20+ years

We are available to discuss past achievements in many areas of government relations.

We work across branches and across all agencies of state government.

Ben Patterson grew up in Florence, Alabama. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Alabama where he taught seminars in State and Local Government and American Politics until 1996.

Prior to joining Fine Geddie in 2004 he served as the Deputy Finance Director for the State of Alabama under two governors and helped guide both administrations' legislative efforts on fiscal issues. He also held the position of Chief Information Officer, overseeing the state's technology acquisitions in the late 1990s. During his tenures in state government, he gained a thorough understanding of government operations, procurement, information technology, state budgets and controls, and the complexities of Alabama's tax structure.

Ben Patterson also served as the Director of Government Relations for the Alabama Bankers Association from 2000 until 2003 where he was the principal advocate for the state banking industry. He began his lobbying career as a Manager of Legislative Affairs for the Business Council of Alabama in 1996.

Jordan Gleason has over 10 years of experience in effective advocacy, coalition building and providing strategic solutions for legislative and regulatory issues. He has a deep understanding of policy at the state level in Louisiana and the federal level in Washington, D.C. Throughout his career, he has built relationships with local, state and federal lawmakers and is familiar with the workings of the regulatory bodies, especially in Louisiana and within the oil and gas industry.

Jordan came to Cornerstone from Adams and Reese LLP, where he served as a Government Affairs Advisor. Prior to that, he was the Government Affairs and Communications Director for the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association (LOGA), where he was responsible for facilitating communication between industry associations to unite on issues important to their respective members. While there he was responsible for planning political fundraisers, industry events and media outreach relating to LOGA's membership and to further a better understanding of the oil and gas industry in the state.

Prior to his work with LOGA, Jordan served as Press Secretary and Legislative Assistant for former Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA). He was the official spokesperson for the office, liaising with the media and public outlets and advising the Congressman on local political issues including coastal restoration, defense and transportation.

Jordan began his political career as Press Assistant in Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal's administration, eventually becoming the Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs. He received his bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University.

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.

Nial Patel joined Cornerstone Government Affairs in 2011 after more than seven years of service to Governor Bobby Jindal, dating back to his first run for governor in 2003. As one of the longest serving senior staff members for the Governor, Nial worked as the director of scheduling. Additionally, when Governor Jindal was elected to Congress, Nial served as his executive assistant. During his tenure with Jindal, Nial's duties varied from campaigning to research and outreach, working with elected politicians, stakeholders, and government officials from Washington, D.C. and across the state of Louisiana.

Nial holds a Masters in Economics from the Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University (LSU), and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from LSU, where he also minored Political Science and Business Administration.

Originally from New Orleans, Nial attended Holy Cross High School and the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts. In 2014, he was recognized as one of the top forty under 40 leaders in the community, and is alum of the Baton Rouge Leadership and Louisiana Leadership programs. Nial serves on the Southeast Super Region Committee, Greater New Orleans Inc.'s Next Gen Council, New Schools for Baton Rouge Board, Teach for America Board, and is Chairman of Louisiana Association of Business and Industry's Emerging Leaders Council. He has helped raised money for the American Cancer Society, Republican Governor's Association, and several elected officials. Nial currently resides in Baton Rouge.

Matthew Garcia joined Cornerstone in December of 2024, expanding the firm's Texas footprint to Dallas. A seasoned government and public affairs executive with over two decades experience in the Dallas Region, Matt brings a wealth of experience in policy, advocacy and stakeholder engagement. He joins Cornerstone from the Dallas Regional Chamber, where he served as Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy. In this role, he spearheaded the organization's public policy strategy, while remaining closely engaged with legislators, key stakeholders and C-level executives across the Dallas Region for one of the largest Chambers of Commerce in Texas.

Prior to his time at Dallas Regional Chamber, Matt worked as the Director of External Affairs for Leon Capital Group where he developed the firm's public affairs strategies across their multiple business lines.

