Suzanne Swink is Vice President of Government Relations for KORE Power, the leading U.S.-based developer and manufacturer of battery cell technology for the clean energy industry. In this role, she is responsible for the company’s legislative and regulatory strategy for federal and state affairs, community engagement, and sustainability.  Ms. Swink joined KORE Power from bp, where she spent the better part of 12 years as a government affairs and strategic communications leader. She has nearly 20 years of government, advocacy, and policy communications expertise.  Prior to joining bp, Suzanne was Senior Legislative Assistant to Congresswoman Susan A. Davis (D-CA) and served as the Congresswoman’s lead advisor on a broad domestic portfolio, including energy, environment, infrastructure, trade, tax and judiciary issues.  She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Southern Mississippi and her master’s in public relations and corporate communications from Georgetown University, where she also serves as adjunct faculty. Suzanne currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the American Council of Young Political Leaders, the Board of the Public Affairs Council, and is a past president of Women in Government Relations.

Today we are joined by bestselling historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist Garrett M. Graff who has spent two decades covering politics, technology, and national security, and is now recognized as one of the nation’s most prolific and wide-ranging journalists and historians. His award-winning work—including nine books on topics ranging from presidential campaigns, Watergate, 9/11, and cybersecurity, to D-Day and the U.S. government’s Cold War Doomsday plans, as well as dozens of magazine articles, essays, podcasts, and documentaries—uses history to explain the story of today, illuminating where we’ve been as a country and where we’re headed as a world. Today, he’s a columnist for the Washington Post, where he writes on leadership, serves as the director of cyber initiatives at the Aspen Institute, and hosts the history podcast, "Long Shadow," which this year received a 2024 Edward R. Murrow Award. The former editor of POLITICO Magazine and a longtime contributor to WIRED and CNN, he’s written for publications like Esquire, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and Foreign Affairs, and authored nine books—including the #1 national bestseller "The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11," and the New York Times bestseller "Watergate: A New History," which was a finalist in 2023 for the Pulitzer Prize in History. His most recent books include "UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government’s Search for Alien Life Here—and Out There" and "When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day." Graff is a regular voice and analyst on NPR, PBS NewsHour, the History Channel, speaker at high-profile venues like corporate conferences, presidential libraries, and the Aspen Ideas Festival, and taught journalism and social media at Georgetown University for nearly a decade. Among other multimedia, TV, and film projects, he was executive producer of “While the Rest of Us Die,” a two-season VICE TV series based on his book "Raven Rock," and a consulting producer on the blockbuster Netflix documentary “Turning Point,” about the Cold War.

As Vice President and General Counsel, Carl analyzes, advocates, and testifies on tech-related legislative and regulatory initiatives relevant to online companies. Carl is also an adjunct professor of internet law at the George Mason Antonin Scalia Law School.  Before joining NetChoice, Carl was an intellectual property attorney at the lawfirm of Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon where he advised clients on privacy, Internet, e-commerce, and contractual matters. He also worked at the lawfirms of Venable and Arnold & Porter.  Before law school, Carl worked at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on the staff of Commissioner Orson Swindle, where he helped create and implement the FTC’s Consumer Information Security Outreach Plan and assisted the White House in establishing the National Strategy for Cyber Security. Carl obtained his J.D. and Communications Law Certificate from the Catholic University of America, magna cum laude, and Carl obtained his B.A. in Economics, Managerial Studies, and Policy Studies from Rice University. Carl is licensed to practice law in Washington, DC and is a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and has been recognized as a “Tech Titan” by the Washingtonian.

Scott Talbott is Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) in Washington, D.C. and is responsible for its governmental strategies, and directing ETA’s all of policy and advocacy efforts. Talbott has over twenty years of experience advocating for the financial services and FinTech industries. 

He has received numerous accolades in his tenure, including being named a top lobbyist by The Hill for eleven years in a row from 2009 to 2020, as well as a “winner” for his work during the economic crisis of 2008 by Washingtonian magazine. In 2010, he appeared in the Oscar-winning film “Inside Job.”

Once named NPR’s favorite bank lobbyist and the voice of the financial services industry, he frequently testifies before U.S Congress, in state capitols, and the Canadian Senate, and is a regular contributor to both national and international media. Talbott received his B.A. from Georgetown University, cum laude, and his J.D. from George Mason University School of Law.

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Martin B. Gold is a partner with Capitol Counsel, LLC. He has over 40 years of legislative and private practice experience, and is a recognized authority and author on matters of congressional rules and parliamentary strategies, and U.S. policy in Asia.

He frequently advises senators and their staff and serves on the adjunct faculty at George Washington University. Before domestic business, professional, and academic audiences, he speaks about Congress as well as political and public policy developments. Gold has been a guest lecturer at Tsinghua University, the Beijing Foreign Studies University, the Beijing International Studies University, Moscow State University, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, the State Parliament of Ukraine, and the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation.

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Stacey Johnson-Batiste is the author of Friends from the Beginning, which celebrates the dear friendship and shared experience between Stacey and her close, childhood friend Vice President Kamala Harris.
 
Growing up together in Berkeley in the ’60 and '70s, Stacey and Kamala were born of a time and place bursting with cultural diversity and freedom of expression. This memoir provides a candid, colorful, look at the formative years during which Stacey and Kamala shared and experienced an inclusive environment of community support, love, and non-traditional education—set against the backdrop of roiling political tension, demonstrations held frequently on and around the U.C. Berkeley campus and People's Park, and bold expressions from people from all walks of life.
 
