20+ years

Karen Kominsky is a government affairs professional with more than 30 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. Karen served as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Governor, State of New Jersey, for Governor Richard J. Codey and Governor James E. McGreevey from December 2002 until January 2006. Her primary focus was managing legislative affairs for both governors. During her tenure, she guided the passage of many landmark pieces of legislation, such as automobile insurance reform, a stem-cell research initiative, the Highlands Protection Act and the NJ Domestic Partnership Law.

Prior to her appointment, Karen's career came full circle when she became Deputy Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, where she had originally launched her professional career.

Throughout her career, Karen has worked in leadership at lobbying and public affairs firms focused on the executive and legislative branches of government. In 2013, Karen was named by NJBIZ as one of "The Best 50 Women in Business". In 2003, she received the Women of Distinction Award for Public Service from the Delaware-Raritan Girl Scouts, and in 2005 was honored for Women's Leadership by PAM's List.

Karen has engaged in public service for several years with tremendous distinction. Her career includes appointments by former Governor Christie Whitman to serve as Acting Chair of the NJ Building Authority, and former Governor Donald DiFrancesco to serve on the State Planning Commission and the Garden State Preservation Trust. She also served on the New Jersey Real Estate Commission, having been appointed by Governor Codey in 2006. She served in New Jersey Superior Court as a court-appointed master in several Mt. Laurel affordable housing cases.

Always active in politics, Karen served as deputy vice-chair of the New Jersey State Democratic Party from 2001 to 2006, appointed by former State Chairman and former Speaker of the New Jersey Assembly Joe Roberts. In 1996, she was selected as a New Jersey representative for President Clinton to the Electoral College. In 2008, Karen served as the NJ State Director of the Hillary Clinton for President Campaign. Karen was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in August 2008.

Karen currently serves as Co-Chair of PAM's List, a NJ Democratic Women's PAC modeled after Emily's List. Karen is also a founding board member of Maria's Women United, a South Jersey PAC honoring the work of the late Hon. Maria Barnaby Greenwald.

Karen was recently selected to serve on Governor-elect Phil Murphy's Transition Team in the area of Energy and the Environment. She was named as one of InsiderNJ's "Women on the Move" in November 2017. In 2016 she was named to Observer PolitickerNJ's "The 30 Most Influential Women in N.J. Politics".

A licensed professional planner, Karen is a graduate of Douglass College, Rutgers University and received her Masters of City and Regional Planning from the Bloustein School at Rutgers University. She was elected to the South Hunterdon Regional School Board in November, 2017.

11-15 years

Created a law that provided civil and criminal immunity to certain health care professionals and health care facilities during public health emergency and state of emergency; facilitates issuance of certain temporary licenses and certifications during public health emergency and state of emergency

Created a law that prohibits website operators from offering tickets to events by using an Internet domain name that is intentionally misleading or deceptive to consumers.

Guided a lottery courier company through the regulatory process to become the only licensed lottery courier service operating in the state of New Jersey.

Changed NJ's off-shore wind energy law to allow unbundled generation and transmission bids to be accepted, therefore, becoming the first state in the country to change their law to allow transmission only bids for build out to be accepted.

Acquired the largest allotment per student in country for non-public schools through budget appropriations for security aid and nursing services in non-public schools.

Legalized sports betting and online gaming in New Jersey.

Legalization of Dave & Buster's in New Jersey.

Approval by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission to allow MGM Resorts International to re-enter the Atlantic City casino market.

Restructured the law regarding ticket sales in New Jersey. Removed the prohibition on persons, who have access to tickets to an event prior to the tickets' release for sale to the general public, from withholding those tickets from sale to the general public in an amount exceeding 5% of all available seating for the event.