Previously, Matt served in the United States House of Representatives, first as District Director (2010-2013) and then as Chief of Staff-Texas (2013-2018), managing Rep. Pete Sessions' (R-TX) office and serving as a key advisor on energy, transportation and general business issues for Texas. Notably, Matt served as the North Texas congressional point of contact working with area city officials, the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) and the Army Corps of Engineers to bring online Bois d'Arc Lake, the newest major reservoir in Texas in over 30 years. Matt also worked alongside emergency response teams at the city, county and state levels during the 2014 Ebola crisis in Dallas to deliver accurate and timely public communication while leading information coordination with federal agencies, including the National Institute of Health and the Department of Health and Human Services.

He earned his bachelor's degree in finance from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin. Garcia currently serves as Director of the Texas Association of Business, The Dallas Zoo and the Texas Lyceum, and member of the following organizations: McCombs School of Business BBA Advisory Board, Simmons Cancer Center Community Advisory Board, Reading Partners North Texas, the State Fair of Texas Chairman's Task Force, the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas Brand Advancement Committee and the SMU Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Advisory Board.

Laura Alexander joined Cornerstone in October of 2025 as a Principal for our Texas office, and is based in Houston. She supports client teams in a variety of issue areas.

Prior to Cornerstone, Laura served as Vice President of Public Policy at the Greater Houston Partnership. In this role, she led advocacy on water infrastructure, workforce development and public school funding; managed member fly-ins and delivered key outcomes during the 89th Texas Legislative Session, including local appropriations for the City of Houston, extension of research & development franchise tax credits and a constitutional dedication of funds for water projects.

Laura previously practiced public finance law, holding roles with a number of firms in Louisiana focusing on environment, energy, tourism, housing and elections. She also served as Executive Director of the Louisiana Institute for Children in Families, where she advanced foster care and adoption reforms and launched the Louisiana Foster Youth Intern Program to prepare former foster youth to testify before the Legislature.

Laura holds a Juris Doctor from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and a BA in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University.

Ross Giesinger brings over a decade of legislative experience at the Texas Capitol to the Cornerstone team, having served for six legislative sessions in both the Texas House and Senate.

Most recently, Ross worked as a policy advisor to Dade Phelan, Speaker of the Texas House, of Representatives, during the 87th Regular Session, where he assisted with the passage of over 80 pieces of legislation. Additionally, Ross drafted and managed several bills filed in response to Winter Storm Uri, including SB 3, one of the most comprehensive energy reforms in Texas in the last 20 years.

Prior to his time in the House, Ross spent several years working as general counsel and legislative director for Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-TX) and as the director of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services. While at the Senate, Ross assisted with the passage of nearly 300 bills and worked to obtain funds for a variety of initiatives, including legislation that secured permanent funding for Texas State Parks.

Ross began his career at the legislature in 2010 as a drafting attorney for the Texas Legislative Council. During his time with the state, he has drafted thousands of pieces of legislation, allowing him to develop expertise in a wide variety of subject areas, including energy, healthcare, water, land use and development, transportation, insurance, labor, agriculture, wildlife, taxation, and state budgeting.

Ross is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law. He is a member of the Austin Young Lawyers Association and was recently elected to serve on the Council of the Texas State Bar's Legislative and Campaign Law Section. Ross also serves as a Steward of the Wild for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and has been active in the Austin Ballet Guild, the Trail Foundation, and CCA. He and his wife Courtney live in Austin with their young son Henry.

Rachel Farmer has 20 years of experience in government affairs activities including, policy development, executive branch engagement, drafting legislation, grassroots activities and political campaign strategies. She has extensive knowledge of health care related issues, state budget and capital outlay processes and economic development business incentives. She joined Cornerstone's in October 2022 and serves as a principal in the Baton Rouge office.

