CHRISTOPHER DURYEA serves as Managing Partner of Statewide Public Affairs. Certainly New York has experienced an unprecedented level of political upheaval over the past several years. As a result, partnering with government has become more challenging. In founding Statewide Public Affairs, Mr. Duryea's vision is to manage a dynamic, experienced and trusted team who excels for our client's government affairs needs within the context of today's challenging environment.

With over two decades of experience working in and around New York politics, Mr. Duryea has well-recognized expertise in assisting clients navigate the complexities of New York state and local government. As Managing Partner, Mr. Duryea is responsible for the continued success of Statewide's clients.

Most recently, Mr. Duryea was a Partner at Marsh, Duryea & Associates where he represented numerous clients and developed a particular expertise on corporate, taxation, economic development, telecommunications and energy matters. Mr. Duryea also previously served as Vice President of the Cable Telecommunications Association of New York, charged with overseeing day-to-day operations and leading government affairs efforts. Here he developed a keen understanding of telecommunications policy issues and trade association management skills.

Mr. Duryea first began building his vast understanding of New York politics as Office Manager for the Onondaga County Democratic Committee, where he worked on numerous Central New York political campaigns. Subsequently he became an expert on the inner workings of Albany, serving as Legislative Director for the Chairman of the New York State Assembly Corporations, Authorities & Commissions and Environmental Conservation Committees.

In May 2012, City & State News named Mr. Duryea as one of "Albany's Rising Stars" noting, "Duryea is a key player." Mr. Duryea is a veteran of the U.S. Navy's submarine service and has a Masters in Political Science from the Rockefeller College at SUNY Albany and a BA in Political Science from SUNY Albany.

20+ years

Jim is a highly accomplished senior executive, consultant, lobbyist and strategist with over 30 years of success in public policy, politics, government, energy, healthcare, financial services, transportation, state budget, local government, education and the nonprofit sector. Over the course of his career he has spearheaded legislation that has resulted in robust energy development, broader access to public k-12 education, enriched opportunities for higher education, higher air and water quality standards, major investments in transportation, and a healthy balance of power between the state and local governments.

Jim immerses himself in learning about his clients' needs and can put complex issues into relatable terms. He moves people to understand issues first and then support the policies he is advancing. It is because of this strategy and his leadership on oil and gas issues that he was presented with the Denver Business Journal's "Who's Who in Energy" award in 2017.

Some of Jim's highest accomplishments include creating the Arkansas River State Park, passing the Clean Air Clean Jobs Act and passing the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) Exemplary Institution Act, which enabled CSM to provide one of the highest quality and rigorous research experiences in the nation.

Jim has a Bachelor's of Science degree from Oregon State University. He has been married 38 years and he and his wife, Mary, have two adult children. Jim is an avid cyclist and has completed nine years of Ride the Rockies and Iowa's RAGBRAI. He also loves to fly fish and play guitar. His joy is seeing the humor that presents itself in everyday situations and sharing it whenever possible.

Matthew O'Shea is the President of Matthew O'Shea Consulting, Inc. In 1994, Matthew started his public service career with State Representative Dan Rutherford and then worked for State Representative James Durkin and Senator Thomas Walsh from 1995 through 2000. While working for Representative Durkin and Walsh, Matt attended John Marshall Law School and completed his Juris Doctor in 2000. After leaving Representative Durkin and Senator Walsh, he served as the Village Administrator for the Village of Forest Park located in the western suburbs of Cook County. While serving as Village Administrator, Matt was also appointed to the Senate to fill out the remaining term of Senator Tom Walsh for the 22nd Legislative District.

As State Senator, Matt was able to learn and experience the legislative process from an elected official standpoint. In 2004, Matt joined House Republican Minority Leader Tom Cross as Deputy Chief and Ethics Officer before coming Chief of Staff. In his role as Chief of Staff, he dealt with all four legislative caucuses including participating in several high level leadership meetings. His role as Chief of Staff allowed him to deal with many important issues facing the legislature such as pensions, capital funding, energy, local government, budget, Medicaid and redistricting.

Matt has knowledge and experience working with many regulatory issues including those before Joint Committee on Administrative Rules. Matt has spent time working on many political elections at all levels of state government.

