Location: Washington, D.C.

Chad Horrell

Chad Horrell is a Vice President with BGR’s State and Local Advocacy team. He brings more than two decades of experience managing public policy initiatives at the federal, state, and local level. He has extensive experience managing integrated advocacy, communications, and coalition campaigns as well as engaging with policymakers on both sides of the aisle.  

Before joining BGR Group, worked for DoorDash, helping to build the company’s brand with policymakers, regulators, and community leaders, working to ensure a viable marketplace for delivery that remains fair to restaurants, delivery drivers, and customers alike.  

Chad managed DoorDash’s policy engagements across the Mid-Atlantic and South region. In this role, he oversaw multiple contract lobbyists, partnered with governors, attorneys general, and legislators, and engaged with national policy organizations including RGA, DGA, RSLC, DAGA, RAGA, and others. Among the issues he managed were third-party delivery, alcohol licensing, portable benefits, pricing regulations, and data-sharing mandates. 

Prior to joining DoorDash, Chad managed issue advocacy campaigns focused on federal and state legislative affairs at DCI Group. Chad developed and executed campaigns designed to help clients successfully navigate their most challenging government and public affairs challenges. Chad also worked previously at AARP.   

Kathryn Reed

Kathryn Reed is a Vice President with BGR’s Financial Services and Tax and Commerce Practices. A seasoned tax and fiscal policy expert, she brings nearly a decade of Capitol Hill experience shaping federal tax, budget, and economic policy at the highest levels of Congress, with deep expertise in drafting, negotiating, and advancing complex tax legislation. 
 
Kathryn most recently served as Tax Policy Advisor to Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) on the House Committee on Ways and Means, where she guided development and strategy for major Republican tax priorities, including the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) Act of 2025 and the bipartisan Smith-Wyden Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act (TRAFWA). In this role, she advised the Chairman, Members of the Committee, and senior staff on tax policy that supports businesses and families, encourages economic development, and promotes on- and near-shoring of critical supply chains. She worked closely with the Joint Committee on Taxation, House Legislative Counsel, and Senate Finance Committee to navigate the political landscape and deliver legislative victories. 
 
Prior to her tenure as Tax Policy Advisor, Kathryn served as a key staff member to Congressman Jason Smith in both his personal office and in his capacity as Ranking Member of the House Budget Committee where she provided analysis on revenue estimates, economic impacts, and political implications of major policy proposals. 
 
Earlier in her career, Kathryn worked under Chairman Kevin Brady on the House Committee on Ways and Means, contributing to the successful passage and implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in 2017. 
 
Kathryn is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College and holds a dual degree in Economics and Government. 

Lauren German

Lauren German is a Policy Analyst with BGR’s Commerce and Infrastructure Practice. In this role, Lauren helps support the Commerce and Infrastructure team with policy briefings, research, and legislative tracking. 

Lauren has a background in grassroots organizing and congressional affairs. She previously worked as a Legislative Intern for Congresswoman Hillary Scholten (D-MI) and Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI). Her experience also includes serving as a Digital Organizer and Phone Canvasser for the Washington Community Action Network and as an Engagement Coordinator for the United Way of Kind County. Additionally, Lauren is a former small business owner of Golden Vibe Gifts. 

Lauren holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and a minor in Philosophy from the University of Southern California, Santa Barbara.

James Williams

James H. Williams is Senior Vice President at BGR Group. A seasoned public policy and health care expert, James works within both the State and Local Advocacy and Health and Life Sciences practices. He brings over a decade of experience in public policy development, health care innovation, economic analysis, and government leadership across federal and state levels. He is particularly experienced in the field of technology implementation to expand delivery and administration.  

Most recently, James served as Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services, where he oversaw a $2.6 billion budget and managed over 14,000 employees to administer critical human services programs across the Commonwealth. Prior to that, he served as Chief Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Resources and Chief Transformation Officer for Behavioral Health under Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, spearheading major reforms in Medicaid, behavioral health, and public health infrastructure. 

From 2019 to 2021, James served in the first Trump administration as Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy at the White House. He led key initiatives on health care affordability, drug pricing, rural telehealth access, and pandemic response. Earlier in his career, he served as an economist at the White House Council of Economic Advisers and as a consultant at The Lewin Group (UnitedHealth Group), supporting strategic, financial, and regulatory analyses. 

James holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, a Master of Public Policy from the University of Virginia Batten School, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Gordon College. 

Jim Hurson

Jim Hurson is a Policy Analyst with BGR Public Relations and Engagement. In this role, he supports strategic communications and policy initiatives for a diverse portfolio of clients.

Jim joined BGR in 2025 after several years working in documentary film. He has produced interviews, coordinated shoots, supported post-production and developed promotion strategies for nationally distributed documentary films, including projects for The Wall Street Journal. His work has focused on political history, international affairs, and public policy, combining media storytelling with substantive research.

Before joining BGR, Jim worked under former US Agency for Global Media CEO Michael Pack at Palladium Pictures on a range of short documentary projects. Previously, Jim built a body of work through an independent media venture that explored the psychological impact of the loss of wealth in southwest West Virginia. Jim is a 2025-2026 Fellow of the Media Accelerator at the Fund for American Studies. A graduate of Davidson College with degrees in Economics and German Studies, Jim is originally from Washington, D.C.

John Taylor

John Taylor serves on BGR Group’s Advisory Board and provides strategic guidance on public health issues. As the Head of the Quality and Compliance Practice for ELIQUENT (formerly Greenleaf Health), John leads the company’s work with life science companies on quality and compliance issues that impact their ability to develop innovative solutions to public health challenges around the world. 

John has had a lengthy career in public health in both the public and private sectors. Over the course of three decades, he has served in senior leadership positions within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), industry, trade association, and consulting services. John joined ELIQUENT following a distinguished career of more than 20 years at the FDA.  

From 2009 to 2014, John held three high-profile positions at the FDA: Counselor to the Commissioner, Principal Deputy Commissioner, and Acting Deputy Commissioner for Global Regulatory Operations and Policy. 

As Counselor to the Commissioner, John served as the principal advisor to Commissioner Margaret Hamburg on issues that affected the agency’s programs, policymaking, management, budget, and administration. In his role as Acting Deputy Commissioner for Global Regulatory Operations and Policy, John provided leadership and direction to more than 4,000 employees in the FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) and Office of International Programs. 

John began his career at the FDA in 1991 as an attorney within the Office of the Chief Counsel, responsible for all phases of criminal and civil litigation related to violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and other federal laws. In 1997, John was promoted to Senior Advisor for Regulatory Operations and Policy within the FDA’s Office of the Commissioner. He was later named Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research’s Office of Compliance. In 2000, John accepted the position of Director of ORA’s Office of Enforcement. Two years later, John was promoted to Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs. 

In 2005, John left the FDA to spend four years working in industry, first as Divisional Vice President for Federal Government Affairs at Abbott, then, in 2007, as Executive Vice President for Health at the Biotechnology Industry Organization. 

Maxwell Rhys

Maxwell Rhys is a policy analyst at BGR, where he supports cross-practice initiatives and provides research and analysis on domestic policy, with a focus on higher education and tax. 

He joined BGR after serving as a research fellow and previously held teaching assistant roles in Applied Econometrics and American Government. Max began at the firm as a clerk, contributing to the Financial Services & Tax practice and leading firm-wide coverage of major legislative efforts, including the 2025 budget reconciliation process. 

Max earned a B.A. in Economics and Political Science, with a concentration in American Government, from American University in Washington, D.C. During his junior year, he studied ancient philosophy at the University of Oxford, Lady Margaret Hall.

Joe Ellis

Joe Ellis is a Vice President with BGR Group. He brings more than two decades of experience in senior executive positions both in and out of government, as a litigator, and as a director of government affairs and advocacy for one of the largest corporations in the world.  He has extensive experience in planning and overseeing policy advocacy campaigns, as well as the direct integration and management of complex budget, operational, and planning functions in both business and government.  

Additionally, he has represented three presidents, including President Trump, in planning and executing some of the most memorable and complex visits both domestically and around the world.  Most recently, Joe led the planning for President Trump’s trips to Doha, Qatar and the NATO Summit at The Hague, Netherlands. 

Most recently, Joe served as Chief of Staff to Representative Max Miller (R-OH). In this role he helped manage the Congressman’s staffing, legislative strategy, policy initiatives, and political matters. He oversaw internal and external engagements and helped manage both official and political communications efforts. 

