15-20 years

Mike founded Drexwood Partners LLC with the mission to merge government affairs with a business savvy approach. By drawing upon his nearly 15 years of experience in government and politics combined with 10 years of experience in finance and real estate, Mike is able to provide a unique perspective to his clients. As a registered lobbyist he works with government officials at the state, county and city level navigating the process to solve problems and achieve the desired results for his clients.

Prior to founding Drexwood, Mike served as executive vice president at All-Circo, Inc, a full service government affairs and lobbying firm. There he handled the needs of over 60 clients ranging from fortune 500 companies and small businesses to units of government, non-profits and associations across all sectors and issues. In addition to helping clients with their legislative and administrative goals, he provided counsel in regards to appropriations, regulation, procurement, and coalition development.

Mike was previously vice president at Chicago-based real estate development firm The Prime Group. Serving as a member of the capital markets group, he provided financial analysis, budgeting, and due diligence on real estate transactions as well as helped facilitate $400 million in financing for the JW Marriott mixed use development on LaSalle Street. He began his career in New York with Jefferies & Company on the institutional trading desk, providing sales trading coverage for corporate accounts and hedge funds.

Mike received a B.S. in Finance from Santa Clara University in 1998. He resides in Chicago with his wife, Liz, and two daughters.

20+ years

LNE Group WV has deep and long-term relationships with Members of the State Legislature and the Executive Branch of West Virginia Government. We can get to just about anyone in West Virginia Government.

Jake Giermann is a dedicated professional with a deep commitment to relentless advocacy in the sphere of government affairs. With extensive experience in lobbying on behalf of numerous clients throughout the region, Jake has established himself as a trusted advisor and strategist. His expertise lies in navigating complex political landscapes and effectively representing the interests of diverse stakeholders. Taking on tough assignments is where Jake truly excels; his tenacity and innovative approach have consistently led to successful outcomes for his clients.

6-10 years

Paul joined Drexwood Partners in 2019 bringing 10 years of professional experience with him, including a half decade handling multi-state government affairs and running a U.S. government affairs operation for a multi-national company.

Adept at handling complex public policy issues, Paul began his early professional days working as a litigation paralegal for multiple law firms and working as a field organizer on a national campaign. To begin his government affairs career, Paul spent a short time in Washington D.C. working for a child welfare non-profit conducting policy research and organizing advocacy days.

Prior to joining Drexwood as Vice President, Paul served as Director of Government Relations for a publicly-traded company where he led U.S. federal and state government affairs for multiple business segments. While there he executed federal and multi-state government affairs strategies to support organizational goals across six businesses. This included managing federal appropriation and jurisdictional committee advocacy, a fifty state legislative tracking operation, and direct and indirect lobbying in over half a dozen states across the country. In addition to traditional government affairs work, Paul led the first company-wide global political risk assessment due to international expansion and re-designed the internal government affairs approach to also focus on brand development for business segments that found more value in an elevated presence among government officials.

With a broad range of policy experience in agriculture, education (Pre-K through postsecondary), child welfare, healthcare, insurance, and tech fields, Paul is prepared to tackle new and complex issues quickly to deliver results. He is passionate about government affairs — from traditional lobbying and strategy development to advocacy, coalition building, and policy research.

A native of mid-Missouri, Paul holds a M.A. in Political Science from University of Missouri, Kansas City and a B.A. in Pre-Law/Legal Studies from William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri. He currently lives in Chicago, Illinois with his wife and two sons.

20+ years

Served as President of the Minnesota Government Relations Council ("MGRC"). MGRC is the trade association for registered lobbyists in Minnesota.

Was featured on the local PBS station for a segment of "Lobbyists Unmasked."

Annual speaker at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs legislative panel.

Sonnie brings decades of experience working with clients, lawmakers, elected officials, and key staff at the local, state, and federal levels. She develops creative government solutions for clients to meet their goals and ambitions.

Sonnie is a board member and past president of the Minnesota Government Relations Council, a professional trade association of 500 lobbyists. She is a founding member of the National League of Women Lobbyist, an association made up of one female lobbyist per state. In 2021, Attorney at Law magazine referred to Sonnie as a "major player" in Minnesota's lobbying community.

