6-10 years

Best Lawyers "Ones to Watch": Government Relations

Dieter Raemdonck's practice is focused primarily on government relations matters at the federal, state, and local levels.

As a registered lobbyist, Mr. Raemdonck has invaluable expertise and experience communicating with state, county and municipal officials; state and federal legislators; executive branch employees; and state agencies and regulators. At the Colorado General Assembly, Dieter assists clients with all aspects of the legislative process, including drafting legislation, building coalitions, developing strategies for advocacy and messaging, lobbying legislators, and ultimately achieving clients' desired policy outcomes. His clients have a broad range of priorities, from general business issues to education, energy, real estate, and technology. In addition, he regularly advises and assists clients with political giving programs and campaign finance matters.

Dieter's practice also includes advocating client interests before regulatory bodies at the state and local levels. He often drafts proposed regulations, and represents clients before administrative boards and commissions.

11-15 years

With a track record of delivering results in communities across Colorado and in Denver, Brett Moore has been engaged in the state since 2007. Building on experience gained as a non-partisan employee at the Colorado General Assembly, he founded OnTheBallot Consulting (OTB), a Denver-based lobbying firm. He has achieved legislative wins by building strong relationships with elected officials, staff, and other government affairs professionals.

Entering his 16th legislative session, and 12th with OnTheBallot Consulting, Brett brings lobbying expertise across a variety of issue areas, including: energy development; private property rights; ag/rural/water; health care; and behavioral health. OTB's clients are non-profits, small businesses, trade associations, and local governments whose voices are amplified by this representation.

11-15 years

Garin began her political career in Washington D.C. working for Senator Wayne Allard and ran the government affairs department at Colorado Farm Bureau before joining Colorado Legislative Services in 2007. She became partner in 2012 and steadfastly through her career, Garin has honed her policy knowledge on issues related to agriculture, including water and property rights. She also is highly skilled as a strategist for higher education, business, liquor, and state licensure issues.

Growing up on a ranch in southwest Colorado gave Garin a strong work ethic and her dedication to understanding an issue completely shows up when representing CLS clients. Her adeptness in many policy areas and direct manner of speaking means that she is a trusted resource for legislators on both sides of the aisle. She is regarded as a top water policy expert in Colorado and has been recognized for her work bolstering the Colorado business climate by working to align agriculture and energy-- two of the top five drivers of the Colorado economy--on a variety of issues. Garin was recognized as one of Colorado's "Top Women in Energy" by the Denver Business Journal in 2017.

She is a proud graduate of Colorado State University where she earned an Agricultural Business degree. Garin has completed Colorado Farm Bureau's Elite Leaders Academy, is a member of the Women's Energy Network of Colorado and has served on the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program board and Butterfly Pavilion's Fund Development Committee.

In her free time, Garin cherishes time with her husband and two daughters, especially during trips to the mountains. She is an avid reader, sous-chef for her husband and wine connoisseur who frequents the Napa Valley.

20+ years

Melanie joined CLS in 2000 and has nearly 25 years of expertise in public policy, lobbying, business, banking, bioscience and renewable energy. She enjoys working on complex economic development and tax policy, and has one of highest success rates passing incentives for varied industry sectors. She also has experience effectively lobbying k-12 education, capital development and healthcare. Melanie's strong network of relationships with legislators, as well as influencers in the government and public policy arena, ensures CLS' clients have unparalleled access to policy leaders.

Before beginning her lobbying career, Melanie was the Public Relations Director for the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, then moved into lobbying as the Legislative Director at Colorado Farm Bureau, while obtaining a Master's from University of Colorado Denver's Graduate School of Public Affairs. Prior to that, she received her Bachelor's from Colorado Christian University. Melanie is a state board member of Girls on the Run and has served as an assistant instructor at the Colorado Mountain Club's High Altitude Mountaineering School.

Melanie is a married mother to three children and an extreme athlete. Her noteworthy accomplishments include finishing the Leadville 100 Ultra-Marathon, climbing all 58 of Colorado's mountains over 14,000', along with numerous high-altitude mountains around the world. Her current athletic focus is Pack Burro Racing, Colorado's official heritage sport, with her two rescued burros. Her dedication to these endeavors translates to the vision, planning and execution it takes to succeed in politics and advocacy.

20+ years

Jim is a highly accomplished senior executive, consultant, lobbyist and strategist with over 30 years of success in public policy, politics, government, energy, healthcare, financial services, transportation, state budget, local government, education and the nonprofit sector. Over the course of his career he has spearheaded legislation that has resulted in robust energy development, broader access to public k-12 education, enriched opportunities for higher education, higher air and water quality standards, major investments in transportation, and a healthy balance of power between the state and local governments.

