410-274-7003
15 School St Suite 300, Annapolis, MD, 21401,
Subjects: All Subjects, Agencies/Regulations, Alcohol, Animals/Agriculture, Business/Commerce, Cannabis/Drug Legalization, City/County Government, Civil Rights, Consumer Protection, Energy/Utilities, Environment/Recycling, Food/Restaurants, Gaming, Health Care, Insurance, Medicare/Medicaid, Non-Profit, Pharmaceuticals, Privacy/Internet, Professional/Vocational Licensing, Retail, Telecommunications, Tourism/Hospitality, Transportation/Vehicles
Links:Website
0-5 years
I have legislative experience in a variety of issues affecting the insurance industry and related sectors, including health insurance, property and casualty insurance and regulatory reform. Prior to joining Public Policy Partners, I was the Director of Government Relations for the Maryland Hospital Association. I also served as the Director of Government Relations for the Maryland Insurance Administration. I have a Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law, a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Baltimore and a Bachelor's of Science from Salisbury University.
410-591-6014
225 Duke of Gloucester Street, Annapolis, MD, 21401,
Subjects: Agencies/Regulations, Alcohol, Appropriations/Budgets, Ballot Measures/Campaign Finance/Elections, Business/Commerce, Children/Family/Women, City/County Government, Consumer Protection, Energy/Utilities, Environment/Recycling, Finance/Banking, Gaming, Health Care, Insurance, Medicare/Medicaid, Non-Profit, Pharmaceuticals, Privacy/Internet, Professional/Vocational Licensing, Public Safety, RFP/Procurement, Science/Technology, Taxes, Tobacco, Tourism/Hospitality, Transportation/Vehicles
I currently represent clients in the areas of healthcare, healthcare financing, health reform, health certificate of need (CON), casino gaming, lottery, horse racing, transportation, motor vehicles, rental cars, insurance, state and local taxes, franchises, business regulation, IT - information technology, environmental regulation, procurement, state contracting, bid protests, and acquisition of public funds for private programs and projects. Additionally, I advise clients on state and local ethics laws, election laws and lobbying rules.
I previously served as the former staff counsel to the Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee and the Department of Fiscal Services.
My clients range from the CBAC Gaming (Horseshoe Casino Baltimore), Education Affiliates/Fortis College, Enterprise/Alamo/National Rental Cars, Maryland Physicians Care MCO, and Washington Area New Auto Dealers Association.
1) Access Holdings Management Company, LLC
3) Ashley, Inc.
4) Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Center (BARCS)
5) Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
6) Berkshire Hathaway Energy GT&S, LLC
7) Brewers Association of Maryland
9) BSC America
10) Cable Telecommunications Association of Maryland, Delaware and D.C., Inc.
13) Carahsoft Technology Corporation
14) Catalis LLC
15) CBAC Gaming, LLC (Horseshoe Casino)
16) CGI Technologies and Solutions Inc.
17) Chesapeake Shakespeare Company
18) Children's National Health System
20) Coppin State University Development Foundation
21) Corebridge Financial Group
22) Curio Wellness
23) DentaQuest
24) Education Affiliates/Fortis College
25) Enterprise RAC Company of Baltimore, LLC
26) Envirotest Systems Holdings Corp.
27) Fair Hill Condominium Association
28) Fair Hill Foundation, Inc.
30) Fidelity Information Services, LLC
32) Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park
33) Gaudenzia, Inc.
34) Google LLC and its Affiliates
35) GT Independence
38) HEVI
39) Humanim, Inc.
42) Leda Health
43) Light & Wonder
44) Maryland Academy of Pediatric Dentists
45) Maryland Association of Realtors
46) Maryland Automobile Dealers Association
47) Maryland Care Inc. dba Maryland Physicians Care
49) Maryland Jockey Club (Pimlico, Laurel and Rosecroft Racetracks)
50) Maryland Partnership for Prevention, Inc.
52) Maryland Wineries Association
53) Maximus
54) Medallia, Inc.
56) Mount Vernon Place Conservancy
57) MTX Group, Inc.
58) NaphCare Inc.
59) NAREIT, formerly National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts
61) PGA of America
62) Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA)
63) Premium Cigar Retailers Association of Maryland
64) Prologis, Inc.
