305-490-3414
9155 S. Dadeland Blvd, Suite 1604, Miami, FL, 33156, 
Subjects: All Subjects, Alcohol, Animals/Agriculture, Appropriations/Budgets, Ballot Measures/Campaign Finance/Elections, Business/Commerce, Cannabis/Drug Legalization, Children/Family/Women, City/County Government, Consumer Protection, Education, Energy/Utilities, Environment/Recycling, Finance/Banking, Food/Restaurants, Gaming, Housing/Real Estate/Development/Construction, Pharmaceuticals, Planning/Land Use/Zoning, Privacy/Internet, Professional/Vocational Licensing, Public Safety, Public Sector, Retail, RFP/Procurement, Taxes, Tobacco, Tourism/Hospitality, Transportation/Vehicles
Links:Website
What distinguishes The Southern Group from others is where we draw our lobbyists from. Our lobbyists are almost all exclusively former government regulators, legislators or high-level government staff. We know what moves the wheels of government because, at one point in our careers, we moved those wheels ourselves.
2) Altria Client Services LLC and its Affiliates
3) Apple Inc
4) Beer Industry of Florida, Inc
7) Caesars Enterprise Services, LLC
11) Florida Blue
12) Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers
13) Florida Petroleum Marketers Association, Inc.
14) Florida Sheriffs Association
16) Habitat for Humanity of Key West and Lower FL Keys, Inc.
17) Habitat for Humanity of the Middle Keys, Inc.
23) Miami-Dade County Clerk of the Courts
24) Monroe County Sheriff's Office
25) NASCAR, LLC
26) Ocean Reef Club
27) Pearl Holding Group (Ocean Harbor)
28) Sunshine Gasoline Distributors, Inc
33) University of Florida Foundation, Inc.
34) Vestcor Companies, Inc., The
35) Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars
15-20 years
National Children's Alliance, Bud Cramer Award
Florida Bar, Family Law Section, Legislative Achievement
Kristi House Service, Former President Service Award
SSG has won numerous fundraising awards and recognitions
Managing Partner, Miami office, The Southern Group
Chairman, Republican Party of Miami-Dade County
Executive Board, Republican Party of Florida
Nelson D. Diaz concentrates his practice on government and community relations. Nelson has successfully represented local governments, businesses, trade associations and other corporate clients before the Florida legislative and executive branches of government. Nelson has become one of Florida's young rising stars since serving as Chief Legislative Aide to the Former Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives, and now United States Senator, Marco Rubio.
In addition, Nelson has successfully represented corporate entities before the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners, numerous Miami-Dade County agencies and departments, the City of Miami, the City of Hialeah, and several other municipal governments and authorities in Miami-Dade County. In addition to government relations, Nelson has successfully guided many corporate clients entering the South Florida market, providing community relations services. By advising new entrants to the market on who the key players are, which organizations to join, and how to navigate the local political waters, Nelson has assisted many clients successfully enter the South Florida and Miami markets.
Nelson began his political career as a volunteer in the 1996 Presidential campaign in Florida where he and many other young leaders, including now U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, State Senator Anitere Flores, Lt. Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera, and many other now-elected officials, worked hard to build a strong Republican Party base in South Florida. Since then, Nelson has worked on countless political campaigns in Florida from federal races for Presidential and U.S. Senate, to state races for Governor, Cabinet offices, Florida House of Representatives, and Florida Senate, as well as many local government campaigns for county commission, city councils, and mayor's races. Nelson has also been active in various business and civic organizations locally, and counts many legislators, party officials, and legislative leaders among his personal friends. As a result of Nelson's service with U.S. Senator Rubio and his involvement in many campaigns, Nelson has established an extensive network of key contacts in Miami-Dade County and within the Florida Legislature. In fact, Nelson currently serves as the Chairman of the Republican Party of Miami-Dade County and serves on the executive board of the Republican Party of Florida.
