Cassidy and Associates News

extreme weather infrastructureAs Washington looks to shore up our nation’s outdated infrastructure, there’s one challenge taking priority… severe weather.

Modernizing infrastructure will be the topic this afternoon as Cassidy Senior Vice President Charles Brittingham will be a featured panelist at a Pew Trust event on investing in sustainable solutions.

Despite the deep partisanship in Washington, last year Charles helped play an integral role as the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee tackled bipartisan legislation for the nation’s water infrastructure, including some progress on resilience, by passing WRDA 2016. Charles will discuss lessons learned that could help a future congressional infrastructure package.

Just last week Cassidy was a featured sponsor of Infrastructure Week, hosting its closing reception with U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Garret Graves (R-LA).

You can watch a live stream of the event today at 3:00pm EDT here http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/about/events/2017/shoring-up-communities-investing-in-resilient-infrastructure.


Hundreds of sportsmen, sportswomen, elected officials, policymakers, and business leaders gathered in Washington for the ninth annual Capital Conservation Awards Dinner of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Cassidy was proud to sponsor the event again this year.

The night’s main focus was honoring three individuals whose work made a lasting difference for conservation. TRCP CEO Whit Fosburgh noted, “There are a lot of things that divide people in this town, but hunting and fishing should not be one of those things.”

Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, TRCP’s mission is to guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish.

TRCP 2017


The Cassidy team was on hand at the annual Bryce Harlow Foundation awards dinner. We are a proud sponsor of the event that singles out the best in public advocacy and government. Proceeds from the event help fund fellowships and educational programs throughout Washington.

Bryce Harlow


Policymakers, industry leaders, stakeholders, and leading experts from the science, technology, maritime, and energy sectors are gathering in Seattle this week for the Fourth Annual Arctic Encounter Symposium (AES) and Cassidy & Associates is proud to once again serve as a sponsor of the event.

The AES is the largest annual Arctic policy event in the United States, debating the shared interests and concerns of the United States and the global community in the last emerging frontier.

Cassidy Vice President Kaleb Froehlich serves as a senior advisor to the event and will be a featured speaker and moderator. Kaleb was born and raised in Alaska’s capital city, Juneau, and before joining Cassidy served for nearly six years as Senior Counsel to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for now Chairman, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).

Arctic Encounter Cassidy


14520314_10154104015992637_6758969544495349143_nCassidy & Associates is proud to help sponsor Oregon State Society’s annual charity banquet tonight in Washington. The Oregon State Society of Washington, D.C. is a non-profit, non-partisan philanthropic organization made up of Oregonians, both actual and honorary, living in or frequently visiting the greater D.C. area. This year’s event benefits the Oregon Energy Fund.

The Oregon Energy Fund is a 27-year-old statewide organization providing energy assistance to thousands of Oregonians in times of unexpected crisis.


Successfully capturing military contracts can be an intimidating process unless you know what you’re doing. Cassidy Vice pentagonPresident Vern Simmons served in a variety of leadership and financial positions across all levels of the U.S. Air Force before joining Cassidy and today specializes in working on behalf of defense policy and procurement stakeholders, helping them secure federal funding and promoting their issue-specific needs in Washington.

Vern is sharing his experience and advice on opportunities with the Pentagon and managing the process as a featured panelist at an event today in Tampa, FL, Government Contracting – Strategies & Trends For Winning Today.


DC cherry blossomsCassidy is proud to sponsor this year’s Cherry Blossom Reception hosted by the Alaska State Society. The Alaska State Society is a non-profit, non-partisan organization with a social, civic, and support mission, serving an active membership of more than 300 Alaskans and friends of Alaska living in the Washington, DC area.

Cassidy Vice President Kaleb Froehlich hails from Alaska’s capital city, Juneau, and before joining Cassidy served for nearly six years as Senior Counsel to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for now Chairman, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).


It’s an intimidating term, but it could be the high-tech solution to reversing the worst effects of climate change. earth on turfGeoengineering proposes to combat warming by reflecting a fraction of incoming sunlight back to space.

It’s the topic today at The Forum on U.S. Solar Geoengineering Research, hosted by Harvard’s Solar Geoengineering Research Program and Cassidy Vice President Janie Wise Thompson is a featured panelist.

Janie will be discussing the policy realities in Washington of expanding U.S. federal research into the technology options, potential environmental effects, and future governance needs. She served at the Department of Energy before joining Cassidy and earlier served on the staff of the House Committee on Science and Technology.

