1) Alliance For Responsible Consumer Legal Funding
2) Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas, Inc.
4) Blue Water Industries Florida LLC
8) Confianz Global Inc. DBA StackBench
9) Dealer Services Network, LLC
11) Firstfloor, Inc.
12) GL Partners, Inc
13) HeyTutor Inc.
14) Hillpointe Construction LLC
15) Inspected
16) International Business Machines Corporation ("IBM")
22) Mooresville Btr Developers, LLC
25) North Carolina Troopers Association
27) Platinum Entertainment Services
29) Preformed Line Products (PLP)
30) Prestige Land &, Site Works
32) RedSpeed USA
35) SeatGeek, Inc.
37) Starmount Healthcare Management
39) The Canopy Owner, LPV, LLC
40) TickPick, LLC
41) Town of Troutman
42) Treenail Development, Inc.
43) Vapor Technology Association
45) Windstream Services, LLC on behalf of its operating companies in NC
46) Yes. Every Kid.
47) 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.
404-971-2690
1100 PEACHTREE STREET, SUITE 900, ATLANTA, GA, 30309,
Seasoned government affairs professional with a wide spectrum of policy experience in both Georgia and Alabama. Specializing in local government, tax policy, and finance.
1) Accelecom
2) Advanced Manufacturing International
9) D4 Solutions
10) Douglas-Coffee County Economic Development Authority
11) Electronic Transactions Association
13) Fidelity National Financial
14) Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc.
15) Georgia Association of Assessing Officials
16) Good-Lite
17) Guardian Fleet Services, Inc.
18) Hims & Hers
19) Independent Electrical Contractors
20) InfraHub
21) Inspected
23) Kaitlin Monaghan
26) Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority
28) MEAG Power
29) Mithril Defense Inc DBA Campus Guardian Angel
30) Nightlock
31) Office Images
32) Oscar Health
33) Reconnect, Inc
34) Sabal Trail Transmission, LLC
35) Samsara
36) South Georgia Energy Authority
37) Southern Oak Land and Capital
40) Tennessee Book Company LLC
41) The Southern Group of Georgia
43) Walton Global
44) Workbay
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.
(512)4808962
203 W. 10th, Suite 700, Austin, TX, 78701,
1) Abilene Chamber of Commerce
2) Allen Economic Development Corporation
5) Austin TeamCo, dba Austin FC
7) BEPCO, L.P.
10) Boyd Aviation
12) CesiumAstro Inc.
13) Charter Communications Operating, LLC
15) Dallas Cowboys Football Club Ltd etal
16) Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS)
19) Excel Fitness Holdings, Inc.
21) HARTING Connectivity, Inc.
23) Houston Fitness Partners, LLC
24) Houston NFL Holdings, L.P. , DBA Houston Texans
26) JLM Financial Partners, LLC
27) JLM Living, LLC
29) Media for Texas
31) My Amelia Inc. dba Inspected.com
32) Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America
33) Pogoloff, Jared
34) Presidio International Port Authority
35) Puerto Verde Holdings, LLC
36) Quicksilver Jet Sales, Inc.
39) Saturn Jets, LLC
40) SeatGeek, Inc.
44) SXSW, LLC
45) Tango Lima, LP
46) Taymax Group, LP
47) Texas Aero
48) Texas Infrastructure Holdings, LLC
49) Texas Motorplex
50) Timberline Real Estate Partners LLC
51) Topgolf Southeast Asia Holdings
52) VOYCE, Inc.
53) YESCARE CORP.
(678) 425-4604
3092 San Juan Drive, GA, 30032,
(215) 238-3000
222 N Person St, Suite 203, Raleigh, NC, 27601,
1) Alliance For Responsible Consumer Legal Funding
2) Aramark Correctional Services, LLC
3) Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas, Inc.
7) Confianz Global Inc. DBA StackBench
8) Dealer Services Network, LLC
12) Firstfloor, Inc.
13) GL Partners, Inc
14) HeyTutor Inc.
15) Hillpointe Construction LLC
16) Inspected
22) North Carolina Bail Agents Association
23) North Carolina Troopers Association
25) Platinum Entertainment Services
27) Preformed Line Products (PLP)
28) Prestige Land &, Site Works
30) RedSpeed USA
33) SeatGeek, Inc.
34) Starmount Healthcare Management
36) Town of Troutman
37) United States Performance Center LLC
38) Vapor Technology Association
41) Yes. Every Kid.
42) Z Data, Inc.
(864) 616-9696
222 N Person St, Suite 203, Raleigh, NC, 27601,
1) Aramark Correctional Services, LLC
2) Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas, Inc.
7) Confianz Global Inc. DBA StackBench
8) Dealer Services Network, LLC
11) Firstfloor, Inc.
12) HeyTutor Inc.
13) Hillpointe Construction LLC
14) Inspected
19) North Carolina Sports Legacy Foundation
20) North Carolina Troopers Association
22) Preformed Line Products (PLP)
24) RedSpeed USA
26) SeatGeek, Inc.
27) Securly, Inc.
29) Starmount Healthcare Management
31) Windstream Services, LLC on behalf of its operating companies in NC
32) Yes. Every Kid.
33) Z Data, Inc.
(203) 906-8762
3188 Shadyside Rd SW, Suite 700, Marietta, GA, 30008,
1) Accelecom
2) Advanced Manufacturing International
7) D4 Solutions
8) Douglas-Coffee County Economic Development Authority
9) Electronic Transactions Association
11) Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc.
12) Georgia Association of Assessing Officials
13) HRASimple, LLC
(512)4808962
203 W. 10th, Suite 700, Austin, TX, 78701,
3) Austin TeamCO, LLC dba Austin FC
5) Capital One Financial Corp.
6) Charter Communications Operating, LLC
7) Dallas Cowboys Football Club Ltd etal
11) Fluor Corp.
12) Franklin Mountain Investments, LP
13) Franklin Mountain Management, LLC
14) GEXA Energy
15) Incode Techonologies, Inc.
16) Lone Star Transmission LLC
17) Long Cove Development, Inc., on behalf of the Lake View Management & Development District
18) Majestic Realty Co., a California Corporation
19) My Amelia Inc. dba Inspected.com
21) NextEra Energy Resources LLC
22) Presidio International Port Authority
23) PTMA Financial Solutions, LLC
24) Puerto Verde Holdings, LLC
25) Reagan National Advertising of Austin Inc.
26) RS&H Inc.
27) SH 130 Concession Company, LLC
30) Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association
31) Texas Consumer Credit Coalition
32) The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
(404) 542-9878
2260 Brianwood Trail, Decatur, GA, 30033,
(818) 235-0789
4800 Six Fork Rd Suite 220, Raleigh, NC, 27609,
1) Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas, Inc.
9) Hillpointe Construction LLC
10) Inspected