Friends from the Beginning also offers readers a window into Kamala's mother, Shyamala—as observed by Stacey—the brave woman who set the future Vice President on a path of many firsts. While that path was not always easy, Shyamala’s light and legacy shines through on these pages. In addition, Johnson-Batiste introduces several other essential formative figures who informed their early lives and whose influences have played a role in shaping the character of both the author and of our Vice President.
 
Friends from the Beginning is a story of enduring friendship, life lessons described in bright, loving detail, and the courage, sacrifice, and dedication to shared values that have sustained their friendship for decades.

Stacey is a National Sales Channel Manager at AT&T. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco and was an honoree featured in CRN Magazine’s "The Power 100: The Most Powerful Women in the Channel" in 2018. 

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John Russell is a member of Dentons' Public Policy practice. Focusing on federal advocacy and strategic communications, John worked for nearly a decade on Capitol Hill, serving on the leadership staffs of a speaker, a House majority whip and the chairman of the House Campaign Committee. In his career, John has worked both extensively and effectively in the legislative, communications and campaign arenas.

Described by the National Journal's Richard Cohen as experienced and discreet, John has built and maintained strong relationships with members of Congress, as well as committee and personal office staffs. His strong and nuanced working knowledge of the policy, political and personal aspects of Washington, DC, allows him to design winning strategies to accomplish dynamic policy and market objectives. John was named a Top Lobbyist for 2018, 2019 and 2020 by The Hill newspaper.

John is devoted to improving literacy in California, Ohio and Washington, DC, and has served numerous nonprofits as a volunteer to help children improve reading skills.

John's sends out a weekly email - Washington on One Page - which captures what happened over the last week in DC, and what's coming in the week ahead. You can sign up by emailing him at john [dot] russell [at] dentons.com. 

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Shawn Day is a Senior Director of Public Affairs at Capital Results – a Virginia-based full-service public affairs and business consulting firm helping a wide range of companies, associations and government entities achieve their public policy and business goals.

Shawn directs integrated communications strategies designed to raise political and public support for clients primarily in the healthcare, technology and energy industries. His background in journalism and understanding of complex public policies provide a unique perspective on crafting effective campaigns to help clients achieve their goals.

Shawn oversees media relations, stakeholder outreach and strategic communications to build coalitions and foster a favorable environment for clients’ business objectives. He manages clients’ relationships with news reporters and opinion leaders, as well as nonprofit groups, trade associations, public policy think-tanks, and civic and business organizations. Shawn has extensive experience conducting in-depth policy research and analysis, and he works with regulatory and government affairs teams to shape messaging, media strategy and other aspects of strategic communications plans.

Prior to joining Capital Results, Shawn worked at The Virginian-Pilot, where he served as the lead editorial writer on state government and politics. He previously served as a news reporter at The Virginian-Pilot, the Daily Press and at newspapers in Oregon and Arizona, and he has written about a variety of issues at the local, state and federal levels. Shawn also is an adjunct professor at Thomas Nelson Community College, where he teaches composition and persuasive writing courses.

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This week we discuss the New Jersey Governor's race with Gerry Gibbs, a founding principal at the Trenton, New Jersey-based Capital Impact Group (CIG).

Gerry’s areas of focus are business development and financial services where he utilizes his extensive networks and expertise on behalf of his clients.

Prior to founding CIG, Gerry held high-level positions at the New Jersey Department of Treasury, serving under as Assistant State Treasurer and Director of the Legislative Affairs Unit which assists and oversees the annual budget process.  Working with Republicans and Democrats alike, the legislative unit also handled legislator’s constituent requests.  While at Treasury, he helped implement the State Alternative Investment Program which invested a portion of the State’s $70 billion pension portfolio to outside money managers and oversaw the Division of Public Finance, Pensions and Investments.

He was a presidential appointee in the Clinton Administration, serving in the U.S. Department of Labor in the Secretary’s public affairs office where he was responsible for preparation of briefing materials for use by department officials; and in the U.S. Department of Commerce where he was responsible for the advance planning for all logistic arrangements for domestic and international travel for the Secretary of Commerce.

He has extensive political campaign experience serving as senior adviser to legislative and gubernatorial candidates, political director in New Jersey for the presidential campaign of Al Gore, and national advance staff member for President William J. Clinton’s re-election campaign.

Most recently, Gerry served as part of an informal policy team to then Gubernatorial Candidate Ambassador Phil Murphy and after the campaign served as member of the Governor-Elect’s Budget Transition Team.

Gerry started his professional career as a legislative assistant for Congressman Donald M. Payne for four years. He founded the New Generation Leadership PAC, a bipartisan organization which raised money for and supported progressive congressional candidates.

A graduate of Howard University with a BA in Political Science, Gerry also holds Series 7 and 63 securities licenses and is a founding principal at Capital Impact Group.

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We are joined this week by Rich Gold, who is a Partner at Holland & Knight, one of the largest lobbying firms in D.C., where he serves as a leader of the firm’s Public Policy and Regulation team.

Rich provides us with a real-time update on reconciliation, the infrastructure package, and more. 

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On this throwback episode of The Political Life, Jim interviews Elizabeth Bartz of State and Federal Communications - helping companies and lobbyists comply with ethics rules in all fifty states and globally.

About Elizabeth Bartz

• Borrowed money and bought the compliance department of State and Federal Associates in 1993.
• She moved the department to Akron, Ohio, and bought it over a series of year, ultimately spinning it off into "State & Federal Communications."
• She can be seen at all of the major legislative conferences across the country.
• She works with contract lobbyists and in-house government affairs professionals, giving her a unique perspective on the industry.

What are State and Federal Communications’ main services?

• Compliance for lobbying and campaign finance.
• They will start handling lobbying and compliance for European countries soon.
• Many European political candidates are hiring American political consultants.

How many companies does State and Federal Communications work with?

