Insight Meets Influence

Co-founder of South and Hill Strategies, Colin Reed is a nationally recognized political and communications strategist with extensive experience guiding high-profile candidates, individuals and institutions with their most pressing campaigns and challenges. Described by The Hill as, “a veteran of the opposition-research wars that have helped to define presidential races,” Mr. Reed served as the Executive Director of America Rising PAC during the 2016 presidential election cycle. He has also worked directly with C-Suites and top executives at some of the nation’s leading private sector institutions where his instinctual understanding of the media environment and experience as a crisis communicator have drawn corporate leaders, particularly in the technology and energy sectors, to seek his counsel.

Rob Engstrom is President of the American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce (AmFree), leading the organization’s Washington, D.C.-based strategy and business operations. In addition to his work with AmFree, Rob has served as Chief Political Strategist to some of the nation’s leading trade associations and corporations, spearheading strategic advocacy and political engagement operations, including political action committees, grassroots efforts, and voter education initiatives.

Alan Cobb is president and CEO of the Kansas Chamber. A native Kansan, Alan has been involved in politics and public policy at the local, state, and federal level for more than 30 years.

Alan has managed statewide political and issue campaigns, served on the staff of U.S. Senator Bob Dole and U.S. Senator Sheila Frahm, and advised the 2014 campaigns of Congressman Mike Pompeo and Senator Pat Roberts. He served as Senior Advisor and National Director of Coalitions for the Trump for President Campaign and on the Trump-Pence transition team.

Bradford J. Kelley has a broad practice representing employers in employment anti-discrimination and wage and hour matters. He focuses on advising clients about emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), and their impact in the workplace.

Brad is an internationally recognized workplace AI authority. He advises clients on how to maximize the benefits of using AI in the workplace while minimizing potential legal and business risks. His deep background in this area provides employers with the tools and insights they need to develop, deploy, and monetize AI and other emerging technologies to bolster business operations and efficiency. In addition, he counsels clients on how to effectively navigate the compliance requirements and litigation risks associated with evolving AI laws and regulations. Brad has published numerous articles about workplace AI.

Shannon Meade is the executive director of Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute® (WPI®), the firm’s government relations and public policy arm. A highly seasoned government affairs professional, she advocates for the interests of employers to help define and shape workplace policy at the international, national and local levels.

Kristen Swearingen is the Vice President of Legislative & Political Affairs at Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), where she leads the association’s lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill and coalition efforts in the business community. ABC is a national construction industry trade association with 67 chapters representing more than 23,000 member small and large businesses employing millions of construction industry professionals. 

Gabe Schlickau serves as Senior Relationship Manager in the Regional Agribusiness Banking Group for CoBank, a national cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America.

An intentional and effective advocate, Gabe has significant experience leading boards of directors in businesses, government entities and non-profit organizations to focus on the sustainability and growth of communities throughout Kansas and the Midwest.  

James Golsen is the Deputy Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service at the International Trade Administration (ITA), the U.S. government’s primary commercial diplomacy, export, and investment promotion agency. He manages a staff of more than 1,450 trade professionals across more than 225 domestic and overseas trade offices.

Bryan’s background includes years of research on the impact trade has on people in the United States. He has led grassroots campaigns in support of initiatives like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and in opposition to special-interest efforts to get the government to pick winners and losers in the U.S. economy.

Jonathan Gold is vice president of supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation. In this role, Gold is a primary spokesperson and is responsible for representing the retail industry before Congress and the administration on supply chain, international trade, product safety and customs-related issues impacting the retail industry. While with NRF, he has been a leading advocate of the value of trade and global value chains to the U.S. economy.

Michelle Bekkering currently serves as National Engagement Director for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. Prior to joining USGLC, Bekkering was nominated by the President and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate as an Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). A passionate advocate for women’s empowerment and equality, Bekkering was a leading architect of the White House led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative (W-GDP); a whole of U.S. Government initiative to economically empower 50 million women by 2025. Bekkering was awarded a Superior Accomplishment Award by USAID for her leadership.

Christopher Netram is managing vice president of policy at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). In this capacity, he leads the NAM’s highly respected and trusted policy team and works to ensure the manufacturing voice is brought to these legislative and regulatory issues before Congress and the administration.

