Our Team

Max Sandlin served eight years (1997-2005) in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democratic Congressman representing Texas District 1.

Congressman Sandlin was a member of senior House leadership, serving as Majority Chief Deputy Whip to current Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and subsequently to Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD).  Sandlin was also an elected and later a leadership representative on the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee – the committee that sets the agenda for the Democratic Caucus and makes committee assignments. He was one of a small group of legislators chosen for the Parliamentary Group, representatives called upon for rapid parliamentary and procedural action on the floor of the U.S. House.

Congressman Sandlin served on this powerful and prestigious Ways and Means Committee – the Committee with jurisdiction over international trade, international and domestic tax, energy, healthcare, etc. He also served on the Financial Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over domestic and international monetary policy, capital markets, financial policy and institutions, and related areas. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Sandlin was also involved in areas such as aviation, port authority and security, highways and transit.

Sandlin is a former Chairman of the Democratic Caucus Financial Services Task Force and Chairman of the Blue Dog Energy Task Force. He was a member of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of pro-business and pro-trade moderate Democrats.

Prior to his service in Congress, Sandlin practiced law in Texas and had a broad-based litigation and business practice. He was active in the banking industry and served for a decade on the board of directors of a local bank. He was the part-owner and president of a gasoline distributorship and the part-owner and vice-president of an oil and gas exploration firm. He also served on the Board of Directors of East Texas Legal Services and was a board member and officer of an East Texas housing authority that provided loans to first-time homeowners.

He is a former County Judge and County Court at Law Judge from his home state of Texas.

Since leaving Congress, Sandlin has been involved in policy and government relations work in areas such as international finance, energy, tax, trade, communications, security, healthcare, etc. He has also advised and represented clients on political and policy strategies and has represented clients in Congressional investigations concerning both domestic and international issues.

Sandlin is currently the Co-Chairman at IGR Group.

He is a graduate of Baylor University, where he was named Outstanding Young Alumni, and Baylor School of Law, where he was a member of the National Championship Mock Trial Team. He is a former youth baseball, basketball and softball coach and has been active in many civic organizations and boards such as the Marshall Youth Baseball Association and the Michelson Reves Museum of Art. He is the father of five children, has one grandchild, and is married to U.S. Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin.

Senator Talent is a Co-Chairman of IGR Group and has been active in Missouri and national politics for 20 years.  

Senator Talent's career in public service began in 1984, when at the age of 28 he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives where he served eight years, the last four as the senior Republican leader in the Missouri House.  In 1992, he was elected to the first of four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives where he represented Missouri's Second Congressional District.  During his eight years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Talent co-authored the historic welfare reform bill, championed national security issues on the House Armed Services Committee, and enacted legislation to help revitalize urban neighborhoods and help lower health care costs.

In 2002, Missourians elected Talent to serve in the United States Senate where he worked with Republicans and Democrats to enact critical legislation for Missouri and served on the Senate Armed Services, Energy and Natural Resources, and Agriculture Committees.  Working with Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden, Senator Talent was successful in securing critical funding and construction bonds in the highway bill and with Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Talent succeeded in passing the most comprehensive anti-meth bill ever enacted into law.  In the summer of 2005, Senator Talent led the fight to add a renewable fuels standard to the energy bill and now, 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuels like ethanol and bio-diesel must be added to the nation’s fuel supply by 2012. 

Jim and his wife, Brenda, were married in 1984.  They have three young children: Michael, Kate and Chrissy.  Brenda practices law part-time at the law firm, Bryan Cave. Brenda also served four years as an officer in the United States Army.

Dan Gonzalez is a Managing Director in the Washington, DC office of IGR Group. Prior to joining the firm in 2009, Mr. Gonzalez served for nearly four years as Chief of Staff of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under Chairman Kevin J. Martin and served for over a decade in various senior staff positions throughout the FCC. 