• 100+.
• Their compliance department has about 12 people.
• Company-wide, it has about 12 attorneys on staff.

Resources Mentioned:

• State and Federal Communications
• NCSL
• Council on Governmental Ethics Laws
• CSG East

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John Russell is a member of Dentons' Public Policy practice. Focusing on federal advocacy and strategic communications, John worked for nearly a decade on Capitol Hill, serving on the leadership staffs of a speaker, a House majority whip and the chairman of the House Campaign Committee. In his career, John has worked both extensively and effectively in the legislative, communications and campaign arenas.

Described by the National Journal's Richard Cohen as experienced and discreet, John has built and maintained strong relationships with members of Congress, as well as committee and personal office staffs. His strong and nuanced working knowledge of the policy, political and personal aspects of Washington, DC, allows him to design winning strategies to accomplish dynamic policy and market objectives. John was named a Top Lobbyist for 2018, 2019 and 2020 by The Hill newspaper.

John is devoted to improving literacy in California, Ohio and Washington, DC, and has served numerous nonprofits as a volunteer to help children improve reading skills.

John's sends out a weekly email - Washington on One Page - which captures what happened over the last week in DC, and what's coming in the week ahead. You can sign up by emailing him at john [dot] russell [at] dentons.com. 

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Rick C. Wade is senior vice president of Strategic Alliances and Outreach at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Wade develops and implements programs and initiatives to help the Chamber create new business relationships and partnerships across diverse audiences. He also provides counsel on policy issues and leads special projects. Wade’s wealth of knowledge and experience in both the public and private sectors enable him to give a megaphone to the voice of business across the country and share the positive impacts of the free enterprise system.

Before joining the Chamber, Wade was principal of The Wade Group, a strategic communications and global business development firm, and was a partner at Harves Investment Group, a consultancy that facilitated foreign direct investment into the U.S.

Previously, Wade was a senior adviser and deputy chief of staff to former Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke where he was a liaison to the White House, businesses, trade associations, civic organizations, and local governments. He was a member of the White House task forces on Puerto Rico, Small Business Contracting, Automobile Recovery, Military Families, and Historically Black Colleges & Universities. He also served on the Interagency Business Council and former Vice President Joe Biden’s Task Force on Middle Class America and worked with the White House on implementing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Wade received his B.S. from the University of South Carolina and an M.P.A. from Harvard University. He was awarded honorary doctorates from Benedict College and South Carolina State University and has received numerous awards for exemplary leadership and public service.

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Jordan See is Head of Government Relations at Qualtrics.  He is responsible for directing all government activities for Qualtrics' North American business operations. Jordan has over 14 years of experience working with the United States Congress, state legislatures, executive agencies, healthcare, and technology industries. Prior to joining Qualtrics, Jordan served as the Director of State and Federal Government Relations with Teladoc Health, where he managed a portfolio of issues ranging from telehealth, health technology, state Medicaid, and federal Medicare and Veteran Health issues. Jordan also served as Director of Government Affairs with Leidos, where he was responsible for directing government activities for Leidos’ $4.0 billion health technology business. Prior to joining Leidos, See served as the Legislative Director for U.S. Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter (GA-01), where he managed the Congressman’s legislative staff and congressional activities on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.  From 2010-2016, See served in roles of increasing responsibility for U.S Rep. Gregg Harper (MS-03), ultimately serving as Senior Legislative Assistant and Communications Director, where he served as the primary advisor to the Congressman on Healthcare issues related to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, as well as Social Security, Financial Services, Small Business, Housing, Technology, and Veterans Health and Benefits issues. See serves as a commissioned Military Intelligence Officer (Major) in the United States Army Reserve, and is currently assigned as an Inspector General with the Military Intelligence Readiness Command at Ft. Belvoir, VA. From 2010-2019, See previously served as and enlisted Infantryman and a Military Intelligence Officer with the Mississippi Army National Guard. See holds a J.D. from Mississippi College School of Law, and a B.A. from the University of Florida in Anthropology/Geography. Go Gators!

Today on the show we speak to Wesley Smith, the Vice President for Policy and Public Affairs at Western Governors University. 

Western Governors University (WGU) is an online university where students can earn an affordable, accredited, career-focused college degree at an accelerated pace.

WGU was born at a meeting of the Western Governors' Association as a solution to a growing need for a college-educated workforce—a need that was not being fully met by traditional higher education. These governors, along with early and enthusiastic leadership from academic and industry innovators, built the foundation that allowed WGU to become what it is today.

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Gary Ginsberg is the author of the New York Times Best Seller First Friends - The Powerful, Unsung (and Unelected) People Who Shaped Our Presidents.

Gary grew up in Buffalo New York, home to two US presidents. A lawyer by training, he has spent his professional career at the intersection of media, politics, and law. He worked for the Clinton administration, was a senior editor and counsel at the political magazine George, and then spent the next two decades in executive positions in media and technology at News Corporation, Time Warner and SoftBank.

He has published pieces in The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and was an on-air political contributor in the early days of MSNBC. He lives in New York City with his wife and two sons. 

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Michael D. Cohen, Ph.D. is CEO of Cohen Research Group, a leading political, public affairs, and corporate research firm. He publishes the pioneering and award-winning Congress in Your Pocket suite of mobile apps and teaches graduate courses at Johns Hopkins University on research methods, digital strategy, political campaigns, and public policy.

He is the author of Modern Political Campaigns: How Professionalism, Technology, and Speed Have Revolutionized Elections, published in June 2021 by Rowman & Littlefield. Learn more about Dr. Cohen at http://michaelcohen.us.

