Stephen Ledet joined Cornerstone Government Affairs' Baton Rouge, Louisiana office in July 2018. Stephen has nearly 20 years' experience working in government affairs in Baton Rouge.

Stephen previously served as the director of public affairs for Entergy Louisiana, where he led and implemented their legislative strategy. Much of his time at Entergy was spent relationship building with legislators, leadership, and their staff. Stephen was also involved in the management of Entergy's political action committee (PAC) contributions and recruiting PAC membership.

Prior to his five years at Entergy, Stephen spent nearly 12 years on staff with the Louisiana Association for Justice, where he managed the Association's contract lobbyists and lobbying team. Stephen advised the Association's executive director and committee on legislative strategies and directed its legislative fundraising efforts.

Stephen serves on the board for the Salvation Army and is a member of the St. Aloysius Church Men's Club.

Stephen received his B.B.A in marketing from Mississippi State University. He resides in Baton Rouge with his wife Mackenzie, and their twins, Henry and Willis.

0-5 years

State-appointed utility regulator confirmed unanimously by the Washington state Senate in 2017

Highly skilled at building meaningful relationships and working with stakeholders to advance policy and regulatory priorities

Able to foster confidence in decisionmakers as a trusted resource for information and offer reasonable, clear and concise solutions to complex issues

Familiarity with the legislative landscape, politics and policy preferences of Western state governors and legislatures

Continuously maintain robust and constructive relationships with Washington state Democrat and Republican elected officials, legislative staff, executive branch staff and stakeholders with diverse viewpoints

Deep knowledge of state legislative budgeting and appropriations process with expertise in Washington state tax policy, transportation policy and budgeting

Ability to adapt and manage high-stress, time-sensitive and politically complex situations

Understanding of the importance of legislative and executive branch staff in shaping opinions of legislators and agency leadership for new initiatives

Jay Balasbas served as a commissioner of the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission from May 2017 to March 2022. Jay is currently the President of JMB Strategies, an independent consulting firm that provides expert advice on utility regulatory process, utility and transportation policy, state tax and fiscal matters, general legislative advocacy and political perspective.

Prior to Jay's tenure as a commissioner, he served as senior budget assistant to the governor in the Office of Financial Management working in the General Government Section, Transportation Section and as lead analyst on revenue issues. Before that, Jay worked for the Washington House of Representatives in a variety of roles, including senior fiscal analyst, assistant director of policy and policy analyst on transportation and finance issues. He also worked for the Washington Department of Transportation.

Jay served as the chair of the Subcommittee on Pipeline Safety, co-vice chair of the Committee on Critical Infrastructure, and as a member of the Committee on Gas for the National Association of Regulatory Commissioners (NARUC). He also served as a member of the Gas Technology Institute Public Interest Advisory Committee, the Washington Action Program and as an ex-officio member of the Washington Highway Users Federation Board of Directors.

Jay has a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a Master of Science in finance from Seattle University.

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.

Jordan Gleason has over 10 years of experience in effective advocacy, coalition building and providing strategic solutions for legislative and regulatory issues. He has a deep understanding of policy at the state level in Louisiana and the federal level in Washington, D.C. Throughout his career, he has built relationships with local, state and federal lawmakers and is familiar with the workings of the regulatory bodies, especially in Louisiana and within the oil and gas industry.

Jordan came to Cornerstone from Adams and Reese LLP, where he served as a Government Affairs Advisor. Prior to that, he was the Government Affairs and Communications Director for the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association (LOGA), where he was responsible for facilitating communication between industry associations to unite on issues important to their respective members. While there he was responsible for planning political fundraisers, industry events and media outreach relating to LOGA's membership and to further a better understanding of the oil and gas industry in the state.

Prior to his work with LOGA, Jordan served as Press Secretary and Legislative Assistant for former Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA). He was the official spokesperson for the office, liaising with the media and public outlets and advising the Congressman on local political issues including coastal restoration, defense and transportation.

Jordan began his political career as Press Assistant in Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal's administration, eventually becoming the Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs. He received his bachelor's degree from Louisiana State University.