Active in the local community, Nelson served on the City of Miami's Historical and Environmental Preservation Board, protecting the city's historical and environmental treasures, as well as the Miami-Dade County Community Council of West Kendall, a local land use and zoning board. Additionally, Nelson serves as the Immediate Past President of the Board of Directors for Kristi House, Miami-Dade County's child advocacy center for child victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking as well as the Board of Directors of the Good Government Initiative, a bi-partisan organization dedicated to cultivating leaders of excellence in South Florida. Recently, Florida Governor Rick Scott appointed Nelson to the statewide Children and Youth Cabinet for his service and advocacy on behalf of Florida's children.
Nelson attended Florida International University, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in International Relations, with a Certificate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies, as well as minors in Political Science and Geography. Nelson graduated from the University of Florida, College of Law, cum laude, and was admitted to the Florida Bar in 2004.
(850) 671-4401
Po Box 10570, Tallahassee, FL, 32302-2570, 
Subjects: All Subjects
Links:Website
1) Airbnb, Inc.
3) Altria Client Services LLC and its Affiliates
4) American Property Casualty Insurance Association
6) Apple Inc
7) Association of Florida Colleges, Inc
9) AtkinsRealis
11) Beep, Inc.
13) Breakthru Beverage Florida
16) Cengage
17) City of Orlando
19) Copart, Inc
21) CVS Health
22) Darden, Inc.
24) Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County
25) EcoLandCo, LLC
29) Fidelity National Financial, Inc
30) Flagler College
31) Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Association
32) Florida Blue
33) Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority
34) Florida Prepaid College Foundation, Inc
37) Florida State Alliance of YMCA
38) Florida State College at Jacksonville Foundation
39) Florida Trucking Association
40) Friends of Florida Iron & Steel
41) G.L. Homes of Florida Corporation
42) Gopher Resource
45) International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)
46) Jack and Nancy Dwyer Workforce Development Center, Inc.
49) Lake Nona Property Holdings, LLC
51) Museum of Science & History
52) NASCAR, LLC
55) Pearl Holding Group (Ocean Harbor)
57) RedSpeed USA
59) Smart Horizons Career Online Education
60) Tall Timbers Research, Inc.
62) TECO Energy, Inc
63) Tenet Healthcare Corporation
64) Tesla, Inc.
67) University of Florida Foundation, Inc.
68) Vestcor Companies, Inc., The
69) Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, U.S.
70) Wells Fargo
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.
(850) 671-4401
Po Box 10570, Tallahassee, FL, 32302-2570, 
Subjects: All Subjects
Links:Website
1) Airbnb, Inc.
2) Altria Client Services LLC and its Affiliates
3) Apple Inc
4) Beach Mosquito Control District
5) Beep, Inc.
6) Beer Industry of Florida, Inc
8) Caesars Enterprise Services, LLC
11) Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
15) Florida Prepaid College Foundation, Inc
16) Florida Sheriffs Association
19) Gopher Resource
23) Lemon Grove Mitigation Bank
25) Management 10
26) Metro Development Group, LLC
27) National Emergency Management and Response
29) OnSolve, LLC.
32) ReCap, LLC
34) Second Harvest of the Big Bend
38) TECO Energy, Inc
39) Tesla, Inc.
41) Timberline Real Estate Partners
42) University of North Florida
43) Urban SDK
Brian Bautista advocates on behalf of his clients before the legislative and executive branches of Florida government and has experience acting as statewide spokesman and point of contact for clients. Brian has resided in Florida's capital city for over a decade, and his work spans the gambit from local initiatives to a statewide Senate campaign.
Brian received both a bachelor's degree in political science and a law degree from Florida State University. Brian uses his legal expertise and political acumen to successfully represent clients on some of the highest profile issues in Florida, in the technology, education, healthcare, and energy industries.
