20+ years

Jim is a highly accomplished senior executive, consultant, lobbyist and strategist with over 30 years of success in public policy, politics, government, energy, healthcare, financial services, transportation, state budget, local government, education and the nonprofit sector. Over the course of his career he has spearheaded legislation that has resulted in robust energy development, broader access to public k-12 education, enriched opportunities for higher education, higher air and water quality standards, major investments in transportation, and a healthy balance of power between the state and local governments.

Jim immerses himself in learning about his clients' needs and can put complex issues into relatable terms. He moves people to understand issues first and then support the policies he is advancing. It is because of this strategy and his leadership on oil and gas issues that he was presented with the Denver Business Journal's "Who's Who in Energy" award in 2017.

Some of Jim's highest accomplishments include creating the Arkansas River State Park, passing the Clean Air Clean Jobs Act and passing the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) Exemplary Institution Act, which enabled CSM to provide one of the highest quality and rigorous research experiences in the nation.

Jim has a Bachelor's of Science degree from Oregon State University. He has been married 38 years and he and his wife, Mary, have two adult children. Jim is an avid cyclist and has completed nine years of Ride the Rockies and Iowa's RAGBRAI. He also loves to fly fish and play guitar. His joy is seeing the humor that presents itself in everyday situations and sharing it whenever possible.

20+ years

Melanie joined CLS in 2000 and has nearly 25 years of expertise in public policy, lobbying, business, banking, bioscience and renewable energy. She enjoys working on complex economic development and tax policy, and has one of highest success rates passing incentives for varied industry sectors. She also has experience effectively lobbying k-12 education, capital development and healthcare. Melanie's strong network of relationships with legislators, as well as influencers in the government and public policy arena, ensures CLS' clients have unparalleled access to policy leaders.

Before beginning her lobbying career, Melanie was the Public Relations Director for the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, then moved into lobbying as the Legislative Director at Colorado Farm Bureau, while obtaining a Master's from University of Colorado Denver's Graduate School of Public Affairs. Prior to that, she received her Bachelor's from Colorado Christian University. Melanie is a state board member of Girls on the Run and has served as an assistant instructor at the Colorado Mountain Club's High Altitude Mountaineering School.

Melanie is a married mother to three children and an extreme athlete. Her noteworthy accomplishments include finishing the Leadville 100 Ultra-Marathon, climbing all 58 of Colorado's mountains over 14,000', along with numerous high-altitude mountains around the world. Her current athletic focus is Pack Burro Racing, Colorado's official heritage sport, with her two rescued burros. Her dedication to these endeavors translates to the vision, planning and execution it takes to succeed in politics and advocacy.

6-10 years

I am pleased to have maintained excellent relationships with the Governor Polis team since my time on his legislative staff. I also enjoy long term policy relationships with the incoming Speaker of the House, House Majority Caucus Chair and Senate Majority leader.

Curriculum Vitae

State of Colorado

Implementation of Amendment 64:

Notable policy achievements on behalf of 36 Solutions clients included; a sunset of required vertical integration, a repeal of the permanent ban on drug felons being licensed, an allowance for marijuana companies to advertise using mobile applications and reducing the time before new applicants could enter the market from 2 year to 6 months.

Retail Marijuana Sunset:

Notable policy achievements on behalf of 36 Solutions clients included; packaging and labeling became a matter of statewide concern and a badged employee may be in a licensed premises under reasonable supervision of the licensee, this discretion allowing for commercial tours of cannabis facilities and facilitated contractors who service the cannabis industry.

Medical Marijuana Sunset:

Notable policy achievements include; relief from 280e taxation at the state level, harmonization of the medical code and retail code and making the sunset period for both concurrent.

