across all business units.



• Jamin Spitzer

Jamin Spitzer

A senior advisor to Concordant, Jamin Spitzer, often described as a "PR guy who's good at math," is the founder and lead partner at Abacus Insights Partners. His firm helps large communications organizations—including public relations, social media, analyst relations, and internal communications—embrace data-driven strategies. By leveraging both traditional methods and innovative technologies, Abacus provides tailored insights into earned media’s impact on brand perception. These insights not only enhance decision-making but also enable clear articulation of results in the language of executive leadership.

Before establishing his firm, Jamin dedicated 16 years to Microsoft, where he notably rebuilt and led the analytics division within the communications organization. His career also includes impactful roles at PeopleSoft and J.D. Edwards, and he began his professional journey as a Congressional press secretary.

Jamin is an active member of the Institute for Public Relations (IPR) Measurement Commission and the Association for the Measurement & Evaluation of Communication (AMEC). He resides in Seattle with his wife and their two children.



• Frank Steinberg

Frank Steinberg

A Partner at Forbes Tate Partners, he handles a diverse portfolio of issues, including financial services, appropriations, education, telecom, tech, and defense. Frank has relationships with Members and staff across the House Republican Conference – ranging from the moderate Tuesday Group to the conservative Freedom Caucus, as well as with key House and Senate committees and Republican leadership.

A seasoned strategist, Frank has designed and implemented legislative agendas that leverage insight and strong relationships across Congress and the federal agencies to achieve wins for clients. He brings extensive experience in navigating the annual budget and appropriations processes – helping Forbes Tate Partners’ clients to both create new initiatives and protect vital programs. Frank has also worked on complex regulatory issues across sectors and has extensive experience in coalition management and operations.

Previously, Frank worked at a boutique government relations firm specializing in innovation, R&D, and higher education. There, Frank represented some of the country’s leading research universities and innovation organizations helping to secure federal funding and shape policies that promoted clients’ competitive advantages. Early in his career, Frank gained key insight into the legislative process and the workings of Capitol Hill during his time in the office of then-Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana.

Frank is active in Republican politics and has worked on campaigns in Ohio, Indiana, and his home state of New Jersey. Frank graduated with honors from Denison University and earned a Master’s in Business Administration from the Harbert College of Business at Auburn University.

An avid golfer, New York Giants fan, and country music listener, Frank and his wife, Kristen, reside in Maryland.



• Jeff Strunk

Jeff Strunk

A Managing Partner at Forbes Tate Partners, Mr. Strunk spent eight years on Capitol Hill, including six years with House Republican Leadership – most recently serving as Deputy Floor Director to former Speaker of the House John Boehner.

Jeff regularly works with Fortune 500 companies, trade organizations, and coalitions. He represents client interests on a range of issues, and brings particular expertise in regards to financial products and services, banking, energy, and telecommunications issues. He also operates at the nexus between these policy areas and tax and cybersecurity issues.

Prior to serving as Deputy Floor Director to former Speaker of the House John Boehner, Mr. Strunk spent three years as Floor Assistant. Prior to his time with Boehner, Mr. Strunk worked for former Congressman Patrick J. Tiberi, a previous Chairman of the influential Ways and Means Committee’s Subcommittee on Health.

During his time in House Leadership, Mr. Strunk formed incredibly strong relationships with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle – and, also, their staffers. He developed expertise in parliamentary procedure, House Rules, and a thorough understanding of the inner workings of House Leadership and Congress.

Mr. Strunk’s roots connect him to a wide variety of House Committees. He frequently works with members of the House Ways and Means, Financial Services, Energy and Commerce, Judiciary, and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees. Jeff also maintains deep ties to both the House Intelligence and Homeland Security Committees.

Jeff has long been active in the Republican Party – both in Ohio and at the national level. He has worked on the campaign of Patrick J. Tiberi, as well as volunteered on numerous other Congressional campaigns.

Strunk’s background also includes his ongoing role with an organized volunteer campaign effort in his home state of Ohio. For more than six years, he has led an independent GOTV program in the Buckeye State that helps to provide grassroots support to Republican candidates at the local, state, and federal levels.

A native of Columbus, Ohio, Mr. Strunk is a graduate of Xavier University, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science.

He and his wife and three children live in Washington, DC.



• Dan Tate

Dan Tate

A Co-Founder at Forbes Tate Partners, his experience includes a decade of senior staff positions in the White House, U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. House of Representatives.