Governor's Finance Committee
Former Executive Director of Assembly Campaign Committee
Former Executive of the New Jersey General Assembly

Mr. Bombardieri served as Executive Director of the New Jersey General Assembly (2002-2004) and has worked on some of the most complex issues in recent times. In addition, Mr. Bombardieri has served as Policy Advisor for the New Jersey General Assembly Majority Office (1996-2001), and was instrumental in the drafting and passage of the New Jersey Energy Deregulation Act. As Policy Advisor in the Assembly Majority Office, Mr. Bombardieri served as the aide to the Assembly Environment Committee, the Assembly Solid & Hazardous Waste Committee, the Assembly Policy & Regulatory Oversight Committee, the Assembly Transportation Committee and the Assembly Telecommunications & Utilities Committee.

Mr. Bombardieri has served in various positions with numerous local, state and federal campaigns, including the Executive Director of the Assembly Campaign Committee (2001 & 2003). His extensive experience running political campaigns has enabled him to develop and execute successful public policy campaigns for some of the world's leading organizations and companies.

Prior to becoming a Partner at CLB Partners, Jon served as Managing Director of a public affairs firm in Princeton, NJ. Jon received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Muhlenberg College.

After a lengthy career as a policymaker in government and an administrative lawyer who litigated against government, Paul Bradshaw founded Southern Strategy Group in 1999. Paul's work often strayed from the arcana of policy to the less staid world of political campaigns. In the political realm, Paul worked on several successful statewide campaigns including Jeb Bush's first successful gubernatorial campaign. With a background in Florida government, Paul has dealt with a broad range of major public policy initiatives, including those directed at development, environmental protection, and public education.

Between 1986 and 1990, Paul served in the Martinez Administration as the chief cabinet aide to the Governor, the director of the state's growth management program, and as the director of the Office of Policy and Budget. In those roles Paul was instrumental in advancing Florida's environmental and growth management programs. In 1998, working with then-candidate Jeb Bush, Paul was instrumental in crafting the education plan that ultimately completely re-engineered the K-12 system in Florida. Paul frequently writes speeches for candidates and elected officials, and during the course of his career has authored inaugural addresses and State of the State speeches for three governors.

Paul's broad exposure to both the mechanics of government and bare-knuckled politics give him a rare ability to grasp the policy and political implications of lobbying issues.

Chris joined the firm in November of 2000 after serving seven years in Florida government. During this time, Chris served as the Assistant to the Chief of Staff and the Deputy Chief of Staff to former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Prior to serving in Governor Bush's administration, Chris served as the Deputy Chief of Staff, Deputy Legislative Director, and Special Assistant to former Florida Education Commissioner and former Florida Lt. Governor Frank T. Brogan. Chris also served as a legislative aide in the Florida House of Representatives. Throughout the years, Chris has worked on various state and local campaigns, including the 1998 and 2002 Bush/Brogan gubernatorial campaigns.

A devoted community activist, Chris was a finalist for Volunteer of the Year in 2007. Chris has served on the Board of Directors for the Mary Brogan Museum of Art and Science, where he served for two years as Chairman, the Board of Directors for the United Way of the Big Bend, and the Board of Directors for the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. Chris is currently the Chairman of the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services, a not-for-profit statewide association representing agencies which serve homeless, runaway, and troubled youth. Chris also serves on the local advisory board for Hancock Bank and is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Maclay School. Chris was recently appointed by Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum to the Tallahassee Downtown Improvement Authority, an entity created by the Florida Legislature to promote the business and hospitality interests of downtown Tallahassee.

A native of Fort Myers, Florida, Chris Dudley graduated from the University of South Florida in 1993 with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science. Chris, his wife Susanne, and their two sons live in Tallahassee.

0-5 years

Jonathan Boguchwal served as Chief of Staff to Essex and Morris County State Senator and former Governor Richard J. Codey, which included a period Senator Codey served as Senate President of the New Jersey State Senate. In addition, he has served as a Legislative Aide to Hudson County State Senator and Township of North Bergen Mayor Nicholas J. Sacco.

Prior to these positions, Jonathan served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Senate President Codey and was a Research Associate in the Senate Democratic Majority Office. As a research associate, Jonathan served as the lead aide to the Senate Transportation Committee and Senate Labor Committee representing the interests of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

Jonathan has served in various positions with local, legislative, and statewide campaigns, including Deputy Executive Director of the Senate Democratic Majority Political Action Committee.