Jim immerses himself in learning about his clients' needs and can put complex issues into relatable terms. He moves people to understand issues first and then support the policies he is advancing. It is because of this strategy and his leadership on oil and gas issues that he was presented with the Denver Business Journal's "Who's Who in Energy" award in 2017.

Some of Jim's highest accomplishments include creating the Arkansas River State Park, passing the Clean Air Clean Jobs Act and passing the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) Exemplary Institution Act, which enabled CSM to provide one of the highest quality and rigorous research experiences in the nation.

Jim has a Bachelor's of Science degree from Oregon State University. He has been married 38 years and he and his wife, Mary, have two adult children. Jim is an avid cyclist and has completed nine years of Ride the Rockies and Iowa's RAGBRAI. He also loves to fly fish and play guitar. His joy is seeing the humor that presents itself in everyday situations and sharing it whenever possible.

11-15 years

Recognized by Colorado Confidential, as Most Effective State Representative, 2007 Session
Denver Business Journal, Power Book Winner, Health Care, 2006

Colorado Commissioner: Uniform Law Commission, 2005-11 and 2013-present (Division Chair, 2007-09; Member, Scope and Programs Committee, 2009-11); Chair of Colorado Commission 2013-present.

Member: Health Chairs, National Conference of State Legislatures, 2006-09.

International Election Observer: Member of National Democratic Institute's International
Observation Team for the Ukrainian Parliamentary Elections, 2007.

After serving as Chair of the Colorado House of Representatives Health and Human Services Committee, Anne returned to a full time law and lobbying practice in 2009. As a legislator, she had oversight responsibility for the Department of Public Health and Environment, Department of Human Services, Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, and was responsible for oversight responsibility for review and approval of more than 14,000 state rules and regulations annually, handling sensitive litigation and internal matters for the Colorado General Assembly.
She has lobbied federally as well as in several states. Her law experience includes advising emerging and established business and public entities, nonprofits and individuals on issues related to the course of commerce, choice of entity, real estate, transactions, litigation, and appellate and public policy needs in state and federal district and appellate courts in Colorado, Florida and Washington, DC.

15-20 years

Named to Colorado's first 50 For the Future list of political professionals

William Mutch, President of Mutch Government Relations, handles government relations issues at the local, State, and Federal levels.

Mutch has a strong track record as a veteran professional lobbyist at the Colorado General Assembly. In addition to his successful representation of legislative clients, his background also includes managing associations, winning candidate campaign and legislative issues, building effective grassroots programs, managing political action committees, fundraising strategies, and building/managing broad legislative coalitions.

As a lobbyist and association manager, Mutch has represented some of the largest companies, and legislative coalitions, both nationally and in Colorado. He has also organized & managed successful local and statewide ballot initiative campaigns and has broad experience counseling business clients, elected officials, and candidates on both legislative and media issues. Additionally, Mutch has worked in the capital markets and understands financial services issues from the standpoint of the private sector as someone who has raised alternative investment capital and structured municipal bond transactions.

His background includes experience with issues ranging from the Endangered Species Act to foreign country representation land use, early childhood education & education choice/reform, oil & gas, landlord/tenant, business interests, transportation, health care, public finance, non-profit management, international relations, financial services, home building, economic development, taxation, international trade, water/resources, and budget.

Mutch has more than 20 years of experience in government, legislative affairs, and public policy beginning at his home state with the Montana State Legislature where he worked for four legislators and lobbied for a pro-business organization while attending college. This early experience took him to Washington, D.C. where he worked for the United States Senate, two Colorado members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and as a lobbyist at the Federal level for the U.S. clothing industry and a combination of foreign country and U.S. multinational clients while directing the research efforts at an international consulting firm.

In Colorado, Mutch represented the Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs Forward, Homebuilders Association of Metropolitan Denver in government relations, was the Government Affairs Director for the Colorado Association of Homebuilders, and was the Chief of Staff for Colorado's Senate President during two-sessions of the Colorado legislature. After his work for Colorado's Senate President, Mutch served as chief executive of the pro-business organization Colorado Concern including responsibility for all direct advocacy/lobbying as well as managing teams of lobbyists and consultants, media relations, political fundraising, and management of the 100-member invitation only organization of Colorado's top business executives. In the capital markets, he held the position of Vice President in the public finance investment banking division of Piper Jaffray & Co., where he was responsible for marketing to government, home builders and developers on real estate construction financing, and new municipal bond issues involving metropolitan districts and worked in wealth management for Morgan Stanley.

William serves on the Board of Action 22 and National History Day in Colorado. He has been involved in several community organizations including Early Connections and was a volunteer tutor for Whiz Kids. He also served on committees for National Jewish Hospital, and was on the Board of Directors for both Concerts for Kids and the Bridge Project.

Mutch holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Montana, and an M.P.A. from the George Washington University's School of Business and Public Management. He was named to the first Colorado Statesman "50 for the Future" class.