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Matthew McKnight is the Chief Commercial Officer of Ginkgo Bioworks. Headquartered in Boston, Ginkgo Bioworks uses the most advanced technology on the planet—biology—to grow better products. The company’s cell programming platform is enabling the growth of biotechnology across diverse markets, from food to fragrance to pharmaceuticals.

Ginkgo is also actively supporting a number of COVID-19 response efforts, including community testing, epidemiological tracing, vaccine development and therapeutics discovery.

Prior to Ginkgo, Matt spent 7 years as an investor at IndUS Growth Partners and was the President and COO of Decision Resources Group. Matt has worked supporting business development at Palantir Technologies and is an active seed stage venture investor.

Early in his career, he served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. Matt completed a degree in History at Dartmouth College and is a graduate of the joint degree program at the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government where he was a Zuckerman Fellow.

• Check out one of Matthew and Jim's favorite blogs - Wait But Why.

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Howard Franklin is the Founder and Managing Partner of Ohio River South, a strategy firm focused on "the New American South."

Splitting time between state capitals and the campaign trail, Howard Franklin has worked across two dozen states to advance the careers and policies of the South’s leading lawmakers.

After running a nonprofit for former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, Howard served three years in the administration of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. He then spent five years working with the DeKalb, Fulton and Jefferson County governments.

Howard also worked for Stacy Abrams when she served as House Minority Leader in the Georgia legislature. After working for Abrams, Howard began working at an Atlanta-based lobbying firm, before hanging his own shingle and founding Ohio River South. 

Howard has been recognized as ‘Top 40 Under 40’ by Georgia Trend Magazine and The Network Journal. He is a member of the Georgia Professional Lobbyists Association, a frequent contributor on CNN, NPR and MSNBC

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Debra Dixon is a principal at Ferox Strategies, a strategic advisory and government relations firm based out of Washington DC.

As former Chief of Staff to then Rep. Xavier Becerra, Debra’s more than a decade and a half of work on Capitol Hill included supporting the Congressman’s efforts on the Ways and Means Committee, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, House Democratic Leadership and the California Delegation. Debra also learned the ins and outs of the non-profit world at the National Immigration Forum where she advocated for immigration reform, workforce needs, and a path to citizenship.

An attorney by trade, Debra bookended her time on Capitol Hill with stints at two federal agencies, serving as Immigration Counsel at the Department of Justice and subsequently as the Chief of Staff at the Department of Education’s Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development.

Debra has represented clients in the tech and B2B manufacturing industries. She is an expert at translating legislative and regulatory developments into layperson’s terms on issues such as international trade, supply chain, tax, immigration, and health IT.

Debra’s mother was born in the Midwest, her father in Panama, and they met and married in Ecuador. Wanting their children to receive the best education in the world, they moved to the US, and Debra grew up in Ohio. She has an undergraduate degree from Wheaton College, a law degree from Ohio State, and an LLM with an emphasis on International Trade from Georgetown University Law Center. 

ICYMI: We interviewed Debra's colleague, Cristina Antelo, on episode 122. 

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Adam Probolsky is the President and founder of Probolsky Research, a non-partisan opinion research organization that conducts polling and analysis for a range of clients including government, non-profit and political candidates.

Adam is also a thought leader. He has contributed to The New York Times, Politico, the San Francisco Chronicle, and MSNBC. 

Firm website: https://www.probolskyresearch.com/  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AdamProbolsky/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adamprobolsky

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamprobolsky/

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Jim Rogers, a native of Demopolis, Alabama, is an author, financial commentator and successful international investor. He has been frequently featured in Time, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Barron's, Forbes, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, and most publications dealing with the economy or finance. He has also appeared as a regular commentator and columnist in various media and has been a visiting professor at Columbia University.

After attending Yale and Oxford University, Jim Rogers co-founded the Quantum Fund, a global-investment partnership. During the next 10 years, the portfolio gained 4200%, while the S&P rose less than 50%. Rogers then decided to retire - at age 37. Continuing to manage his own portfolio, Jim Rogers kept busy serving as a professor of finance at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business, and, in 1989 and 1990, as the moderator of WCBS's 'The Dreyfus Roundtable' and FNN's 'The Profit Motive with Jim Rogers'.

In 1990-1992, Jim Rogers fulfilled his lifelong dream: motorcycling 100,000 miles across six continents, a feat that landed him in the Guinness Book of World Records. As a private investor, he constantly analyzed the countries through which he traveled for investment ideas. He chronicled his one-of-a-kind journey in Investment Biker: On the Road with Jim Rogers. Jim also embarked on a Millennium Adventure. He traveled for 1101 days on his round-the-world, Guinness World Record journey. Passing through 116 countries, he covered more than 245,000 kilometers, which he recounted in his book Adventure Capitalist: The Ultimate Road Trip. His latest book "A Gift to My Children: A Father's Lessons for Life and Investing" was published in 2009.

This week we sit down with Alex Kouts of Indigov - a next-generation constituent experience management platform designed for the government.

Indigov has built a modern constituent service platform for government that has  reduced average response time from months to a matter of minutes/hours and given representatives unprecedented capabilities and data insights that are changing the way they do their jobs and structure their teams.

Before founding Indigov, Alex worked in the startup space for years managing teams and developing software products. He also enjoys teaching, and has lectured at numerous universities in the U.S.

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Terri Broussard Williams has built her career on a solid reputation as an authentic, courageous, and impactful change agent. Throughout her journey as an award-winning corporate lobbyist, non-profit executive, and public speaker, Terri has transformed public and community service into a professional art form, positively impacting the lives of millions of people.

Lawrence Jackson is a former official White House staff photographer for President Barack Obama, and currently serves as the official White House photographer for Vice President Kamala Harris. 

