1) Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas, Inc.
3) Blue Water Industries Florida LLC
5) Confianz Global Inc. DBA StackBench
6) Dealer Services Network, LLC
7) Fidelity National Financial, Inc.
10) HeyTutor Inc.
11) Hillpointe Construction LLC
12) International Business Machines Corporation ("IBM")
18) North Carolina Sports Legacy Foundation
19) North Carolina Troopers Association
21) Prestige Land &, Site Works
22) Prontoblock Inc.
23) RedSpeed USA
25) Starmount Healthcare Management
27) The Canopy Owner, LPV, LLC
28) Town of Troutman
29) Treenail Development, Inc.
30) Vapor Technology Association
32) Windstream Services, LLC on behalf of its operating companies in NC
33) Z Data, Inc.
2021 NC Top 25 Lobbyist
2019 NCED Leadership Award
Kevin Wilkinson joined The Southern Group in 2024, expanding the firm's footprint in Raleigh, North Carolina. He brings extensive legislative and executive experience from roles in both the public and private sectors.
As a proud North Carolinian, Kevin's professional path has been largely dedicated to molding and promoting key policies at local, state, and national levels. From 2016 to 2019, he held leadership roles in North Carolina's public education sector. First, as the Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to the N.C. State Superintendent at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, then later as the Executive Director of External Affairs at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. In these roles, Kevin helped design and gather support for the organization's policy priorities and initiatives.
Before that, Kevin served as a Policy Advisor to Senator Robert Bryan. He led and implemented several education reforms and staffed various committees such as Appropriations, Education, Judiciary, Pension, and Retirement. Kevin also worked on Capitol Hill as a staff member for U.S. Representative Robert Pittenger, supporting and advocating for the needs of constituents across his district.
Most recently, Kevin took his experience in North Carolina's government to the private sector, serving as SVP of Government Affairs at EQV Strategic. In that capacity, Kevin worked directly with policymakers on the state and federal levels to advocate for his clients. His range of policy areas includes education, economic and business development, technology, transportation, telecommunications, healthcare, gaming, sports, and local government.
Outside his day-to-day work, Kevin uses his expertise to give back to his community as Vice Chair of the Board of Visitors for Appalachian State University.
Kevin has received numerous awards and recognition for his work, including being named one of the top lobbyists in North Carolina by the North State Journal since 2020 and receiving the North Carolina Education Leadership Award in 2018.
Kevin studied political science and economics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and earned an M.B.A. from Liberty University. He resides in Raleigh with his wife Megan and their daughter Margot.
1) Advantage Capital Management Corporation
2) Agudath Israel of America - Florida Office
4) Alfred I. duPont Charitable Trust
5) Altria Client Services LLC and its Affiliates
7) Belcher Pharmaceuticals, LLC
9) Blue Water Industries Florida LLC
10) Caesars Enterprise Services, LLC
12) Clay County Board of County Commissioners
13) CPD Construction
14) Curo Health Services, LLC dba Gentiva
15) Daytona State College Foundation, Inc
18) Dixie Board of Public Education/Dixie District School Board
20) Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
22) Estuary LLC.
23) Fidelity National Financial, Inc
24) Flagler College
25) Florida Association of Broadcasters, Inc
26) Florida Blue
27) Florida Insurance Council, Inc.
28) Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority
29) Florida Prepaid College Foundation, Inc
31) IMG Academy LLC
36) JAX Chamber
38) Key West International Airport
39) LEO Technologies
40) Metro Development Group, LLC
42) NASCAR, LLC
43) OCEARCH
45) Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine
47) Phillips Infrastructure Corp.
49) Putnam County
51) Sandpiper Bay Resort Holdings, LLC
53) Tampa Bay Rays
55) TECO Energy, Inc
58) The Parker Management Company, LLC
60) Timberline Real Estate Partners
61) United States Sugar Corporation
62) University of Florida Foundation, Inc.
63) Vestcor Companies, Inc., The
64) Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, U.S.
65) Westshore Marina Ventures LLC
66) Workday, Inc.
67) ZeroEyes
David Browning is one of Florida's top political campaign operatives. David has worked with Florida's most powerful elected officials and brings a new dimension to Southern Strategy Group's team of lobbyists in Tallahassee. David was instrumental in raising millions of dollars for campaign war chests in the 2010 election cycle for Governor Rick Scott. David also worked for Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and set fundraising records for those campaigns. Fundraiser, strategist, and confidante, David is among a handful of insiders who help guide candidates to victory in Florida.
David has been equally busy helping the legislative branch. David served as the chief fundraiser for Speaker Dean Cannon. David's responsibilities included raising money for Speaker Cannon's personal campaign, as well as working with House leadership to raise money for the House Republican Caucus. Through these efforts, the Florida House returned 81 republican members giving them a supermajority.
In the Florida Senate David represented Senate President Mike Haridopolos and Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner. David worked with Senator John Thrasher who was elected in a highly contested special election. David brings his unique expertise to the Tallahassee team and offers our clients unprecedented insight into the workings of state government.
David is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Political Science.
(850) 671-4401
P.O. Box 10570, Suite 1601G, Tallahassee, FL, 32302,
1) Agudath Israel of America - Florida Office
2) Alfred I. duPont Charitable Trust
4) Blue Water Industries Florida LLC
9) Estuary LLC.
11) Fugro (USA) Holdings, Inc.
12) Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida Inc.
13) Hotwire Communications, Ltd.
14) iGas
15) IMG Academy LLC