20+ years

Jerry Usry joined the firm in 2015, establishing the firm's Atlanta, Georgia office. Prior to joining Cornerstone, Jerry was the principal and founder of a successful, full-service, public affairs consulting firm headquartered in Albany, Georgia

Under retainer with a number of corporate, governmental and association clients, the firm established a strong track record of accomplishments with both the Georgia General Assembly and the U.S. Congress. From securing multi-million dollar appropriations projects, to drafting and implementing complex legislative strategies, Jerry has consistently achieved client goals and enjoys long-term business relationships as a result. He has played a major role in the reform of the Georgia Tax Code, a rewrite of state health and water planning laws, new food safety reporting statutes and the establishment and funding of a variety of university based institutes.

Democrat and Republican governors have appointed him to a variety of government policy posts, including the Georgia Rural Development Council and the ACT-ACF Water Compacts Advisory Committee. Jerry has also been recognized by prestigious organizations for professional accomplishments: Georgia Trend's 40 Under 40, Rising Star in Business and Politics; American Society of Association Executives, National Award for Excellence in Government Relations; James Magazine, Top Ten Independent Lobbyists in Georgia; and Zpolitics, 16 power players under the Gold Dome. Jerry is an original member of Governor Nathan Deal's (R-GA) Finance Committee and was appointed to his Inaugural Executive Committee.

Prior to the establishment of his consulting practice, Jerry was a staff director of a major commodity organization and a regional administrator for a state agency. He is a member of the Georgia Professional Lobbyist Association, Georgia Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and the Georgia Agribusiness Council.

A lifelong Georgian and a native of Athens, Jerry has a B.S.A. and a Master's degree in Public Administration.

Camila Knowles joined Cornerstone's Atlanta office in October 2017 and now serves as principal and director. She comes to the firm after serving in Governor Nathan Deal's cabinet as Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) since January 2015. At DCA, she led a staff of over 400 and allocated over $1 billion annually in state and federal dollars as she and her team fulfilled DCA's mission of encouraging community development, providing local government assistance, financing Georgia's economic development, and providing affordable housing.

Prior to her service in the Deal Administration, she was chief of staff to U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss. She began her career with Senator Chambliss in 2003 as one of the Senator's designees on the Senate Judiciary Committee focusing on immigration law and policy. After serving as a legislative assistant and chief counsel for the Senator in Washington, D.C., she moved to Atlanta in 2009 as state director, and was named chief of staff in 2013.

While on Senator Chambliss' staff, Camila worked on a host of legislative issues, including energy policy, comprehensive immigration reform, judicial nominations, Georgia's tri-state water wars, and the deepening of the Savannah Harbor. She also worked on appropriations bills providing critical federal funding to numerous Georgia projects.

Camila began her career in Washington as a legislative aide to U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas. She holds an A.B. in History from Harvard, from which she graduated with cum laude distinction, and a law degree from Georgetown University. She is a member of the State Bar of North Carolina.

Camila is a current trustee for Leadership Georgia and serves on the boards of directors for the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission, Camp Sunshine, the Georgia 4-H Foundation, Georgia Cities Solutions, and the Chambliss Leadership Forum. She is an alumni interviewer for Harvard and for the Chambliss Fellows program, which sends University of Georgia students to Washington, DC for a semester. She resides in Atlanta with her husband Sean and their four children. Camila is an active member of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church, where she serves on the church's Staff-Parish Relations Committee and teaches kindergarten Sunday School with her husband.

Jeff Hamling joined Cornerstone in 2017, bringing a wealth of experience and relationships in Atlanta, Georgia. Jeff came to the firm after two years as a lobbyist in Dentons' Atlanta and Washington offices where he represented a number of corporate, governmental, and non-profit clients.

Prior to Dentons, Jeff worked at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce as vice president for state and federal affairs. Jeff joined the Chamber after serving then-Congressman Tom Price for over five years. Starting as a staff assistant, Jeff was quickly promoted to deputy chief of staff, overseeing the Atlanta office and various aspects of the federal legislative staff.

Jeff has also been recognized by prestigious organizations for professional accomplishments: profiled in Capitol Impact Magazine's People on the Move, "Rookie of the Year" award voted on by his peers in the Georgia lobbying community, and James Magazine's Georgia's Political Influencers in Washington, D.C.

Sally Kilpatrick advises a diverse set of clients on state legislative and regulatory issues with a focus on healthcare, energy, education and economic development policy. Sally joined Cornerstone's Atlanta, Georgia office in September 2015 and has more than 10 years of experience providing strategic advice to the private sector.

Prior to joining Cornerstone, Sally served as vice president of government affairs at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the state's largest business advocacy organization. Through her seven-year tenure at the Chamber, Sally developed an extensive background managing legislative and regulatory issues in the policy areas of water, energy, education, economic development and health care. While at the Chamber, Sally served on the Technology Association of Georgia's Government Affairs Taskforce and the Georgia Water Alliance. She managed the Georgia Chamber's Local Chamber Legislative Ad Hoc Committee and legislative affairs for Chamber's Small Business Advisory Council.

She has established strong, bipartisan working relationships with House and Senate members of the Georgia General Assembly and state agency officials. Her industry specific knowledge and key relationships have been valuable in assisting clients to successfully achieve their legislative and regulatory objectives at the state Capitol.

Sally is a current board member of Atlanta Moms Making A Difference and serves on the executive committee of the Georgia Chamber's Government Affairs Council.

Sally earned her B.S. in Journalism at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. She and her husband Trey reside in Atlanta with their daughter, Phen, and son, Clark.