Brian has been named one of Florida's 30 Under 30 by Florida Politics and a NextGeneration Rising Star by Influence Magazine
(850) 671-4401
Po Box 10570, Tallahassee, FL, 32302-2570, 
Subjects: All Subjects
Links:Website
3) Apple Inc
4) Artificial Intelligence for Manufacturing, Inc. (AIM)
6) AtkinsRealis
7) Bay County Board of County Commissioners
9) Beep, Inc.
14) EcoLandCo, LLC
17) Florida Senior Living Association
18) Florida Sheriffs Association
19) Florida Trucking Association
20) Gopher Resource
21) IBM
22) International Business Machines Corporation (IBM)
23) JAX Chamber
24) Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC and Affiliates
25) Lake Wales Property Holdings, LLC
29) NASCAR, LLC
30) Neal Communities
33) OnSolve, LLC.
34) Osceola County
36) Punam, LLC.
37) Raydient LLC
38) ReCap, LLC
41) Second Harvest of the Big Bend
44) Tall Timbers Research, Inc.
46) TECO Energy, Inc
47) The Mahaffey Apartment Company
49) Tom Thumb Food Stores, Inc.
50) TSG Public Safety Advisors, LLC.
51) Urban SDK
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.
1) Advantage Behavioral Health Services
3) Altria Client Services LLC and its Affiliates
5) American Property Casualty Insurance Association
7) Apple Inc
8) Aramark Correctional Services, LLC
10) Beer Industry of Florida, Inc
12) Clay County Board of County Commissioners
13) Copart, Inc
15) Fidelity National Financial, Inc
16) Florida Blue
17) Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority
18) Florida Pulp & Paper Association
19) Florida Sheriffs Association
21) Friends of Florida Iron & Steel
23) Gulfstream Natural Gas System, LLC
27) Key West International Airport
28) Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC and Affiliates
29) LEO Technologies
31) Metro Development Group, LLC
34) Putnam County
35) Raydient LLC
36) Rayonier, Inc
37) Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC
38) SCI Funeral Services of Florida, Inc
39) SMG Drones, LLC dba DARIUS
40) South Central Florida Express, Inc
42) The Arc of Putnam County, Inc.
45) Two Roads Development, LLC
46) United States Sugar Corporation
47) University of North Florida
A leader within Florida's government relations arena, Mercer Fearington, Jr. has been representing clients before the executive and legislative branches of Florida government since the mid-1990's. Mercer is the past Chairman of the Florida Agricultural Coalition and is a graduate of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture -- an affiliate of the Institute of Food and Agriculture and Sciences at the University of Florida. Mercer is a graduate of Mercer University.
Mercer lives in Tallahassee with his wife, Lindsey, and their three daughters.
(850) 577-9090
301 S Bronough St, Suite 500, Tallahassee, FL, 32301, 
1) Aramark Educational Services, LLC
10) City of Maitland
12) City of Newberry
13) City of Orlando
15) City of Tampa
18) Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
21) Florida League of Cities, Inc
22) Florida Sheriffs Association
23) Foundation for a Healthier West Orange
25) Habitat for Humanity of Florida, Inc
26) Islamorada Village of Islands
27) Marion County Board of County Commissioners
29) Miami Bridge Youth and Family Services, Inc.
31) Monroe County Board of County Commissioners
32) Orange County Board of County Commissioners
33) Partnership for Strong Families
34) Talitrix LLC.
35) Task Force Dagger Special Operations Foundation
36) The Housing Authority of the City of Key West, Florida
37) The Trust for Public Land Action Fund
(850) 877-2165
2617 Mahan Dr, Tallahassee, FL, 32308, 
(850) 841-1726
Po Box 390, Tallahassee, FL, 32302-0390, 
1) AT&T
6) Coalition to Protect Florida's Economy
7) Expedia, Inc
9) Florida Assisted Living Association
10) Florida Attractions Association, Inc
11) Florida Chamber of Commerce
12) Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants
(850) 577-9090
301 S. Bronough Street, Suite 500, Tallahassee, FL, 32301, 
2) Broward County Clerk of Courts
11) City of Newberry
12) City of Orlando
15) City of Tampa
18) Florida Association of Counties
19) Florida Chamber of Commerce, Inc.