Permitted Economic Interests:

Under the medical and retail marijuana codes, all out-of-state investment was prohibited and required 2 years of Colorado residency for all beneficial owners. For the client, we passed a bill that would allow for marijuana businesses to offer convertible debt instruments to non-resident investors. This bill was subsequently followed by SB-40 which allowed those investors to convert those notes to equity, provided at least on natural person of the corporate board was a 1 year Colorado resident.

Marijuana Misdemeanor Record Sealing:

This legislation provided persons with a conviction of a misdemeanor that would now be legal under Amendment 64 a streamlined process for having that record sealed.

Allow Medical Marijuana Use while on probation:

This legislation provided that a person under court supervision, may at the discretion of a judge continue or begin medical marijuana treatment while on probation.

PTSD as a qualifying condition for Medical Marijuana:

After several attempts to pass legislation to allow PTSD as a qualifying condition failing based on constitutional grounds, on behalf of clients, 36 Solutions offered to lawmakers the solution of creating a separate statutory medical marijuana program. With the success of this initiative, the bill to add PTSD to the statutory medical marijuana program passed and was signed into law.

Adams County Special Marijuana Tax:

Citing lack of clarity in the law, Adams County was collecting a special retail marijuana tax within municipal boundaries. On behalf of the client and working with the Cities of Northglenn and Aurora, we passed legislation requiring Counties to enter in an inter-governmental agreement with Cities before imposing a special tax within the municipal boundary.

Autism as a qualifying condition for Medical Marijuana:

Following on the success with PTSD, this bill to create a statutory program for treating Autism with Medical Marijuana passed the bipartisan legislature 97-3 however was vetoed by the Governor.

Cannabis Tasting Rooms:

Amendment 64 neither established nor prohibited social use of cannabis. On behalf of the client and after several years of negotiations and compromise, we passed a bill to allow cannabis tasting rooms, however the bill was vetoed by the Governor.

County of Boulder

Revisions to regulatory resolution for marijuana businesses:

On behalf of clients, 36 Solutions assisted Boulder County in harmonizing its regulatory code with the state, and streamlining the County licensing process including de-coupling code violations of the property owner on separate parcels from the regulatory license of the tenant.

City of Boulder

Grandfathering of pending medical dispensary applications:
The City of Boulder was passing an ordinance at staff recommendation that would have immediately changed the zoning for medical marijuana businesses and their ability to become retail marijuana businesses. This change would have prevented the client from opening a dispensary that was under construction. 36 Solutions got the ordinance amended to grandfather all existing businesses as well as pending applications.

Prevented City of Boulder Moratorium on Retail Marijuana Sales:

The Boulder City Attorney drafted an ordinance to impose a 2 year moratorium on retail marijuana sales. 36 Solutions lobbied NO votes on the ordinance and got council to commit to a timely implementation schedule.

City of Boulder Retail Marijuana implementation:

On behalf of several clients, following the success of preventing a moratorium, 36 Solutions worked with City Council to ensure an implementation ordinance was passed and effective by January 2014.

Supply Chain:

A client could not meet their in-store volume demands as the City of Boulder, in contradiction to state law, prohibited onsite packaging. After City Staff held to their position, 36 Solutions had the Council amend the regulatory ordinance to allow onsite packaging.

Trademarking and apparel:

The City of Boulder prohibited the sale of marketing items for retail marijuana businesses. As a proximal result, a client became involved in a trademark dispute with a newer brand in Washington State. In order to demonstrate commerce, the client needed to be able to sell marketing merchandise with the trademarked logo. 36 Solutions lobbied the Council to amend the ordinance to permit the sale of logo-marketing items in the City.

Marijuana Advisory Panel:

After representing clients on several ordinances related to reducing regulatory burdens including but not limited: reducing advertising restrictions, allowing the sale of t-shirts, allowing packing per state regulations, water-based concentrate production per state regulation and removal of "zero-tolerance" language, the Council created an annual process, the Marijuana Advisory Panel (MAP), for the analysis and update of the City Marijuana Code.