When Lawrence Jackson took the job as White House photographer in early 2009, he knew he’d have a front row seat to history. What he didn’t expect was the deep personal connection he would feel, as a fellow African American, with the President of the United States.

Yes We Did is filled with Lawrence’s intimate photographs and reflections, as well as first-person recollections from President Obama, everyday citizens, and notable personalities including Bono, Stephen Curry, Valerie Jarrett, Admiral Mike Mullen, and others. The book is a celebration of the most inclusive and representative White House in history – where in between momentous and pivotal decisions, the President and First Lady opened the doors of the People’s House to schoolkids, athletes, senior citizens, hip-hop artists, and more.

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As a co-founding member of Capital City Consulting, Nick Iarossi has worked on local, state, and federal government policy issues for over 20 years. Recently named by Influence Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Florida, Nick is considered the best in his field representing a diverse client base before Florida’s government including: financial services, insurance, environmental, gaming, retail, education, alcohol, information technology, tobacco, and procurement.

Over the years, Nick lobbied to pass countless pieces of legislation on behalf of his clients and secured over a billion dollars in legislative appropriations. Nick is often relied on by clients to assist on various public affairs aspects such as crisis management, message development, and political branding.

Before starting his firm, Nick practiced law and government affairs at a prominent Florida law firm after working in the Senate Majority Office and Office of Insurance Regulation as a law clerk. Nick graduated from Florida State University with honors, where he served as student body president and also received his JD from Florida State University Law School.

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Todd Piro currently serves as a co-host of FOX & Friends First (weekdays 4-6 AM/ET) alongside Jillian Mele. He also contributes to the "Breakfast with Friends" diner series, which showcases how Americans across the country feel about the political news driving the day. He joined the network in June 2017.

Prior to joining FNC, Piro was the weekday morning anchor on WVIT-TV's NBC Connecticut Today and also acted as a guest anchor for various NBC platforms, including Early Today, First Look and The Place for Politics. During his career in news, he has covered some of the most prominent national news stories, including the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, Hurricane Sandy and the record breaking blizzard of 2013.

Piro previously served as a morning anchor at the CBS-affiliated station, KPSP Local 2 News in Palm Springs, CA. Before embarking on a career in television, he practiced law for five years in Los Angeles at Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP.

Piro received degrees from Dartmouth College and the University of California Los Angeles School of Law.

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This week we speak with Melissa Dargan, a former Congressional House staffer turned tech entrepreneur. She is the Co-founder of TourTrackr.com (product of Appmy, LLC), a platform that digitizes the tour management process for Members of Congress. During quarantine, Melissa also created Congre$$: A Personal Finance YouTube Series for Congressional Staff interested in money tips.

She started her political career working in Congress for Rep. Ed Royce and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. After almost 5 years on Capitol Hill, Melissa left government and was part of a two-person team that launched the Congressional App Challenge (CAC). This nationwide initiative engages 300+ Members of Congress in technology and inspires students to learn Computer Science.

Fun facts: Melissa does not drink coffee (she's just naturally energetic). When she is not talking politics, money or technology, Melissa enjoys trying new things. She earned an MBA from Yale School of Management (where she met Garrett, her significant other) and completed her B.A. in Political Science and B.S. in Business Administration at UC Berkeley - GO BEARS!

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Jean Becker, the author of The Man I Knew, George H.W. Bush was President George H.W. Bush's chief of staff for nearly twenty-five years, from March 1994 until his death on November 30, 2018.

As chief of staff, Jean had a ringside seat to the never-boring story of George Herbert Walker Bush's life post-presidency, including being at his side when he died and subsequently facing the challenge-and great honor-of being in charge of his state funeral.

Full of heart and wisdom, THE MAN I KNEW is a vibrant behind-the-scenes look into the ups and downs of heading up the office of a former president by one of the people who knew him best.

This book tells the story of how, after his devastating loss to Bill Clinton in 1992, President George H.W. Bush rebuilt his life, found a way to make a difference, and how, by the time he died in November 2018, was revered by his country and the world.

Bush's post-presidency journey was filled with determination, courage, love, hope, humor, fun, and big ideas. He became best friends with the man who defeated him; developed the odd habit of jumping out of airplanes; and learned how to adjust to life in a wheelchair, after having lived most of his life as a high-energy athlete. He joyously saw two sons become governors of their states, one of whom would go one to become President of the United States.

What happens when you go almost overnight from being the most important and powerful person in the world to a private citizen? THE MAN I KNEW tells just such a story, of one man's humble journey from president to man of the people.

Click here for more information on THE MAN I KNEW, and to purchase a copy for yourself.

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Laura Claster Bisesto is Head of Policy & Privacy at Nextdoor, where she leads Nextdoor’s privacy counseling program and is responsible for developing Nextdoor’s global product policy, public policy, and government relations programs. Laura has extensive experience advising technology companies at different stages of growth, including Lyft, Checkr and Verizon Media, which owns internet brands such as Yahoo, Aol, HuffPost, TechCrunch, and Tumblr, prior to divestiture.

Prior to going into tech, Laura spent five years as a Deputy District Attorney in San Diego and San Francisco counties where she served as lead prosecutor in over two dozen jury trials with charges that ranged from misdemeanors to serious and violent felonies.

Laura received her J.D. from U.C. Hastings. In law school, she externed for California Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald M. George, and after law school, she clerked for the California Supreme Court’s criminal central staff.   Laura is a proud Bruin and received her undergraduate degree from UCLA.

Laura lives in Orinda with her husband and son. She serves on the UC Hastings Alumni Association Board of Governors and volunteers on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), an organization that supports foster youth through advocacy and mentorship.

