||LobbyLinx Lobbyist Directory||

Michael started working in politics as a 17-year-old staffer in 1987 race for Governor. Since then, he has worked on campaigns in almost every role, spent time working on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC and did a short stint in state government for then Treasurer Tate Reeves. He entered the lobbying profession in 2004 at Baker Donelson before taking a ten-year detour working as a public finance banker at Bear Stearns and Raymond James. Partnering with Austin at the Clearwater Group in 2017, he returned to lobbying to get back to doing what he enjoys most, shaping public policy through the political, legislative and administrative processes.

Michael leads the firm's executive branch lobbying practice area with an emphasis on regulatory and procurement efforts. He is also deeply involved in strategic development for the firm's legislative practice area and political practice area.

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MANNING MCPHILLIPS

(Mississippi, )

Cornerstone Government Affairs

mmcphillips@cgagroup.com
601-720-9862
200 North Congress Street, Suite 401, Jackson, MS, 39201,

Subjects: All Subjects

Links:Website

Leads federal and state advocacy efforts for clients from the firm's Jackson office

Former chief of federal affairs and strategic priorities at the Mississippi Development Authority

1) ACT Education Corp.

2) C Spire

3) Canopy Children's Solutions

4) Ceres, Inc.

5) Cornerstone Government Affairs

6) Covington County Hospital

7) DeSoto County Regional Utility Authority

8) Empower MS

9) Entergy Mississippi, LLC.

10) Foundation for Mississippi History

11) Great City Mississippi Foundation

12) Horn Lake Creek Basin Interceptor Sewer District

13) Jackson County Board of Supervisors

14) Magee General Hospital

15) Mississippi Association of Health Plans

16) Mississippi Business Alliance

17) Mississippi Destination Marketing Organization Association

18) Mississippi Early Learning Alliance

19) Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company

20) Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation

21) Mississippi Railroad Association

22) PANOLA PARTNERSHIP, INC.

23) Relativity Space

24) Remitly

25) Simpson General Hospital

26) Techtronic Industries North America, Inc. dba Milwaukee Tool

27) VSP Vision Inc. c/o MultiState Associates LLC

28) Yellow Creek State Inland Port Authority

Manning joined Cornerstone in May of 2023 following his time at Watkins & Eager PLLC, where he served as a Government Affairs Advisor. Based in Jackson, Manning supports clients at the state and federal level, specifically with infrastructure, community development, public safety, workforce development, Corps of Engineers and other issues areas.

In his previous role, he helped secure state appropriations for projects and pursued federal earmark requests, successfully advocating for tens of millions of dollars for clients. Additionally, he worked on a variety of issues including tax policy, business regulations, and federal and state regulatory approval for complex, large scale projects.

Prior to this, Manning held different roles with the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), his last one being the Chief of Federal Affairs and Strategic Priorities, where he worked directly with the governor and his staff to support economic development. Manning was a member of the executive committee of the state's lead economic and community development agency advancing the state's priorities on a variety of federal issues including aerospace, military spending and base/mission realignment, infrastructure and defense sector recruitment.

While at the MDA he also directed the activities of six division directors with a wide variety of responsibilities from strategic policy development, community development and federal regulatory compliance, in addition to coordinating the inter-governmental affairs of the agency, including working closely with the Office of the Governor, statewide elected officials, other state executive agencies, the state legislature and the federal Congressional delegation.

Manning holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Mississippi.

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KELLY WRIGHT

(Mississippi, )

Cornerstone Government Affairs

kwright@cgagroup.com
601-202-2693
200 North Congress Street, Suite 401, Jackson, MS, 39201,

Subjects: All Subjects

Links:Website

Over a decade of experience in government relations, navigating the intricacies of both state and federal legislative landscapes

Previously served as the director of government affairs at the Mississippi Manufacturers Association

Kelly Wright joined the Cornerstone Mississippi team as a vice president in December 2023.

Kelly brings over a decade of experience in government relations, showcasing a diverse skillset and proven ability to navigate the intricacies of both state and federal legislative landscapes. In her most recent role as the director of government affairs at the Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA), she actively engaged with state legislators to advocate for key issues relevant to the MMA. Kelly's responsibilities included monitoring committee meetings and floor actions, preparing detailed position papers on legislation and establishing crucial relationships.

Additionally, Kelly maintained membership activities at MMA, where she oversaw the policy and government affairs committees. She served as a liaison between member companies and various state agencies, ensuring open lines of communication and facilitating collaboration. Notably, Kelly demonstrated her leadership abilities by managing the MMA PAC. She identified candidates aligned with MMA's mission and made recommendations to the MMA PAC Board.

Kelly holds a bachelor's degree in history and psychology from the University of Mississippi.

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JON MADDOX

(Mississippi, )

Cornerstone Government Affairs

dmaddox@cgagroup.com
601-292-7253
200 North Congress Street, Suite 201, Jackson, MS, 39201,

Subjects: All Subjects

Links:Website, LinkedIn

Possesses extensive knowledge of the Mississippi legislative process

Provides trusted guidance on fiscal policy to legislative leadership and statewide elected officials

Understands the challenges that state agencies face and offers solutions that align strategically with other statewide efforts

1) ACT Education Corp.

2) Canopy Children's Solutions

3) Ceres, Inc.

4) Cornerstone Government Affairs

5) Covington County Hospital

6) DeSoto County Regional Utility Authority

7) Empower MS

8) Foundation for Mississippi History

9) Great City Mississippi Foundation

10) Horn Lake Creek Basin Interceptor Sewer District

11) Jackson County Board of Supervisors

12) Magee General Hospital

13) Management & Training Corp

14) Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center

15) Mississippi Association of Health Plans

16) Mississippi Business Alliance

17) Mississippi Destination Marketing Organization Association

18) Mississippi Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company

19) Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation

20) Mississippi Railroad Association

21) Mississippi State University

22) PENN Entertainment, Inc.

23) Relativity Space

24) Remitly

25) Simpson General Hospital

26) VSP Vision Inc. c/o MultiState Associates LLC

27) Yellow Creek State Inland Port Authority

Drew Maddox joined the Cornerstone Mississippi team in February 2020 as a vice president with more than 10 years of experience in finance and education policy. Previously, Drew served as the chief financial officer of the Mississippi Department of Revenue, where he oversaw all administrative divisions of the department, including accounting, communications, processing, information technologies and logistics. As CFO, Drew also worked closely with state legislators and statewide elected officials to guide tax policy decisions, liquor laws, and revenue-generating activities.

Prior to his time at the Department of Revenue, Drew also worked as director of state engagement at EdBuild, where he used his knowledge of political and governmental structures to strategically place educational reform proposals in the best positions for success in state legislatures across the country. Drew has also worked at the Mississippi Legislative Budget Office as the Senate budget officer, where he worked closely with leadership to craft and pass balanced budgets.

Drew received his Bachelor of Arts in English literature and his Bachelor of Business Administration degrees from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. Drew enjoys spending time with his wife and two children (Sam and Bee), baseball, and gardening.