Russ Kelley is a Co-Founder of Ridgeline Advocacy Group based in Washington, D.C. He is a trusted advisor and skilled strategist who served in senior Democratic leadership and committee staff roles on Capitol Hill for more than 15 years. Russ has extensive experience developing and negotiating legislative proposals, planning and executing strategic initiatives, and counting votes.
John Steitz is a Co-Founder of Ridgeline Advocacy Group based in Washington, D.C. Prior to Ridgeline, he was Co-Chair and Managing Director of the Government Affairs practice at FTI Consulting. John leads Defense, Energy, and Financial Services lobbying teams and has more than 10 years of experience working for the Louisiana congressional delegation.
Bryan Zumwalt is a Co-Founder of Ridgeline Advocacy Group based in Washington, D.C. Prior to Ridgeline, he was Senior Managing Director in the Strategic Communications segment at FTI Consulting. Bryan was the Head of the Government Affairs practice and is a skilled, tested leader with substantial experience in successfully executing public affairs initiatives...
Kyle Cormney is a Partner at Ridgeline Advocacy Group and based in Washington, DC. Previously, he was Managing Director in the Strategic Communications segment of FTI Consulting. He was a member of the Government Affairs practice and the Financial Services Sector team...
Josh Hodges is a Partner at Ridgeline Advocacy Group and leads Ridgeline's Defense Technology practice. Before joining Ridgeline, he served as National Security Advisor to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, holding the highest national security staff position in Congress.
Spencer Pederson is a Partner at Ridgeline Advocacy Group based in Washington, D.C.. Prior to this role, Pederson was the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)...
Ian Whitson is a Principal at Ridgeline Advocacy Group, where he leverages his extensive expertise to drive strategic advocacy in the areas of energy, natural resources, environmental policy, chemical management, industrials, surface and maritime transportation, and infrastructure...
Joe Marinelli is a Principal at Ridgeline Advocacy Group, where he leads government relations initiatives for clients across various industries, including industrials, technology, telecom, and defense...
Mackenzie Keeley is an Associate at Ridgeline Advocacy Group in Washington, D.C., specializing in energy, industrial, and consumer packaging policy.
Evan Blair is an Associate at Ridgeline Advocacy Group in Washington D.C., specializing in Industrial, energy, technology, and aerospace and defense policy.
Luc Chávez is an Associate at Ridgeline Advocacy Group in Washington D.C., specializing in energy, industrial, and technology policy.
Deidra L. Jackson is a highly accomplished executive and trusted advisor to C-suites across Fortune 500 companies operating in highly regulated industries. As Chief External Affairs Officer at Ridgeline Advocacy Group, Deidra spearheads transformative strategies in public policy, government relations...
Beau Yaccino is an Associate at Ridgeline Advocacy Group in Washington, D.C., specializing in industrial, technology, and aerospace and defense policy...
Kyle Cormney is a Partner at Ridgeline Advocacy Group and based in Washington, DC. Previously, he was Managing Director in the Strategic Communications segment of FTI Consulting. Mr. Cormney was a member of the Government Affairs practice and the Financial Services Sector team.
Mr. Cormney focuses primarily on servicing clients in the fields of taxation, financial services, budget process and reconciliation, and regulation. Earlier in his career, Mr. Cormney spent more than five years in the U.S. Congress working as a Senior Policy Advisor for then Chairman Tom Price (R-GA), Chairman of the House Budget Committee, and senior member of the House Ways & Means Committee.
During his tenure on Capitol Hill, Mr. Cormney served as a senior advisor on every major tax and budget reconciliation policy debate, which included reforms to expiring provisions, pass-through businesses, and multinational corporations. Mr. Cormney most recently advised numerous multinational tax clients at FTI during the debate and passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 – the most significant tax code reform in 30 years.
Mr. Cormney develops integrated advocacy strategies specific to an organization’s tax position in order to minimize business disruption and financial uncertainty. He has extensive experience in insurance taxation, retirement security,cross-border issues, and cost recovery.
Mr. Cormney graduated from Miami University in Oxford, OH. He has a Masters in Taxation from American University in Washington, D.C.
Josh Hodges is a Partner at Ridgeline Advocacy Group and leads Ridgeline’s Defense Technology practice. Before joining Ridgeline, he served as National Security Advisor to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, holding the highest national security staff position in Congress. With two decades of experience in national security and foreign policy, Josh has worked across the White House and executive agencies, both in the House and Senate. He has also led initiatives in the private sector focused on international business development.
During President Donald J. Trump’s first term, Josh served as Senior Director at the National Security Council (NSC). In this role, he was the U.S. government’s primary advisor on regional economic strategies. Josh’s career has been characterized by his commitment to addressing complex national security challenges, advancing U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere, and leading efforts to enhance economic and geopolitical influence.
Josh also served under President Trump as Deputy Senior Director for Information Statecraft at the National Security Council. He held senior positions at the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration and served on the President’s executive team at the Inter-American Development Bank, supporting U.S. private sector investment strategies to enhance U.S. business opportunities and reduce reliance on China-backed financing. Before his service under President Trump and Speaker Johnson, he spent over a decade as a Defense and National Security advisor in the United States Senate and House of Representatives.