As Chief of Staff, Mr. Gonzalez managed all aspects of the agency’s operations and directed the FCC staff in implementing all components of the agency’s mission including broadband, media, wireless and wireline telephone services, enforcement, consumer issues and public safety/homeland security communications issues. Before being elevated to the Chief of Staff post, Mr. Gonzalez was then-Commissioner Martin’s Senior Legal Advisor, advising him generally on wireline, enforcement and consumer issues.

In between his government service, Mr. Gonzalez was Vice President of External and Regulatory Affairs for XO Communications, formerly NEXTLINK.  Mr. Gonzalez was responsible for government relations and regulatory issues for the competitive local exchange venture founded by entrepreneur Craig McCaw. 

During his previous tenure at the FCC, Mr. Gonzalez served as Legal Advisor to FCC Commissioner Rachelle B. Chong.  He was principally responsible for advising the Commissioner on common carrier issues.  Prior to that position,  Mr. Gonzalez also served as Legal Advisor to the Common Carrier Bureau Chief, senior attorney in the Common Carrier Bureau’s Accounting and Audits Division, and attorney in the Policy and Program Planning Division of the Common Carrier Bureau.

Dan is a graduate of Hofstra University School of Law and earned his B.A. from the State University of New York.  Mr. Gonzalez is a member of the New York and Florida Bars.

Patrick Muttart is a Managing Director of Mercury Public Affairs and leads the firm’s Canada-United States practice.  Working with Mercury’s team in Washington, he provides strategic counsel to governments, companies and associations on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.  He also works with Mercury’s team of experienced international campaigners, providing political and strategic services to clients worldwide.

Prior to joining Mercury, Muttart served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and chief strategist for the Conservative Party during the 2006 and 2008 elections.  During these two campaigns, the Harper Government won its first mandate from voters and subsequently was re-elected with a greater share of the popular vote and a strengthened mandate in Canada’s House of Commons.

During his time in the Prime Minister’s Office, Muttart provided political and communications advice on a wide range of domestic and international files, including the throne speeches, budgets and international events.  He was part of a select team of Canadian and American officials who worked on policy and communications for President Obama’s 2009 visit to Canada, his first foreign trip as President.

Canadian Press described Muttart as the political strategist who “left his stamp on the TV ads the Tories ran, the tax cuts they introduced, the slogans they uttered, and on their strategy for defending Canada's Arctic...”  The Globe and Mail noted his “brilliance at creating disciplined, well-researched and powerful visual representations of complex political ideas.”  And Macleans magazine profiled him as “The Brand Man”. 

Muttart’s expertise has been recognized internationally.  In Third Time Lucky, Lessons from New Labour’s 2005 Election Campaign, published by London’s Policy Network, Muttart is described as a “diligent student of electoral campaigns in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand”.  He has presented to, and collaborated with, members of the International Democratic Union, a global association of conservative parties.

Prior to joining the Prime Minister’s Office, Muttart spent ten years in the private sector as a marketing communications professional for a research-based strategy firm, an all-business news network and a national hotel brand.  Long active in grassroots politics, he began his career as a staffer to former Opposition Leader Preston Manning.  A native of southwestern Ontario, Muttart is a graduate of the University of Ottawa.

Paul Sweet is a Senior Vice President of IGR Group.

Mr. Sweet provides clients with three decades of Washington experience and active involvement in advocacy and public affairs work on behalf of state and local governments, universities, and private industry. 

Mr. Sweet’s background in intergovernmental relations includes working as the Field Director for the Citizens Conference on State Legislatures, working in the Washington Office of the Council of State Governments as a Legislative Director, serving as Director of the Washington office of the National Conference of State Legislatures, consulting for the State Legislative Leaders Foundation, serving as Executive Director of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, consulting for the Chair of the National Governors’ Association, and serving as Intergovernmental Coordinator for the Gore-Lieberman campaign.

