Fierce Government Relations’ team brings decades of expertise and experience to every client and project. Whether it’s government or private sector service – we have the right professionals to meet your every goal.
Kirk Blalock
Kirk Blalock joined the firm in 2002 after serving President George W. Bush as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director, White House Office of Public Liaison.
He was Bush’s lead staff liaison to the U.S. business community. Since joining the firm, Kirk has focused on firm management and new client development, while providing strategic counsel to the firm’s clients.
Previous to his Presidential appointment, Kirk served in several key positions, including: Director of External Affairs, Philip Morris Companies Inc.; Special Assistant to Chairman Haley Barbour, Republican National Committee; and Special Assistant to U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander.
Kirk served as the National Chairman for Young Professionals for John McCain during the 2008 Presidential election. He is a member of the Board of Visitors of The Fund for American Studies, a member of the Board of Governors of the Bryce Harlow Foundation, a member of the Economic Club of Washington D.C. and Co-Chair St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School Capital Campaign – Saints Together, Our Campaign for Community.
The Atlanta, Georgia native is a graduate of Auburn University.
Kirsten Chadwick
Kirsten Ardleigh Chadwick joined the firm in February of 2004 after serving President George W. Bush as a Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs.
During her tenure as a liaison to the U.S. House of Representatives, Kirsten focused on numerous issues including education, agriculture, tax and trade. In this capacity, she served as the primary point of contact for the President and senior White House staff to the House Republican leadership and the Agriculture, Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and Ways & Means committees for these issues. Kirsten managed the day-to-day White House legislative strategy for several major pieces of legislation in the 107th and 108th Congresses, including the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (HR 1), the Trade Act of 2002 (HR 3009) and the Jobs and Growth Tax Act of 2003 (HR 2). Kirsten co-chaired the interagency task force charged with passing the Trade Promotion Authority Act in 2001-2002.
Prior to joining the Administration, Kirsten was a Principal at the law firm of O’Brien Calio, LLP. From April to August 2000, she was the Deputy Assistant Convention Manager for Public Liaison at the Republican National Convention. Kirsten also served in the George H. W. Bush Administration in 1992 and as a volunteer on the gubernatorial campaign of Governor Bill Weld of Massachusetts.
The Boston, Massachusetts native is a graduate of Penn State University.
Mike Chappell
Prior to joining the firm in May of 2003, Mike Chappell served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Chip Pickering of Mississippi.
Mike was the senior policy advisor for legislative matters. In addition, he managed Pickering’s activities on the Energy and Commerce Committee and his roles as the Co-Chairman of the Congressional Wireless Telecommunications Caucus and the Congressional Electricity Caucus.
Before joining Pickering’s staff, Mike was the Office Manager and Press Aide to Mississippi Congressman Roger Wicker. He worked on the presidential campaign for Senator Phil Gramm during the 1996 election cycle. Mike also served at the RNC in 1994, when Republicans took back majority control in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The McComb, Mississippi native graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Kate Hull
Kate Hull joined the firm in January of 2003, after spending eleven years in the United States Senate.
On Capitol Hill, Kate served as Staff Director for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Subcommittee on Aging, and led efforts to address the nation’s nursing shortage. Prior to that, she spent four years as Senior Legislative Assistant to Senator Tim Hutchinson. She advised the senator on a wide variety of issues, including health care, aging, taxes, budget and small business. Kate was a key negotiator in the 2002 bioterrorism conference committee, the Patient’s Bill of Rights debate and the 1997 legislation to reform the Food and Drug Administration. Before joining Hutchinson’s staff, she worked on the legislative staff of Senator Bill Cohen.
At Fierce Government Relations, Kate manages a diverse portfolio of health care clients, ranging from insurers, hospitals and home care providers to the generic drug industry. She offered key strategic advice and guidance to clients throughout the 2009/2010 health care reform debate and during consideration of key health legislation such as the Medicare Modernization Act, the Food Safety Modernization Act and the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act. Kate also serves as Executive Director of the Corporate Health Care Coalition, a group of the country’s leading employers that provide self-insured health benefits to their employees.
The Maine native graduated from the College of William and Mary, in Virginia.
Aleix Jarvis
Aleix Jarvis joined the firm in February of 2005 after ten years on the staff of Senator Lindsey Graham.