66) Reed Group
67) Rifkin Weiner Livingston LLC
68) Ripken Baseball
70) Sheppard Pratt Health Systems
71) Skyline Technology Solutions
72) Spotless Brands
75) Tufton Professional Baseball LLC
76) TVI, Inc./Savers
79) Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association (WANADA)
20+ years
Former staff counsel to Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee handling matters related to state & local taxes, retirement, and agency budgets
Experienced lobbyist on health care delivery systems, health insurance, and health occupations, including managed care, hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, dental plans, and pharmaceuticals
Team leader on multi-firm effort to preserve the Preakness Stakes in Maryland and to enact a statutory framework for a nearly $400 million capital redevelopment effort for Maryland's racetracks
Counsel for automotive industries including new automobile dealers and rental car agencies
Lead lobbyist on legislation to authorize transportation network companies
Experienced gaming lobbyist representing lottery, casino, racetrack, and sports wagering interests
Procurement counsel assisting entities on RFPs, bids and other offers of goods, services, and construction to state & local governments
Counsels clients on state and local ethics laws, gift laws, campaign contribution compliance, election laws, and lobbying rules
Fiscal Analyst, Department of Fiscal Services (1988)
Committee Staff, Maryland Senate Budget & Taxation Committee (1989 - 1990)
Michael V. Johansen is the Administrative Partner at Rifkin Weiner Livingston LLC and the Chair of the firm's Administrative Law and Regulatory Compliance practice. Mike has nearly 30 years of experience in lobbying and legal matters before the General Assembly, executive agencies, and local/municipal governments in the state of Maryland. As a registered lobbyist, he has represented clients in the areas of healthcare, healthcare financing, health reform, health certificate of need (CON), casino gaming, lottery, horse racing, transportation, motor vehicles, rental cars, insurance, state and local taxes, franchises, business regulation, IT - information technology, environmental regulation, procurement, state contracting, bid protests, and acquisition of public funds for private programs and projects. Mike also advises clients on state and local ethics laws, gift laws, campaign contribution compliance, election laws and lobbying rules.
Prior to joining the firm, Mike was legislative staff to the Maryland General Assembly, the Senate Budget & Taxation Committee, and the Department of Fiscal Services. He is a member of the board of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Maryland Chapter and a board member of the Indian Creek School.
Ann T. Ciekot is a founding partner of Public Policy Partners. Ann has more than 25 years of experience in government relations and public policy work in Maryland. She is widely regarded as a public policy expert on substance use disorder treatment and recovery, social services, and civil rights issues. Over the course of a quarter century, she has worked to carefully nurture relationships with public officials across the political spectrum and state and local agency personnel. Ann also has significant experience in managing and advocating for nonprofit service provider, advocacy and consumer organizations, and she has developed expertise in training people to become advocates for themselves and others.
1) American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
3) Bard College
4) CareForth
5) Children's Advocacy Institute
7) Community Development Network of MD
13) KABOOM!
14) Maryland Addictions Directors Council
15) Maryland Association of Area Agencies on Aging
16) Maryland Association of Youth Services Bureaus
17) Maryland State Education Association
18) Maryland-DC Society of Addiction Medicine
19) MD Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence
20) National Association of Social Workers, MD Chapter
21) National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence - Maryland Chapter
22) Obvio AI, Inc.
20+ years
Champion of Recovery by Maryland Recovery Organization Connecting Communities, 2013
Achievement Award BY Maryland Association of Community Services in 2011 for leadership in securing passage of legislation to increase the alcohol tax that provides funding for services to people with developmental disabilities and other health care needs
Innovator of the Year for the Leadership in Disabilities Policy, Daily Record, 2010
Fighting the Opioid Overdose Crisis -- Passage of several pieces of legislation that address the opioid overdose crisis and other addiction treatment and recovery services, including funding for treatment providers, the removal of prior authorizations for certain medication, funding for behavioral health crisis services, guidance on opioid prescribing practices, education requirements in public school systems, and harm reduction measures;
Support for People with Disabilities -- Passage of legislation to provide significant increases to public assistance support to people with disabilities;
Prenatal and Newborn Services -- Passage of legislation establishing the Thrive by Three fund to support services to low income families and newborns;
Workforce Development -- Passage of legislation making changes to the social worker licensing law to promote and support the workforce;
Homelessness Prevention -- Defeat of legislation putting low income tenants at greater risk of unjust evictions; and
Delinquency Prevention -- Protected funding for services to at-risk youth and their families
Ann has relationships with the 188 members of the Maryland General Assembly and their staff, with strong ties to those on the health, judicial and budgetary committees. This includes relationships with staff in the Senate President's and House Speaker's offices. Ann has relationships with many people in the executive branch, including staff in the Governor's office; staff in many of the state agencies, including Health, Human Services, Juvenile Services, Public Safety and Correctional Services, Legislative Services, and Labor, Licensing and Regulation; and staff in many executive bodies, including the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention, the Human Relations Commission, and the Governor's Office for Children.
Ann T. Ciekot is a founding partner of Public Policy Partners. Ann has more than 25 years of experience in government relations and public policy work in Maryland. Ann started in this field working for 10 years in statewide nonprofit advocacy organizations working on policy issues regarding affordable housing, homelessness and eviction prevention, public assistance programs, substance use disorder treatment and recovery, and funding for programs in each of these areas. In 2002, Ann became a founding partner of Binderman and Ciekot, a lobbying firm representing health and social justice issues. Since 2006, Ann has been part of Public Policy Partners, a firm growing in size and scope of work. Ann conducts regular trainings for organizations and both graduate and undergraduate school classes on aspects of Maryland government and how to effectively influence policy makers. Ann is a graduate of Loyola University Maryland and is a life-long resident of the state.