You can watch a live streaming of Janie’s panel at 12:45pm EDT below…


Charles BrittinghamCassidy Senior Vice President Charles Brittingham is in Austin today giving the afternoon keynote address for the annual convention of the Texas Water Conservation Association.

Change in Washington is the hot topic at this year’s event and Charles is sharing his insight on expectations for the water resources sector as well as the challenges and potential solutions.

Charles was a lead Senate Republican staff author on the last two modern water resources bills — WRRDA 2014 and the WIIN Act. In his twelve years of Congressional experience, Charles helped solve water resource issues throughout the nation – from water supply to flood protection to navigation and many other issues.

Charles noted in his remarks, “It’s pretty evident that regulatory and environmental reform is high on this administration’s infrastructure agenda, given the recent executive orders creating regulatory reform task forces at agencies and instructing the Corps and EPA to reevaluate the WOTUS rule, as well as repealing the Stream Protection Rule.”


Cassidy’s Donna Jo Denison is on site today at the United States Department of Agriculture’s 93rd Agricultural Outlook Forum in Washington. USDA’s outlook forum is attended by thousands of agricultural stakeholders—producers, policymakers, and agricultural officials—from around the world. The theme for this year’s forum is “A New Horizon: The Future of Agriculture.” The annual event is a platform for facilitating conversation on the many challenges and opportunities facing the US agricultural industry as well as the consumers around the globe that the industry serves.

usda


From Greenwire

US Capitol
Vitter aide heads to K Street

Kevin Bogardus, E&E News reporter

Published: Wednesday, January 4, 2017

Charles Brittingham, once an aide to former Sen. David Vitter (R-La.), is going to K Street.

Cassidy & Associates will bring on Brittingham as a senior vice president, according to an announcement from the firm. He will be part of the lobby shop’s energy and natural resources team.

Brittingham spent more than a decade on Capitol Hill, including serving as a senior adviser to Vitter when he was ranking member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

Brittingham helped lead negotiations for GOP senators on the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014 and also worked on the WRDA bill in 2016 for then-EPW Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.). He has also worked on highway bills and has a bachelor’s degree in political science, history and philosophy from Louisiana State University.

In a statement, Kai Anderson, CEO of Cassidy & Associates, said Brittingham “knows the process, he knows the players, and he knows how to get things done — that will deliver results for our clients.”

Brittingham said he was eager to get started.

“I’ve seen the Cassidy team at work, with its stellar reputation and its success with creative and flexible policy solutions at all levels of government,” he said.

Brittingham joins the firm as it continues to expand its energy and environmental practice. Ryan Mulvenon, an environmental and energy policy adviser to former Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, joined the firm last month (E&E Daily, Dec. 5, 2016).

Cassidy is one of the influence industry’s highest earners, having taken in $9.07 million in lobbying fees for the first three quarters of 2016.


Admiral Paul GrosklagsCassidy & Associates hosted Vice Admiral Paul Grosklags, Commander Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), in our office in downtown Washington this week. The Admiral spoke to a gathering of retired flag officers from the D.C. area outlining his priorities and progress since assuming command in October of last year. He also shared his thoughts on a number of other NAVAIR issues as he answered questions from attendees.

 


From Environment and Energy Daily

Cassidy AssociatesReid aide heads to lobbying firm
Kevin Bogardus, E&E News reporter
Published: Monday, December 5, 2016

Ryan Mulvenon, a longtime aide to Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, is joining Cassidy & Associates, a prominent lobbying firm.

Mulvenon, who spent 11 years working for Reid, including as his environmental and energy policy adviser, will be a vice president at the firm.

In a farewell email sent Friday and obtained by E&E News, Mulvenon said he was “excited about this new opportunity” at Cassidy, where he starts today.

“My time working for Senator Reid has availed me with so many opportunities to meet, work, and learn from so many of you. Thank you for helping to make the time so rewarding,” Mulvenon wrote.

Kai Anderson, Cassidy’s CEO and a former deputy chief of staff for Reid, has known Mulvenon for years. Anderson said in an interview with E&E News that Mulvenon was “a detail-oriented staffer” and would be a vital asset for the firm.

“He is on the policy circuit, which is pretty valuable for clients in a time of uncertainty with a new administration. He can help put together pieces of legislation that can work,” Anderson said about Mulvenon.

Before serving as a policy adviser for Reid, Mulvenon worked on energy and environment, as well as agriculture and natural resources legislation for the Senate Democratic Policy Committee. He also has been a legislative aide in Reid’s personal office.

