6-10 years

Served on the Georgia Department of Revenue Local Government Advisory Group. As a member of this group, Joel provided the Revenue Commissioner with feedback and suggestions on the impact of important tax issues on local governments.

Joel has developed extensive relationships with elected and appointed officials at the state and local level. Many of these relationships are concentrated in revenue and finance with strong relationships with finance directors all across Georgia's 538 cities and 159 counties. In addition to these local relationships, Joel has done extensive work with the Georgia Department of Revenue.

Joel began his career in local government by providing planning, zoning, and land use support with over 63 cities and 17 counties for one of Georgia's Regional Commissions. Joel then moved to Talladega, AL where he assisted the city manager in all planning and community development projects. It was in this capacity that Joel first started learning municipal budgeting and operations. Joel's work in Talladega caught the eye of a state trade association, and Joel got his introduction to lobbying with the Alabama Manufactured Housing Association (AMHA) in 2013.

As AMHA's Deputy Director, Joel learned the business operations of one of Alabama's major industries and lobbied on their behalf both locally and on the state level. After nearly four years with AMHA, Joel decided to combine his local government and lobbying experience by taking a job with Georgia Municipal Association (GMA). While at GMA, Joel specialized in a wide array of tax issues and lobbied on behalf of Georgia's 538 cities. Joel's knowledge of local government operations, business operations, and public policy development allowed him to develop a broad array of relationships at the General Assembly, while effectively advocating for all of Georgia's cities.

Joel graduated from Georgia College and State University with a BA in political science and Masters of Public Administration. Joel grew up in Byron, Georgia and currently resides in Atlanta with his wife Lucy and daughter Willow.

20+ years

A founding partner of our Alabama office, Carol Brown has spent more than 25 years lobbying and working within her home state's ever-changing business and health care arenas. Before joining The Southern Group, Carol served as Vice President of Governmental Affairs and Manager of Federal Affairs for the Business Council of Alabama, the state's largest and most diverse business trade organization.Carol has worked on both sides of the political aisle, assisting Republican and Democratic candidates with their re-election bids and developing key relationships throughout the halls of government. A 1985 Auburn University graduate, Carol began her career in journalism covering politics and health care issues for the state's capital city newspaper, The Montgomery Advertiser.Since joining Southern Strategy Group, Carol continues representing clients throughout the business spectrum, including the energy, insurance, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as health care providers, telecommunications, and disaster recovery arenas. Carol has excellent working relationships with both the legislative and executive branches of government as well as strong relationships throughout Alabama's business and trade association communities. Carol's contacts include many of Alabama's regulatory agencies, such as the Insurance Department, Public Health, Medicaid, the State Health Planning and Development Agency, Industrial Relations, Homeland Security, and the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

She has most recently played a key role in working toward broadband accessibility for all Alabamians, a policy initiative that helped garner $100 million in CARES Act Funding for low-income students.

20+ years

James M. Demers is the founder of The Demers Group and Demers, Blaisdell Inc., he presently serves as President & CEO of Demers, Blaisdell & Prasol Inc. Mr. Demers is a former member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives and former congressional candidate. He has over 40 years of experience in the legislative, regulatory and political fields. He has been a political commentator for numerous media outlets including ABC News, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News as well as NH news stations WMUR-TV, WBIN-TV and New England Cable News. He has been actively involved in advising presidential campaigns, serving as co-chairman of President Barack Obama's NH campaign in 2008. He presently serves on the advisory board of the NH Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College, chairman of the NH International Trade Advisory Commission and he is a "political insider" for Politico and the National Journal. He was nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the US Senate to serve on the Board of Directors of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, which is the country's development financial institution. He has been recognized by numerous state and national publications as one of New Hampshire's "most influential" and "most powerful" people. He is a graduate of the University of Miami (FL) and he holds an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University. He served three terms in the NH House where he served as the Assistant Minority Whip. He has also served as President and Executive Director of the New England-New York-New Jersey Financial Services Association and the National Card Coalition after doing corporate government affairs work for two national financial services companies. He is a resident of Concord, NH.