Prior to starting Forbes Tate Partners with Jeff Forbes, Mr. Tate spent ten years in private practice in both large and boutique firms working with clients. He brings the best practices learned from those experiences to implement at FTP.

He also served in the Clinton Administration for three years as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs – and was a key member of the White House team responsible for developing and implementing the Clinton Administration’s legislative agenda on trade, energy, environment, telecommunications, transportation, and financial services issues.

While working with Members of Congress from across the political spectrum, Dan was President Clinton’s liaison to Democratic and Republican moderates in Congress – working particularly closely with the New Democrats and the Blue Dogs.

Prior to his work at the White House, Mr. Tate served for two years as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy, where he was a chief strategist and advocate for the Secretary of Energy and the Department with the U.S. House of Representatives. There, Dan developed and implemented the Agency’s legislative agenda on electricity policy, environmental remediation, and national security priorities.

For roughly four years, Mr. Tate worked for former Representative W.J. “Billy” Tauzin – as Tauzin’s legislative director and chief political advisor, where he helped to craft landmark energy and telecommunications legislation.

Since leaving the White House, Mr. Tate has used his high-level government experience and legislative expertise to successfully represent a diverse group of Fortune 500 companies and major policy coalitions – including those in the energy, environment, telecommunications, and healthcare industries – on matters before the Legislative and Executive Branches of government.

Mr. Tate has strong, long-standing relationships with key centrists in Congress, and provides the firm’s clients with key services, including: government relations support, coalition management, and strategic advising. He is perennially named one of the leading lobbyists inside the Beltway by The Hill.

While a native of the Peach State, Mr. Tate graduated from Amherst College in Massachusetts. Dan lives in Washington, DC with his wife and their two children.



• Travis Taylor

Travis Taylor

Travis Taylor partners with clients to navigate some of California’s toughest and most important challenges. An expert communicator, Travis brings to bear an accomplished career in public affairs, public relations, government and crisis communications for LPA’s nonprofit, government and corporate clients.

Travis helps clients solve complex issues while building trust, influence and reputation. He has led high-profile accounts spanning an array of public policy arenas, including energy, education, health, transportation and infrastructure at the local, state and national levels. He also leads media and crisis communications training sessions and is part of LPA’s executive leadership team. Travis has been with the firm since 2018.

Before joining LPA, Travis served as executive vice president of Fineman PR, a strategic communications and crisis communications agency in San Francisco. Previously, he served as vice president of CommPac, a strategic communications agency in Honolulu, following three years as senior advisor to Hawaii’s lieutenant governor. Earlier in his career, Travis held a senior role at Wilson-Miller Communications, now Miller Public Affairs Group, in Sacramento.

Travis earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations from California State University, Sacramento.



• Cornell Teague

Cornell Teague

Cornell Teague provides his clients strategic advice and advocacy around the federal budget and appropriations processes, including insight into the convergence between our Nation’s national security and fiscal policy objectives. Teague joined Alpine Group in 2017, after spending seven years as a Professional Staff Member on the House Appropriations Committee, including the last three with the Subcommittee on Defense, where he was the primary staff member responsible for the Committee’s oversight of the Department of Defense’s operations accounts, an annual expenditure exceeding $250 billion across the Services and Defense-Wide agencies.

Before joining the Defense Subcommittee, Teague worked for the House Appropriations Committee, Homeland Security Subcommittee, focusing primarily on cybersecurity and transportation security budgeting and appropriations. He began working on the Committee as an aide to then Full Committee Chairman Hal Rogers of Kentucky. While on Capitol Hill, he also participated in 114th Congress’ John C. Stennis Fellows Program for Public Service, a bipartisan, bicameral leadership program for senior staff in the U.S. Congress.

The method for funding federal programs through discretionary spending can seem convoluted to the casual observer and Teague is a frequent guest lecturer at universities, and in front of businesses, organizations, civil servants and clients.

Teague has also worked in The White House, serving President George W. Bush at the Homeland Security Council and USA Freedom Corps. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Kentucky and received his Master of Business Administration at George Mason University. He lives in Virginia with his wife and two children.