Mulvenon earned bachelor’s degrees in history and political science from Xavier University and a master’s degree in legislative affairs from George Washington University.

Cassidy is one of the top-earning firms on K Street. The lobby shop has brought in $9.07 million in fees so far this year and represents the biofuels group Fuels America, Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp., according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a campaign finance watchdog.

Cassidy has sought to bolster its energy and environmental practice over the years, and Mulvenon’s hire fits in with that goal. The firm also includes Amelia Jenkins, former deputy staff director and senior policy adviser to House Natural Resources Committee ranking member Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), and Kaleb Froehlich, former senior counsel to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Republicans.

Reid is retiring after the current Congress wraps up. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will replace him as Senate Democratic leader.


senate-energy-575pxBloomberg BNA talks to Cassidy Vice President Kaleb Froehlich as it takes an exclusive look at the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and what’s ahead next year when a new Congress starts its work.

The major energy bill currently in conference remains a priority on all sides to get to the president’s desk in the lame duck, former and current Senate energy committee aides and observers told Bloomberg BNA.

But under a Murkowski chairmanship, some issues from the bill could be revisited in another energy bill in 2017.

“Sen. Murkowski feels like this was certainly a good step forward,” Kaleb Froehlich, former senior counsel to Murkowski on the Senate energy committee and now vice president at Cassidy & Associates in Washington, told Bloomberg BNA, referring to the energy bill (S. 2012). “This shouldn’t be a once-in-a-decade exercise.”

Froelich said areas where Murkowski sees room for improvement or some major issues such as permitting reform in the energy bill, could be revisited in 2017.

Murkowski may also look to focus on additional priorities more intensely in 2017. Western water issues, oil development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and a funding fix for firefighting are all also possibilities for her agenda, Froelich said.


Sen Chuck SchumerThe Washington Post is taking note of Cassidy Senior Vice President Nicole DiResta as one of only a handful of “high-profile former Schumer aides-turned-lobbyists.”

The paper reports “it is a good time to be a (Sen. Chuck) Schumer aide downtown, as companies and lobby firms are hungry for any insight into the senator’s thinking and legislative agenda come January.”

Read the full article here >>>


Alcoa’s spinoff company Arconic debuts today and has signed on with Cassidy to direct its initial congressional outreach. Arconic
Cassidy will also be leading Arconic’s lobbying efforts in industry relevant issues in defense, energy, manufacturing, trade and tax.

The Washington Post reports this morning, “Arconic has tapped Russ Thomasson, former chief of staff to Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-Tex.), to serve as the company’s first hired gun on K Street. Thomasson left the leadership office in 2015 and now works at Cassidy & Associates.”

Read the entire Post article here >>>


Washingon top lobbyists 2016Who are the best lobbyists in DC? The Hill newspaper and its reporters have the answer this morning in the paper’s annual list of top advocates in Washington.

At the top of the lineup for the third year in a row… Cassidy CEO Kai Anderson and Chairman Barry Rhoads who the paper says “have shown an ability to get things done.”

See the list here >>>


video tellerDid you know nearly 20 percent of U.S. households don’t have access to some basic banking services like a checking account? Cassidy client NCR is working with Washington on solutions to help these underbanked Americans.

NCR has always had a strong focus on financial inclusion and innovation, starting with the cash register over a century ago and today its technologies power eight of the top 10 mobile banking apps in the United States.

NCR executive Marija Zivanovic-Smith writes in a recent blog, “Financial inclusion is about much more than just having a bank account. At its root level, it is a key element of social and economic inclusion. It is about helping people participate in today’s connected economy.”

Read the full blog here >>>


Joint Base McGuire-Dix-LakehurstThe Burlington County Times reports this afternoon that “New Jersey has rehired (Cassidy & Associates) to assist with efforts to protect Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and the state’s other military installations from cutbacks and closures, and to develop strategies to attract new missions.”

Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, chair of the state’s Military Installation Growth and Development Task Force, made the announcement, “I am pleased to announce the well-respected firm Cassidy & Associates has been selected as the advocate for our state’s military installations.”

Read more here >>


Cassidy & Associates helped Ocean Spray kick off the first of a wave of exciting cranberry events across the nation celebrating the 200th cranberry harvest at USDA’s Farmer’s Market.  Ocean Spray grower, Allison Carr, shared with USDA officials a new partnership with Scholastic to help bring ag in the classroom to over 40 thousand elementary classrooms across the nation.  Also, while in the nation’s Capital, Ocean Spray visited with students at Smothers Elementary School who learned firsthand about the rich history of the cranberry, one of three native US fruit crops and how they are grown, harvested and produced.


