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MARK CATE

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MARK CATE

(Tennessee, )

Stones River Group

mark.cate@stonesrivergroup.com
615-645-0233
511 Union Street, Suite 1100, Nashville, TN, 37219,

Mark Cate is the Founder and President of Stones River Group, a Nashville-based public affairs firm serving both Tennessee, regional and national clients. He formerly served as Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam's chief of staff, where he was his top advisor, strategist and negotiator.

1) Acadia Healthcare

2) ACT Education Corp.

3) Advantage Capital

4) Aunt Bertha, a Public Benefit Corporation d/b/a findhelp

5) BlackRock Funds Services Group, LLC

6) Blount Partnership

7) Campaign for Great Public Schools dba as City Fund Action

8) CFKAA Holdings, LLC

9) CG of Tennessee LLC

10) CMH Services Inc.

11) Cognia

12) Communities In Schools of Tennessee

13) CooperSurgical

14) Critical Nurse Staffing, LLC

15) Curriculum Associates, LLC

16) DELTA DENTAL OF TN

17) DGA Residential LLC

18) Energy Systems Group, LLC

19) Ernst & Young LLP

20) Family First, Inc.

21) Graduation Alliance, Inc

22) Greater Nashville Regional Council

23) INGRAM INDUSTRIES, INC.

24) Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee

25) Kleo, Inc. d/b/a ClassWallet

26) Knox County

27) Knoxville Zoological Gardens Inc.

28) Koch Government Affairs, LLC and Affiliates

6-10 years

I have been recognized by the Nashville Post list of In-Charge: Government & Politics for 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022

Our firm was recognized nationally by the Public Relations Society of America for our comprehensive public affairs campaign to bring Major League Soccer to Nashville

Mark Cate is the Founder and President of Stones River Group, a Nashville-based public affairs firm serving both Tennessee, regional and national clients. He formerly served as Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam's chief of staff, where he was his top advisor, strategist and negotiator.

During his tenure with the Haslam Administration, Mark led several legislative policy initiatives, including K-12 education reform, workers' compensation reform, civil service reform, an alternative approach to Medicaid expansion, and postsecondary education reform, including the nationally-acclaimed Tennessee Promise program.

Prior to serving in state government, Mark successfully managed Governor Haslam's first gubernatorial campaign in 2010, which led to a record-setting general election victory. He previously worked as an executive in real estate management and development and served for 16 years as a higher education leader. Over the course of his career, Mark has served as a chief development officer, chief planning officer, chief marketing officer, and as a chief financial officer�working on budgets ranging from $10 million to $30 billion.

Mark grew up in Maryville, TN and currently lives in Brentwood with his wife Cathy who serves as the Executive Director of Leadership Tennessee. He and Cathy have two daughters, Bailey who is a recent graduate at Rhodes College and currently serves as a fellow at the Crop Trust in Bonn, Germany; and Abbie who is rising junior at George Washington University.

Cate received a B.S from Carson-Newman College, an M.S from the University of Tennessee, and Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management certificate program. He's served on a wide variety of non-profit boards and was an elected member of the Maryville Board of Education.

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EMILY HEATWOLE KEENEY

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EMILY HEATWOLE KEENEY

(South Carolina, )

Adams and Reese

emily.keeney@arlaw.com
8032124967
1221 Main Street Suite 1200, Columbia, SC, 29205,

Subjects: Business/Commerce, Housing/Real Estate/Development/Construction, Insurance, Planning/Land Use/Zoning, Professional/Vocational Licensing, Public Safety, RFP/Procurement, Taxes

I have worked with the South Carolina Legislature, state agencies and Constitutional Officers for over 15 years. I am highly experienced in navigating the state appropriations legislative processes. I am highly skilled at assisting clients by identifying multiple pathways to achieve the intended goals and outcomes.

1) Acadia Healthcare

2) American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network,Inc

3) American Property Casualty Insurance Association APCIA

4) Charter Schools USA

5) City of Cayce

6) Communities In Schools of South Carolina

7) Curriculum Associates

8) Greenville Water System

9) Healthy Learners

10) Infinite Campus

11) Junior Achievement of Greater SC

12) Kiawah Development Partners

13) Limestone Charters Association

14) Liminex, Inc.

15) Metrc LLC

16) Meyer Center for Special Children

17) New Morning Foundation

18) Novo Nordisk, Inc.

19) Pattison's Academy

20) Richland-Lexington Airport District

21) Santee Development Corporation, LLC

22) SC Career Kids

23) SC Emergency Medical Services Association

24) Spark Therapeutics, Inc.