Thomas Prasol serves as the Managing Director for Demers, Blaisdell & Prasol Inc. He has been providing strategy, lobbying, and association management for clients since 2011. He brings a myriad of experience in State and Federal government beginning his professional career as a Project Assistant to U.S. Senator Judd Gregg and as Policy and Field Coordinator for several State and Federal campaigns. In 2008 he transitioned to the position of Project Director for Senator Gregg where he handled federal appropriations in the areas of first responders. Upon Senator Gregg's retirement, he moved to the New Hampshire State Senate where he was a Legislative Aide to the Senate Education Committee. With his experience in federal and state government, Mr. Prasol brings another dimension to the firm in areas of strategy, management of special projects, and government affairs implementation. He continues to bring his experience and knowledge to assist State and Federal campaigns with strategy and policy research. In addition to his work for Demers, Blaisdell & Prasol, he serves on the Town Planning Board and has previously served as Chair of the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board in his local community He received his Bachelor's degree in Politics from Saint Anselm College where he served as an Ambassador to the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, and his Master's degree in Criminal Justice from Boston University. He currently resides in Hooksett, NH with his fiance' Maria and two dogs Zeus and Tyson.

20+ years

Logan Gray has a unique background for a lobbyist/governmental consultant. For over 35 years, Logan was employed by SouthTrust Corporation, Alabama's largest bank holding company. During that time, Logan served in various capacities including President/C.E.O. for the Lee County/Macon County market for 13 years and the head of Governmental Affairs from 1990 to 2005. These assignments allowed Logan to fully appreciate what state government can do for and can do to a company.

From 1990 until 2005, Logan also served on the City of Auburn's (City) City Council. In that position, Logan was an effective member of a forward looking team of elected and appointed official who moved the City forward economically, educationally, and financially without losing the City's charm and character.

Logan's first run for office ended in a tie vote. This unusual experience engrained in Logan the importance of each vote during an election.

In 2005, Logan retired from SouthTrust and moved to Montgomery to form Southern Strategy Group's Alabama office. Since that time, the office has successfully served its clients at the legislative, regulatory, and local levels of Alabama government. Legislatively, Logan has passed several bills for clients and has been very instrumental in defeating legislation that would be harmful to them. In the regulatory arena, Logan has successfully represented clients before the Departments of Revenue, Banking, Insurance, Environmental Management, Conservation and Natural Resources, the Governor's Finance Department, and Accountancy. Logan has also opened the doors for clients dealing with various city and county governments, making sure that they were in front of the right person who could make or influence a favorable decision.

6-10 years

Callie Michael joined The Southern Group in 2010 with over eight years of valuable experience in both the budget and policy areas for state and federal government. Callie maintained a top-secret security clearance from the United States Department of Defense and worked in the U.S. House of Representatives' Appropriations Committee on the Defense Subcommittee. In this capacity, Callie gained rare insight into the federal appropriations and committee process as well as the role and interplay of government relations in the legislative arena.Following Callie's work in Washington, DC, which provided valuable experience and contacts at the federal level, Callie returned to the South where she joined the Georgia Senate Budget and Evaluation Office as the Program Analyst for the Criminal Justice, Public Safety, and Judicial Subcommittees on Appropriations. Callie was soon promoted to the position of Principal Analyst, to assume the duties and responsibilities of the departing Deputy Director. As Principal Analyst, Callie oversaw the day-to-day operations of the office and the budget development process, briefed the director and Senators on budget and policy issues, supervised and assisted other budget staff members, and served as the main contact to the 56 Senators.Callie served as Senate President Pro Tem Tommie Williams' Policy Director during the 2010 legislative session. In this capacity, Callie provided key policy analysis and recommendations to Senate Leadership.Callie is a graduate of the University of Alabama.