• Greg Thompson

Greg Thompson

A senior advisor to Concordant, Greg Thompson has extensive experience in building effective communications strategies and integrated campaigns to support organizations navigating business challenges and significant milestones. During his 12-year tenure at Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) Greg built and led the enterprise external communication function. As a member of HCSC’s leadership team, Greg was recognized for working effectively across multiple business groups and functions to develop, drive and implement communication strategies to help meet business goals; including corporate positioning and reputation, crisis communication, and issues management, public affairs and advocacy, leadership positioning, stakeholder management and media relations. In addition, he led M&A, corporate social responsibility and financial situations communications strategy. He also facilitated congressional testimony and hearing preparation.

Prior to his tenure at HCSC, Greg led corporate communications and media relations for UnitedHealthcare’s central region, as well as serving as an advisor to the World Economic Forum, supporting the Davos Annual Meetings in Switzerland. Greg began his career on Wall Street working in Goldman Sachs’ fixed income department structuring and executing investment strategies for institutional and high net worth clients.
Greg serves on the board of directors of After School Matters (Chicago), The Poetry Foundation (Chicago) and Macalester College (St. Paul). Previous board service included GLAAD Media Awards (New York), Treatment Action Group (New York), Heartland Alliance Health and Human Services (Chicago) and Center on Halsted (Chicago).

He holds an M.B.A from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a B.A from Macalester College.



• Barrett Thornhill

Barrett Thornhill

A Partner at Forbes Tate Partners, drawing on 20 years of experience in health policy and market access, he advocates on legislative issues before the U.S. Congress, regulatory matters the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Food and Drug Administration and other agencies as well as state Governor offices. Barrett’s work has ranged from arenas of chronic and infectious diseases to oncology, innovative diagnostics and medical devices, niche and orphan therapeutics, as well as value-based business models and commercial market management. He started his career on Capitol Hill, serving as a Healthcare Legislative Assistant for U.S. Senator Mike Crapo, Patrick Toomey and the late Rep. Charlie Norwood.

Barrett received his B.A. from Dartmouth College and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. He is a licensed attorney and lives in McLean, Virginia.



• Doug Usher

Doug Usher

A Partner at Forbes Tate Partners, Doug has spent the last two decades building insights that have helped change the strategic trajectory of major corporations, industry associations, and political campaigns. Combining deep expertise in opinion research, data analysis, and analytics with years of experience navigating the intersection between business goals and the political, policy, and regulatory spheres, Doug has helped build winning strategies and campaigns for clients across a broad range of industries, with a particular focus on the pharmaceutical and energy sectors.

Prior to joining the FTP team, Doug worked at Purple Strategies, Widmeyer Communications, and the Mellman Group.

Doug lectures widely on the changing nature of measuring public opinion and sentiment, conducts seminars for the U.S. State Department’s International Visitors Program, and has served as an expert witness for the U.S. Department of Justice. Doug has appeared on MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News, CNN, National Public Radio, and CBC TV in Canada for his analysis of trends in public opinion and politics. His writing has been published extensively, including in The Wall Street Journal, National Journal, The Hill, and Campaigns and Elections.

He holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Cornell University in Government and Research Methodology. He was raised in Washington, DC, where he lives with his wife, two kids, and their dog.



• Jason Van Pelt

Jason Van Pelt

Jason Van Pelt is an Executive Vice President at Crossroads Strategies, LLC. Jason primarily advocates for clients in the health care industry, providing strategic advice on working with Members of Congress and the Administration.

Jason began his career in Washington serving in various capacities on the staff of former Congressman Ed Whitfield of Kentucky from 1996 to 2003. Working at Merck (2003-2014) and Novartis (2014-2017), Jason spent over 13 years as an in-house federal advocate. He was responsible for identifying critical legislative opportunities and threats to the company, analyzing their potential impact, ensuring the timely development of appropriate policy positions, and developing and implementing strategies to advocate for and achieve the desired results. He focused primarily on health care, tax, and congressional oversight.

Jason graduated with a B.A. in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia and a J.D. from the College of William & Mary School of Law. He serves on the board of the Congressional Award Foundation, Congress’ official charity.



• Camille Wagner

Camille Wagner

Camille works on the lobbying team at KP. She has 14 years of extensive experience working at the highest levels of government on complex policy, political and budget issues. As the Legislative Secretary to Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr she gained invaluable insight into the policy and budget development process and was a lead negotiator for numerous pieces of legislation, including extension of the Cap and Trade Program, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, and the California Homeowner’s Bill of Rights.