25) The College Board

26) The R L Bryan Company

27) The Town of Lexington

28) Town of Edisto Beach

29) University Of South Carolina

0-5 years

Prior to joining Adams and Reese, Emily served as the Director of Government Affairs for the South Carolina Department of Education. In this role, she served as the liaison between the agency and South Carolina's General Assembly, the Governor, the Congressional Delegation, other state agencies and stakeholder groups. Additionally, during the legislative session she provided public testimony during hearings, coordinated agency policy development, and annually facilitated the agency budget request through the Governor's Office and the General Assembly.

Emily also spent seven years within the South Carolina House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee, serving as a budget analyst with involvement in the Health and Human Services Budget Subcommittee and the Public Education and Special Schools Subcommittee. Her work included coordinating the passage of $2 billion in state appropriations through the budget process and coordinating communication between the General Assembly, the state's school districts and the South Carolina Department of Education, as well as a variety of legislation affecting K-12 education, property tax, and sales and use tax.

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STEPHEN SUSANO

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STEPHEN SUSANO

(Tennessee, )

Stones River Group

stephen.susano@stonesrivergroup.com
615-645-0233
511 Union Street, Suite 1100, Nashville, TN, 37219,

Stephen Susano is the Co-Founder and COO of Stones River Group, a Nashville-based public affairs firm serving both Tennessee, regional and national clients. He provides clients with strategic counsel on business opportunities and project management, regulatory matters, procurement, economic development, third-party engagement, and market positioning. Stephen leverages his lengthy private-sector experience and deep network of relationships with business leaders and key policymakers in state and local government across Tennessee to deliver solutions for clients in multiple industries.

6-10 years

Stephen Susano is the Co-Founder and COO of Stones River Group, a Nashville-based public affairs firm serving both Tennessee, regional and national clients. He provides clients with strategic counsel on business opportunities and project management, regulatory matters, procurement, economic development, third-party engagement, and market positioning. Stephen leverages his lengthy private-sector experience and deep network of relationships with business leaders and key policymakers in state and local government across Tennessee to deliver solutions for clients in multiple industries.

Prior to Stones River Group, Stephen served as Executive Director of the Tennessee Business Partnership (TBP), an advocacy organization supported by many of the state's leading enterprises. He spearheaded its efforts to advance pro-business policies, including education and judicial reforms, to encourage job growth and economic development. In 2014, Stephen led the statewide "Vote Yes on 2" campaign in support of the Judicial Selection Amendment to the Tennessee constitution. Stephen built a broad coalition of business groups, trade associations, legal advocates and community leaders in favor of the amendment. This coalition's successful mobilization helped ensure the amendment was approved with overwhelming support, carrying 94 out of 95 counties in Tennessee

Prior to working in the public affairs space, Stephen had an extensive career in the financial services industry. He served in operating and business development roles for several investment advisers and asset management firms. He has consulted with and raised capital for both U.S. and foreign-based investment firms, and has negotiated distribution and trading agreements with multiple financial services companies. Through his work, Stephen navigated complex regulatory regimes in domestic and offshore jurisdictions

Stephen grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee and currently lives in Brentwood with his wife, Ana. He and Ana have four children. Stephen serves on the board of the Nashville Downtown Partnership.

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CHRIS GOBBLE

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CHRIS GOBBLE

(Tennessee, )

Stones River Group

chris.gobble@stonesrivergroup.com
615-645-0233
511 Union Street, Suite 1100, Nashville, TN, 37219,

Chris Gobble is a respected government affairs specialist with deep issue expertise and a broad base of policymaker and stakeholder relationships. He leverages his insights into the state General Assembly, Tennessee executive branch, and local governments to help SRG clients navigate complex political challenges and effectively advance meaningful policy solutions. Prior to joining SRG, Chris served as senior director of public policy for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and was the legislative and policy director for the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security under Governor Bill Haslam.

0-5 years

Chris Gobble is a respected government affairs specialist with deep issue expertise and a broad base of policymaker and stakeholder relationships. He leverages his insights into the state General Assembly, Tennessee executive branch, and local governments to help SRG clients navigate complex political challenges and effectively advance meaningful policy solutions.

Prior to joining SRG, Chris served as senior director of public policy for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, where he helped drive policy changes and facilitate government affairs efforts for 2,000 businesses representing over 180,000 employees. He also regularly and effectively collaborated with local, state, and federal elected officials to advance Chattanooga's status as a leader in education, workforce, and economic development.

Prior to Gobble's tenure in Chattanooga, he was the legislative and policy director for the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. In this role, Gobble worked closely with Governor Bill Haslam's office and the state legislature to develop and implement a variety of public policy initiatives.

Originally from Bradley County, Chris earned a B.A. in Political Science and Communications from Lipscomb University. He and his wife Sarah live in Nashville.