Prior to his time on Capitol Hill, Joe served as Vice President and Head of U.S. Government Affairs and External Campaigns for BP, a major oil and gas exploration and production corporation with interests in more than 40 U.S. states. He led a team of 25 government and public affairs specialists across the country focused on BP’s broad business interests that include oil and gas exploration and production, refining and marketing of consumer fuels, shipping, and renewable energy. In this role, Joe led strategic planning and execution for all government and public affairs activities federal, state, and local levels across the U.S., which also included strategic investments in communities. Joe also served as the Head of State & Local Affairs and as Head of Strategy & Planning for BP’s government and public affairs organization. 

Joe has extensive executive branch experience as well. During the second term of the George W. Bush administration, he served as Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 2004-05, he served as Deputy Director of the 55th Presidential Inaugural Committee. In this role, he managed the integration of security, military, and federal, state and local organizations supporting the first-ever presidential inauguration designated as a National Special Security Event. 

Prior to his service on the Presidential Inaugural Committee, Joe was the Senior Lead Advance Representative at the White House, where he planned and executed hundreds of Presidential trips worldwide. He was the principal representative of the White House working with government officials at all levels in the U.S. and internationally, community and business leaders, and foreign officials and organizations to plan all aspects of presidential engagement in hundreds of activities, including multiple international summits.  

Before joining the government, Joe was an associate attorney specializing in medical malpractice defense litigation.

Rae Parsons

Rae Parsons is a Policy Analyst with BGR’s Public Relations Practice. In this role, she provides communications support to BGR and its clients. She specializes in writing and curating compelling digital content for high-visibility platforms. She also has experience in social media content creation and tracking, brand management, and constituent-focused communications. 

Rae previously served as a clerk at BGR Group. She also served as an intern for ESPN and the SEC Network. In that role she published digital content for the SEC and SEC Network websites, ensuring timely and engaging coverage across multiple platforms. She also served as an intern for the College of Arts & Sciences at Mississippi State University and in the office of U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS).

Dan Runde

Daniel F. Runde is a Senior Advisor at BGR Group. At BGR, Mr. Runde works closely across the firm to advise clients on a variety of challenges in Washington and beyond including the State Department, the Development Finance Corporation, the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank, the World Bank and the regional Multilateral Development Banks. Mr. Runde brings a global network to his role and has a particular depth of relationships in Latin America, Africa, Central Asia and Ukraine.

Prior to joining BGR Group, Mr. Runde was a senior vice president, director of the Project on Prosperity and Development (PPD), and held the William A. Schreyer Chair in Global Analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a leading global think tank. He remains a Senior Advisor at CSIS. Mr. Runde also served as the acting director for the CSIS Americas Program from 2020-2022. His work has been oriented around U.S. leadership in building a more democratic and prosperous world. Among his many other contributions, Mr. Runde was as an architect of the BUILD Act, contributed to the reauthorization of the U.S. EXIM Bank in 2018, and was an architect of Prosper Africa, a U.S. government initiative to deepen the United States’ commercial and development engagement in Africa. He has been a leading voice on the role and future of the World Bank Group and U.S. leadership in the multilateral system. 

Mr. Runde has also held leadership roles at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank Group. Earlier in his career, Mr. Runde worked in commercial banking at Citibank in Argentina and in investment banking at Alex. Brown & Sons. 

Mr. Runde holds the Officer’s Cross in the Order of Isabel la Católica, a Spanish civil order. He is a Commander in the Order of Rio Branco, a Brazilian civil order and has been officially recognized by the governments of Colombia and Ecuador for deepening ties with those countries. 

Currently, he serves on the board of the Ukraine Moldova America Enterprise Fund (UMAEF) and Spirit of America. Mr. Runde is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Bretton Woods Committee. He was a columnist for The Hill and Forbes.com and hosted a CSIS podcast series from 2015 to 2024, Building the Future: Freedom, Prosperity, & Foreign Policy with Dan Runde producing more than 150 episodes. Mr. Runde is also the author of the book The American Imperative: Reclaiming Global Leadership through Soft Power (Bombardier Books, 2022). He previously chaired two U.S. government advisory committees: the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid at USAID and the Sub-Saharan Africa Advisory Committee at the U.S. EXIM Bank. He also served on the boards of International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the Ashesi University Foundation.  Fluent in Spanish, he graduated cum laude from Dartmouth College and holds a master’s in public policy from Harvard University.