Prior to joining Taft Advisors, Sonnie was a principal at a national law and consulting firm. She previously served as deputy director for Cabinet Affairs in the office of Minnesota Governor Arne Carlson, where she advised the governor on legislative issues and lobbied legislators on behalf of the Carlson administration. Sonnie has also worked at the Minnesota Senate and House of Representatives.

20+ years

1) Top 40 Under 40 in Mississippi
2) Top 50 Businesswomen in Mississippi
3) Pollie Award Winner
4) Mississippi Human Trafficking Council: Policy & Legislative Subcommittee
5) EPA Fellow while working on doctorate degree

1) Mississippi Attorney General's Office
2) Mississippi Department of Public Safety
3) Public Employees Retirement System of Mississippi
4) Mississippi Gaming Commission

Doctoral work in public policy administration greatly enhances her ability to identify, define, and expand issues important to her clients. She was an EPA Fellow while completing her doctoral level course work. Echols develops a broad coalition of support, sometimes going
against conventional wisdom and status quo, to achieve a successful end result. She has a keen ability for trouble shooting an issue and predicting potential problems and anticipating their positive solutions. She has a proven ability to rapidly assess a situation, provide a workable plan of action, and develop pockets of support to achieve the desired outcome.

Remember... When results matter, you need The Echols Group!

6-10 years

Zack serves as Director of Public Affairs in Taft's Minneapolis office, where he advocates on behalf of clients across a broad spectrum of policy areas before the Minnesota State Legislature and executive agencies.

Before joining Taft, Zack held key public policy roles with several leading advocacy organizations. He served as Policy Associate for the Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance and as Public Policy Director for the Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless, where he focused on advancing Health and Human Services legislation at the State Capitol. Most recently, he was the Minnesota State Director for the Humane Society of the United States, where he developed and led a bipartisan legislative agenda encompassing multiple committee jurisdictions.

At Taft, Zack's portfolio includes clients across the Health, Human Services, Commerce, Jobs, Labor, Housing, and Local Government sectors. Known for his strategic approach and bipartisan credibility, Zack is widely regarded as a trusted and effective advocate at the Minnesota Capitol.

20+ years

LNE Group WV has deep and long-term relationships with Members of the State Legislature and the Executive Branch of West Virginia Government. We can get to just about anyone in West Virginia Government.

With years of experience in communications, marketing, and political campaign management, Ryan Lemmon has worked his way to becoming an expert communications advisor and political consultant. Starting his career in marketing and advertising in 2010, Ryan founded a successful advertising agency and political campaign management firm in Charleston, West Virginia in 2020. Since then, Ryan was appointed to the position of Executive Director of the West Virginia Job Creators Alliance, a 501c6 organization advocating for pro job growth policy reform throughout the region. As a political advisor on multiple statewide and legislative campaigns, Ryan has established himself as a trustworthy consultant and advisor for many of those in the West Virginia legislator. Upon the expansion of the LNE Group to West Virginia, Ryan now serves as the Vice President of Government Affairs for LNE WV representing a wide range of industries including healthcare, manufacturing, and energy.

20+ years

LNE Group WV has deep and long-term relationships with Members of the State Legislature and the Executive Branch of West Virginia Government. We can get to just about anyone in West Virginia Government.

Lee Weingart is the Chairman and Founder of LNE Group and President of LNE Group West Virginia. Since 2002, Lee has cultivated LNE Group, his self-started, two-person business, into what is now one of the top advocacy and lobbying firms with transatlantic reach in the region.

In 2023, Lee founded LNE Group West Virginia as a Charleston-based state and federal government advocacy firm to bring the successes realized by LNE Group around the country and in Europe to clients in West Virginia.

Prior to founding LNE Group, Mr. Weingart served in various public and private positions. From 1995 to 1997, he served as County Commissioner in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States of America. Cuyahoga County is the second largest county in Ohio and is among the 30 largest counties in the nation. At 28, Mr. Weingart was one of the youngest people ever to serve as county commissioner.

Mr. Weingart received his juris doctor degree, with honors, from The George Washington University National Law Center in 1991. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, in economics and management from DePauw University in 1988.

Lee is married to Caroline Weingart, nee Emrick. They have three children, Lizzie, Ned and Ethan, who collectively are LNE Group's namesake.