Zoning change for Retail Marijuana businesses:

On behalf of the client, 36 Solutions lobbied the Marijuana Advisory Panel to include a provision changing zoning to permit the client's expansion and conversion of a medical marijuana center to a dual use retail marijuana store.


City of Fort Collins

Grandfather pending applications eligibility for Retail Marijuana Sales:

A client had a pending medical marijuana business applications as the City was drafting its retail marijuana ordinance. The draft ordinance limited retail marijuana conversion to existing businesses. 36 Solutions got the ordinance amended to allow all businesses with a pending application that has not been denied to continue their medical marijuana application and add a retail marijuana businesses, even if the pending businesses would be a non-conforming use under the new zoning ordinance.

City of Lafayette

Lift Moratorium and implement Retail Marijuana Sales:

A Client with medical marijuana operations in Boulder and Lafayette became out of compliance when Boulder amended its ordinance to prohibit an entity from operating more than one medical or retail marijuana dispensary. Although the City Council's intent was to encourage conversion to retail and prevent consolidation of the industry, our client found themselves unable to come into compliance due to at-the-time required vertical integration. The client would be unable to convert their Boulder dispensary while Lafayette had a moratorium, prohibiting the conversion of the client's medical cultivation facility to retail cultivation. Working with the Mayor and Council, 36 Solutions had the Moratorium ended 6 months early, while working with the City of Boulder to hold enforcement on its new policy pending the passage of the Lafayette Ordinance.

City of Longmont

Implementation of Retail Marijuana Sales:

36 Solutions worked with the City Council and City Staff, responding to Council concerns to have a limited license scheme and staff's interest in a legally defensible and equitable process. 36 Solutions helped craft provisions of the City Ordinance and requirements of the Request for Application. 36 Solutions worked with the client to develop their application and community engagement plan resulting in an award of one of the 4 retail marijuana licenses made available by the City.


Town of Lyons

Implementation of Retail Marijuana Sales:

Our client had a vibrant retail marijuana location in Boulder County, proximate and within the planning boundary of the Town of Lyons. Although the client was not a Town licensee, 36 Solutions worked closely with the Town Attorney and Board of Supervisors to ensure that the municipal regulatory ordinance was favorable to the client's interests, specifically, a limit on the number of centers, hours of operation equal to the county and the ability to annex the location into the Town without a special use review.

SCOTT J. SPENDLOVE serves as the Director of Government Relations at Intermountain Public Affairs. A native of Lakewood, Colorado, Spendlove is an invaluable presence at the State Capitol for InterMountain's government relations clients. He assists these clients in developing and implementing legislative strategy and works with legislative leaders and various state departments to advocate beneficial bills and defeat measures that would be adverse to client needs. He monitors legislative and political developments on behalf of major corporate employers such as Union Pacific Railroad and Bridgepoint Education, as well as governmental entities such as E-470 Public Highway Authority.

Spendlove brings a diverse background of public policy and legislative relations experience to the clients of InterMountain. In his 18th year with InterMountain, Spendlove has served the past 10 years as the primary lobbyist for the firm. He previously held several positions in Colorado Governor Owens' administration, including Deputy Director of the Governor's Office of Legislative Liaison, and Chief of Staff to the Lieutenant Governor. Most recently, Spendlove was a Program/Policy analyst for the State Department of General Support Services, promoting efficiencies and cost savings in state government. Preceding his tenure in the Owens' administration, Spendlove worked in Washington D.C. for a state legislative nonprofit organization on energy and environment issues. Scott is proud to have served 6 years on the Board of Directors for Colorado Youth for a Change, including one year as Board Chair. CYC is a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing the youth drop-out problem in Colorado. Scott is active in his son's Boy Scout troop as a Committee member, and a has served for 7 years on the elementary school Accountability Committee. Spendlove is a graduate of Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon with a BS in International Affairs. He is married to Jenna, with a son Logan.