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Michael A. Nutter is a senior advisor in Dentons' Public Policy group and member of its Local Government Solutions team, composed of former local government elected and appointed officials who have played integral roles in city halls and county governments. This group works with local governments seeking solutions to complex challenges requiring an interdisciplinary approach.

A former mayor of Philadelphia, Michael's primary focus is now assisting local governments on achieving their economic development, financing and infrastructure goals, including advising on downtown and neighborhood revitalization, green cities initiatives, commercial adaptive reuse, tax credit financing, public-private partnerships, federal government advocacy, global trade missions and many other areas.

Michael brings to Dentons a strong government and public service background. After serving almost 15 years in the Philadelphia City Council, he became the 98th mayor of Pennsylvania's largest city in January 2008. At his inaugural address, Michael pledged to lower crime, improve educational attainment rates, make Philadelphia the greenest city in America, attract new businesses and residents to the city and, above all, to lead an ethical and transparent government focused on providing high-quality, efficient and effective customer service.

By the end of his tenure eight years later, homicides were down and high school graduations were up. The city added miles of bike lanes to its network of bicycle infrastructure. The city's population grew each year he was in office. The City Council passed his Actual Value Initiative, the city’s first-ever property assessment system overhaul, transforming a broken and corrupt system into a fair, accurate and understandable one. And thanks to Michael's strong financial stewardship, the city emerged from the worst economic recession since the Great Depression with its credit rating upgraded to the “A” category by the three major credit rating agencies—its best financial report card since the 1970s.

After leaving public service, Michael remained active in public policy, government and civic life. As founder and principal advisor of Michael A. Nutter Advisors LLC, he focused on policy development and thought leadership in the areas of education, governing and leadership, politics, public policy and public safety, advising clients on policymaking, media communications, strategy development, crisis management, government relations, political engagement and corporate governance.

At Dentons, Michael continues to leverage his experiences inside city hall as mayor and in his City Council seat. He has access to a broad national and international network of relationships developed over more than three decades, advising local governments on what works and what doesn't. He also provides strategic advice to private businesses and organizations, in the US and abroad, on how to develop or expand their relationships with US local governments.

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John Russell is a member of Dentons' Public Policy practice. Focusing on federal advocacy and strategic communications, John worked for nearly a decade on Capitol Hill, serving on the leadership staffs of a speaker, a House majority whip and the chairman of the House Campaign Committee. In his career, John has worked both extensively and effectively in the legislative, communications and campaign arenas.

Described by the National Journal's Richard Cohen as experienced and discreet, John has built and maintained strong relationships with members of Congress, as well as committee and personal office staffs. His strong and nuanced working knowledge of the policy, political and personal aspects of Washington, DC, allows him to design winning strategies to accomplish dynamic policy and market objectives. John was named a Top Lobbyist for 2018, 2019 and 2020 by The Hill newspaper.

John is devoted to improving literacy in California, Ohio and Washington, DC, and has served numerous nonprofits as a volunteer to help children improve reading skills.

John's sends out a weekly email - Washington on One Page - which captures what happened over the last week in DC, and what's coming in the week ahead. You can sign up by emailing him at john [dot] russell [at] dentons.com. 

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Wes Fisher is the Director of Federal and State Affairs at the National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA), the national trade group representing the $31 billion US convenience services industry (vending and unattended retail). He leads state government affairs and grassroots organizing across the US and works closely with NAMA’s state councils. He has traveled across the nation to testify before state and local governments, provide legislative briefings, and host state lobby days.

Prior to joining NAMA in 2018, Wes led state legislative outreach and membership across fifty states for the American Legislative Exchange Council and has previously held several roles in politics and public policy, including interning in the Office of Congressman Bob Goodlatte (VA-06).

Wes has a degree from James Madison University in Political Science and is a Virginia native.

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Michael O'Brien is the founder and principal of MOB Advocacy. He has more than ten years experience as a state and local lobbyist. Michael has lobbied governors, mayors, legislators, state and local agencies and regulators in more than 40 states.

Before launching MOB Advocacy, Michael led the nation-wide state and local program for RISE (Responsible Industry for a Sound Environment). Prior to RISE, Michael launched Molina Healthcare's political and grassroots advocacy programs, created strong public-private partnerships as the director of state government relations for The Washington Center, and developed a federal, state and grassroots advocacy program for The National Conference for Community & Justice.

Michael also provides mentoring to startups at Halcyon and Seed Spot - impact incubator organizations in the D.C. area.

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In this week’s episode, Jim O’Brien and Maggie Mick host Scott Jennings, an American conservative writer and commentator. A former political director to United State Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), we dive into McConnell’s legacy as the longest serving Republican Leader in the U.S. Senate and leadership lessons passed on to mentees like Jennings.

About Scott

Scott Jennings is an on-air CNN Contributor, writes columns for the Courier-Journal, the LA Times, USA Today, and CNN.com, and is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. He is a founding partner of RunSwitch Public Relations and a veteran of numerous political campaigns, including four presidential efforts. A former journalist and political operative, Scott uses his 20 plus years of experience to offer clients cutting-edge strategy and analysis, and helps craft winning messages in the most difficult communications environments. He also hosts the podcast Flyover Country with Scott Jennigs. 

Katie Neer is the Head of Industry Affairs at Lantern, an e-commerce marketplace that facilitates cannabis home delivery. Headquartered in Boston, MA, Lantern currently operates in Massachusetts, Michigan, and Colorado.

Prior to joining Lantern, Katie was in private practice and gained in-house cannabis experience as the Director of Government Affairs at Acreage Holdings, a multi-state-operator. She was Chair of the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association.

