11-15 years

James H. McFaddin comes to Southern Strategy Group from Health Management Associates (now Community Health Systems), a Fortune 500 hospital company with over 200 hospitals in 29 states, where he served as Director of Government Affairs. James was responsible for representing the company's interests in Washington, DC, state capitals including Tallahassee, and in front of state health care agencies and local governments.

Prior to joining Health Management Associates, James served as Chief of Staff for the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (Agency). As Chief of Staff, James was involved in the management and operations of the Agency including the Florida Medicaid Program, the regulation of Florida's health care facilities, and oversight of the Agency's $20 billion budget.

During this time, James was also appointed by the Governor to manage the state's federally-mandated health information exchange activities as Florida's Health Information Technology Coordinator.

Prior to being named Chief of Staff, James served as the Agency's Legislative Affairs Director.Before joining the Agency, James served as the Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs for the Executive Office of the Governor where he worked to develop and coordinate passage of the Governor's legislative and budget priorities.

James has also served as a Senior Analyst in the Florida Senate specializing in health care, criminal justice, and agricultural issues.

A native of South Carolina, James graduated from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Economics and Political Science.

Sydney Ridley brings years of legislative and political experience to Southern Strategy Group's Tampa Bay office. Sydney spent the past four years as the Chief Legislative Aide to House Majority Leader Dana Young, where she directed all priority policy and budget initiatives. Sydney's time as staff was at the highest level of the Florida House of Representatives, and she brings unmatched relationships with legislative staff, agency heads, and elected officials.

A political pro in Tampa Bay with extensive campaign management experience, Sydney guided Senator Dana Young to successive electoral victories in the Florida House and spearheaded her subsequent election to the Florida Senate. Sydney's political expertise, particularly in the Tampa Bay area, serves as a great strategic asset to our clients. In addition to her work with Senator Young, Sydney has served as both a political director and a field director on various Congressional and State Senate campaigns.

Born and raised in Tampa, Sydney is a third-generation Floridian, a graduate of the University of Virginia, a Florida Gator at heart, and a lover of history, golf, music, and football.

David Browning is one of Florida's top political campaign operatives. David has worked with Florida's most powerful elected officials and brings a new dimension to Southern Strategy Group's team of lobbyists in Tallahassee. David was instrumental in raising millions of dollars for campaign war chests in the 2010 election cycle for Governor Rick Scott. David also worked for Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and set fundraising records for those campaigns. Fundraiser, strategist, and confidante, David is among a handful of insiders who help guide candidates to victory in Florida.

David has been equally busy helping the legislative branch. David served as the chief fundraiser for Speaker Dean Cannon. David's responsibilities included raising money for Speaker Cannon's personal campaign, as well as working with House leadership to raise money for the House Republican Caucus. Through these efforts, the Florida House returned 81 republican members giving them a supermajority.

In the Florida Senate David represented Senate President Mike Haridopolos and Senate Majority Leader Andy Gardiner. David worked with Senator John Thrasher who was elected in a highly contested special election. David brings his unique expertise to the Tallahassee team and offers our clients unprecedented insight into the workings of state government.

David is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Political Science.