20) Florida Ground Water Association
21) Florida Keys Educational Foundation, Inc.
22) Florida League of Cities, Inc.
23) Florida Municipal Broadband Alliance
26) Florida Municipal Natural Gas Association
27) Florida Municipal Power Agency
28) Florida Redevelopment Association
29) Florida Sheriffs Association
31) Islamorada Village of Islands
32) JEA
33) Marion County Board of County Commissioners
36) Monroe County Board of County Commissioners
37) Orange County Board of County Commissioners
38) Orlando Utilities Commission
39) PepsiCo
40) Philip T. Feldsine Revocable Trust
41) San Carlos Island Local Redevelopment Corporation
42) Stone, Glass & Connolly, LLP
43) Sunset Harbour Yacht Club, Inc.
44) The Trust for Public Land Action Fund
45) The Wetlandsbank Company, LLC.
48) Villages, The
49) WSP USA INC.
(850) 566-1979
2617 Mahan Dr, Tallahassee, FL, 32308-5448, 
(850) 699-0470
Po Box 390, Tallahassee, FL, 32302-0390, 
(850) 910-2678
Po Box 390, Tallahassee, FL, 32302-0390, 
1) AT&T
6) Expedia, Inc
8) Florida Assisted Living Association
9) Florida Attractions Association, Inc
10) Florida Chamber of Commerce
11) Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants
14) Holley-Navarre Water System
15) Holmes County Board of County Commissioners
16) HomeAway
17) Levy County Board of County Commissioners
18) Liberty Partners of Tallahassee, LLC
20) Madison County Board of County Commissioners
21) National Coalition for Public School Options
22) No Casinos, Inc
(850) 591-5921
113 E. College Ave., 2540 Shumard Oak Blvd., Tallahassee, FL, 32302, 
1) AT&T
6) Expedia, Inc
7) Florida Assisted Living Association
8) Florida Attractions Association, Inc
(850) 671-4401
Po Box 10570, Tallahassee, FL, 32302-2570, 
1) Advantage Behavioral Health Services
2) Airbnb, Inc.
3) Altria Client Services LLC and its Affiliates
5) American Property Casualty Insurance Association
7) Apple Inc
8) Aramark Correctional Services, LLC
9) Artificial Intelligence for Manufacturing, Inc. (AIM)
11) Baldwin Risk Partners, LLC
12) Bay County Board of County Commissioners
13) Beach Mosquito Control District
15) Beer Industry of Florida, Inc
18) Caesars Enterprise Services, LLC
20) CGL Companies
22) City of Marathon
24) Copart, Inc
26) Fidelity National Financial, Inc
27) Florida Blue
28) Florida Prepaid College Foundation, Inc
29) Florida Pulp & Paper Association
30) Florida Senior Living Association
31) Florida Sheriffs Association
33) Friends of Florida Iron & Steel
34) Gopher Resource
36) Gulfstream Natural Gas System, LLC
41) Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC and Affiliates
42) LEO Technologies
44) Metro Development Group, LLC
45) Monroe County Sheriff's Office
47) NASCAR, LLC
48) National Emergency Management and Response
49) Next Insurance
51) Nutanix, Inc.
52) On Track School c/o TSG Education Advisors
54) Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care, Inc
56) Putnam County
57) Rayonier, Inc
58) ReCap, LLC
60) Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC
62) SCI Funeral Services of Florida, Inc
65) SMG Drones, LLC dba DARIUS
66) Southern Gardens Citrus Holding Corporation
68) Talitrix LLC.
70) TECO Energy, Inc
71) The Arc of Putnam County, Inc.
73) United States Sugar Corporation
74) Universal Protection Service, LLC