Sponsored Ad

Government Relations Strategies (GRS) is a leading government affairs firm located in the Portland Metropolitan Area. To accommodate clients' legislative needs GRS also maintains office space in Salem, Oregon. GRS consistently produces successful outcomes for its clients. Our clients include publicly traded corporations, large corporations that operate in multiple countries, professional trade associations, non-profit organizations, and a variety of local governments.

20+ years

Hasina Wittenberg is president of Government Relations Strategies (GRS), a leading government affairs firm located in Portland metropolitan area. Wittenberg began her lobbying career in 1993 working for the League of Oregon Cities. She then went to work for a contract lobbying firm until 2005 when she formed Government Relations Strategies Inc. With more than 20 years of experience, she provides legislative advocacy for numerous clients by cultivating and maintaining strong relationships with both local and state officials and Oregon lawmakers. Clients include publicly traded corporations, multinational corporations, professional trade associations, non-profit organizations, and a variety of local governments. Hasina's diverse client background and experience in multiple audience communications has led to the development of highly successful government relations programs through written and oral promotion, policy development, and program evaluation and management. She consistently produces successful outcomes for her clients, and has worked to achieve bipartisan support on many legislative issues.

EDGAR CASTRO

(Florida)

Subjects: All Subjects

Links:Website

Edgar Castro's core business is government affairs, community relations, and lobbying in Miami-Dade County and Tallahassee, Florida. As an expert in the public policy process at the municipal, county, and state levels, Edgar assists his clients in navigating their way through the ever-increasing maze of legislative and regulatory challenges to achieve their goals and objectives.

Edgar has successfully advocated for issues addressing the needs of businesses, trade associations, municipalities, and the Florida Bar before Florida's executive and legislative branches, administrative and regulatory agencies, Miami-Dade County, and a number of the municipalities therein. Edgar's clients rely on him to develop and implement offensive and defensive political strategies to successfully negotiate legislative provisions on their behalf. Edgar has advocated for his clients on issues relating to transportation, family law, gaming, telecommunications, financial services, emergency management, intellectual property, and energy. Additionally, Edgar assists his clients with their relationships within the Hispanic community by developing a strategic plan of engagement, while also facilitating access to important elected leaders and stakeholders in the Hispanic community.

Edgar began his political career in Tallahassee, working in the Governor's Office as a Legislative Assistant, for the Florida House of Representatives. Edgar's experience in this role taught him the intricacies of the legislative processes and committee procedures, helping him build strong ties to staff and members of both chambers and parties. Throughout his career, Edgar has worked on numerous political campaigns in Florida, including candidates in the U.S. House and Senate, Florida House of Representatives and Senate, and the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners.

In addition to his experiences in Tallahassee, Edgar worked in Washington, DC as a public policy consultant for a government relations and consulting company. There, Edgar was responsible for researching and analyzing Florida and federal legislative actions and making recommendations to help clients effectively respond to governmental opportunities while avoiding potential risks.

MATTHEW MCKENNA

(Massachusetts)

Subjects: All Subjects

Links:Website

0-5 years

An expert in legislative and regulatory affairs, Matthew is a seasoned government relations professional and strategic communications specialist who puts his expertise to use for a wide variety of sectors.

A U.S. Army veteran who served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Matthew has worked to improve benefits for first responders, including enacting new rules to help firefighters who get cancer on the job. He’s also worked to create innovative job training programs for developmentally disabled youth and adults.

Matthew was a key lobbyist for the Marijuana Policy Project to successfully legalize cannabis in Massachusetts and advises new cannabis companies on municipal licensing, compliance, business strategy and community engagement. Additionally, he has advised clients with municipal development projects as a consultant on construction, building trade and general union issues.

Prior to joining Tenax, Matthew worked as director of communications and intergovernmental relations for the Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services. In that role, he worked with every state agency and the Massachusetts legislature on veterans’ issues. He also worked on economic development issues, including helping launch a program with the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce to link veterans with employment opportunities and advocating for a veteran-owned business preference for state contracting. Prior to DVS, Matthew spent seven years working for state Senator Steven Tolman as his chief of staff and district director.