Rachel came to Cornerstone from UnitedHealth Group, where she served as vice president of external affairs and managed the development and implementation of political strategy, relationship development, public policy engagement and overall business advancement initiatives with key state and local policy makers. Additionally, she was responsible for directing all executive and legislative lobbying activities for three state territory, including establishing and overseeing all PAC and corporate political contributions and managing government affairs consultants in each state.

Prior to that, she was a legislative and congressional liaison to Secretary Stephen Moret with the Louisiana Department of Economic Development (LED). She reported directly to the Secretary and served as the primary contact for all legislative communication on behalf of LED, assisting the Secretary in the development of strategies and legislative initiatives to further enhance Louisiana's business development efforts.

Rachel also served as the director of governmental relations with Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), where she led legislative and political activities for ABC Louisiana, provided lobbying services and actively tracked legislation and regulation issues of importance to ABC. She has experience working with the Louisiana Division of Administration and the House of Representatives serving as a confidential assistant and legislative analyst, respectively.

Rachel holds a Bachelor of Science with a major in business administration and a minor in political science from Louisiana State University.

Martin Hubert brings a wealth of state government experience to the clients of Cornerstone Government Affairs. From his early career as chief counsel to the Senate Natural Resources Committee to his gubernatorial appointment as a commissioner of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to his eight years as the deputy comptroller of Texas, Hubert has managed thousands of employees and millions of taxpayer dollars under both Democrat and Republican administrations.

Martin was the 2008 recipient of TSABAA's Administrator of the Year Award. Presented annually, this prestigious award was established to formally recognize state employees who have demonstrated outstanding leadership skills and who have made significant contributions to state agency business administration.

As the final general counsel to legendary Lt. Governor Bob Bullock, Martin learned the mastery of government relations from some of the most influential leaders in Texas history. His knowledge of agriculture stems from generations of the Hubert family's cow/calf and farming operations in South Texas and serving as the Texas Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture for eight years. Martin offers a unique combination of legal, natural resources, tax policy and state government procedural expertise.

Hubert is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center and St. Mary's School of Law. He was Brigade Executive Officer in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Ross Volunteers Honor Guard and the Singing Cadets. He successfully completed Army Ranger School and served in the U.S. Army Reserves. He is a marathon runner and coaches his son's little league teams.

Hubert is a second tenor and helps raise money for Legal Aid through the Travis County Bar Association's "Bar and Grill" fundraisers. He and his wife Celeste live in a historic home in Austin, where they are involved with the Austin Symphony, St. Theresa's Catholic Church and School, and the happily busy lives of their children Belle and Patrick.

Craig Holzheauser brings to Cornerstone years of involvement in Texas state and local politics. The son of a state representative, Craig went to work in the private sector after college before beginning a political career at the state capitol in 2012.

Working as a legislative consultant, managing the campaigns of House and Senate members, and serving as legislative director and then committee director of the House Committee on Public Health in his first year of employment, Craig is goal oriented and proven himself to be a quick study. Craig has a keen political intuition and a knack for developing the type of relationships that matter in campaigns, service of an elected official, or success for his clients.

A native of Victoria, Texas, Craig holds a Bachelor of Science in Construction Science from Texas A&M University.

BOB GEDDIE grew up in Elmore County and attended public schools in Robinson Springs and Wetumpka. After graduating from Marion Military Institute (A.A.) and Auburn University (BA), he joined the Washington staff of the late U.S. Senator John Sparkman as Sparksman's legislative assistant. He later coordinated Sparkman's Alabama offices. Geddie served for four years as Legislative Liaison and as Executive Assistant to Governor Fob James. He was the Governor's representative to the National Governor's Association, Interstate Mining Compact and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Commission. Prior to forming Fine Geddie & Associates in 1985, he was Director of State Governmental Affairs for Alabama Power Company.

Tony Essalih joined Cornerstone in 2011 as a co-lead of the firm's flagship Texas office in Houston. He spent 12 years on Capitol Hill and came to Cornerstone from the office of Congressman John Culberson (R-Houston). Tony worked for Congressman Culberson for 10 years, the last five as his chief of staff. Prior to becoming chief of staff, Tony served in a variety of capacities including legislative assistant, legislative director, communications director, and deputy chief of staff. He spent eight years in Washington, D.C. before relocating to Houston in 2007.

