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Mark Cate is the Founder and President of Stones River Group, a Nashville-based public affairs firm serving both Tennessee, regional and national clients. He formerly served as Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam's chief of staff, where he was his top advisor, strategist and negotiator.

6-10 years

I have been recognized by the Nashville Post list of In-Charge: Government & Politics for 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022

Our firm was recognized nationally by the Public Relations Society of America for our comprehensive public affairs campaign to bring Major League Soccer to Nashville

Mark Cate is the Founder and President of Stones River Group, a Nashville-based public affairs firm serving both Tennessee, regional and national clients. He formerly served as Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam's chief of staff, where he was his top advisor, strategist and negotiator.

During his tenure with the Haslam Administration, Mark led several legislative policy initiatives, including K-12 education reform, workers' compensation reform, civil service reform, an alternative approach to Medicaid expansion, and postsecondary education reform, including the nationally-acclaimed Tennessee Promise program.

Prior to serving in state government, Mark successfully managed Governor Haslam's first gubernatorial campaign in 2010, which led to a record-setting general election victory. He previously worked as an executive in real estate management and development and served for 16 years as a higher education leader. Over the course of his career, Mark has served as a chief development officer, chief planning officer, chief marketing officer, and as a chief financial officer—working on budgets ranging from $10 million to $30 billion.

Mark grew up in Maryville, TN and currently lives in Brentwood with his wife Cathy who serves as the Executive Director of Leadership Tennessee. He and Cathy have two daughters, Bailey who is a recent graduate at Rhodes College and currently serves as a fellow at the Crop Trust in Bonn, Germany; and Abbie who is rising junior at George Washington University.

Cate received a B.S from Carson-Newman College, an M.S from the University of Tennessee, and Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management certificate program. He's served on a wide variety of non-profit boards and was an elected member of the Maryville Board of Education.

Chris Gobble is a respected government affairs specialist with deep issue expertise and a broad base of policymaker and stakeholder relationships. He leverages his insights into the state General Assembly, Tennessee executive branch, and local governments to help SRG clients navigate complex political challenges and effectively advance meaningful policy solutions. Prior to joining SRG, Chris served as senior director of public policy for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and was the legislative and policy director for the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security under Governor Bill Haslam.

0-5 years

Chris Gobble is a respected government affairs specialist with deep issue expertise and a broad base of policymaker and stakeholder relationships. He leverages his insights into the state General Assembly, Tennessee executive branch, and local governments to help SRG clients navigate complex political challenges and effectively advance meaningful policy solutions.

Prior to joining SRG, Chris served as senior director of public policy for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, where he helped drive policy changes and facilitate government affairs efforts for 2,000 businesses representing over 180,000 employees. He also regularly and effectively collaborated with local, state, and federal elected officials to advance Chattanooga's status as a leader in education, workforce, and economic development.

Prior to Gobble's tenure in Chattanooga, he was the legislative and policy director for the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. In this role, Gobble worked closely with Governor Bill Haslam's office and the state legislature to develop and implement a variety of public policy initiatives.

Originally from Bradley County, Chris earned a B.A. in Political Science and Communications from Lipscomb University. He and his wife Sarah live in Nashville.

Clients:
Clients:

TOMMIE CARDIN

(Mississippi)

CLARE HESTER

(Mississippi)
Clients:

1) Accelerate Learning, Inc.

2) American Medical Response

3) American Petroleum Institute

4) American Research and Policy Institute (ARPI)

5) Assured Guaranty Inc.

6) AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, LP and its Affiliates

7) Asurion

8) Bayer U.S. LLC

9) Beau Rivage Resorts, Inc.

10) BetterLesson

11) Caertwheel Care, Inc.

12) Capitol Resources LLC

13) Catapult Learning

14) Centene Corporation on behalf of its affiliates and subsidiaries

15) Cicero Action

16) Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC

17) Community Health Center Association of Mississippi, Inc.

18) Crooked Letter Picture Company

19) Data Recognition Corporation

20) Diamondhead Water & Sewer District

21) Drax Group

22) Equifax, Inc.

23) Ergon, Inc.

24) Ernst & Young LLP

25) Exxon Mobil Corporation

26) Fortinet, Inc.

27) Gainwell Holding Corp.

28) Gulf States Toyota, Inc.

29) Hazel Health

30) HB Strategies on behalf of Good Rx

31) Health Resources LLC

32) Horne LLP

33) IGT and Its Affiliates

34) Ingalls Shipbuilding

35) Intervest Corp.

36) Kansas City Southern Railroad Company d/b/a Canadian Pacific Kansas City and as CPKC, is wholly owned by Canadian Pacific Railway Kansas City Limited

37) Kohler Co.

