20+ years

Susan S. Gaston, Founder and President of the Gaston Group, is a government relations and public affairs consultant. Susan has been involved in the political and legislative fields for most of her life, having watched her father lobby for the oil and gas industries at the state and federal levels. With over 20 years of governmental affairs and lobbying experience in the United States Congress, the General Assembly of Virginia, federal and state regulatory agencies, and local government bodies, she has created strong relationships and contacts with elected and appointed officials on both sides of the political aisle.

Susan works with her clients to develop successful legislative strategies that include direct lobbying, public policy advocacy and message development, public testimony, media relations and coalition building. She is experienced in running effective, successful grassroots and grasstops campaigns that focus on community influence and earned media. Her clients include multiple professional trade associations, Fortune 200 and 500 companies, and other business interests that span the fields of housing, real estate and development, land use and zoning, commercial fishing and seafood production, thoroughbred racing, technology, telecommunications, electrical generation, financial investments, transportation infrastructure, ports operations and renewable energy.

Susan is an honors graduate of the College of William and Mary with a degree in American Government and English. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Human Resources Development from The George Washington University. A former intern in the Washington, D. C. office of United States Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Susan is an avid runner, a yoga enthusiast and an accomplished and dedicated equestrienne.

Recently, she was appointed to the Board of Advisors for the Sorensen Institute for Public Policy at the University of Virginia, a high honor for a government relations professional in the Commonwealth. As a member of the President's Advisory Cabinet at The College of William and Mary, Susan works with other government relations alumnae as they guide the College to increased influence in Virginia politics.

An active member of her community, Susan is on the Regional Board of Directors for Village Bank, serves on the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Greater Williamsburg Chamber and Tourism Alliance, and is on the Board of Directors for Agriculture in the Classroom. A lifelong Episcopalian, Susan is a member of Bruton Parish Episcopal Church where her activity focuses on the altar and floral guild. Her previous community activities include serving as President of the Junior League of Hampton Roads, President of the St. Andrew's Episcopal School Parents' Council and a member of the Board of Directors for the Virginia Symphony, as well as numerous volunteer activities at the Virginia Living Museum and the Peninsula Fine Arts Center, among others.

Susan is married to Dr. David W. Gaston, Superintendent of Schools for Charles City County and a tenured adjunct professor in the Darden School of Education at Old Dominion University. They have two sons, John, a Naval ROTC Marine Midshipman 1st Class and EMT/Paramedic candidate attending Old Dominion University, and Henry, a 3rd Class Cadet at the Virginia Military Institute. The Gaston's reside in Williamsburg with their Labrador Retriever, Anne Morgan, and their Thoroughbred, Coletrane.

20+ years

Nonpartisan staff for House members during development and passage of Washington's Forests & Fish law.

Josh has relationships with key legislators, statewide elected officials, agency staff and locally elected officials across the state.

Prior to joining the GTH-GA team, Josh spent nearly 10 years advocating for counties, serving as the Legislative Relations and Policy Director and General Counsel for the Washington State Association of Counties. Josh started working in Olympia in 1998 as nonpartisan counsel to the House of Representatives and served as Legislative Director for the Department of Fish and Wildlife. As Environmental Policy Director for the Washington Forest Protection Association he represented private forest landowners in the state's environmental regulatory system. He also assisted in Governor Locke's water reform efforts. Josh is a member of the Washington State Bar Association, graduate of Central Washington University and the Vermont Law School, and is a fourth generation Washingtonian. He lives in Olympia with his wife Karen.

6-10 years

Diana Carlen leads the firm's business and utility practice and has over 20 years of legal and legislative experience. Prior to joining Gordon Thomas Honeywell Governmental Affairs, Diana served as Leadership Counsel to the Senate Republican Caucus. In that role, she also served as the caucus attorney for the following policy issues: energy, natural resources, agriculture, land use, telecommunications and water issues. Prior to working for the Senate, Diana practiced law for several years focusing on land use and environmental issues and also served as a Law Clerk to Chief Justice Gerry Alexander of the Washington State Supreme Court. Diana represents several of the firm's business clients, public utilities, and port clients.

Tim Schellberg is the Founder and President of Gordon Thomas Honeywell Governmental Affairs, an internationally known governmental affairs and government business market development firm. In addition to serving as the firm's managing partner, Tim maintains an active governmental affairs and market development practice, and provides strategic direction to the firm's four primary divisions: International, Multi-State, Federal, and Washington State. Under Tim's leadership, the firm has had impressive growth and success.

Tim is recognized nationally and internationally for his work to create and grow new markets by collaborating with business and government to implement dynamic public policy and technology based solutions. Tim has used over 25 years of professional experience, worldwide contacts and knowledge of global government institutions to actively lead legislative based projects in over 30 countries and within the United States.

DAVID A. SMITH is a partner in the Princeton Public Affairs Group, is a veteran of the public affairs arena and has successfully managed public affairs campaigns impacting auto insurance, life insurance, tort reform and environmental legislative initiatives. Mr. Smith received national acclaim when he was honored with a ""Pollie Award"" by the American Association of Political Consultants and named to their United States ""Public Affairs Team of the Year." Mr. Smith was also named one of the most influential players in New Jersey's Healthcare arena by the Annual HealthSense Listing. Since 2005, Mr. Smith has been a Commissioner on the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission (nominated by the Governor for two separate four year terms and confirmed by the NJ Senate) and currently serves as an Officer on the Commission (Secretary). Mr. Smith serves on the National Board of Directors of the Public Affairs Council, and was one of the few contract lobbyists in the Country to be appointed to a National Task Force charged with creating ethical standard for lobbyists throughout the United States. Mr. Smith is a founder and member of the Board of Directors of ProtectingAmerica.org, an advocacy organization Co-chaired by James Lee Witt, former Cabinet member under President Clinton and Admiral James Loy, Deputy Director of Homeland Security under President Bush. Mr. Smith also serves as an Officer (1st Vice President) of the New Jersey Hall of Fame Foundation Board of Directors and also serves on the Executive Committee (Secretary) of The Advocacy Group (TAG). Finally, Mr. Smith serves on the Board of Directors as an officer (Treasurer) of the State Capitol Insurance Company RRG, the first professional liability company for lobbyists headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mr. Smith has appeared on television and radio stations representing clients' interests, authored dozens of articles on politics/policy issues in New Jersey and is a frequent guest speaker/lecturer at national and state conferences, legislative hearings, meetings and seminars. He has been a consultant to statewide and legislative political campaigns and is a member of the Executive Finance Committee of the Assembly Democratic Leadership Committee as well as the New Jersey State Democratic Committee. Prior to joining the firm in 1995, Mr. Smith served as Director of Policy and Planning for the New Jersey General Assembly Democratic Office. In that capacity, Mr. Smith supervised the partisan staff of all Assembly Committees and Task Forces while serving as senior staff aide to the insurance and commerce legislative committees. He was a Director with the New Jersey Dental Association from 1985 to 1990 and served on several national and state health care and insurance advisory committees.

Mr. Smith was awarded a Master of Science in Financial Services (MSFS) Degree from the Richard D. Irwin Graduate School of The American College. He is a Graduate Fellow of the Public Affairs Institute, a three year educational program of the Public Affairs Council located in Washington, DC. Mr. Smith also graduated with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Political Science from Gettysburg College.