Katie also previously served as Assistant Secretary for General Government and Financial Services in the New York State Governor’s Office. At the Governor’s office, Katie was a member of the state operations team overseeing policy and operations for six agencies: the Department of Financial Services (DFS); the State Insurance Fund; the Department of State; the Department of Tax and Finance; the Office of General Services; and the Gaming Commission. During her time in the Governor’s Office, Katie was responsible for negotiating and overseeing the implementation of several key policy initiatives, including Paid Family Leave, Ride-Share, and the DFS’s cybersecurity regulations.

Katie was listed as an attorney on The Best Lawyers in America, “Ones to Watch,” List for Administrative and Regulatory law in 2021. In 2018, she was profiled as an Albany 40 Under 40 Rising Star. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood in New York.

A member of the New York State Bar, she received her J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law, her M.P.A. from Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, and her B.A. in political science from SUNY Albany, where she earned the 2009 SUNY Chancellor’s Award of Excellence and played Division I Lacrosse.

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Mark Dober is the Founder of Dober Partners, an Executive Search & Consultancy firm operating in Brussels and around Europe since 2010. Dober Partners headhunts senior communication and public affairs executives for corporates, associations, consultancies and law firms.

Mark has recruited many senior communication, public affairs and association leaders in Brussels and around Europe over the last decade. He has also been a shareholder in Ellwood Atfield and led their Brussels office since 2011. He has consulted with over 50 European association leaders, right up to the President of BUSINESSEUROPE and DG of the European Roundtable of Industry. He has also worked with major corporations including Johnson & Johnson, Novartis and GSK among others.

He was formerly APCO’s first employee in Europe and set up their Brussels office in 1995, acting as Managing Director in various roles until 2010. Mark was involved with recruiting many key positions around Europe for APCO Worldwide and its clients during 16 years of rapid growth at the company. Prior to APCO, he joined the London office of Hill & Knowlton and left its Brussels office as Associate Director.

Mark has twice been voted ‘European Consultant of the Year’ by ‘Public Affairs News’ and members of ‘The European Public Affairs Directory’. He has authored numerous reports on public affairs and communications including ‘Key Success Factors for European Associations’, ‘EU Media Relations’, ‘High Performance Secretariats’, ‘European Association Remuneration’ and ‘European Corporate Affairs Remuneration’.

He has a Masters in Political Science from the PUC University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Mark speaks English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. He was the European kickboxing champion in 2002 and the European jiu-jitsu champion in 2011

Dober Partners publishes the "Best in Brussels" report annually - the first and only independent resource for organizations wanting to identify, compare and choose the best partners in Brussels for their advocacy needs. Mark also wrote a book, High Performance Secretariat, which breaks down the key attributes of high performance trade association leaders. 

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Kajsa Stenström  is the managing partner of Managing Partner, Stenström Consulting. The company offers advice on EU policy and regulatory developments and provides services to clients from different countries and different industry sectors.

Kajsa has more than 20 years of experience in providing strategic advice to clients in the area of EU affairs. She first came to Brussels to work at the European Commission. Since then, she has set up and managed a unique public affairs department within a law firm and has also established a successful independent public affairs consultancy in Brussels.

Kajsa has managed a series of lobbying campaigns in several policy areas, including data privacy, financial services, digital policies, trade and external relations, consumer goods and energy. She is an experienced lecturer on EU lobbying and regularly contributes to books and publications on EU affairs.

She teaches EU Lobbying and Effective influencing at Lille University, France (Master 2 level). For 15 years Kajsa has been a Board member of the Society of European Affairs Professionals, which acts for transparent and ethical lobbying. She is a Swedish national, was educated at the Sorbonne University in France and is fluent in five languages.

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Stuart Thomson is the Head of Public Affairs at BDB Pitmans. He is a public policy and communications specialist advising clients on all elements of their public affairs strategies including political and corporate communications and reputation management. He is a CIPR Chartered PR Practitioner (Chart. PR).

His work also includes consultation and planning communications and he has advised on a number of high profile media relations and crisis communications programmes.

Stuart is an honorary research fellow at the University of Aberdeen and is the author of several books including ‘New Activism and the Corporate Response‘ (heralded as a book that “every aspiring business leader should read” by MIS Asia), ‘Public Affairs in Practice’ and ‘The Dictionary of Labour Quotations‘. His most recently published book, ‘Public Affairs: A Global Perspective’ has been called ‘an absolute treasure-trove’ and is a recommended read by the Government Communication Service (GCS).

Stuart regularly writes and lectures on a range of business and political issues and as well as blogging for BDB Pitmans he contributes to the Huffington Post and has a monthly opinion column for Finito World. He is an adviser to the Entrepreneurs Network (TEN), a speaker and chair at conferences, and has appeared regularly in the media.

He won the ‘Best Current Affairs Influencer’ category at Vuelio’s Online Influence Awards 2020.

Stuart runs a number of training programmes for the CIPR and PRCA including a Diploma in Public Affairs Management.

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Kristin Smith is the Executive Director of the Blockchain Association, the Washington DC-based trade association representing the most prominent and reputable organizations in the crypto industry. The mission of the Blockchain Association is to improve the public policy environment so that crypto networks can thrive in the United States. Kristin sets the association’s public policy strategy and leads engagement with industry and outreach to policymakers.

Prior to leading the Blockchain Association, Kristin helped blockchain and technology companies achieve their public policy objectives in Washington. She served as a Senate and congressional aide on Capitol Hill for nearly ten years, much of which was spent focusing on technology policy. She co-founded HODLpac and currently serves on the organization’s board of directors, sits on the Board of Advisors of the Filecoin Foundation, and is featured on Fortune’s 2020 40 Under 40 list.

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This week we speak with Alicia Leahy, the Vice President for Federal Affairs for the Motion Picture Association ("MPA"). 

