404-971-2690
1100 PEACHTREE STREET, SUITE 900, ATLANTA, GA, 30309,
Seasoned government affairs professional with a wide spectrum of policy experience in both Georgia and Alabama. Specializing in local government, tax policy, and finance.
1) AARP Georgia
2) Accelecom
3) Advanced Manufacturing International
7) Biogen
9) Copart
11) Douglas-Coffee County Economic Development Authority
12) Electronic Transactions Association
13) ETERNAL VIGILANCE ACTION, INC.
14) Fidelity National Financial
15) Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc.
16) Georgia Alcohol Dealers Association, INC
17) Georgia School of Orthodontics
18) Gwinnett County
19) Hikma Specialty USA Inc. c/o Velocity BioGroup
21) Independent Electrical Contractors
22) Indigov
23) Kaitlin Monaghan
25) Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority
27) MEAG Power
29) Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
30) Orijin, PBC
31) Stiegler EdTech
32) Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc
33) The Southern Group of Georgia
34) UCB, Inc.
6-10 years
Served on the Georgia Department of Revenue Local Government Advisory Group. As a member of this group, Joel provided the Revenue Commissioner with feedback and suggestions on the impact of important tax issues on local governments.
Joel has developed extensive relationships with elected and appointed officials at the state and local level. Many of these relationships are concentrated in revenue and finance with strong relationships with finance directors all across Georgia's 538 cities and 159 counties. In addition to these local relationships, Joel has done extensive work with the Georgia Department of Revenue.
Joel began his career in local government by providing planning, zoning, and land use support with over 63 cities and 17 counties for one of Georgia's Regional Commissions. Joel then moved to Talladega, AL where he assisted the city manager in all planning and community development projects. It was in this capacity that Joel first started learning municipal budgeting and operations. Joel's work in Talladega caught the eye of a state trade association, and Joel got his introduction to lobbying with the Alabama Manufactured Housing Association (AMHA) in 2013.
As AMHA's Deputy Director, Joel learned the business operations of one of Alabama's major industries and lobbied on their behalf both locally and on the state level. After nearly four years with AMHA, Joel decided to combine his local government and lobbying experience by taking a job with Georgia Municipal Association (GMA). While at GMA, Joel specialized in a wide array of tax issues and lobbied on behalf of Georgia's 538 cities. Joel's knowledge of local government operations, business operations, and public policy development allowed him to develop a broad array of relationships at the General Assembly, while effectively advocating for all of Georgia's cities.
Joel graduated from Georgia College and State University with a BA in political science and Masters of Public Administration. Joel grew up in Byron, Georgia and currently resides in Atlanta with his wife Lucy and daughter Willow.
1) Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas, Inc.
3) Cash Titan
4) Confianz Global Inc. DBA StackBench
5) Dealer Services Network, LLC
6) Encompass Health Corporation
7) Everway, LLC
8) Eviden
10) GL Partners, Inc
11) HeyTutor Inc.
12) Hillpointe Construction LLC
17) Mooresville Btr Developers, LLC
18) North Carolina Sports Legacy Foundation
19) Prontoblock Inc.
20) Reconnect, Inc.
21) RedSpeed USA
23) SeatGeek, Inc.
24) Securly, Inc.
25) simplySOLV
26) Starmount Healthcare Management
29) Town of Troutman
30) Treenail Development, Inc.
31) Vapor Technology Association
32) Windstream Services, LLC on behalf of its operating companies in NC
2021 NC Top 25 Lobbyist
2019 NCED Leadership Award
Kevin Wilkinson joined The Southern Group in 2024, expanding the firm's footprint in Raleigh, North Carolina. He brings extensive legislative and executive experience from roles in both the public and private sectors.
As a proud North Carolinian, Kevin's professional path has been largely dedicated to molding and promoting key policies at local, state, and national levels. From 2016 to 2019, he held leadership roles in North Carolina's public education sector. First, as the Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to the N.C. State Superintendent at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, then later as the Executive Director of External Affairs at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. In these roles, Kevin helped design and gather support for the organization's policy priorities and initiatives.