He was selected to open a bi-cameral, bipartisan office for the California Legislature in Washington, and successfully increased federal funding for state and local governments in several programmatic areas.  He served as the Chief of Staff to Congressman Vic Fazio (D-West Sacramento), where he worked closely with a variety of constituent interests in Washington, including the counties and cities in the district. 

The University of California system asked Mr. Sweet to open a federal relations office in Washington as a part of a larger plan for establishing the university’s presence in the nation’s capital based on a recommendation that he helped author.  In addition to providing the university with advocacy and representation, he was instrumental in establishing the university’s academic program in Washington.  He also worked closely with the Congressional Delegation and the California business community in the establishment of the California Institute for Federal Policy Research. 

He is currently working on a project with the chairs of the Republican and Democrat caucuses within the California Congressional Delegation to improve the internal working effectiveness of the Congressional Delegation.

Among the many community activities with which he is involved are the California State Society of Washington (former President and current Board member), National Conference of State Societies (current President), Golden State Roundtable (former Chair), and the UCSB Alumni Association (former member of the National Board). 

Mr. Sweet received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara, Master of Arts degree from Rutgers University (as an Eagleton Fellow), and a Juris Doctorate from George Washington University.  He is married with two children.

Dallas “Rob” Sweezy is a Senior Vice President of IGR Group.

Mr. Sweezy is a public affairs/government relations advisor and strategist with more than 25 years of experience. He has worked on issues ranging from international trade and worker health and safety, to the complexities of Medicare and Medicaid. He served three presidents, including Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush, in public policy positions at the Departments of Commerce, Labor, Agriculture, and Health and Human Services.

Mr. Sweezy comes to IGR Group as president and founder of Public Affairs Strategies/Healthcare, a comprehensive communications and government relations firm concentrating on healthcare issues. His current clients include a number of healthcare providers and health IT/management consulting firms.

From 2001 to 2004, Mr. Sweezy served as the director of public and intergovernmental affairs for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Mr. Sweezy directed communications for the repositioning and re-branding of CMS’s image and was successful in promoting some of the department’s top policy priorities. Mr. Sweezy led the public roll-outs for both the Nursing Home and Home Healthcare Quality Initiatives, which emphasized better healthcare through accountability and public disclosure. He then managed the communications efforts for the first-ever pay-for-performance, Hospital Quality Incentive Demonstration with Premier Hospitals. Mr. Sweezy also directed the agency’s first series of $25 million national advertising campaigns promoting Medicare benefits. He was instrumental in bringing attention to disparities of care and disease management issues through a significant nationwide outreach effort. Mr. Sweezy also coordinated several nationwide media tours for the heads of CDC, NIH, FDA, and the Surgeon General to promote passage of MMA, the new Medicare modernization and prescription drug program.

Mr. Sweezy’s media relations skills are extensive. He has prepared officials for challenging appearances on major network, cable, and radio news, and public affairs programs. He has been interviewed by and developed stories with newspaper reporters and editorial writers across the country, includingThe New York Times,The Wall Street Journal,The Washington Post,Chicago Tribune, and theLos Angeles Times.

Mr. Sweezy received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Baylor University and completed post-graduate studies in public policy and international business at George Washington University.

Mike McSherry is a Senior Vice President of IGR Group.

Mike McSherry (Washington, DC) has served in appointed offices at the state and federal levels of government and has held key leadership positions in national political organizations.  

He served as Director of the Virginia Liaison Office for Federal Affairs for Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore.  During this time he was responsible for working with the Virginia Congressional delegation on federal regulatory and legislative issues. He gained further experience in federal-state relations serving as Executive Director of the Republican Governors’ Association and, later as Director of Government Affairs for the Republican National Committee. He was a member of the Staff Advisory Council (SAC) for the National Governors’ Association, the Executive SAC of the Southern Governors’ Association and a Governors Delegate to the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Mike’s direct federal experience includes appointments to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development where he served on the staff of Secretary Jack Kemp and the U.S. Department of Labor.  As Deputy Political Director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, Mike was directly involved in the elections of 11 members of the U.S. Senate.