The Cassidy Defense Team released its annual summer policy report on issues affecting America’s defense America's Defense Communitiescommunities today. The newsletter to clients explores issues and policies surrounding the future of our nation’s military installations and the communities that support them while summarizing information gathered at the recent Association of Defense Communities 2016 National Summit. Cassidy helped sponsor the annual event.

For the full report contact Susann Edwards at susann@cassidy.com.

 


Cassidy Chairman Barry Rhoads helps kick off the Association of Defense Communities 2016 National Summit today in Washington with a discussion on how to effectively engage the Department of Defense.


Cassidy & Associates is proud to sponsor Defense Communities 2016 National Summit this week in Washington. Understanding the mission of our nation’s military installations and the communities that support them and what it takes to be “at the ready” is the focus of this year’s annual summit.

Did you know just how great an impact these communities have on our nation’s economy?

  • With over 1.3 million men and women on active duty, and 742,000 civilian personnel, the Department of
    Defense is the nation’s largest employer.
  • The indirect and direct employment associated with the U.S. aerospace and defense industry is a minimum of 3.5 million jobs.
  • The Department of Defense utilizes over 30 million acres of land.
  • DoD has approximately 431,000 facilities or assets in the U.S.
  • The total industry generated an estimated $37.8 billion in wage and income-based taxes of employees to state and federal government treasuries.

US defense spending


Interpublic’s Women’s Leadership Network (WLN) held a lunch seminar on career advancing this afternoon at the Cassidy office for its DC Chapter and featured Cassidy COO Jordan Bernstein as a panelist. IPG is the parent company of Cassidy & Associates and WLN is an empowered IPG-wide organization that promotes the advancement, retention and recruitment of women.

IPG WLN


Graduates of CUNY’s City College of New York experienced an extraordinary moment at their recent graduation ceremony as Michelle Obama gave her last commencement address as First Lady. More than 8,000 attended the event with extensive media coverage of her remarks. She was also presented with an honorary doctorate of humane letters by James Milliken, the chancellor of the City University of New York (CUNY). You can watch Mrs. Obama’s full address below.


Barry Rhoads BRACCassidy Chairman Barry Rhoads and the Cassidy BRAC Team were on site Friday in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to assist the area’s Blue Ribbon Task Force in presenting an overview of the current Department of Defense budgetary environment and outlook for defense communities. The Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance supports the Tobyhanna Army Depot. 

The Times Leader reported the Cassidy Team “detailed key points on what needs to be said and done during a BRAC review.” It also quoted Barry telling community leaders, “Bad military bases are now closed… The good bases, like Tobyhanna, remain open.” Rhoads said the next BRAC review will focus on efficiency and maximum cost savings. “And the focus will be on closures over realignment,” he said.

Read more here >>>


Have you ever wondered how long a satellite can last in space? You’re in luck, it’s Tech Tuesday and Cassidy client Inmarsat answers that question in a new episode of its video series, Space Bytes.


Senior Vice President Nicole Di Resta and her husband are featured in FOX News Sunday’s story on marriages that got their start in the office of U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer.


The Cassidy Defense Team delivered its analysis of New Jersey military installations last week as the Burlington County Times reports, “In a 168-page report, officials from Cassidy & Associates provide analysis of the current defense Fort Dixenvironment and the possibility of a new Base Realignment and Closure round in 2019, as well as the relative strengths, opportunities and challenges each of New Jersey’s remaining military installations might face during a BRAC, or from other defense cuts.”

The paper reported New Jersey officials welcomed the report, “Cassidy & Associates provided sound advice to New Jersey officials during previous base closure rounds, and that the firm’s new recommendations should carry significant weight.”

The article quotes former New Jersey Congressman Jim Saxton applauding Cassidy’s work, saying, “They have been our ace in the hole for years and years.”

Read more here >>>


View Glass 2Cassidy client View is giving USA Today the first behind the scenes look at how it creates its Smart Glass at its 300,000-square-foot manufacturing plant in Olive Branch, Miss.

USA Today reports View “is making high-tech windows that have the potential to bring to buildings what high-resolution touchscreens did for smartphones.”

“The result is smart glass that increases energy efficiency and promises better worker productivity, via technology accessed through an app.”

Read more here >>>


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