20+ years

Hasina Wittenberg is president of Government Relations Strategies (GRS), a leading government affairs firm located in Portland metropolitan area. Wittenberg began her lobbying career in 1993 working for the League of Oregon Cities. She then went to work for a contract lobbying firm until 2005 when she formed Government Relations Strategies Inc. With more than 20 years of experience, she provides legislative advocacy for numerous clients by cultivating and maintaining strong relationships with both local and state officials and Oregon lawmakers. Clients include publicly traded corporations, multinational corporations, professional trade associations, non-profit organizations, and a variety of local governments. Hasina's diverse client background and experience in multiple audience communications has led to the development of highly successful government relations programs through written and oral promotion, policy development, and program evaluation and management. She consistently produces successful outcomes for her clients, and has worked to achieve bipartisan support on many legislative issues.

20+ years

Melanie joined CLS in 2000 and has nearly 25 years of expertise in public policy, lobbying, business, banking, bioscience and renewable energy. She enjoys working on complex economic development and tax policy, and has one of highest success rates passing incentives for varied industry sectors. She also has experience effectively lobbying k-12 education, capital development and healthcare. Melanie's strong network of relationships with legislators, as well as influencers in the government and public policy arena, ensures CLS' clients have unparalleled access to policy leaders.

Before beginning her lobbying career, Melanie was the Public Relations Director for the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, then moved into lobbying as the Legislative Director at Colorado Farm Bureau, while obtaining a Master's from University of Colorado Denver's Graduate School of Public Affairs. Prior to that, she received her Bachelor's from Colorado Christian University. Melanie is a state board member of Girls on the Run and has served as an assistant instructor at the Colorado Mountain Club's High Altitude Mountaineering School.

Melanie is a married mother to three children and an extreme athlete. Her noteworthy accomplishments include finishing the Leadville 100 Ultra-Marathon, climbing all 58 of Colorado's mountains over 14,000', along with numerous high-altitude mountains around the world. Her current athletic focus is Pack Burro Racing, Colorado's official heritage sport, with her two rescued burros. Her dedication to these endeavors translates to the vision, planning and execution it takes to succeed in politics and advocacy.

Prior to joining PLDO in 2011, Mr. Jordan was Director of Public Affairs for The Westerly Hospital, located in Westerly, Rhode Island. He also worked at Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island for over two decades, most recently as Assistant Vice President, Government Relations. Mr. Jordan received his Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Finance and his Master of Business Administration in Management from Bryant University. He received his undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Health Services Administration from Providence College.

Bernie Marczyk joined Cornerstone's Annapolis office in December 2018. Most recently, Bernie served as the director of government affairs for Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh. In this role, he worked closely with the County Council and Maryland General Assembly to advance legislative initiatives and implement public policies for the County.

Prior to working for the County Executive, Bernie worked for Ducks Unlimited for seven years as a federal and state lobbyist and thenin managing the organization's conservation delivery in the Atlantic Region (Maryland to Maine). In this role he was responsible partnering with federal, state, and non-profit organizations on land acquisition and wetland restoration projects on private lands or public lands such as Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.

Bernie began his professional career working for then-Congressman Bob Ehrlich first as a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill and then as a policy advisor for Governor Ehrlich in Annapolis where he oversaw the legislative and policy efforts of the Departments of Agriculture, Environment, Natural Resources, Planning, and Transportation. Bernie also worked on multiple statewide and local elections in Maryland.

A graduate of Princeton University, Bernie and his wife Keely live on Maryland's Eastern Shore with their nine-year-old daughter Leah, seven-year-old twins Claire and Tommy, and three-year-old daughter Stella. Bernie is an active volunteer at St. Christopher's Catholic Church and as a basketball, soccer, and softball coach.

20+ years

TOM MCBRIDE has advocated for groups and organizations that depend on fair and reasonable treatment under the law for more than 20 years. He has developed a reputation as an effective lobbyist, founded on high ethical standards, aggressive advocacy and personal authenticity.

Tom began his career as a private practice attorney representing commercial and financial interests, with a focus on commercial litigation and bankruptcy law. He went on to serve as government affairs director for fiscal and transportation issues on behalf of the Association of Washington Business, Washington state's chamber of commerce. He then directed the government relations program for the West division of the McDonald's Corporation.

Tom also has firsthand experience working within Washington state government. As director of intergovernmental affairs for the Washington State Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development, he oversaw regulatory and legislative interests in energy, economic development, housing, international trade and growth management.

In 2008, he founded McBride Public Affairs, to advocate for clients on legislative and regulatory matters in Washington state.

