0-5 years

2019 30 Under 30 by AgGrad

With a focus on rural affairs, I work with numerous members of the legislature. I also engage regularly with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Department of Education.

Chief Operating Officer Caleb Wright's roots in Pennsylvania's agricultural community are deep, and accolades earned during his young career have marked him as a voice of rural Pennsylvania's new generation. Raised on a Huntingdon County farm that has borne his family's name for over a century, Caleb grew up as the grandson of the region's renowned veterinarian, Doc Kyper, with a family legacy of serving the rural community. Prior to joining Versant Strategies, he served as a PA State FFA Officer, was a National FFA Officer Candidate, and taught high school agriculture.

Caleb is a graduate of Penn State with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Extension Education. He was named as the College of Agricultural Science's inaugural Emerging Leader Candidate, working one-on-one with the College's Dean. Caleb investigated recruitment and retention of students in Agricultural Education as a Penn State research project. A skilled speaker, his energized commitment to rural education also earned him the Youth Agricultural Award presented by the Penn State Agriculture Council. Wright was elected to Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society Board and also serves on the Board of the PA FFA Foundation.

Along with managing day-to-day operations of the firm, Caleb actively lobbies and assists with organizational management.

Kelly Wright joined the Cornerstone Mississippi team as a vice president in December 2023.

Kelly brings over a decade of experience in government relations, showcasing a diverse skillset and proven ability to navigate the intricacies of both state and federal legislative landscapes. In her most recent role as the director of government affairs at the Mississippi Manufacturers Association (MMA), she actively engaged with state legislators to advocate for key issues relevant to the MMA. Kelly's responsibilities included monitoring committee meetings and floor actions, preparing detailed position papers on legislation and establishing crucial relationships.

Additionally, Kelly maintained membership activities at MMA, where she oversaw the policy and government affairs committees. She served as a liaison between member companies and various state agencies, ensuring open lines of communication and facilitating collaboration. Notably, Kelly demonstrated her leadership abilities by managing the MMA PAC. She identified candidates aligned with MMA's mission and made recommendations to the MMA PAC Board.

Kelly holds a bachelor's degree in history and psychology from the University of Mississippi.

0-5 years

2019 30 Under 30 by AgGrad

With a focus on rural affairs, I work with numerous members of the legislature. I also engage regularly with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Department of Education.

Chief Operating Officer Caleb Wright's roots in Pennsylvania's agricultural community are deep, and accolades earned during his young career have marked him as a voice of rural Pennsylvania's new generation. Raised on a Huntingdon County farm that has borne his family's name for over a century, Caleb grew up as the grandson of the region's renowned veterinarian, Doc Kyper, with a family legacy of serving the rural community. Prior to joining Versant Strategies, he served as a PA State FFA Officer, was a National FFA Officer Candidate, and taught high school agriculture.

Caleb is a graduate of Penn State with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural and Extension Education. He was named as the College of Agricultural Science's inaugural Emerging Leader Candidate, working one-on-one with the College's Dean. Caleb investigated recruitment and retention of students in Agricultural Education as a Penn State research project. A skilled speaker, his energized commitment to rural education also earned him the Youth Agricultural Award presented by the Penn State Agriculture Council. Wright was elected to Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences Alumni Society Board and also serves on the Board of the PA FFA Foundation.

Along with managing day-to-day operations of the firm, Caleb actively lobbies and assists with organizational management.

Andrew Wright is a partner at the firm's Washington, D.C. office and is a member of the public policy and law practice group. He guides clients through congressional oversight and investigations-related matters, executive branch compliance, and government enforcement actions.

Mr. Wright previously served as Associate Counsel to United States President Barack Obama and Assistant Counsel to Vice President Al Gore. In those roles, he represented and advised the White House on a variety of legal matters, with an emphasis on litigation, congressional oversight, investigations, compliance, and national security. In White House Counsel's Office, he was the primary legal liaison to the departments of Defense, Justice (DOJ), and State; Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); Office of the Director of National Intelligence; and U.S. Agency for International Development on government investigations, congressional oversight, and Freedom of Information Act matters for the Obama Administration.

In Congress, Mr. Wright served as majority staff director for the Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. There, he led oversight investigations of national security and foreign affairs, designed subcommittee hearings, and managed staff under former committee chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and subcommittee chairman John Tierney (D-MA).

In addition to his time in public service, Mr. Wright is a trainer for the Carl Levin Center at Wayne State University, educating lawyers, business leaders, legislators, and public servants on public and private oversight, having led courses current House and Senate oversight staff from both political parties over the past three years.

Prior to joining K&L Gates, Mr. Wright was a senior fellow at New York University School of Law. He also taught constitutional law, criminal law, criminal procedure, presidential powers, and federal criminal law at Savannah Law School.

He is also a founding editor of the online national security forum Just Security, featured regularly in leading political and business news outlets, and he has previous private practice experience as a litigator and white collar criminal defense lawyer. Additionally, he has experience working on numerous presidential and congressional election campaigns.