As chief of staff, Tony was responsible for guiding the day-to-day operations of the Congressman's Washington and Houston offices, and oversaw a 15-member staff under a fixed budget. Outside of the office, he served as the principal liaison to the Congressman's campaign committee and provided strategic counsel and advice related to his re-election efforts. Tony's areas of policy expertise include transportation, energy, budget and appropriations. Tony also led outreach efforts and served as an emissary on behalf of the Congressman with state lawmakers in Austin and local elected officials in Houston.

Prior to Culberson's election in 2001, Tony worked as a legislative assistant for Congressman Culberson's predecessor, former House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer. Tony's began his tenure on Capitol Hill with former House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings.

Tony has advised and assisted numerous local, state, and federal campaigns. He serves on the board of the National InterFaith Foundation, the Advisory Board for the Houston Technology Center, spent two years on the Board of the Spring Branch Medical Center and was a member of Houston Mayor Annise Parker's transition team in 2010.

Tony was born and raised in Fredericksburg, VA and received his B.A. in Political Science from Mary Washington College. He was a member of Mary Washington's NCAA semifinalist men's soccer team. He lives in Houston and has two angelic daughters, Grace and Libby.

Max Moll joined the Cornerstone Public Affairs team April of 2023, bringing a public affairs and strategic communications presence to Cornerstone's Texas offices. In his previous role as chief engagement officer at the Houston Independent School District, he oversaw government relations, communications, family and community engagement and board relations for the nation's eighth largest school district. He also oversaw the district's legislative affairs work and external lobby team, ensuring alignment and execution of district's legislative priorities. In addition, he represented the district with external stakeholders, in traditional and digital media appearances, and on panels and other various speaking opportunities. He was also the lead spokesperson for the district and main point of contact for elected officials, advocacy groups and private industry.

Prior to working at HISD, Max served as the chief communications officer & deputy director for the Office of the Houston City Controller, Chris B. Brown. He spearheaded all communications initiatives for the Office of the City Controller, working across the City of Houston's 22 departments to help unify external and internal communications. Max served as liaison between Controller's Office and the city's investors, developing key external messaging relating to investment strategy, portfolio performance, and maintaining key relationships with city's investor base. In addition, and in partnership with the Controller's Office Treasury Division, Max helped oversee the city's Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investments, helping grow the portfolio to over $950 million.

Max also served as the chief of staff to the CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, where he oversaw the development and execution of the Chamber's public affairs and community outreach efforts, legislative advocacy campaigns and external affairs projects. Also, he served as the main point of contact for media, securing comprehensive coverage and managing all media relationships on behalf of the Chamber and its members.

He holds a master's in business administration from Boston University, master's in political management from George Washington University, and a bachelor's in mass communication from LSU.

Stephen Ledet joined Cornerstone Government Affairs' Baton Rouge, Louisiana office in July 2018. Stephen has nearly 20 years' experience working in government affairs in Baton Rouge.

Stephen previously served as the director of public affairs for Entergy Louisiana, where he led and implemented their legislative strategy. Much of his time at Entergy was spent relationship building with legislators, leadership, and their staff. Stephen was also involved in the management of Entergy's political action committee (PAC) contributions and recruiting PAC membership.

Prior to his five years at Entergy, Stephen spent nearly 12 years on staff with the Louisiana Association for Justice, where he managed the Association's contract lobbyists and lobbying team. Stephen advised the Association's executive director and committee on legislative strategies and directed its legislative fundraising efforts.

Stephen serves on the board for the Salvation Army and is a member of the St. Aloysius Church Men's Club.

Stephen received his B.B.A in marketing from Mississippi State University. He resides in Baton Rouge with his wife Mackenzie, and their twins, Henry and Willis.