Rachel Cone joins Southern Strategy Group after more than a decade of service in the highest levels of local and state governments. Rachel served as the Interim Secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), where she successfully shepherded the department's policy agenda and $11 billion budget across the finish line of the 2017 legislative session.

During her time at FDOT she also served as the Assistant Secretary for Finance and Administration, overseeing the offices of work program and budget, finance, procurement, technology, human resources, performance management and other administrative functions. She managed three of the largest transportation work programs in state history and represented the department in front of the U.S. Department of Transportation, the U.S. Treasury, Fitch and Moody's rating agencies.

Rachel also directed changes to how the department finances the work program, and successfully advocated for statutory changes that resulted in a new financing vehicle for the department. This allows the department to fund additional, major transportation projects at a lower cost. She also oversaw the reorganization of the department's technology offices, which resulted in a culture shift for the department in how it prioritizes, spends and manages transportation-specific and traditional technologies.

In 2012, Governor Rick Scott appointed Rachel to serve as his Deputy Chief of Staff, where she was responsible for advising him on statewide issues, appointments to boards and commissions and providing guidance and direction to 14 state and quasi-governmental agencies on operational and management issues, including policy, budget, communication, legislative strategy and agency priorities. Those agencies were the Departments of Business and Professional Regulation, Citrus, Emergency Management, Economic Opportunity, Environmental Protection (and Water Management Districts) and Transportation. Also included under her purview were Florida Wildlife Commission, Space Florida, Visit Florida, Volunteer Florida and CareerSource Florida.

Rachel previously served as the External Affairs Director for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection where she directed planning and statewide communications strategies for the department, and coordinated communications efforts with Florida's five water management districts. This included topics such as renewed water management district oversight, various departmental restructuring, the health of Florida's springs, Governor Scott's Everglades Restoration Strategies plan and Florida's ongoing recovery after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Prior to her family's move to Tallahassee, Rachel served on the executive leadership team in the Mayor John Peyton administration in Jacksonville. Rachel began her career as a military reporter at the Florida Times-Union.

Rachel is a proud graduate of Auburn University. She and her family are active members of Trinity United Methodist Church, and Rachel serves as a member of the Board of Trustees at Holy Comforter Episcopal School in Tallahassee.

15-20 years

Our team consists of lobbyists from around the state of New Mexico with a broad range of relationships with legislators, leaders, state office officials, and local officials. Our team has been carefully selected to ensure relationships with individuals on both sides of the aisle, and all age groups.

T.J. serves as a registered lobbyist for clients on state and local issues. In addition, T.J. is an attorney in New Mexico and practices government affairs law, administrative law, and litigation. T.J. graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Finance from the University of Arizona in 1995. Thereafter, he graduated with a Master of Business Administration from Western New Mexico University and Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona in 2000.

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.

Sydney Ridley brings years of legislative and political experience to Southern Strategy Group's Tampa Bay office. Sydney spent the past four years as the Chief Legislative Aide to House Majority Leader Dana Young, where she directed all priority policy and budget initiatives. Sydney's time as staff was at the highest level of the Florida House of Representatives, and she brings unmatched relationships with legislative staff, agency heads, and elected officials.

A political pro in Tampa Bay with extensive campaign management experience, Sydney guided Senator Dana Young to successive electoral victories in the Florida House and spearheaded her subsequent election to the Florida Senate. Sydney's political expertise, particularly in the Tampa Bay area, serves as a great strategic asset to our clients. In addition to her work with Senator Young, Sydney has served as both a political director and a field director on various Congressional and State Senate campaigns.

Born and raised in Tampa, Sydney is a third-generation Floridian, a graduate of the University of Virginia, a Florida Gator at heart, and a lover of history, golf, music, and football.