Meagan and her family have called rural middle Tennessee home for eight generations. As an experienced lobbyist she puts that pride in the state to work in achieving great things for her clients. She is widely recognized for her knowledge of the Tennessee General Assembly's rules and procedures as well as her long-held relationships within all three branches of state government. She has successfully guided clients through complex issues such as prescription safety regulations, state funding needs and professional licensing requirements.

Lawmakers and their staff turn to Meagan as a trusted resource of information during the legislative process and recognized for her successful work in agriculture and transportation policy as well as child welfare. Her success and well-founded reputation as an honest broker have proven to be invaluable to her clients and protecting their interests.

Meagan joined the state's oldest lobbying firm, Harris Frazier Government Relations, in 2003 and became a partner in 2008. She most recently helped lead its consolidation into HBS in 2025 as HBS Tennessee. Earlier in her career she held staff positions in the Tennessee House of Representatives and the state Treasury Department.

Meagan is the former President of the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Lobbyist Association and today serves in leadership positions on numerous non-profit boards and co-founded CASA of Dickson County to advocate for abused and neglected children in her community.

Meagan is a licensed attorney in Tennessee and earned a JD from Nashville School of Law and a bachelor's in public relations from Middle Tennessee State University.

A leader within Florida's government relations arena, Mercer Fearington, Jr. has been representing clients before the executive and legislative branches of Florida government since the mid-1990's. Mercer is the past Chairman of the Florida Agricultural Coalition and is a graduate of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture -- an affiliate of the Institute of Food and Agriculture and Sciences at the University of Florida. Mercer is a graduate of Mercer University.

Mercer lives in Tallahassee with his wife, Lindsey, and their three daughters.

Estie is recognized statewide as one of the most effective lobbyists in Tennessee and is respected for her advocacy and loyalty. She has been working in or around the Tennessee General Assembly since the late 1980s and legislators and peers consider her to be a subject matter expert in the state budget process and the unique needs of health care providers.

Clients and lawmakers appreciate her thorough understanding of the state legislative and political process and its key players. Her attention to detail and commitment to doing it right the first time has built long-term friendships with many of the state's elected officials and their staff. Estie joined Harris Frazier Government Relations in 1994, one of the state's oldest lobbying firms, and helped lead its consolidation into HBS in 2025 as HBS Tennessee.

Her work has impacted issues as diverse as judicial selection, the Tennessee Lottery, special payments to hospitals, pay equity for those providing services to the intellectually disabled, and the needs of providers of behavioral health services.

Estie is actively involved in her middle Tennessee community. In 2024, her dedication and impact were recognized when she was named a Nashville Business Journal Women of Influence Top Executive honoree.

Estie earned a bachelor's in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University.

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.

Brian Bautista advocates on behalf of his clients before the legislative and executive branches of Florida government and has experience acting as statewide spokesman and point of contact for clients. Brian has resided in Florida's capital city for over a decade, and his work spans the gambit from local initiatives to a statewide Senate campaign.

Brian received both a bachelor's degree in political science and a law degree from Florida State University. Brian uses his legal expertise and political acumen to successfully represent clients on some of the highest profile issues in Florida, in the technology, education, healthcare, and energy industries.

Brian has been named one of Florida's 30 Under 30 by Florida Politics and a NextGeneration Rising Star by Influence Magazine