• Hon. Greg Walden

Hon. Greg Walden

Chairman of Alpine Group, Former Congressman Greg Walden represented the people of Oregon’s vast, Second Congressional District from 1999-2021. He chaired the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee which has jurisdiction over telecommunications, health care, medical research, energy and consumer safety issues.

As a member of that committee for 20 of his 22 years in the House, he led legislative efforts in telecommunications and spectrum issues; energy grid security and reliability; confronting the opioids epidemic and expanding access to affordable health care.

His colleagues twice elected him to lead the National Republican Congressional Committee, the national campaign arm of the U.S. House GOP, where under his leadership House Republicans attained their largest back-to-back majorities in history.

Before his election to Congress, Walden served eight years in the Oregon House and Senate, where his state House GOP colleagues twice elected him Majority Leader.

Walden and his wife, Mylene, owned and operated radio stations in Oregon for more than two decades. He served on the local community hospital board and on the board of a community bank.

He is a graduate of the University of Oregon School of Journalism.

Currently, he and his wife own MSW Communications, and he serves on advisory boards working on innovative solutions to climate change, and advancements in health care.



• Todd Weiss

Todd Weiss

Todd has spent the better part of his career in the public policy arena as an advocate for multiple corporations and trade associations within the financial services public policy arena.

Todd is well known in Washington advocacy circles as a determined and dedicated representative of his clients’ interests, and a skilled legislative tactician.

With a wide set of bipartisan relationships in the House and Senate and unique insights into the inner workings of policy creation, Todd represents the outcome-based advocacy that defines the Crossroads team.

Beginning his career in the United States Senate as an aide to former Senators Rick Santorum and Tim Hutchinson, Todd is widely recognized as one of the most effective policy advocates in the Washington community. Prior to joining Crossroads, Todd served in the public law practices of SNR Denton and Arent Fox.

Todd is a 1994 graduate of Hobart and William Smith College.



• Stefan Weitz

Stefan Weitz

A senior advisor to Concordant, Stefan Weitz is an 18-year Microsoft veteran who led and built technologies used by a billion people across the planet - and then joined the leadership of the 2nd largest independent eCommerce company in North America before negotiating a successful exit in 2018. As a best-selling author on technology, multi-patent holder and angel investor, Stefan lives to envision and build the future.

Currently, Stefan is the co-founder and CEO of HumanX – the world’s preeminent AI advisory and conference. Venture-backed and aligned with the needs of enterprises needing to deploy AI to obtain their competitive edge, HumanX helps turn inspiration into action.
Stefan is also a founder and General Partner of SilverCircle, a stage-agnostic venture fund that has invested in 31 deals since inception in late 2021. With over 160 LPs, nearly all of whom are operators, SilverCircle is more than just capital – it is the knowhow and expertise to change the venture equation for the better.

Stefan was previously the founder and Managing Director of ’87, an investment fund and business incubator in Chicago, IL. In his capacity there, he invested in and founded businesses aligned with a direct-to-consumer, data-backed thesis.
Stefan is an Officer and founder of Stella Center, a PTSD-treatment company that uses a revolutionary procedure to combat the effects of trauma. Finally, Stefan is a co-founder and initial Chief Product Officer of WeAreGiant, a company that connects musicians with their most passionate fans (launching in H2 2022).

Prior to ’87, Stefan was the Executive Vice President and Chief Product Officer of Radial, where he transformed the overall company’s strategy to capitalize on the current state of eCommerce. He led a 320-person team that built the company’s technical products and services and managed $250M in revenue. After driving 7x growth in one of the product lines in 16 months, the team sold Radial to BPost for $850M, at twice the EBITDA multiple for which it sold 24 months earlier.

At Microsoft, Stefan was on the founding team of Bing.com and worked with people and organizations across the globe to build and promote industry-leading Search technologies. Bing grew from under 7% to nearly 30% US market share during his tenure and achieved profitability on over $3B in revenue.

Prior to Search, Stefan led the strategy and development of Microsoft’s next generation online platforms, was the inventor and General Manager for Microsoft's muni WiFi strategy, built a cybersecurity defense unit, designed open-source development models for their flagship product, ran diligence and M&A efforts for a half-dozen acquisitions, and launched several global products to market.
Stefan has been writing code since he was 8 years old and is fluent in both hardware and software architecture, trends, and potentials. His best-selling book, Search: How the Data Explosion Makes Us Smarter, gained international prominence, and led to dozens of speaking engagements ranging from 10 to 25,000 people in places from TEDx to The Nantucket Project.

