Senator Jeff Atwater recieves 2007 Champion for Business Award from AIF President and CEO Barney Bishop

Representative Bean recieves 2007 Champion for Business Award from AIF President and CEO Barney Bishop

AIF lobbyists, representing centuries of accumulated experience in politics and government, spent more than 10,000 hours in the Capitol during the 2007 Legislative Session advocating for your business interests...View and Print the 2008 Lobby Team Publication...

Officers
Barney T. Bishop III
President & CEO of Associated Industries of Florida … former aide to state Treasurer Bill Gunter … former Executive Director of the Florida Democratic Party … more than 29 years experience in legislative and political affairs … areas of expertise include appropriations, criminal justice, and behavioral health care issues … B.S. in Political & Judicial Communication from Emerson College in Boston.
Jose L. Gonzalez
Vice President – Governmental Affairs for Associated Industries of Florida ... coordinates AIF’s lobbying team and all research and advocacy efforts for the association … five years legislative experience ... Master’s degree in Public Administration with a specialization in Public Policy and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Florida.		 Chris Verlander
Senior Vice President – Corporate Development of Associated Industries of Florida ... more than 28 years expertise in insurance lobbying activities ... former president (1994-1997) and Vice Chairman (1997-1999) of American Heritage Life Insurance Company ... B.S. from Georgia Tech and M.B.A. from the University of Florida.		 Tamela Ivey Perdue, Esq.
General Counsel and Shareholder with the law firm of Stiles, Taylor & Grace, P.A., managing the firm’s Tallahassee office … more than 16 years legislative and legal experience, representing insurers and the business community on tort, workers’ compensation, insurance and other legal issues before the legislative and executive branches of government ... established legal practice specializing in insurance defense and administrative law … formerly worked in The Florida Senate … B.S. from Lee University and J.D. from Stetson University.
Consultants
Keyna Cory (Chief Lobbyist)
President, Public Affairs Consultants, a public affairs and governmental relations consulting firm ... more than 23 years experience representing a variety of clients, from small entrepreneurs to Fortune 500 companies, before the Florida Legislature ... majored in Political Science at the University of Florida.		 Robert P. Asztalos
Partner with Buigas, Asztalos & Associates and the Director of Governmental Affairs for Delta Health Group ... directed the nursing home profession’s litigation reform campaign in 2000-01 and served as the Director of the Heal Healthcare in Florida Coalition ... over 22 years legislative experience ... Master’s degree in Legislative Affairs and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from George Washington University.		 Pete J. Buigas
Partner in Buigas, Asztalos & Associates ... has represented various associations and corporations and developed strategies to direct legislative action on health care and education issues for more than 10 years … formerly served as Deputy Director for AHCA and managed the division responsible for statewide regulation of all health care facilities, managed care industry, Certificate of Need (CON) program, and provider/facility complaints.
Al Cardenas, Esq.
Partner with the law firm of Tew Cardenas LLP, chairs the Advocacy and Governmental Affairs group in Miami, Tallahassee and Washington, DC ... over 30 years legislative experience ... served two terms as Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida … twice-named one of Washington, DC’s top lobbyists ... currently represents some of Florida’s largest corporate and governmental entities before the Florida Legislature ... graduate of Florida Atlantic University and the Seton Hall University School of Law.		 Chris Dudley
Joined Southern Strategy Group in 2000 ... over 15 years legislative experience … formerly served as Assistant to the Chief of Staff and Acting Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Jeb Bush and as Deputy Chief of Staff, Deputy Legislative Director, and Special Assistant to former Lt. Governor Frank T. Brogan … Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of South Florida.		 Mark Flynn
Vice President of J. Keith Arnold & Associates ... over 21 years legislative experience ... former economic development executive with extensive experience representing business on a broad range of issues, including growth management and transportation ... has also worked for both a member of Congress and a member of the Florida House of Representatives ... graduate from the University of South Dakota with a B.S. in Mass Communications.
Leslie Foy
Assistant Director of Greenberg Traurig’s Tallahassee Governmental Affairs practice … state legislative practice spans over 20 years representing health and life insurers, investorowned health care facilities, and assisted living facilities … formerly served as the Director of Government Affairs for the Florida Chamber of Commerce … well-versed in grassroots and campaign development techniques having previously served as AIF’s Chief Political Officer.		 Richard Gentry
Head of Gentry & Associates, a government consulting firm in Tallahassee ... prior General and Legislative Counsel for the Florida Home Builders Association ... in his 24 years with the association, Mr. Gentry was actively involved in legislation which included growth management, affordable housing and environmental laws.		 Peter Harris, Esq.
President and CEO of ADG Business & Governmental Consultants ... more than 17 years experience successfully designing and implementing substantive legislative, governmental and management programs for business and government ... effectively worked with key policy makers in all branches of government … graduate of the University of Miami and Florida State University College of Law.
Nick Iarossi, Esq.
Founding Partner of Capital City Consulting, LLC ... with more than seven years legislative experience ... formerly worked in the Florida Senate, The Florida House of Representatives and the Office of Insurance Regulation ... expertise in banking and insurance, privacy and public records, health care, procurement, parimutuels, technology, and education ... graduate from Florida State University College of Law.		 H. Frank Meiners
President, Frank Meiners Governmental Consultants, LLC ... formerly with BellSouth as their Executive Director in Tallahassee where he lobbied communications issues ... more than 30 years legislative experience ... graduate of the University of South Florida in Mathematics and of the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.		 David Rancourt
Founding Partner of Southern Strategy Group with more than 21 years legislative experience … formerly served as Director of the Florida Division of Elections, as Deputy Secretary of State, and Deputy Chief of Staff under Governor Jeb Bush … serves a strong client base with varied interests in both executive and legislative branches of government … holds a B.S. in Economics from Florida State University and a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Florida.
Jim Rathbun
President of Rathbun & Associates ... more than 19 years experience representing individuals and entities before the legislature, state agencies, Governor, and Cabinet ... formerly worked with the Florida House of Representatives and served as Staff Director of the House Republican Office ... B.S. from Florida State University. 		Stephen W. Shiver
Director of Governmental Affairs for the Advocacy Group at Tew Cardenas … over 10 years legislative and campaign experience … former aide to House Speaker Tom Feeney and Majority Office Liaison to House Majority Leader Mike Fasano … former Executive Director for the Republican Party of Florida … has represented some of Florida’s largest corporate and governmental agencies before the Florida Legislature … graduate of Florida State University.		 John Thrasher, Esq.
Florida’s Speaker of the House from 1999-2000 ... while leading the House, helped to pass some of the landmark reforms advanced by Gov. Bush, including an overhaul of the state’s entire system of education ... the new medical school at FSU, John’s alma mater, honors his name ... more than 25 years of legislative and government affairs experience.
Stacey Webb
Joined Southern Strategy Group after serving as Assistant Chancellor for Community Colleges at the Florida Department of Education leading the division’s legislative efforts on issues relating to economic and workforce development … also served as Staff Director and Majority Office Senior Analyst with the House of Representatives … 13 years legislative experience ... received a B.A. from Stetson University and a M.P.A. from the University of Central Florida.		 Gerald Wester
Managing Partner, Capital City Consulting, LLC ... former Chief Deputy over Florida Department of Insurance’s regulatory staff ... more than 32 years lobbying experience ... expertise in insurance, banking, and health care issues ... Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Florida State University.		  

 

 

 

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