||LobbyLinx Lobbyist Directory||

PATRICIA LESHANE

"I love what I do. I love puzzles. I'm curious and enjoy working with a team to find solutions to the challenges presented to us. Each day is different and I get to pull together a diverse group which shares a common goal to improve a situation. Add politics to the mix and where else could you find such a daily adventure?"

1) 7710 Insurance

2) AccentCare

3) Adobe, Inc.

4) American Medical Response of CT, Inc.

5) Association of Social Work Boards

6) Atrium LLC

7) Bestech Clean Energy LLC

8) Bestech Inc. of CT

9) Borough of Naugatuck

10) BrightPath

11) Brooker Memorial

12) Campbell Soup Company

13) CCA Analytics

14) Churchill Downs Incorporated

15) Cisco Systems, Inc.

16) Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast

17) Commercial Services Realty - BT2008 LLC

18) Connecticut Brewers Guild

19) Connecticut Creditor Bar Association, Inc.

20) CT Coalition to End Homelessness

21) CT Humane Society

22) CT Junior Republic Assoc.

23) CT State Medical Society

24) CT-NAELA Chapter

25) Environmental Litigation Group PC

26) EverDriven

27) GMP Real Estate Solutions

28) Heritage River Village

29) International Bottled Water Association

30) Johnson Controls

31) KinderCare Education, LLC

32) Kirchhoff Property Management, Inc.

20+ years

In 2020, named by the Hartford Business Journal as one of the top 50 most influential people in Hartford.

In 2017 she was honored as "Practitioner of the Year" by the Greater CT Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

In 2005, recognized by the Hartford Business Journal as one of eight top woman business owners.

Developed and implemented several Connecticut market entry initiatives for a global banking interest, outpatient medical and behavior health facilities and a renewable energy company.

Led several multi-organizational coalitions to pass landmark legislation on scholarship funding, tort reform, energy deregulation, managed care regulation and tax initiative opposition.

Drives business strategy and best practices for two separate and widely respected companies.

Appointed by the Mayor of Hartford to Chair the Hartford Parking Authority.

The team at Sullivan & LeShane has provided The Toy Association with outstanding representation. They have a deep understanding of the legislative and regulatory environment and have consistently delivered results on tough issues. They understand our concerns and communicate it accurately to the relevant decision-makers. They are credible, ethical and attentive to client needs. I would recommend them to anyone looking for representation in Connecticut. - Matthew Lenz, Director of State Government Affairs, The Toy Association

Sullivan & LeShane has been a valued partner of ours for many years. They have the relationships and know-how to navigate complex legislative issues and deliver results on behalf of their client. With decades of experience, their entire team is committed to truly understanding the issues that matter to us most and working collaboratively to educate legislators and develop public policy solutions. It's clear that they are well-respected in the halls of the capitol, and they have been an absolute pleasure to work with over the years. - Nick Martin, Director of Public Affairs and Communication, Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast

While SHI has been a vendor, working with the State of Connecticut since 1991, we engaged Sullivan & LeShane in 2018. We were looking to get better aligned with the State, and to navigate some roadblocks we had been encountering. It has been a great relationship, and we have had many "wins" that have helped advance SHI strategically within the State. The information and experience that Mike and his team lend to us is invaluable. - Barbara West, Regional Director, SHI

Prior to starting Sullivan & LeShane, Inc. (S&L) in 1983 and Sullivan & LeShane Public Relations in 1988, served as Director of External and Public Affairs for a highly respected statewide medical and vocational rehabilitation organization.

Member and Secretary of the University of Saint Joseph Board of Trustees and chairs the Academic Women's Leadership. Vice Chair of the Washington-based Public Affairs Council, a professional association of corporate/national organizations.

Holds a Master's Degree in Healthcare Finance from the Rensselaer Lally School of Business and a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Leadership and Community Development from Springfield College. Participated in select executive level programs at Stanford University and McGill University. In addition, participated in the Yale School of Management leadership program.

Full Profile

NIAL PATEL

(Louisiana, )

Cornerstone Government Affairs

npatel@cgagroup.com
225-201-8930
304 LAUREL STREET, SUITE 1A, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, 70801,

Subjects: All Subjects

Links:Website, LinkedIn

Former senior staffer to Governor Bobby Jindal

Top Forty Under 40, Business Report in 2014

National Finance Committee member, Republican Governors Association

Chairman of Emerging Leaders Council, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry

28) Loyola University

29) LUBA Workers', Comp

30) Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center

31) MMR Group

32) Motion Picture Association, Inc

33) Osmose Utilities Services, Inc.

34) Palo Alto

35) Plexos Group

36) Recovery Solutions

37) Rouses Enterprises, LLC

38) SHI International Corp.

39) Software AG

40) Solstice Advanced Materials Inc.

41) Sparkhound

42) SRI Inc.

43) Stonehenge Capital

44) Susan G Komen Foundation

45) Thrive Foundation

46) Trane U.S. Inc

47) Tulane University

48) Vantage Compliance o/b/o Dell Technologies Inc.