Before that, Kevin served as a Policy Advisor to Senator Robert Bryan. He led and implemented several education reforms and staffed various committees such as Appropriations, Education, Judiciary, Pension, and Retirement. Kevin also worked on Capitol Hill as a staff member for U.S. Representative Robert Pittenger, supporting and advocating for the needs of constituents across his district.
Most recently, Kevin took his experience in North Carolina's government to the private sector, serving as SVP of Government Affairs at EQV Strategic. In that capacity, Kevin worked directly with policymakers on the state and federal levels to advocate for his clients. His range of policy areas includes education, economic and business development, technology, transportation, telecommunications, healthcare, gaming, sports, and local government.
Outside his day-to-day work, Kevin uses his expertise to give back to his community as Vice Chair of the Board of Visitors for Appalachian State University.
Kevin has received numerous awards and recognition for his work, including being named one of the top lobbyists in North Carolina by the North State Journal since 2020 and receiving the North Carolina Education Leadership Award in 2018.
Kevin studied political science and economics at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and earned an M.B.A. from Liberty University. He resides in Raleigh with his wife Megan and their daughter Margot.
614-221-2800
10 W. Broad Street, Suite 200, INTEROFFICE - DNR, Columbus, OH, 43215,
(919) 339-8679
(919) 339-8679, davis@thesoutherngroup.com, Stiegler EdTech LLC, (804) 263-7653,
1) Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas, Inc.
3) Charter Communications Operating, LLC d/b/a Charter Communications
4) Confianz Global Inc. DBA StackBench
5) Dealer Services Network, LLC
6) Everway, LLC
7) Eviden
8037332255
P. O. Box 12042, Columbia, SC, 29211,
1) American Property Casualty Insurance Association APCIA
4) Charter Communications Operating, LLC
614-221-2800
10 West Broad St., Suite 200, Columbus, OH, 43215,
1) Advocacy & Protective Services, Inc.
3) Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries
5) Association of Ohio Health Commissioners
7) FirstEnergy
8) Grange Insurance Audubon Center
10) Independent Pharmacy Cooperative
11) Institute for Portfolio Alternatives
14) Ohio Association of Physician Assistants
15) Ohio Association of Senior Centers
18) Ohio Craft Brewers Association
19) Ohio Environmental Health Association
20) Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Inc.
22) Ohio Recorders Association
23) Ohio Society for Respiratory Care, Inc
24) Ohio State Coroners Association
25) OneOhio Recovery Foundation
26) Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America(PhRMA)
27) PNC Bank
28) PRA Group, Inc.
29) Qualtrics
31) Sellers, Dorsey & Associates, LLC
32) Stiegler EdTech
8037332255
P. O. Box 12042, Columbia, SC, 29211,
4) Charter Communications Operating, LLC
5) Institute for Child Success
8) Oceanside Collegiate Academy
10) Pacaso
(704) 472-6234
(704) 472-6234, saine@thesoutherngroup.com, Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas, Inc., (704) 367-1331,
1) Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas, Inc.
3) Cash Titan
4) Charter Communications Operating, LLC d/b/a Charter Communications
6) Confianz Global Inc. DBA StackBench
7) Dealer Services Network, LLC
8) Encompass Health Corporation
10) Eviden
11) Firstfloor, Inc.
12) HeyTutor Inc.
13) Hillpointe Construction LLC
14) Holistic Alternative Recovery Trust
19) Mooresville BTR Developers, LLC
20) North Carolina Sports Legacy Foundation
21) Prontoblock Inc.
22) Public Consulting Group LLC by Multistate Associates LLC
23) Reconnect, Inc.
24) RedSpeed USA
26) SeatGeek, Inc.
27) Securly, Inc.
28) simplySOLV
30) Starmount Healthcare Management
32) Town of Troutman
33) Treenail Development, Inc.
34) Vapor Technology Association
35) Windstream Services, LLC on behalf of its operating companies in NC