6-10 years

Best Lawyers "Ones to Watch": Government Relations

Dieter Raemdonck's practice is focused primarily on government relations matters at the federal, state, and local levels.

As a registered lobbyist, Mr. Raemdonck has invaluable expertise and experience communicating with state, county and municipal officials; state and federal legislators; executive branch employees; and state agencies and regulators. At the Colorado General Assembly, Dieter assists clients with all aspects of the legislative process, including drafting legislation, building coalitions, developing strategies for advocacy and messaging, lobbying legislators, and ultimately achieving clients' desired policy outcomes. His clients have a broad range of priorities, from general business issues to education, energy, real estate, and technology. In addition, he regularly advises and assists clients with political giving programs and campaign finance matters.

Dieter's practice also includes advocating client interests before regulatory bodies at the state and local levels. He often drafts proposed regulations, and represents clients before administrative boards and commissions.

15-20 years

Named to Colorado's first 50 For the Future list of political professionals

William Mutch, President of Mutch Government Relations, handles government relations issues at the local, State, and Federal levels.

Mutch has a strong track record as a veteran professional lobbyist at the Colorado General Assembly. In addition to his successful representation of legislative clients, his background also includes managing associations, winning candidate campaign and legislative issues, building effective grassroots programs, managing political action committees, fundraising strategies, and building/managing broad legislative coalitions.

As a lobbyist and association manager, Mutch has represented some of the largest companies, and legislative coalitions, both nationally and in Colorado. He has also organized & managed successful local and statewide ballot initiative campaigns and has broad experience counseling business clients, elected officials, and candidates on both legislative and media issues. Additionally, Mutch has worked in the capital markets and understands financial services issues from the standpoint of the private sector as someone who has raised alternative investment capital and structured municipal bond transactions.

His background includes experience with issues ranging from the Endangered Species Act to foreign country representation land use, early childhood education & education choice/reform, oil & gas, landlord/tenant, business interests, transportation, health care, public finance, non-profit management, international relations, financial services, home building, economic development, taxation, international trade, water/resources, and budget.

Mutch has more than 20 years of experience in government, legislative affairs, and public policy beginning at his home state with the Montana State Legislature where he worked for four legislators and lobbied for a pro-business organization while attending college. This early experience took him to Washington, D.C. where he worked for the United States Senate, two Colorado members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and as a lobbyist at the Federal level for the U.S. clothing industry and a combination of foreign country and U.S. multinational clients while directing the research efforts at an international consulting firm.

In Colorado, Mutch represented the Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs Forward, Homebuilders Association of Metropolitan Denver in government relations, was the Government Affairs Director for the Colorado Association of Homebuilders, and was the Chief of Staff for Colorado's Senate President during two-sessions of the Colorado legislature. After his work for Colorado's Senate President, Mutch served as chief executive of the pro-business organization Colorado Concern including responsibility for all direct advocacy/lobbying as well as managing teams of lobbyists and consultants, media relations, political fundraising, and management of the 100-member invitation only organization of Colorado's top business executives. In the capital markets, he held the position of Vice President in the public finance investment banking division of Piper Jaffray & Co., where he was responsible for marketing to government, home builders and developers on real estate construction financing, and new municipal bond issues involving metropolitan districts and worked in wealth management for Morgan Stanley.

William serves on the Board of Action 22 and National History Day in Colorado. He has been involved in several community organizations including Early Connections and was a volunteer tutor for Whiz Kids. He also served on committees for National Jewish Hospital, and was on the Board of Directors for both Concerts for Kids and the Bridge Project.

Mutch holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Montana, and an M.P.A. from the George Washington University's School of Business and Public Management. He was named to the first Colorado Statesman "50 for the Future" class.

