1) Alliance For Responsible Consumer Legal Funding
2) Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas, Inc.
4) Blue Water Industries Florida LLC
8) Confianz Global Inc. DBA StackBench
9) Dealer Services Network, LLC
10) Firstfloor, Inc.
11) GL Partners, Inc
12) HeyTutor Inc.
13) Hillpointe Construction LLC
14) Inspected
20) Mooresville Btr Developers, LLC
21) North Carolina Bail Agents Association
25) Platinum Entertainment Services
27) Preformed Line Products (PLP)
28) Prestige Land &, Site Works
30) RedSpeed USA
33) SeatGeek, Inc.
35) Starmount Healthcare Management
37) The Canopy Owner, LPV, LLC
38) TickPick, LLC
39) Town of Troutman
40) Treenail Development, Inc.
41) Vapor Technology Association
43) Windstream Services, LLC on behalf of its operating companies in NC
44) Yes. Every Kid.
45) Z Data, Inc.
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.
(919) 283-1527
105 West Caswell Street Suite 214p, Kinston, NC, 28501,
I've been in the room where decisions are made, written legislation and chaired committees. I served in the NC Senate for six years. I was unanimously elected to Senate Leadership in my first full term and served as Majority Whip until retirement. Additionally, I served as Chairman of Finance, Health Care, and Appropriations on Health and Human Services and served on various committees. I spent my professional career in the C Suite running health care portfolio companies for private equity firms.
A deeply personal mission eventually led me to found NC Capitol Strategies (CAP STRAT) to advocate pro bono for amputees. In January 2024, my daughter Reagan, a former elite high school tennis player, underwent an amputation of her left leg after years of battling non-cancerous bone tumors. She is currently in her first year of Medical School at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill.
3) Carlyle Investment Management, LLC
5) Community Associations Institute - North Carolina Chapter, Inc.
6) Convention of States Action
9) Health Systems Management, Inc.
10) Hometown Hero
15) Mosaic Group LLC
16) National Marine Manufacturers Association
17) North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association
18) North Carolina Medical Society
19) North Carolina Society of Anesthesiologists
20) Patients Health Access Coalition, Inc.
22) Pharmaceutical Research &, Manufacturers of America
24) Strata Clean Energy Holdings, LLC
26) Valicy, Inc.
0-5 years
Recognized as Lawmaker of the Year 11 times for various organizations during my tenure.
Senator Jim Perry's entry into North Carolina politics began when proposed legislation threatened to put his business at risk. Experiencing firsthand how public policy can affect jobs, enterprise value, and personal investment inspired his commitment to helping others navigate the legislative process and advocate for sound, balanced policy.
From 2019 to 2024, Senator Perry represented his district in the North Carolina General Assembly. During his first full term, he was unanimously elected by his peers to serve in Senate leadership as Majority Whip, a role he held until his retirement. His strong background in finance and operations earned him the respect of business leaders statewide and contributed to his notable success in fundraising within the Senate caucus. Before entering public service, Perry spent over 20 years in private equity, serving as CEO, COO, and limited partner across multiple ventures and boards in the dental sector. As COO of a 3,000-person dental organization, he led the company through several private equity transactions that achieved industry-leading EBITDA multiples (14x-19x) and enterprise values between $310 million and $2.7 billion before retiring from the industry in 2019.
In the Senate, Perry chaired key committees including Finance, Healthcare, and Appropriations on Health and Human Services. Widely recognized for his expertise in tax policy, healthcare, and complex business issues, he built lasting bipartisan relationships across both chambers of the General Assembly. Perry currently serves on the Board of Visitors at North Carolina State University. He holds a bachelor's degree from NC State University and an MBA from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
(215) 238-3000
222 N Person St, Suite 203, Raleigh, NC, 27601,
1) Alliance For Responsible Consumer Legal Funding
2) Aramark Correctional Services, LLC
3) Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas, Inc.
7) Confianz Global Inc. DBA StackBench
8) Dealer Services Network, LLC
11) Firstfloor, Inc.
12) GL Partners, Inc
13) HeyTutor Inc.
14) Hillpointe Construction LLC
15) Inspected
21) North Carolina Troopers Association
23) Platinum Entertainment Services
25) Preformed Line Products (PLP)
26) Prestige Land &, Site Works
28) RedSpeed USA
31) SeatGeek, Inc.
32) Starmount Healthcare Management
34) Town of Troutman
35) United States Performance Center LLC
36) Vapor Technology Association
39) Yes. Every Kid.
40) Z Data, Inc.