Jonathan has been appointed to numerous positions over the years. He served in Transition 2018 as Deputy Policy Director and lead author for the Transportation and Infrastructure Transition Advisory Committee for Governor Phil Murphy.

He was appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly to the New Jersey College Affordability Study Commission and he served on the Hudson County 2011 Freeholder Apportionment Commission, which was charged with drawing the Hudson County Freeholder Districts after the 2010 Census.

In addition, he was appointed by former Governor Jon Corzine to be a member of the Rutgers University Board of Trustees and was appointed to the New Jersey Israel Commission by former Governor Richard J. Codey.

Drawing on his history and experience in state and local government, Jonathan provides a wide breadth of representation for clients in the fields of transportation and infrastructure, healthcare, education, telecommunications, environmental, gaming, regulatory affairs, and economic and business development.

Jonathan received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Rutgers University, New Brunswick and his Master of Public Affairs and Politics degree from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. He resides in Hoboken New Jersey where he is active in local and county-wide politics.

20+ years

Mr. Layton has spearheaded numerous legislative initiatives that have been enacted into law. The largest of which, lead to the preservation of over a billion dollars in NJCAA member assets by protecting their mineral reserves.

William Layton has over two decades of public affairs experience servicing his clients. Mr. Layton has been recognized for over a decade straight as one of the 100 most powerful people in New Jersey politics by various political websites and magazines. Mr. Layton is one of the founding members of CLB Partners and has been instrumental in its growth from the 21st largest lobbying firm in New Jersey to its recent ranking as third largest.

Prior to founding CLB Partners in 2009, Mr. Layton was and still is the Executive Director of the New Jersey Concrete and Aggregate Association (NJCAA). Mr. Layton has spearheaded numerous legislative initiatives that have been enacted into law. The largest of which, lead to the preservation of over a billion dollars in NJCAA member assets by protecting their mineral reserves.

Mr. Layton also has done extensive work in the gaming industry in New Jersey. His expertise led to the relicensing and licensing of two of the most difficult gaming license issues ever in NJ.

From 1997 through 1998, Mr. Layton served as the Political Director of the New Jersey Republican State Committee during Governor Christie Whitman's re-election campaign. He helped design and execute the Victory '98 program, which involved implementing the voter-contact and get-out-the-vote operations for targeted campaigns.

Mr. Layton is a gubernatorial appointment to the NJ Economic Development Authority. He is the former Chairman of the Burlington County Republican Committee, first elected in 2007 and serving to 2019. Mr. Layton is also a former member of both the Board of Directors of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, and previously served as a trustee for Burlington County College.

Mr. Layton received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Rutgers University, and his Masters of Arts degree in Governmental Affairs from Villanova University. He has one son William, with his late wife Amanda, who is currently a student at the University of Mississippi.

Rachel Cone joins Southern Strategy Group after more than a decade of service in the highest levels of local and state governments. Rachel served as the Interim Secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), where she successfully shepherded the department's policy agenda and $11 billion budget across the finish line of the 2017 legislative session.

During her time at FDOT she also served as the Assistant Secretary for Finance and Administration, overseeing the offices of work program and budget, finance, procurement, technology, human resources, performance management and other administrative functions. She managed three of the largest transportation work programs in state history and represented the department in front of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Treasury, Fitch and Moody's rating agencies.

Rachel also directed changes to how the department finances the work program, and successfully advocated for statutory changes that resulted in a new financing vehicle for the department. This allows the department to fund additional, major transportation projects at a lower cost. She also oversaw the reorganization of the department's technology offices, which resulted in a culture shift for the department in how it prioritizes, spends and manages transportation-specific and traditional technologies.

