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Prior to joining Hayes Dent Public Strategies, LLC, Steve served as Executive Director to Mississippians for Economic Progress (MFEP) where he was instrumental in shaping civil justice policy for Mississippi's business and medical communities at the state government level. MFEP is a non-profit coalition of more than 50 professional, trade, and medical associations promoting court room fairness.

During his leadership at MFEP the Mississippi State Legislature passed The 2004 Tort Reform Act, the single-most comprehensive civil justice reform legislation ever enacted by any state legislative body in American history as noted by the United States Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform and the Washington, D.C.-based Heritage Foundation. Among the major components of this legislation: venue-shopping reform, reasonable limits on non-economic damage awards, sensible caps on punitive damage awards, innocent retailer protections,& elimination of joint liability.

From 1998 to 2002, Steve served under U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott in Washington, D.C. in a variety of capacities. Most recently he served as Legislative Assistant for aviation, agriculture, banking and Indian affairs issues. His most notable accomplishment during this time was his involvement in the Congressional passage of the Aviation and Infrastructure Reform Act for the 21 st Century (AIR-21) which increased Federal funding to state and local governments for airport improvement projects.

Active in the local community, he has served in a variety of capacities through his church, St. Andrew's Episcopal Cathedral, most recently completing a three-year term as a Vestryman. Steve also serves a Board member for Stewpot Community Services, a local non-profit established to care for the welfare and needs of Jackson's low-income community.

Steve is a 1995 graduate of Mississippi State University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He is also a 1999 Masters of Public Policy and Administration graduate from MSU.

He is married to the former Mary Alice Tyson of Montgomery, Alabama. They have a daughter, Virginia, and a son, Phillip, and they reside in Madison, Mississippi. His hobbies include coaching youth sports, traveling and home-brewing.