Andrew Beilein is Vice President of Government Relations at Business Roundtable, responsible for outreach to Capitol Hill and the Administration and managing campaigns and coalition building on behalf of the association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. companies.

Nicole Vasilaros is the Vice President, Head of Advocacy and Deputy, Government Relations for the Business Roundtable, where she plays a central role engaging with Congress, the Administration, policy makers, the business community, third party organizations and the media on behalf of the association of chief executive officers of leading U.S. corporations. 

For thirty years Karen Kerrigan’s leadership, advocacy and training work have helped foster U.S. entrepreneurship and global business growth.  She is founder, president & CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, and is the group’s chief advocate. Kerrigan is viewed as one of the world’s most influential players in advocating for ecosystems to support strong startup activity and small business growth, having served across Administrations as an “entrepreneurial envoy” and “small business ambassador” for U.S. State Department missions and various NGO events and conferences. She is a founding member of the World Entrepreneurship Forum and former Chair (and current board member) of the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), one of the core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy, which works to strengthen democracy around the globe through private enterprise and market-oriented reforms. Kerrigan is a certified health and wellness coach, as she has a passion for ensuring people have access to information and tools that equip them to live more healthy lives and lifespans.

John Rolfe is the President and CEO of the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce.  Prior to joining the Chamber, he served as the Chief Business Officer at the Kansas Leadership Center (KLC), where he directed all business operations, business development and community outreach efforts. Before joining KLC, John served as Chief Operating Officer for Houston First Corporation, Houston, TX and was the CEO and President of Go Wichita Convention & Visitors Bureau.  He has also served as Deputy Secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce and in other economic development and marketing positions.

David Wessel is a senior fellow in Economic Studies at Brookings and director of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, the mission of which is to improve the quality of fiscal and monetary policies and public understanding of them. He joined Brookings in December 2013 after 30 years on the staff of The Wall Street Journal where, most recently, he was economics editor and wrote the weekly Capital column.  He appears frequently on NPR’s Morning Edition and tweets often at @davidmwessel.

As the founder of SteerBridge, Rob brings to the firm decades of leadership experience serving both in the military and the private sector. A retired Marine Corps Harrier pilot, Rob founded SteerBridge with a special emphasis on elevating the stature of Veterans in the private sector by integrating their experience into federal projects. Rob is able to blend his operational, congressional, and acquisition experience developed in the Marine Corps with his management success while at the US Chamber of Commerce to deliver effective results for SteerBridge customers.   

Shane Tews is the president of Logan Circle Strategies, working with her clients to create a coordinated public policy approach to information communications and technology policies, cybersecurity, and cyber governance strategies on a global scale. Additionally, Shane manages Logan Circle Strategies’ relationships with Congress, administration, foreign governments, think-tanks, and trade associations.

She also is a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where she focuses on cybersecurity issues, including privacy and data protection, next-generation networking (5G), the Internet of Things, international internet governance, digital economic policy, information and communications technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and the metaverse, cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens, and emerging technologies.

NCLA’s President and Chief Legal Officer, Mark Chenoweth, has observed the administrative state up close and personal from perches in all four branches of the federal government. Mark served as the first chief of staff to Congressman Mike Pompeo, as legal counsel to Commissioner Anne Northup at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, as an attorney advisor in the Office of Legal Policy at the U.S. Department of Justice, and as a law clerk to the Hon. Danny J. Boggs on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Christie Kriegshauser serves as Vice President of Political Affairs for the Kansas Chamber of Commerce. Before joining the Chamber team in June of 2013, Christie served as Chief of Staff to both Speaker Ray Merrick and Speaker Mike O’Neal. In her role in the Speaker’s office, Christie managed both the legislative and political aspects of the House majority caucus including redistricting and the subsequent House campaigns across the state.

Eric Stafford joined the Kansas Chamber in 2011 as the Senior Director of Government Affairs, before being promoted to Vice President of Government Affairs in 2014.