The MPA is the leading advocate of the film, television and streaming industry around the world. MPA’s members are Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Universal and Warner Bros. In this role she informs Members of Congress and their staff, Agency and Administration officials on issues affecting the industry, primarily in areas such as trade, copyright and tax policy.

Prior to joining the MPA, Alicia worked for more than a decade as a senior development and marketing officer for several non-profit organizations. Alicia began her career on Capitol Hill first as an intern and then as a staff member for the late Sen. Ted Kennedy. Alicia graduated from the University of Vermont with a degree in Political Science.

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We are joined today by Rich Gold, who is a Partner at Holland & Knight, one of the largest lobbying firms in D.C., where he serves as a leader of the firm’s Public Policy and Regulation team.

Rich provides us with a real-time update on the status of the American Rescue Plan, the return of earmarks (now known as "community project funding"), and the next round of legislation that Congress will take up in the coming months. 

Be sure to check out Rich on Holland & Knight's new podcast - Eyes on Washington. In the inaugural episode of the podcast, Rich sits down with Quorum to discuss the return of earmarks. 

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Mike Cuzzi is a Principal at Cornerstone Government Affairs, a full-service, bipartisan consulting firm specializing in federal and state government relations, public affairs and strategic communications, and advisory services.

Mike’s expertise is focused on energy and environmental issues. He is based in Maine and is assisting the firm in building out its Northeast Regional capabilities for states including Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.

Mike has two decades of experience working with businesses, industry associations and political leaders throughout New York, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire. 

Prior to joining Cornerstone, Mike held senior positions at a major global renewable energy company, a Washington, D.C.-based strategic communications consultancy, and managed his own government relations practice servicing clients across the northeast and Washington, D.C.

He has two decades of political campaign experience and relationships, having previously served in senior positions on both presidential and congressional campaigns. Mike has extensive experience advocating before state and federal legislative and regulatory bodies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the U.S. Department of Energy, Congress and the White House. Mike’s practice focuses on clean energy and climate change, blending his experience in both the public and private sectors.

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Victoria Waddail is Senior Director of Research and Analysis at Cygnal, LLC. She joined the firm following its acquisition of Harper Polling in 2020. Victoria joined Harper Polling before the 2014 cycle.

In her current role, Victoria provides expert guidance to clients in survey instrument design, leads the writing and presentation of analysis, and assists in strategic advisory for the firm’s wide array of political and public affairs clients. Over her career, Victoria has worked on hundreds of surveys for members of Congress, state legislative caucuses, corporations, public policy groups and trade associations, and party organizations.  

She gained experience at the DC-based public opinion research firm Public Opinion Strategies, and studied the principles and methods of public policy analysis from prominent policymakers as a Summer Institute Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Victoria is a RIVA-trained focus group Moderator.

Victoria also spent five years as a contract lobbyist in Pennsylvania with clients spanning a variety of fields including pharmaceuticals, broadband expansion, and criminal justice reform.

Victoria is a 2016 graduate of the Anne B. Anstine Excellence in Public Service Series, a professional leadership program designed to train women to be more effective leaders in government, business, and the community. She is a board member of the Junior League of York. She graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa from Washington and Lee University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Mathematics and is President of the University’s Keystone Alumni Chapter. Originally from Towson, MD, Victoria now lives in York, PA with her husband Chris and son Theodore.

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Jennifer Stojkovic is a preeminent governmental affairs leader for the world’s largest tech companies in the capital of innovation, San Francisco. In her role as Executive Director of sf.citi, Jennifer advocates for leading tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, and Airbnb, to build sound policy with legislators across the political spectrum. She speaks both locally and internationally on the intersection between tech and government and is regularly covered in the national press. 

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In this week's episode, Jim O'Brien and Maggie Mick interview Derek Brown, Republican candidate for Attorney General in Utah. In addition to diving into the issues facing Utahans, we learn about his career in Washington, D.C., time as a state legislator in Utah, and stints in the private sector. 

Josh Gray is the Vice President of Strategic Alliances & Policy at The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.

The National Coalition on Black Civic Participation is a 501 (c) 3 non-partisan civic engagement organization that strives to cultivate institutional base-building capacity and intergenerational leadership models at the local, state and national levels. 

Josh shares his incredible story of hardship, perseverance, and hope with us this week, and we hear about the power of foster parents, adoption, and mentorship. 

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Abigail Slater is a Senior Vice President for Policy and Strategy at Fox Corporation in Washington, DC. She is a seasoned policy professional with expertise in a host of communications issues.

From 2018-2019 she served on the White House National Economic Council where she managed the technology, telco, and cyber policy portfolio. Her prior roles include General Counsel at the Internet Association and a decade of government service at the FTC.

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Hugh Martin is chairman and CEO of Lacuna Technologies, Inc, the leading provider of open source digital tools that allow cities to create and enforce dynamic transportation policies. 

Hugh joined Lacuna in November 2018. Previously, Hugh was VP of Strategy for Verizon Smart Communities. He joined Verizon through the acquisition of Sensity Systems by Verizon in October 2016. As its founder and CEO, Hugh created the vision for Sensity Systems and the Light Sensory Network and is responsible for steering the company’s strategic course.

His 35-year track record as an entrepreneurial leader of cutting-edge technology companies, new ventures, and high-growth businesses includes serving at the helm of numerous highly successful organizations.

In 2011, he was named CEO for Fortune magazine’s ‘Executive Dream Team: The startup edition,’ acknowledged for his ‘management chops’ and for successfully taking public two companies, in two different industries. More recently, the World Economic Forum recognized Hugh and Sensity as a Technology Pioneer.

In addition, Hugh serves as the Chairman of Whole Biome, a startup in the Microbiome space and is also a board member of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

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