Jim Driscoll joined Cornerstone as the lead of the firm's flagship office in Denver, Colorado in November 2020. For the majority of his career, Jim worked as a dedicated public servant, serving in both the Hickenlooper and Ritter administrations as a senior legislative advisor. Under Colorado Governor Bill Ritter, Jim was responsible for ushering in the administration's top legislative priorities including the statewide 30 percent renewable energy standard. Upon the election of Governor John Hickenlooper, Jim stayed on to spearhead the young administration's legislative efforts.

Before joining Cornerstone, Jim founded Jim Driscoll Consulting, where he developed a proven track record of generating successes for his clients in Washington, D.C. and several states including California, Colorado, and Montana. Prior to founding Jim Driscoll Consulting, Jim ran the state government relations practice of the nation's largest group purchasing organization for pharmaceuticals, where he led efforts to open the group's flagship state government relations office and passed key legislation in more than a dozen states.

Jim's approach to lobbying and public affairs is results driven, collaborative, and client focused. As a result, many of his clients have worked with him for more than a decade.

A third-generation Montanan, Jim currently calls Denver home, where he resides with his wife and children. He earned both his bachelor's and master's degree in public administration from the University of Montana.

11-15 years

With a track record of delivering results in communities across Colorado and in Denver, Brett Moore has been engaged in the state since 2007. Building on experience gained as a non-partisan employee at the Colorado General Assembly, he founded OnTheBallot Consulting (OTB), a Denver-based lobbying firm. He has achieved legislative wins by building strong relationships with elected officials, staff, and other government affairs professionals.

Entering his 16th legislative session, and 12th with OnTheBallot Consulting, Brett brings lobbying expertise across a variety of issue areas, including: energy development; private property rights; ag/rural/water; health care; and behavioral health. OTB's clients are non-profits, small businesses, trade associations, and local governments whose voices are amplified by this representation.

The TAG network consists of the top lobbying firms across the US, public affairs specialists in various countries and specialty services.

US Members:
50-States
DC Council
US Congress

International:
Profile Consulting (Aust) Pty Ltd (Australia)
Tactix (Canada)
Monarch Global Strategies (Mexico, Central & South America)
Kesarev (Russia, CIS, Central Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Turkey & Israel)
Instinctif Partners (United Kingdom & the European Union)

Specialty members:
Five Corners Strategies (Grassroots Advocacy & Public Affairs)
FOCUS, a Leonine Business (50-State Legislative & Regulatory Tracking & Analysis)
Select Litigation (Jury Selection)
Bullpen, LLC (Market Entry Strategy)
The Virtuous Cycle Collaboratory (Social Enterprise Business Development)
Law Offices of Mitchell D. Gravo, Inc. (Specialty Member)

11-15 years

Garin began her political career in Washington D.C. working for Senator Wayne Allard and ran the government affairs department at Colorado Farm Bureau before joining Colorado Legislative Services in 2007. She became partner in 2012 and steadfastly through her career, Garin has honed her policy knowledge on issues related to agriculture, including water and property rights. She also is highly skilled as a strategist for higher education, business, liquor, and state licensure issues.

Growing up on a ranch in southwest Colorado gave Garin a strong work ethic and her dedication to understanding an issue completely shows up when representing CLS clients. Her adeptness in many policy areas and direct manner of speaking means that she is a trusted resource for legislators on both sides of the aisle. She is regarded as a top water policy expert in Colorado and has been recognized for her work bolstering the Colorado business climate by working to align agriculture and energy-- two of the top five drivers of the Colorado economy--on a variety of issues. Garin was recognized as one of Colorado's "Top Women in Energy" by the Denver Business Journal in 2017.

She is a proud graduate of Colorado State University where she earned an Agricultural Business degree. Garin has completed Colorado Farm Bureau's Elite Leaders Academy, is a member of the Women's Energy Network of Colorado and has served on the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Program board and Butterfly Pavilion's Fund Development Committee.

In her free time, Garin cherishes time with her husband and two daughters, especially during trips to the mountains. She is an avid reader, sous-chef for her husband and wine connoisseur who frequents the Napa Valley.