Currently, Josh holds several national security-related positions. He serves as a Commissioner on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, an appointment made by President Trump and Speaker Johnson. He is also a member of Anthropic AI’s National Security and Public Sector Advisory Council and a Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institute for Bio-Strategies and Leadership, where he advises on the intersection of national security and emerging technologies. Additionally, he serves as Senior Advisor to the Chairman of the Board of VEON, an international telecommunications and digital services provider serving East Asia and Europe.
Josh is fluent in Spanish and holds a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and a B.A. in International Affairs from Louisiana State University.
Spencer Pederson is a Partner at Ridgeline Advocacy Group based in Washington, D.C.. Prior to this role, Pederson was the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), where he oversaw the Association’s federal and state advocacy, strategic communications, media relations, and external engagement efforts on behalf of many of the nation’s leading electrical and industrial manufacturing companies. During his tenure, he expanded the public affairs team from two to 12 staff, led a full organizational rebrand and website overhaul, and helped establish NEMA as a leading voice on grid reliability, AI-driven electricity demand growth, domestic manufacturing, trade, and energy infrastructure policy.
Pederson also served as the architect of NEMA’s “Make It American” campaign and led the electrical manufacturing industry’s advocacy efforts on transformer supply chain challenges, Defense Production Act implementation, tariffs, and other issues critical to the nation’s growing electricity demand and energy expansion. He also organized coalitions of trade associations and manufacturers around Build America, Buy America implementation, transformer supply chains, and tariff policy.
Before joining NEMA, Pederson worked on Capitol Hill, including for Sen. Tim Scott, where he focused on energy, tax, trade, and economic policy issues. During his time in the Senate, he helped author legislative provisions that ultimately became law, including elements of the Opportunity Zones program and revisions to the Section 45J Nuclear Production Tax Credit. He previously worked for the House Natural Resources Committee and former Rep. George Radanovich. Prior to NEMA, Pederson served in government affairs leadership roles at the American Chemistry Council and the Consumer Brands Association.
At Ridgeline, Pederson is helping grow the firm’s practice lobbying and advising clients navigating the intersection of AI, electrification, energy demand growth, infrastructure investment, manufacturing, financial services, trade, and industrial policy.
Ian Whitson is a Principal at Ridgeline Advocacy Group, where he leverages his extensive expertise to drive strategic advocacy in the areas of energy, natural resources, environmental policy, chemical management, industrials, surface and maritime transportation, and infrastructure.
Before joining Ridgeline, Ian served as Senior Director at FTI Consulting Government Affairs. Ian’s leadership experience is further highlighted by his seven years of service in the office of U.S. Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), where he held the role of Legislative Director. In this capacity, Ian played a key role in shaping the Congressman’s efforts as Ranking Member of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as overseeing the Congressman’s work on the House Agriculture Committee.
Throughout his tenure with Congressman Rouzer, Ian was instrumental in securing significant legislative victories, including pivotal contributions to the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022. He also spearheaded efforts related to the Army Corps of Engineers, championing initiatives that benefited coastal communities, infrastructure development, and port operations. Notably, Ian was pivotal in securing substantial Covid-19 relief funding for the logging industry through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. His proactive efforts also played a critical role in advancing offshore wind energy development in the Atlantic, collaborating with a bipartisan coalition to make meaningful progress.
Ian is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He lives in Old Town Alexandria with his wife Elle and their son Mac.
Joe Marinelli is a Principal at Ridgeline Advocacy Group, where he leads government relations initiatives for clients across various industries, including industrials, technology, telecom, and defense. Based in Washington, D.C., Joe develops and executes impactful advocacy strategies that help clients navigate complex political and regulatory landscapes, capitalize on emerging opportunities, and drive long-term, sustainable success.
Prior to Ridgeline, Joe spent nearly 3 years at FTI Consulting, where he worked as a Director in the Government Affairs practice. Joe managed the execution of high-quality client deliverables and played a pivotal role in facilitating direct client engagement with key federal stakeholders on Capitol Hill and within the Executive branch, identifying opportunities to build valuable relationships and pursue federal funding.
Joe spent over five years in the U.S. Senate, working for U.S. Senator Thomas R. Carper. As a senior member of the Senator’s legislative team, he took responsibility for appropriations and budget issues and advised the Senator on labor, pension policy, and oversight matters before the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Joe holds a B.A. in English from the University of Delaware and an M.A. in Philosophy and Education from Teachers College of Columbia University.
Mackenzie Keeley is an Associate at Ridgeline Advocacy Group in Washington, D.C., where she specializes in energy, industrial, and consumer packaging policy.
Prior to her tenure at Ridgeline, Mackenzie interned with FTI Consulting’s Public Affairs energy practice and the United States Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. She holds an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Thought and Practice from the University of Virginia.
Evan Blair is an Associate at Ridgeline Advocacy Group in Washington, D.C., where he specializes in industrial, energy, technology, and aerospace and defense policy.
Prior to his current role, Evan interned at FTI Consulting, where he contributed to the public affairs industrials team. During his tenure, he worked on various projects, monitoring legislation and media coverage for clients. Additionally, Evan served as an on-the-ground and online communications aide for a political campaign in Virginia.
Evan graduated from Washington and Lee University with a bachelor’s degree in history with honors and in international political science. At W&L, he concentrated on political, military, and legal history and served as a two-time captain for the varsity baseball team.
