20+ years

Ventry is a recipient of the Governmental Relations Professionals of the Year Award from Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Dennis Murphy founded Ventry Associates in 1999. He began with a vision to create a company that would provide multiple services - Public Relations, Lobbying, and Business Development, to clients across a diverse range of industries. Since then, nearly 23 years have passed, and Ventry Associates has had a proven track record of success that few, if any other firms, can match.

Prior to founding Ventry, Dennis served in the Massachusetts State Legislature for six years representing the 9th Hampden District. In only his second term, he was selected by the House Speaker to serve as Vice Chairman of the Joint Committee on Energy, and in his third term, was elevated to Chairman of the Joint Committee on Energy. During his tenure as Chairman he oversaw numerous legislative initiatives regarding the energy industries.

Dennis holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from American International College. He is also a founder and incorporator of New Valley Bank, and in addition is part of the ownership group of the Springfield Thunderbirds, the American Hockey League affiliate of the St. Louis Blues.

20+ years

Anthony Abdelahad, Esq. was named a Top 100 Lobbyists in the Nation by the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics

Ventry is a recipient of the Governmental Relations Professionals of the Year Award from Boys & Girls Clubs of America

Anthony Abdelahad joined the Ventry team in March of 2006. Anthony directs Ventry's legislative outreach efforts and acts as in-house legal counsel, advising our clients on compliance with state and local regulations. In November of 2022, Anthony was named by his peers as one of the Top 100 Lobbyists in the Nation by the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics. This award was given in recognition of his success in helping his clients secure tens of millions of dollars in government funding, passing groundbreaking legislation on topics ranging from vocational education to insurance industry modernization, and advancing critical policy work across the transportation, health care, and energy sectors.

Prior to joining Ventry, Anthony worked in the Suffolk County court system and clerked at the Law Offices of Kelly & Watson, Hadlock Law Offices, and for the Hon. Edward C. Clifton of the Providence Superior Court. Anthony has also worked on many local, statewide, and national political campaigns, including work for Congressman Michael Capuano and the Campaign for Change's presidential election voter protection legal team in New Hampshire.

Anthony graduated cum laude and with distinction in the International Law Concentration from Suffolk University Law School and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar. He graduated magna cum laude from Providence College with a BA in Political Science.

Anthony lives in South Boston. He served as an appointed member of the Boston Planning and Development Agency's South Boston Dorchester Avenue Planning Initiative Advisory Group. He was a founding member of the Crayons to Cradles Emerging Leaders Council and served on the Friends Council of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston.

20+ years

Ventry is a recipient of the Governmental Relations Professionals of the Year Award from Boys & Girls Clubs of America

John Pregmon joined the Ventry team in November of 2024. John brings a wealth of expertise in state and local government, as well as years of experience in private legal practice. Prior to joining Ventry, John served as legal counsel to the Joint Committee on Housing, where he worked with members of the House and Senate to craft and pass an historic $5.2 billion Housing Bond Bill- the largest in the history of the Commonwealth. He also previously served as legal counsel to the Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses.

Before his time at the State House, John worked as a program attorney at both Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) and the Massachusetts Bar Association. He also has experience in private practice, specializing in estate planning, civil litigation, and immigration law. John also worked as a professor of Legal Reading and Writing at his alma mater New England Law | Boston.

He is a member of the American Bar Association, Massachusetts Bar Association, Boston Bar Association, and former mentor at the Woman's Bar Association. John is also a Mediator having met the MGL c. 233 s. 23C and Rule 8(c)(i) requirements.

John is an honors graduate of New England Law | Boston. While in law school, he was awarded the Dean's Scholarship and served as an intern within both the Worcester and Suffolk County District Attorney's Offices and SJC Rule 3.03 certified student attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services. John also volunteered with the Student Mentorship Program and Student Bar Association where he acted as Athletic Chairman, earning the Student Association of the Year award. Prior to attending law school, John earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

John has volunteered on numerous local, statewide, and national political campaigns. He is an elected member and secretary of the Ward 3 Democratic Committee.

John currently lives in the North End where he is an involved and active member of the community. He is on the planning committee for the North End Cornhole Classic, which benefits the Geraldine Marshall Scholarship Fund at NEMPAC (North End Music and Performing Arts). John volunteers as commissioner and coach for a youth baseball team within the North End Athletic Association. He also heads the CYO St. Leonard Knights youth basketball program in the North End. He is the current president of a local nonprofit, North End Cares, which serves children and families in Boston's North End. John is an active member of the Saint Agrippina Benefit Society having recently served as Feast Chairman and sits on the planning committee of the Italian Heritage Celebration Committee in the North End. John previously served as an elected member and former president of the North End/Waterfront Neighborhood Council, and on the board of directors for the Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Conservancy.

Brendan Fox joined Gaffney, Bennett & Associates in March, 2003 and is a partner in The Law Offices of Jay F. Malcynsky, P.C., an affiliated entity. He provides administrative and legal counsel to many of our firm's clients. Prior to joining the firm, Brendan served as the Executive Director of the Capital City Economic Development Authority, a quasi-public state authority established in July, 1998 to spearhead the development of the "Six Pillars" project in the downtown Hartford area and in surrounding neighborhoods of Hartford. Brendan also served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legal Counsel to Governor John G. Rowland in his first term.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Institute for the Blind/Oak Hill. He also is a fellow the American Leadership Forum.

Brendan is a 1986 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, and a 1989 graduate of Western New England Law School, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review. Upon graduation, he served as Law Clerk to Bankruptcy Judge Robert Krechevsky, and was an associate at the Hartford law firm of Murtha, Cullina, Richter and Pinney.