In 2012, Governor Rick Scott appointed Rachel to serve as his Deputy Chief of Staff, where she was responsible for advising him on statewide issues, appointments to boards and commissions and providing guidance and direction to 14 state and quasi-governmental agencies on operational and management issues, including policy, budget, communication, legislative strategy and agency priorities. Those agencies were the Departments of Business and Professional Regulation, Citrus, Emergency Management, Economic Opportunity, Environmental Protection (and Water Management Districts) and Transportation. Also included under her purview were Florida Wildlife Commission, Space Florida, Visit Florida, Volunteer Florida and CareerSource Florida.

Rachel previously served as the External Affairs Director for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection where she directed planning and statewide communications strategies for the department, and coordinated communications efforts with Florida's five water management districts. This included topics such as renewed water management district oversight, various departmental restructuring, the health of Florida's springs, Governor Scott's Everglades Restoration Strategies plan and Florida's ongoing recovery after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Prior to her family's move to Tallahassee, Rachel served on the executive leadership team in the Mayor John Peyton administration in Jacksonville. Rachel began her career as a military reporter at the Florida Times-Union.

Rachel is a proud graduate of Auburn University. She and her family are active members of Trinity United Methodist Church, and Rachel serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at Holy Comforter Episcopal School in Tallahassee.

0-5 years

A rising public affairs specialist, Kyle England brings a natural sense for governmental affairs to CLB Partners. Mr. England joined the firm as an Associate in January 2019, focusing on legislative analysis, bill tracking, drafting of position pieces and client management.

Prior to joining CLB Partners, Kyle gained valuable experience leading grassroots efforts, heading grassroots campaign operations for several local and county candidates. He also worked as an intern in New Jersey's 8th Legislative District office where he assisted with legislative research and constituent casework.

Mr. England holds a B.A. in Law and Justice Studies with a minor in Communications from Rowan University.

6-10 years

Jason Watkins is the founder and president of Watkins Public Strategies. Having spent nearly two decades working in Kansas politics, he is a well-known and respected policy advocate and political strategist. Jason is focused on delivering results for his clients and has a reputation among policymakers as a trusted problem solver.

His career includes three terms of service in the Kansas House of Representatives representing the Wichita area. During his time in the legislature, Watkins served as Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee and Chairman of the General Budget Committee, in addition to membership on the Judiciary, Utilities and Energy, and Health and Human Services committees. He also held various leadership positions including Vice Chair of the Republican House Campaign Committee and Delegation Chair for the south-central Kansas delegation.

Before entering public service, Jason worked in the private sector as the owner and operator of multiple security and fire alarm companies throughout the Midwest. He won the Wichita Metro Award for the fastest growing privately held company in 1999 with growth of 1,891% over three years; it's a record that remains unbroken today. Jason has also helped numerous businesses start and grow as an investor and advisor.

Family is the cornerstone of his life. He and his wife, Kelly, have four children and two dogs.

0-5 years

Successfully negotiated complex compliance and enforcement issues with state agencies to reduce the penalty liability on behalf of our clients

Successfully obtain various permits and reduced the timeframe for review at regulatory agencies

Provided access to high-level officials at governmental agencies

Analyzed and provided public comments clients on various regulatory proposals

Deputy Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

Mr. Glass provides extensive knowledge of environmental policy and regulatory processes to CLB Partners. Having previously served as Deputy Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Mr. Glass oversaw many high-level projects including $380 million in post-Sandy resiliency projects. In addition, as Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Glass was tasked with overseeing major policy initiatives as well as improving efficiency within the NJDEP.

Prior to being named Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Glass served as Deputy Chief of Staff within the NJDEP. In this role, he forged close relationships with Members of the New Jersey Legislature and New Jersey Congressional Delegation as he oversaw the legislative process for NJDEP and testified before various legislative committees.

Prior to NJDEP, Mr. Glass served as Director of Community Relations for Congressman Leonard Lance. In this role, he forged close relationships with various state, county and local elected officials. In addition to his public service, he has been actively involved in several state and federal campaigns in New Jersey, which serves as an example of his versatility to understand politics as well as public policy.

Mr. Glass received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from Rutgers University.