A graduate of the University of Connecticut with a degree in political science, Matthew is a 22-year member of the U.S. Army National Guard. He currently serves as a Chief Warrant Officer 3 and a Blackhawk helicopter instructor pilot. He also serves on the boards of Massachusetts Fallen Heroes and Alternative Treatment for Veterans, a nonprofit that advocates for cannabis therapy for vets.

He lives in Braintree with his wife and two children.

SHERRY DOCTORIAN

(Missouri)

Subjects: All Subjects

Links:Website

Ms. Doctorian concentrates her practice in the areas of administrative and regulatory law. She represents business entities who have sales and use tax disputes with the Department of Revenue, as well as representing professional licensees, primarily physicians, in matters before the professional licensing boards.

Ms. Doctorian's experience includes representation of life and health and property and casualty insurance companies in matters before the Missouri Department of Insurance, including Form A hearings, agency and agent licensure matters, and market conduct examination disputes.

GREGORY LESTINI

(Ohio)
  • 614-227-4893

  • 100 South Third Street100 South Third StreetColumbusOH43215

Subjects: All Subjects

Links:Website

Greg Lestini focuses his practice on the connection between law and public policy, utilizing years of experience in state and local government. He advocates for trade associations, private business and not-for-profit interests before the Federal Government, Ohio legislature, state agencies and regulatory bodies. Greg also serves on Bricker & Eckler's Southeast Ohio and Shale task forces.

Greg advises clients on complex regulatory and legislative issues in the insurance, health care, financial services and public sector industries. He also lobbies state, local and federal elected officials on behalf of those clients. His counsel includes strategic planning, coalition building, legal analysis and legislative drafting advice.

Greg is a former Chief of Staff for the Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus; a Legislative Analyst for the Office of the President Pro Tem of the Columbus City Council; and a legislative aide with the Ohio Senate. Following law school, Greg also participated in Americorps' Legal Service Corps, practicing eviction defense for clients in Northwest Ohio as an attorney with Advocates for Basic Legal Equality located in Toledo.

Greg has been a force in public affairs and lobbying for the past 18 years, helping execute effective and successful government relations and public policy strategies for Fortune 500 companies, corporations, non-profits, labor organizations and trade associations.

A graduate of Oregon State University, Greg grew up in Natick and is well-known in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. political circles, as he’s worked with many of Massachusetts’ top elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton and former Lt. Gov. Tim Murray, among others.

Greg served as Chief Operating Officer of one of Boston’s most successful communications and public affairs firms before launching the public affairs division at Tenax in 2016 with his brother Pete.

Greg is an expert at public affairs, especially in highly-regulated industries. He’s worked effectively and successfully at the local, state and federal level, including representing interests in multiple states across the country for global corporations. He’s built coalitions to support strong public policies at every level of government, lobbied lawmakers locally and nationally, and created innovative strategies to overcome regulatory and legislative roadblocks for a variety of businesses and organizations.

His specialties include long- and short-term strategic planning; media and public affairs strategy; message development and discipline; earned media consulting; and managing grassroots, employee, stakeholder and customer communication mobilizations to impact public policy.

Whether it's fighting for free industry, creating protections for health care consumers, waging a local public affairs campaign, engaging elected officials to advance public policy or helping a business cut through legislative or regulatory red tape, Greg has the experience, relationships and knowledge to draft a strategic blueprint to get the job done.

SUSAN FISHER

(Nevada)

BEAU FLORES

(Colorado)
  • 808-393-9235

  • 10065 E. Harvard Ave, St 400DenverCO80231

LUCAS FOLETTA

(Nevada)

CLARE HESTER

(Mississippi)
Clients:

JOSHUA HICKS

(Nevada)

LINDSAY KNOX

(Nevada)

MAGGIE O'FLAHERTY

(Nevada)

LAUREN WARDEN

(Nevada)

MACKENZIE WARREN

(Nevada)