38) LS Power Midcontinent, LLC

39) Madison County Board of Supervisors

40) McLANE COMPANY, INC.

41) MedeAnalytics

42) Medical Transportation Management, Inc.

43) MedImpact Healthcare Systems, Inc.

44) Memorial Hospital at Gulfport

45) MetaMetrics, Inc.

46) Milliman, Inc.

47) Mississippi Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

48) Mississippi Association of REALTORS

49) Mississippi Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians

50) Mississippi Charter School Authorizer Board

51) Mississippi Consumer Finance Association

52) Mississippi Counseling Association

53) Mississippi Economic Council

54) Mississippi Economic Development Council, Inc.

55) Mississippi Healthcare Collaborative

56) Mississippi Optometric Association

57) Mississippi Orthopaedic Society

58) Mississippi Physicians Care Network

59) Mississippi Public Broadcasting Foundation

60) Mississippi Section, American College of Obstertricians & Gynecologists

61) Mississippi State Board of Medical Licensure

62) MS Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs

63) NextEra Energy Resources, LLC

64) NOLA Education,LLC

65) Ochsner Health System

66) OneImaging

67) PATH Company LLC

68) Pine Gate Renewables LLC

69) PMI US Corporate Services Inc. and Affiliates

70) Reason Foundation

71) Regional Medical Center (Regional One Health)

72) Republic Services of MS / BFI Waste Services LLC

73) Samsara Inc.

74) Scholastic Inc

75) Secure Democracy USA And It's Affiliates

76) SecurityScorecard, Inc.

77) Sharecare

78) Singing River Health System

79) Southern Beverage Company, Inc.

80) Southern Renewable Energy Association

81) Spire Mississippi Inc.

82) State Shield Action

83) STChealth LLC

84) Stercus Bioanalytics, LLC

85) Teaching Strategies

86) The Learning Internet, Inc. DBA Learning.com

87) The University of Southern Mississippi

88) Thrivist

89) Toyota Motor North America, Inc.

90) Turo Inc.

91) Uber Technologies, Inc.

92) Unite USA Inc. (dba Unite Us)

93) Universal Health Services, Inc.

94) Wayne Halfway House, Inc.

95) Wonderschool

96) Workday

97) yes. every. kid

98) Youth Villages

Clients:

BUTLER LLP

(Federal)
Clients:

1) A16Z CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC

2) AFFORDABLE ASSISTED LIVING COALITION

3) AMEREN ILLINOIS

4) AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF ORTHODONTIST

5) AMERICAN COUNCIL OF LIFE INSURERS

6) AUTO AND TRUCK RECYCLERS OF ILLINOIS

7) BAYER U.S. LLC

8) CAIRO PUBLIC UTILITY COMPANY

9) DECATUR DOWNS LLC

10) DESTINATION ILLINOIS LLC

11) DIRECTV, LLC

12) DISH NETWORK CORPORATION

13) DUCKS UNLIMITED

14) ENTERPRISE LEASING COMPANY OF CHICAGO, LLC DBA ENTERPRISE MOBILITY

15) EXXON MOBIL CORPORATION

16) FIDELITY CONSULTING GROUP, L.L.C.

17) FIREMEN'S ANNUITY & BENEFIT FUND OF CHICAGO

18) FMR, LLC

19) FORESIGHT ENERGY, LLC

20) GERONIMO POWER, LLC

21) GO BREWING

22) GOOGLE LLC AND ITS AFFILIATES

23) GOVERNMENT SOLUTIONS GROUP

24) GRAND PRAIRIE WATER COMMISSION

25) HEALTH CARE COUNCIL OF ILLINOIS

26) I3 BROADBAND

27) ID.ME

28) ILLINOIS ASSOCIATION OF VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE TEACHERS

29) ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD COMPANY

30) ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEES ASSOCIATION

31) ILLINOIS HEALTH & HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION

32) ILLINOIS LIFE & HEALTH INSURANCE COUNCIL

33) ILLINOIS PHYSICAL THERAPY ASSOCIATION

34) ILLINOIS PIPE TRADES, P.E.C.

35) ILLINOIS PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION COOPERATIVE

36) ILLINOIS RADIOLOGICAL SOCIETY

37) ILLINOIS RETAIL MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION

38) ILLINOIS SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS

39) INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 318

40) INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 520

41) INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 649

42) INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 841

TONY NIKNEJAD

(Tennessee)
Clients:
Clients:

STEPHEN RABY

(Alabama)
Clients:

MICHAEL WARD

(Alabama)