In the latest State Policy Brief, BGR Group State and Local Practice Heads William Crozer and Loren Monroe examine the Top 5 State Impacts from President Trump’s First 100 Days and the policy battles that lie ahead.
Category: State and Local Advocacy
BGR Announces Three Promotions
Congratulations are in order! Today, BGR is proud to announce the promotions of Ellen Brown, Ansley Haulbrook, and Anna Reese Couhig.
Ellen will serve as a Director with the State and Local Advocacy Practice, Ansley will serve as a Policy Analyst with the Financial Services and Tax Practice, and Anna Reese will serve as a Policy Analyst with the Appropriations and State and Local Advocacy Practices!
Thank you to Ellen, Ansley, and Anna Reese for their hard work and dedication!
BGR Group Establishes Nashville Office, Blake Harris to Lead
Firms join forces on education, health care, economic development and financial services.
Washington, D.C. (February 18, 2025) – BGR Group, Washington, D.C.’s premier bipartisan lobbying and public relations firm, has formally expanded into Tennessee with a new Nashville office focused on education, health care, economic development, and financial services to be led by Managing Director Blake Harris of BHA Strategy, a former aide to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee. This Nashville partnership will join existing BGR offices in Austin, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia in providing BGR clients integrated advocacy services at the federal, state and local levels.
“Blake Harris and the BHA Strategy team have been working closely with BGR Group for the last year to bolster our federal practice and provide expertise in state-level advocacy, corporate intelligence, and economic development,” said Bob Wood, Chairman and CEO of BGR Group. “We welcome Blake as a Managing Director and look forward to working together on new initiatives that encompass the BHA team’s background, particularly in K-12 and higher education as well as health care and financial services.”
“BGR Group is recognized as a battle-tested firm no matter how much the political and operational landscape changes,” said CEO of BHA Strategy Blake Harris. “We look forward to bringing our technology portfolio and deep knowledge of state governments, school districts, and their respective funding priorities to help clients navigate significant shifts at the federal level and how to seamlessly adjust.”
BHA Strategy will also launch a new education practice, marking a significant expansion into business consulting and strategic impact, distinct from its existing government and public affairs practice. Meghan McLeroy, BHA’s Senior Vice President of Education, will lead the initiative, bringing 12 years of cabinet-level experience from the Tennessee Department of Education, where she shaped K-12 policy, literacy reform, and large-scale education initiatives. This new practice group will focus on helping education companies, institutions, and stakeholders navigate market positioning, growth strategy, and product implementation, and comes on the heels of BHA Strategy’s role in expanding universal school choice in Tennessee.
“We have decades of bipartisan experience working with governors, attorneys general, as well as mayors and, increasingly, we are seeing the most impactful changes occur at the state and local levels,” said BGR Principal and head of the State and Local Advocacy Practice Loren Monroe. “Tennessee has the right combination of effective governance and booming economic development which is why we see significant opportunities to grow in Nashville.”
In addition to BGR Group’s Tennessee-based operation, Chris Kelly recently joined BGR’s Health and Life Science Practice as a Vice President from the office of Senator Marsha Blackburn (TN) where he led the Senator’s health policy portfolio since 2022. He works with health care clients in both the Nashville and Washington regions. With a long-standing legacy of innovation and leadership, Nashville has cemented its status as a global epicenter for health care entrepreneurship and management.
About BGR Group (www.bgrdc.com)
Founded in 1991, BGR Group is a premier government affairs and public relations firm with offices in Washington, D.C., London, Austin, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia and Nashville. Consistently ranked a Bloomberg Government “Standout” Firm, BGR specializes in three key areas: bipartisan government affairs, strategic communications, and business advisory services. BGR brings together some of the most accomplished policy experts, public opinion influencers, and issue advocates from across the political spectrum.
About BHA Strategy (BHA Strategy)
Based in Nashville, Tennessee, BHA Strategy is a full-service, strategic consulting firm providing expertise in government affairs, public relations, and corporate intelligence. With deep roots in both political campaigns and public service, BHA’s team applies winning campaign strategies and senior advisor expertise to the biggest challenges facing startups, corporations, and causes. BHA retains a political skill set that includes public opinion research, digital marketing, and media production/placement. The firm’s core focus is multi-state government affairs, strategic communication, and reputation management.
Julia Canady King Joins BGR Group as Director for Washington and Florida
Washington, D.C. (January 8, 2025) – BGR Group, Washington, D.C.’s premiere bipartisan lobbying and public relations firm, announced today that Julia Canady King has joined the firm as a Director for Washington and Florida. Julia brings experience in federal and state government policy management and public affairs. Her expertise spans state and local budget policy, coalition management, and congressional relations.
Before joining BGR, Julia served as Federal Affairs Coordinator for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s Office of Federal Relations & Intergovernmental Affairs. In this role, she advised on federal policy issues, developed legislative initiatives, and facilitated hurricane response and recovery efforts. Her experience as a liaison between federal and state governments uniquely positions her to help BGR clients navigate challenges across both levels of government.
“We are excited to welcome Julia to the BGR team,” BGR Group Chairman and CEO Bob Wood said. “Her understanding of state and federal policymaking will help our clients achieve their legislative and regulatory goals.”
Julia previously served as Government Affairs Manager for the Outdoor Hospitality Industry, representing priorities at both the state and federal levels. She worked with state associations on legislative priorities, coordinated federal outreach strategies, and led grassroots campaigns on key issues such as seasonal labor and tax policies. Julia is a native Floridian and holds degrees from the University of Florida and the Florida State University College of Law.
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State & Local Update – Post Election Edition
In our 2024 State and Local Election Recap, BGR’s State & Local team analyzes key results from races across the country. From shifts in legislative bodies to ballot measures with the potential to reshape local policy, our recap highlights what’s ahead for state and local governments.
State & Local Update – Election Edition
Over 186 million Americans are eligible to vote for the 47th president of the United States on November 5th. However, the presidential race is just one of many key contests on the ballot that day. Eleven governors, nine lieutenant governors, ten attorneys general, over 100 state executive officials, more than 5,000 state legislators, 41 mayors, and key referendums are also on the ballot.
The BGR Group State & Local team breaks down these policy-shifting races in the latest State & Local report.
BGR Deep Dive: Texas Remains a Domestic and International Economic Stalwart
BGR’s Texas Director, Jerry Strickland, dives into Texas’s economy that is remaining unphased by broader economic struggles in the country and looks ahead to the next legislative session. Read more about what is to come below.
Kamala Harris on the Issues – State and Local Edition
New State AI Working Group
The new BGR Group State AI Working Group, led by Patrick Dolan, offers clients a dedicated bipartisan team focused on engaging state and local officials on artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Learn more about our newest working group on our State and Local page.
Across the Aisle: Bipartisan Perspectives, a virtual discussion between CA Attorney General Rob Bonta and TN Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti
BGR Group, Capitol Advocacy, and Stateside Associates were excited to collaborate and kickoff, “Across the Aisle: Bipartisan Perspectives,” featuring a virtual discussion between Attorney General Rob Bonta (California) and Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti (Tennessee). The attorneys general showcased how bipartisan collaboration can tackle critical issues facing our nation, such as consumer protection, online safety, and organized crime.