Team Category: Commerce and Infrastructure

Justin Rzepka

Justin Rzepka, a Principal with BGR Group, is a seasoned advocate and policy expert with over two decades of experience. His multifaceted career spans Capitol Hill, private sector leadership, and coalition management.

As Co-Head of the firm’s Commerce and Infrastructure Practice, Justin oversees a comprehensive policy portfolio that encompasses telecommunications, technology, artificial intelligence, content, media, transportation, infrastructure, and energy. His strategic approach delivers tangible results for clients, aligning their goals with effective strategies.

Justin’s advocacy extends to all levels of government. He engages with Congress, the Administration, and independent agencies, ensuring client access and influence. At BGR, he serves as the Executive Director of the CAR Coalition, championing affordable auto repair for consumers.

His risk mitigation expertise benefits Fortune 100 companies and trade associations across diverse sectors. Justin’s impact is evident in the permanent extension of a tax moratorium on internet access during his tenure at NCTA – The Internet & Television Association.

Before joining BGR, Justin honed his skills on Capitol Hill. His work spanned foreign policy, telecommunications, transportation, and taxation. Notably, he contributed to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission’s annual report. Justin’s commitment to effective policy and advocacy continues to shape the landscape of critical issues.

Justin, originally from Ohio, graduated from Regis University in Denver. An enthusiastic alpine skier, he now lives in Virginia with his family.

Jonathan Mantz

Jonathan Mantz is a Principal at BGR Government Affairs and leads the firm’s Democratic outreach efforts. He also serves as Co-Head of the Commerce and Infrastructure Practice. Over the past three decades, Jonathan has held senior positions to elect Democrats to the White House, Senate, House of Representatives and governorships. A leading political strategist, he has raised nearly half a billion dollars over his career for Democratic campaigns.

At BGR Group, Jonathan leverages his experience and expertise counseling clients to provide a wide range of services in government relations and public affairs that deliver results. He works with clients to create and execute legislative strategies, strengthens their political affairs operations and enhances their profile. As Co-Head of the Commerce and Infrastructure Practice, Jonathan represents clients with interests in telecom, technology, energy, environment, immigration, health care, transportation, trade and appropriations before Congress, the Administration, and state and local governments.  As a member of the Finance Committee of the Democratic Governors Association, he works with Democratic governors and gubernatorial candidates across the country. 

Jonathan served as National Finance Director for then-Senator Hillary Clinton’s 2008 Presidential campaign. Before this, he served as Deputy Executive Director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) in 2004. Jonathan was the Finance Director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) from 1998 to 2002 for former Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt and then Democratic Whip Nancy Pelosi. 

Jonathan has been quoted by the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, Politico and Roll Call.

Jonathan currently serves on the board of the Winston Churchill High School Football Foundation. Previously, he served on the advisory board of Petra Solar Corporation, was a senior advisor to Priorities USA and 100 Thousand Strong Foundation, and mentored to start-up companies at 1776. He has also been a Business Council member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Born in the suburbs of Philadelphia and a die-hard Philly Sports fan, Jonathan is a graduate of Ithaca College.

Jennifer Larkin Lukawski

Jennifer Larkin Lukawski brings over three decades of legislative and government relations experience in her role as a Principal at BGR Group. A senior member of the BGR team, Jennifer represents businesses and trade associations before Congress and the Executive Branch. She has successfully advocated for her clients in major legislative battles including PEPFAR authorization; the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act; the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act; the 2018 Farm Bill; and COVID-19 relief packages.

Among other issue areas, Jennifer is currently advising clients in the food and beverage industry on advancing sustainability and recycling policies in Congress. She is known for her detailed, comprehensive, and hands-on approach to advocacy campaigns. Jennifer also helps BGR clients engage with relevant think tanks and advocacy organizations to generate support for shared public policy goals. Additionally, she advises them on how to build and maintain meaningful relationships with key policymakers. She has been recognized as a Top Lobbyist by The Hill newspaper.

Prior to joining BGR in 2001, Jennifer served as Director of House Relations at The Heritage Foundation, widely considered the most influential public policy research organization in the U.S. Jennifer also served as the first Executive Director of the Republican Study Committee (RSC) – at the time referred to as the Conservative Action Team (CATs) — following the historic GOP takeover of the House of Representatives in 1994. The RSC continues to be the largest member coalition in the House. Jennifer’s career in Washington began with former Congressman Bob Dornan (R-CA), where she served as his senior policy advisor and Legislative Director until 1996.  

Jennifer began her career in Washington after graduating from The Catholic University of America in 1991. She grew up in Colts Neck and Spring Lake, New Jersey, and currently resides in Alexandria, VA.  

Pete Landrum

Pete Landrum joined the team at BGR in 2017. He works on the BGR Defense and Critical Technologies, Commerce and Infrastructure, and Financial Services practices. Pete enjoys pairing outstanding defense technologies with existing capability gaps in the Department of Defense. To accomplish that task, he aggressively works both the defense authorization and appropriations process. 

Critical minerals and materials and rural manufacturing are also one of Pete’s specialties. Prior to joining BGR, he served as U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions’ Senior Defense Policy Advisor from 2007-2017.  During that period, he worked on Senate Armed Services Committee issues to include 10 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) cycles. Pete also worked on Senate Appropriations Committee-Defense issues to provide funding to accompany the policy initiatives of the NDAA.  

Prior to working in the Senate, Pete spent 31 years in the U.S. military. He worked in post-colonial Sub-Saharan Africa on emerging national issues. Pete also worked with new democracies in Eastern Europe. These countries were newly freed from the domination of the Soviet Union and were anxious to succeed. Additionally, Pete trained and worked with allies in the Middle East. Pete brings his global experience to serve BGR clients in Washington.

Joseph Lai

Joseph Lai is a Principal with BGR Group. He has deep experience in navigating the Washington D.C. policymaking process. After serving as a key advisor to three U.S. senators and as a senior member of the White House legislative affairs team, Joe joined BGR in 2019 to help clients communicate more effectively with policymakers and get results that count.

With a broad portfolio spanning international commerce and financial services to defense and critical technologies, Joe understands how political and regulatory risk in Washington can affect a company’s operations and strategic investments. As a trusted partner to his U.S. and multinational clients, he puts his knowledge and skills to work designing and executing integrated legislative, communications, and political strategies to mitigate those risks.

Joe served at the White House as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs from 2017 to 2019. In that capacity, he led the White House’s outreach to the Senate on economic issues including international trade and financial services matters. Joe worked with Senate leaders to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and to confirm multiple appointees to the Cabinet, the Federal Reserve, and the Supreme Court.

Prior to joining the White House, Joe worked in the U.S. Senate for over a decade including serving as defense policy advisor and later legislative director to Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee. Joe also served as a policy advisor to Senators George Voinovich of Ohio and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska. In the private sector, Joe led international trade and defense policy coordination at the Aerospace Industries Association where he oversaw major international transactions for leading U.S. aerospace and defense companies.

A native of Burlingame, California, Joe received his Master of Arts from Yale University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Joe is a regent of the Fund for American Studies and a former term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is fluent in Cantonese Chinese.