A 1994 graduate of Gonzaga University School of Law, Tom holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Whitman College. He and his family make their home in Olympia.

11-15 years

Kimberly V. Kent joined Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd, P.A., in December 2011, as a lobbyist and consultant, to form Copper Dome Strategies, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the law firm. She will be based in the firm's Greenville office when the South Carolina General Assembly is not in session and in the Columbia office during the session.

Ms. Kent has spent her professional career working in and around South Carolina government. Prior to joining Copper Dome Strategies, LLC, she spent four years with another private consulting group representing a variety of clients, including small businesses, Fortune 500 companies, nonprofit organizations, professional trade associations and specific issue coalitions, on matters before federal, state, and local governments.

Ms. Kent began her legislative and legal career working as the vice president for governmental relations for the South Carolina Manufacturers Alliance (SCMA). In this role, she represented the interests of many of South Carolina's largest companies on issues related to economic development, environment, taxes, labor and employment and healthcare, before state agencies, the governor's Office and the S.C. General Assembly.

Following this position, Ms. Kent served as the governmental affairs director and assistant general counsel for the South Carolina Department of Commerce. While at the state's leading industrial recruiting agency, she was the primary liaison for the agency between the executive branch and the S.C. General Assembly on all state funding matters relating to commerce, statutory changes relating to tax incentives and for any and all legislative changes needed by the agency to assist companies interested in expanding or locating new economic development projects in South Carolina.

In 2005, Ms. Kent joined the South Carolina Medical Association as the chief policy officer of the statewide trade association that serves more than 6,000 physicians. During her tenure, Ms. Kent served as the association's general counsel, directed all legislative initiatives before the S.C. General Assembly and the executive branch and managed the recruitment and renewal of physician memberships. She was responsible for all membership publications as well as all communications to members, the public, and the S.C. General Assembly.

Combined with her legal training, Ms. Kent's wide range of experience working in the private sector, professional trade associations and state government, gives her a unique ability to represent a variety of clients.

11-15 years

Garin began her political career in Washington D.C. working for Senator Wayne Allard and ran the government affairs department at Colorado Farm Bureau before joining Colorado Legislative Services in 2007. She became partner in 2012 and steadfastly through her career, Garin has honed her policy knowledge on issues related to agriculture, including water and property rights. She also is highly skilled as a strategist for higher education, business, liquor, and state licensure issues.

Growing up on a ranch in southwest Colorado gave Garin a strong work ethic and her dedication to understanding an issue completely shows up when representing CLS clients. Her adeptness in many policy areas and direct manner of speaking means that she is a trusted resource for legislators on both sides of the aisle. She is regarded as a top water policy expert in Colorado and has been recognized for her work bolstering the Colorado business climate by working to align agriculture and energy-- two of the top five drivers of the Colorado economy--on a variety of issues. Garin was recognized as one of Colorado's "Top Women in Energy" by the Denver Business Journal in 2017.

She is a proud graduate of Colorado State University where she earned an Agricultural Business degree. Garin has completed Colorado Farm Bureau's Elite Leaders Academy, is a member of the Women's Energy Network of Colorado and has served on the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program board and Butterfly Pavilion's Fund Development Committee.

In her free time, Garin cherishes time with her husband and two daughters, especially during trips to the mountains. She is an avid reader, sous-chef for her husband and wine connoisseur who frequents the Napa Valley.

15-20 years

Mr. Finseth has over 25 years of experience in the field of government having worked in Washington, D.C, Hawaii and Nevada. As the principal of Carrara Nevada since 2003, Mr. Finseth has been at the forefront of the companies explosive growth in the state. Mr. Finseth provides one on one attention to all of our clients both large and small. Carrara Nevada is recognized as a bipartisan firm with relationships on both sides of the political aisles. Our work in Nevada spans the spectrum of many of the major sectors and industries that drive our states economy.

Energy Bar Association, Member
Vermont Law Review, Member
U.S. Trade Representative, Kentucky Point of Contact, 2006 --Present

Kentucky Office of Energy Policy, Frankfort, KY, Executive Director, 2005
Kentucky Public Service Commission, Frankfort, KY, General Counsel/Policy Advisor, 2004 - 2005
US House of Representatives, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, D.C., Majority Counsel, 1999 - 2004
United States Department of Justice, Environment & Natural Resources Division, Washington, D.C., Law Clerk, 1999
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Rome, Italy, Visiting Scholar, 1998