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.

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.

15-20 years

Developed and facilitated a coalition of aviation industry leaders with a local university to get the State of Kansas to support the first direct appropriate to specifically support the research and innovation needs of those companies. In addition to major initiatives like this example, successful in working with both Republicans and Democrats to further the goals of clients.

Eric has achieved success by developing key contacts and maintaining relationships and maintaining relationships with policymakers in a bipartisan way and across the legislative and executive branches of state government. This philosophy continues to carry the most credibility and achieve results in government affairs.

Eric L. Sexton, PhD, serves as a governmental affairs consultant with Foulston Siefkin's Governmental Affairs & Public Policy practice group. The group provides legislative monitoring and lobbying services for Foulston's clients as well as publishing the weekly Kansas Legislative Insights newsletter during the session. Sexton is a contributing author for Kansas Legislative Insights and spends most of his time in Topeka during the legislative session, building on his strong relationships at the local, state, and federal level.

Sexton is an experienced government affairs leader who spent 18 years on Wichita State University's government relations team, mostly as executive director of government relations. During his tenure in that role, WSU ranked 15th in the country for earning directed federal appropriations for important programs. Sexton then served as WSU's director of athletics, overseeing the rise of the men's basketball program to its highest levels of national prominence to date while also operating the athletics program profitably. Sexton's thorough understanding of legislative processes, funding, and the people involved combine to make him an effective and well-informed advocate for clients whose businesses or industries are affected by local, state, or federal regulations, administrative agencies, or elected officials.

Sexton earned his doctorate in political science from the University of Kansas after his Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Wichita State University.

Active in his community, Sexton serves on the Wesley Medical Center Board of Trustees, the Derby Community Foundation, and was a founding member of Real Men, Real Heroes. In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Sexton to the President Commission for the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Sexton is an avid golfer who competes in amateur events at the regional and national level. He also enjoys hunting quail and pheasant as well as Kansas staycations with his wife, Kathy Sexton.