For the last six of those years, Aleix served as Legislative Director and chief policy advisor to the South Carolina Republican. In that role, he developed and coordinated legislative and floor strategy on a wide range of issues, with particular focus on defense, energy, budget and trade issues. He served as Graham’s designee on both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, where he developed substantial expertise in defense, nonproliferation, environmental and energy policy.
Aleix served as policy advisor to the Graham for Senate campaign in 2002, coordinated grass roots activities along Florida’s critical I-4 corridor during the Bush-Cheney 2004 presidential campaign, and has volunteered on numerous other campaigns including Senate races in 2006 and McCain 08. He served as Director of Operations for the 2008 Republican National Convention.
Prior to joining Graham’s House staff, Aleix served on the staff of Congressman Charles Taylor of North Carolina.
The Lewisville, North Carolina native graduated from the University of North Carolina.
Billy Piper
Billy Piper joined the firm in January of 2011 after nearly 20 years working on Capitol Hill.
Immediately after graduating from the University of Richmond Billy joined the office of Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky as a special assistant and served in a variety of capacities over the next many years. From late 2002 until his departure, he held the position of Chief of Staff for Leader McConnell. In this role he oversaw McConnell’s staff in Washington, D.C. and Kentucky, as well as serving as his principal political advisor.
During his tenure with McConnell, Billy was involved in a variety of important legislative and political accomplishments. For several years, he led the senator’s efforts to draft, pass and implement legislation dealing with the complex issues surrounding elimination of the chemical weapons stockpile at the Bluegrass Army Depot and the cleanup of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. He also served as a crucial liaison between Leader McConnell and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, as well as directly with campaigns and candidates across the country. This was just one of the many reasons that McConnell referred to Billy as the “indispensable man.”
The Kentucky native graduated from the University of Richmond.
Caroline Cain Rafferty
Caroline joined the firm in February of 2011, after serving as the Tour and Intern Coordinator in the Office of Senator Richard Burr.
In August of 2009, Caroline started on Capitol Hill as a Staff Assistant for the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee-Republican Staff.
Since joining the firm, Caroline has taken a lead in managing the operations of several coalitions. She presently serves as the Secretary/Treasurer for the American Television Alliance and Coalition for the American Dream. In addition to her Coalition work, she runs the daily operations of the firm and oversees the execution of special projects and events.
The Martinsville, Virginia native is a graduate of The University of Virginia, where she majored in political science.
Tyler Stephens
Tyler Stephens joined the firm in March of 2015, after spending eight years in the United States Senate.
In the Senate, Tyler served as a Senior Policy Advisor and Professional Staff Member on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence working on counterterrorism, cybersecurity, and other national security matters. He also supported Senator Chambliss’s work on the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Prior to joining the Intelligence Committee, Tyler spent four years on the staff of Senator Saxby Chambliss, serving as a Legislative Assistant for foreign affairs, homeland security, energy, transportation, appropriations, and technology issues. He began his career as a Staff Assistant for Senator Johnny Isakson and has worked on various congressional campaigns including Senator Chambliss’s 2008 campaign.
The Thomasville, Georgia native is a graduate of the University of Georgia.
Eric Zulkosky
With more than a decade of Capitol Hill experience in both the House and Senate, Eric most recently served House Majority Whip Steve Scalise as Director of Member Services & Policy Advisor.
Prior to Scalise’s election as Whip in 2014, Eric held the position of Legislative Director in the personal office and in total, supported Scalise for more than six years. Before his roles in the House, he was an aide to Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE) and began his career on the Hill with Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC).
As Director of Member Services, Eric was responsible for liaising with Members of Congress and worked daily with their Chiefs of Staff on all aspects of their operations, including legislative matters. He played a central role with the Steering Committee, advising Scalise on chairmanship races and helping Members navigate the committee selection process. Eric also supported Scalise’s leadership races and directly handled policy on the Energy & Commerce Committee, working on telecommunications and technology issues. He has experience in other policy areas as well, including transportation, maritime, energy, financial services, and defense issues from his various roles in the House and Senate.
A native of Minnesota, Eric received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Valparaiso University and a Master of Public Policy from George Mason University.