Eric leads the Chamber’s government affairs team and its policy and advocacy efforts on pro-business legislation. Eric’s primary focus has included worker’s compensation, unemployment insurance, immigration, health care and tort reform. In addition, Eric is responsible for the Chamber’s advocacy on tax policy, government efficiency, state budget and legal reform.

Toni Porter rejoined the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce as Vice President of Government Relations in August of 2022. She previously worked in Government Relations at The Chamber from 2015 to 2017.

From 2017 – 2021, Toni lived in Washinton, DC where she served as Chief of Protocol at the Central Intelligence Agency and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State at the United States Department of State. Earlier in her career, she worked as District Director for former United States Congressman Mike Pompeo (KS-4) whose district included Wichita and the surrounding area.

Tracey Mann has represented the “Big First” District of Kansas in the U.S. House of Representatives since January 2021 and is a tireless advocate for Kansas agriculture and conservative Kansas values.

Congressman Mann is a fifth-generation Kansan, who was born and raised on his family farm just south of Quinter. He grew up in the family farmhouse that his great-great-grandfather ordered from a Montgomery Ward catalog in the early 1900s. Congressman Mann learned the value of hard work at a young age as he spent thousands of hours in the fields and in the family feed yard. Some of his fondest memories of those days are working cattle with his grandfather, father, and brother on Saturday afternoons while listening to K-State football on the radio. 

Congressman Jake LaTurner proudly represents Kansas’ 2nd District in the House of Representatives in his second term in office. 

Congressman LaTurner is steadfast in his commitment to honoring his Contract with Kansas:

• Co-sponsoring a constitutional amendment that imposes term limits on Members of Congress.
• Fighting to secure our borders and protect our country.
• Balancing our budget, opposing tax increases, and bringing fiscal responsibility to Washington.
• Fighting for work requirements for welfare recipients.
• Standing, without apology for the sanctity of human life, protecting our sacred rights of religious liberty, safeguarding the right to keep and bear arms.
• Protecting our incredible farmers and ranchers by fighting for the interests of Kansas agriculture.
• Living and raising his family in the great state of Kansas.

Representative Davids was raised by a single mother, who served in the Army for 20 years. After graduating from Leavenworth High School, she worked her way through Johnson County Community College and the University of Missouri-Kansas City before earning a law degree from Cornell Law School. As a first generation college student who worked the entire time she was in college, Rep. Davids understands the importance of quality public schools and affordable higher education. It is that foundation that allowed her to go on to a successful career, focused on economic and community development, which included time as a White House Fellow under President Barack Obama.

Doc Marshall is a physician, devoted father, grandfather, and U.S. Senator for Kansas. As a 5th generation farm kid growing up in Butler County, Doc Marshall became the first in his family to attend college. After graduating from Butler County Community College, he received his Bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University and his Medical Doctorate from the University of Kansas.

Ron Estes (pronounced ESS-tiss) is a 5th generation Kansan and serves Kansas’ 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Since being sworn into office in 2017, Congressman Estes has been a leader on passing landmark tax reform, rolling back burdensome regulations and implementing trade agreements with some of Kansas’ biggest trading partners. In Congress, Rep. Estes has defended Wichita’s aviation industry, helped pass a five-year Farm Bill to support Kansas agriculture, protected the 4th District’s water supply and quality of life, and led efforts to secure new pro-life guidelines for the Title X Family Planning Program. 

Kansans first elected Jerry Moran to the United States Senate in 2010. Since joining the U.S. Senate, Senator Moran has been a leading advocate for protecting and preserving the special way of life in Kansas.

Before his election to public office, Senator Moran attended Fort Hays State University and later the University of Kansas, where he completed a degree in economics. After an early career as a small-town banker, he received his J.D. from the University of Kansas. Jerry and his wife, Robba, have two daughters, Kelsey and Alex, and four grandchildren.

Grover Norquist is president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), a taxpayer advocacy group he founded in 1985 at President Reagan’s request. ATR works to limit the size and cost of government; opposes higher taxes at the federal, state, and local levels; and supports tax reform that moves towards taxing consumed income one time at one rate.

ATR organizes the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which asks all candidates for federal and state office to commit themselves in writing to the American people to oppose all net tax increases. In the 115th Congress, 212 House members and 45 senators have taken the pledge.