49) Veterans Guardian

50) W&T Offshore

51) Waymo

52) YMCA

53) Youth Force NOLA

54) Youth Villages

Nial Patel joined Cornerstone Government Affairs in 2011 after more than seven years of service to Governor Bobby Jindal, dating back to his first run for governor in 2003. As one of the longest serving senior staff members for the Governor, Nial worked as the director of scheduling. Additionally, when Governor Jindal was elected to Congress, Nial served as his executive assistant. During his tenure with Jindal, Nial's duties varied from campaigning to research and outreach, working with elected politicians, stakeholders, and government officials from Washington, D.C. and across the state of Louisiana.

Nial holds a Masters in Economics from the Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University (LSU), and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from LSU, where he also minored Political Science and Business Administration.

Originally from New Orleans, Nial attended Holy Cross High School and the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts. In 2014, he was recognized as one of the top forty under 40 leaders in the community, and is alum of the Baton Rouge Leadership and Louisiana Leadership programs. Nial serves on the Southeast Super Region Committee, Greater New Orleans Inc.'s Next Gen Council, New Schools for Baton Rouge Board, Teach for America Board, and is Chairman of Louisiana Association of Business and Industry's Emerging Leaders Council. He has helped raised money for the American Cancer Society, Republican Governor's Association, and several elected officials. Nial currently resides in Baton Rouge.

Full Profile

PATRICK GOLDSMITH

(Louisiana, )

Cornerstone Government Affairs

pgoldsmith@cgagroup.com
225-505-9416
304 LAUREL STREET SUITE 1A, BATON ROUGE, Louisiana, 70801,

Subjects: All Subjects

Links:Website

Former Deputy Commissioner to Governor Jeff Landry

Former Chief Administrative Office and Chief Financial Officer to Ascension Parish Government

Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Governmental Auditing Professional (CGAP) and Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA)

1) Agilify

2) Ascension Parish Government

3) Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana

4) Baton Rouge Area Foundation

5) Canopy Tutoring

6) Celerian Consulting

7) City of New Orleans

8) Google LLC and its Affiliates

9) Louisiana Clerks of Court Association

10) Loyola University

11) SHI International Corp.

12) Sparkhound

13) SRI Inc

14) Thrive Foundation

15) Tulane University

16) Vantage Compliance o/b/o Dell Technologies Inc.

Patrick Goldsmith joined Cornerstone Government Affairs in February 2026, after more than three decades of experience at the highest levels of Louisiana government and politics. Patrick currently serves as Principal in Cornerstone's Baton Rouge office, supporting clients focused on budget and appropriations matters.

Prior to Cornerstone, Patrick was Deputy Commissioner to Governor Jeff Landry. In that role, he held the appointment authority for 1,600 state employees and oversaw the 22 sections of the Division of Administration - including statewide IT, Accounting, Auditing, Procurement, Risk Management and Budgeting. He also advised the Commissioner of Administration and Gov. Landry on fiscal issues and led the development of the $50 billion Executive Budget and $12 billion Capital Outlay Plan.

Patrick previously served in Ascension Parish Government as Chief Administrative Officer. He supervised heads of all departments and functions within the parish. He was also the Chief Financial Officer to the Ascension Parish, where he directed all activities of the Finance, Purchasing, Legal, Grants, Human Resources, Data Analytics and Project Management Departments.

Earlier in his career, Patrick spent nearly a decade as the Director of the House Fiscal Division for the Louisiana House of Representatives. He directed all activities of the House's Fiscal Division including research, analysis, drafting and committee-staffing on all state fiscal matters. In addition, Patrick advised House leadership and provided committee oversight for Appropriations, Ways and Means, Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, Revenue Estimating Conference and other committees. As part of his responsibilities, Patrick oversaw the drafting, amendments and final passage of the General Appropriation Bill and Capital Outlay bill.

He is also viewed as one of the state's top auditing and efficiency experts, having spent nearly two decades in the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office where he held roles such as Director of Performance Audit and Actuarial Services, Performance Audit Manager and Staff/Senior Auditor.

Patrick holds a Master of Public Administration and Bachelor's in Finance from Louisiana State University.

Full Profile

PATRICK SULLIVAN

"We've been nationally recognized for our integrated public relations/government relations services as well as leveraging social media to impact government actions; we set the tone for building a prosperous future for our clients. Any problem can be solved and any issue can be resolved with strategic thinking and bringing the right people to the table. That is our culture at Sullivan & LeShane."

1) 7710 Insurance

2) AccentCare

3) Adobe, Inc.

4) American Medical Response of CT, Inc.

5) Association of Social Work Boards

6) Atrium LLC

7) Bestech Clean Energy LLC

8) Bestech Inc. of CT

9) Borough of Naugatuck

10) BrightPath

11) Brooker Memorial

12) Campbell Soup Company

13) CCA Analytics

14) Churchill Downs Incorporated

15) Cisco Systems, Inc.

16) Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast

17) Commercial Services Realty - BT2008 LLC

18) Connecticut Brewers Guild

19) Connecticut Creditor Bar Association, Inc.

20) CT Coalition to End Homelessness

21) CT Humane Society

22) CT Junior Republic Assoc.

23) CT State Medical Society

24) CT-NAELA Chapter

25) Environmental Litigation Group PC

26) EverDriven

27) GMP Real Estate Solutions

28) Heritage River Village

29) International Bottled Water Association

30) Johnson Controls

31) KinderCare Education, LLC

32) Kirchhoff Property Management, Inc.

20+ years

In 2020, recognized by the Hartford Business Journal as one of the top 50 most influential people in Hartford.

Secured the initial state funding needed for UConn to build Gampel Pavilion.

Led the government relations team for several industry mergers requiring approvals from the Office of the Attorney General, State Legislature and other regulatory bodies.

Point person working with the City of Stamford, resulting in $240 million in infrastructure funds.

Sought after political strategist with close ties to every major statewide and local political leader in the state.

Drives business strategy and best practices for two separate and widely respected companies.

A veteran political strategist, played key roles in the presidential campaigns of Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and former Senator Robert Dole, as well the campaigns of former Congresswoman Nancy Johnson, Senator Joseph Lieberman and several Connecticut governors. Most recently served as a senior adviser for two U.S. Senate campaigns and trusted thought leader for two Connecticut Governors.

The team at Sullivan & LeShane has provided The Toy Association with outstanding representation. They have a deep understanding of the legislative and regulatory environment and have consistently delivered results on tough issues. They understand our concerns and communicate it accurately to the relevant decision-makers. They are credible, ethical and attentive to client needs. I would recommend them to anyone looking for representation in Connecticut. - Matthew Lenz, Director of State Government Affairs, The Toy Association

Sullivan & LeShane has been a valued partner of ours for many years. They have the relationships and know-how to navigate complex legislative issues and deliver results on behalf of their client. With decades of experience, their entire team is committed to truly understanding the issues that matter to us most and working collaboratively to educate legislators and develop public policy solutions. It's clear that they are well-respected in the halls of the capitol, and they have been an absolute pleasure to work with over the years. - Nick Martin, Director of Public Affairs and Communication, Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast

While SHI has been a vendor, working with the State of Connecticut since 1991, we engaged Sullivan & LeShane in 2018. We were looking to get better aligned with the State, and to navigate some roadblocks we had been encountering. It has been a great relationship, and we have had many "wins" that have helped advance SHI strategically within the State. The information and experience that Mike and his team lend to us is invaluable. - Barbara West, Regional Director, SHI

Graduate of Fairfield University with a BS in Sociology.

Began lobbying career with the Hartford Chamber of Commerce, and then with Connecticut's largest beverage trade association. In 1983, joined his partner Paddi LeShane in founding S&L and, five years later, they founded Sullivan & LeShane Public Relations, Inc. (SLPR)

Full Profile

MICHAEL "MIKE" JOHNSON

(Connecticut, )

Sullivan & LeShane, Inc.

mjohnson@ctlobby.com
860-560-0000
287 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT, 06106,

"What we do is not just meaningful to clients, but fun for us, because we get the privilege of sharing that success with them. It takes a lot of persistence to advance something meaningful and those are the moments I enjoy the most."

11-15 years

Past president of Association of Connecticut Lobbyists

Featured presenter at the CT Lobbying Conference on "Lobbying the Executive Branch" the past four years.

2019 Hartford Business Journal Forty Under 40

Over ten years of municipal land use experience on Planning and Zoning/Zoning Board of Appeals

Served as point person for the CT Conference of Municipalities on Energy, Labor and Zoning topics.

The team at Sullivan & LeShane has provided The Toy Association with outstanding representation. They have a deep understanding of the legislative and regulatory environment and have consistently delivered results on tough issues. They understand our concerns and communicate it accurately to the relevant decision-makers. They are credible, ethical and attentive to client needs. I would recommend them to anyone looking for representation in Connecticut. - Matthew Lenz, Director of State Government Affairs, The Toy Association

Sullivan & LeShane has been a valued partner of ours for many years. They have the relationships and know-how to navigate complex legislative issues and deliver results on behalf of their client. With decades of experience, their entire team is committed to truly understanding the issues that matter to us most and working collaboratively to educate legislators and develop public policy solutions. It's clear that they are well-respected in the halls of the capitol, and they have been an absolute pleasure to work with over the years. - Nick Martin, Director of Public Affairs and Communication, Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast

While SHI has been a vendor, working with the State of Connecticut since 1991, we engaged Sullivan & LeShane in 2018. We were looking to get better aligned with the State, and to navigate some roadblocks we had been encountering. It has been a great relationship, and we have had many "wins" that have helped advance SHI strategically within the State. The information and experience that Mike and his team lend to us is invaluable. - Barbara West, Regional Director, SHI