Stefan holds several US and international patents in the areas of big data and artificial intelligence. He is also an active investor in 26 startups ranging from healthcare to virtualization, consumer food and eCommerce.

Stefan serves on two corporate boards and two non-profit boards, including the GenCon Board for Conservation International and is active in Endeavor Global, a non-profit dedicated to incubating high-impact startups in developing markets.



• Brian White

Brian White

Brian is a Partner at KP. He is a registered lobbyist, providing strategic counsel on policy, regulatory consulting, and advocacy for a variety of clients. He represents clients in discussions with the Governor’s Office, California Legislature, regulatory agencies, including for clients such as Cypress Creek Renewables, Off Shore Wind CA, Pacific Merchant Shipping Assn, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Tenaska, International Code Council, Visions In Education, Association of Personalized Schools & Services, CA Licensed Foresters Assn, Forest Landowners of CA, and Hipcamp. With an extensive government affairs background, Brian is a seasoned public policy and legislative strategist who holds expertise in many policy areas. His experience in building coalitions and fostering positive relationships for a diverse client base makes Brian particularly adept in finding proactive solutions that positively benefits clients while also being able to neutralize potential negative threats.



• Zach Williams

Zach Williams

A Managing Partner at Forbes Tate Partners, he provides invaluable guidance to a variety of Fortune 500s, non-profits, and government entities on legislative strategies before Congress.

Zach has constructed and executed dozens of strategies on behalf of Forbes Tate Partners’ clients on issues, including, but not limited to: tax, finance, housing, healthcare, and technology.

To that end, he has also secured millions of dollars in federal funding for clients – as he represents several universities and municipalities before the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives Appropriations Committees.

A Partner at Cauthen, Forbes & Williams – which later became Forbes Tate Partners – and former Managing Director of Cauthen and Associates in Washington, DC, Zach’s broad experience in Democratic politics began with his work with the Alabama Democratic Party in the 1996 statewide, coordinated campaign.

Mr. Williams has deep roots with the Democratic National Committee. He coordinated logistics for event credentials at both the 2000 and 2004 Democratic National Party Conventions. He also helped to lead grassroots campaign efforts in the Keystone State for Gore-Lieberman 2000 and Lieberman for Senate 2006.

Additionally, Zach served as a top advisor in then-Lt. Governor Lucy Baxley’s 2006 campaign for Governor in Alabama.

A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Zach received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Foreign Languages – and also studied business law at the L’Ecole Supérieure du Commerce Extérieur in Paris, France.

Mr. Williams and his wife are natives of Alabama – they have two young children.



• Shayne Woods

Shayne Woods

Shayne Woods joined the Alpine Group after working on Capitol Hill for almost a decade, most recently serving as Senior Legislative Assistant for Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina. An entrepreneur and policy expert, with expertise in both health care and tech, Shayne has a deep understanding of critical legislative issues. In Senator Scott’s office, Shayne’s legislative areas of focus included health care, Social Security, retirement, budget, and commerce, science, and transportation issues. He also led a team that advised Senator Scott on tax, trade, aging, and education issues. Additionally, Shayne prepared public statements, drafted correspondence, and met with constituents and advocacy groups regarding the aforementioned issues.

His close work with both the Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee resulted in securing numerous extensions for health care provisions. As the Senate discussed artificial intelligence (AI), Shayne ensured Senator Scott was kept well-apprised of these discussions with his team serving as a knowledgeable resource on the issue. His background in health care and tech has given him a deep appreciation for emerging technologies like AI and gene therapies and the challenging regulatory landscape facing innovators. Prior to joining Senator Scott’s team in 2021, Shayne worked in the U.S. House of Representatives for six years, previously serving as Senior Policy Advisor for Representative Gus Bilirakis of Florida.

Prior to Capitol Hill, Shayne was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FwdHealth [pronounced “forward health”] – a health IT company that connected clients and their health apps to a network of nationally-certified fitness trainers through live, two-way video chat. In addition to FwdHealth, Shayne also founded and ran a health care consulting practice that advised key industry stakeholders on the Affordable Care Act while providing business development assistance.

Shayne holds a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and resides in Northern Virginia with his wonderful wife and 2 children.