BOB GEDDIE grew up in Elmore County and attended public schools in Robinson Springs and Wetumpka. After graduating from Marion Military Institute (A.A.) and Auburn University (BA), he joined the Washington staff of the late U.S. Senator John Sparkman as Sparksman's legislative assistant. He later coordinated Sparkman's Alabama offices. Geddie served for four years as Legislative Liaison and as Executive Assistant to Governor Fob James. He was the Governor's representative to the National Governor's Association, Interstate Mining Compact and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Commission. Prior to forming Fine Geddie & Associates in 1985, he was Director of State Governmental Affairs for Alabama Power Company.

20+ years

Austin Barbour brings a dual private and political-sector resume to Clearwater Group, the company he co-founded in 2011.

Barbour began building his extensive client list in 2003, as a government relations specialist at the regional firm, Capitol Resources, where he was hired after breaking all state fundraising records as Finance Director for Haley Barbour's first campaign for Governor of Mississippi in 2003. He took a leave of absence from lobbying during 2008 to serve as Campaign Manager for Senator Roger Wicker in his first bid for the U.S. Senate.

Prior to his work on the lobbying and political scene, Barbour created and grew a new financial services division for Security Holdings, LLC, one of the nation's fastest growing businesses.

In 2011, Barbour brought together his successes in business and politics, and opened the doors at Clearwater Group, LLC, where he serves as Managing Partner and specializes in fundraising and business development as well as government affairs issues dealing with appropriations, defense, state and federal procurement and contracting, education, environment, manufacturing and public safety.

Most recently, Barbour served as Executive Director of the national super PAC for Governor Rick Perry's presidential campaign. Austin served as a Senior Advisor on Gov. Jeb Bush's presidential campaign.

Barbour has also been recognized as one of the nation's top fundraisers with previous positions including the National Finance Chairmen for Romney for President in 2012 and a Senior Fundraising Consultant for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

He also held the position of State Finance Chairman for the Mississippi Republican Party in 2010-2011, was on the Transition Team for Governor Phil Bryant and is on the Finance Committee for Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves. He served as a member of the strategy team for Romney for President in 2012 and was the Senior Strategist for the successful re-election campaign for U.S. Senator Thad Cochran in 2014.

Austin manages the day-to-day operations of the firm. He leads the firm's strategic communications practice area and is also intimately involved with Clearwater Group's legislative lobbying and political activity practice areas.

20+ years

We are available to discuss past achievements in many areas of government relations.

We work across branches and across all agencies of state government.

Ben Patterson grew up in Florence, Alabama. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Ph.D. from the University of Alabama where he taught seminars in State and Local Government and American Politics until 1996.

Prior to joining Fine Geddie in 2004 he served as the Deputy Finance Director for the State of Alabama under two governors and helped guide both administrations' legislative efforts on fiscal issues. He also held the position of Chief Information Officer, overseeing the state's technology acquisitions in the late 1990s. During his tenures in state government, he gained a thorough understanding of government operations, procurement, information technology, state budgets and controls, and the complexities of Alabama's tax structure.

Ben Patterson also served as the Director of Government Relations for the Alabama Bankers Association from 2000 until 2003 where he was the principal advocate for the state banking industry. He began his lobbying career as a Manager of Legislative Affairs for the Business Council of Alabama in 1996.