Jeffrey L. Taylor is a Senior Vice President of IGR Group.

Most recently, he was a member of the Government Relations Group of Barnes & Thornburg, LLP in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Taylor concentrates his practice on issues related to the Life Sciences/Pharmaceutical industries, Embassies and international companies/trade, emerging companies and technologies, and local governments.

Mr. Taylor is the former chief of staff to U.S. Rep. David McIntosh, (R-IN) ret., where he served as chief legislative, political, and communications advisor to the Congressman - advising him on the development and implementation of his legislative agenda. During this time, he also oversaw the management of the U.S. House subcommittee on Regulatory Reform – which McIntosh chaired – which had policy oversight of all regulatory agencies in the executive branch.

Mr. Taylor served as the Congressman’s principal liaison to the U.S. House of Representatives GOP leadership, attending weekly House Republican leadership meetings chaired by Speakers Gingrich and Hastert and participating in weekly senior leadership staff meetings during the 105th and 106th Congresses.

During his tenure as chief of staff, the U.S. House of Representatives passed McIntosh initiatives including the Marriage Tax Elimination Act, the Regulatory Right to Know Act, and the Small Business Paperwork Reduction Act.

In the mid-90s, Mr. Taylor helped establish Frontiers Institute, a 501(c)(3) public policy think tank, in concert with U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallop (R-WY) ret.   He took a leave of absence from Frontiers in 1996 to serve as a senior campaign advisor to Steve Forbes and his campaign for President.

In the 102nd Congress, he served as Director of Congressional Relations at the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) offering political consultation to Republican Members of Congress on re-election matters and, in 1989, served President Bush at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

In the Life Sciences arena, he has served as chair of the Biotechnology Industry Organization BIO2003 Convention Government Relations Committee (Washington) and the BIO 2006 Convention Policy Track Committee (Chicago). For the past seven years, he has served as a Host at the annual BIO convention. Most recently, he served on the AdvaMed 2007 convention government relations committee; a convention focusing on the medical devices/technologies, diagnostic products and health information systems industries.

Mr. Taylor is married to Julie M. Taylor, President of Capital Strategy & Development, LLC;www.capstra.coma fundraising consulting group for 501(c)(3)s. The Taylor family resides in Alexandria, Virginia.

Brett Thompson joined IGR Group in 2007 as a senior vice president bringing to the firm his legislative and political expertise.

Before joining IGR Group, Mr. Thompson served as a legislative director in the U.S. Senate. In this capacity, he oversaw the passage of over 30 bipartisan pieces of legislation into law, including theCombat Meth Act,7.5 billion gallon Renewable Fuels Standard,$15 billion Highway Infrastructure Bonds,Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Act, Servicemembers Anti-Predatory Lending Protection Act,E-85 Tax Credit Legislation,Minority Business Fairness ActandMilitary Health Readiness Act.

Active in campaigns for the past 15 years, Mr. Thompson has served as policy director in federal and state campaigns and has managed races at the local level. In these roles, he created and implemented policy platforms, directed grassroots outreach efforts, built and managed coalitions, and developed television and radio commercials.

In addition to his campaign work, Mr. Thompson was an associate at the law firm of Lewis, Rice and Fingersh, LC.  As a part of their corporate and trademark practice groups, he participated in large-scale mergers and acquisitions and initial public offerings.

Mr. Thompson received a degree in Public Policy Analysis from the College of William and Mary and holds a law degree from Washington University School of Law where he received the F. Hodge O’Neal Corporate Law Prize. The John C. Stennis Center for Public Service appointed Mr. Thompson as a Stennis Congressional Staff Fellow for the 109th Congress.

Mr. Thompson lives in Alexandria, VA, with his wife Susan and son Sawyer.

Jesse D. Appleton served as the Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Financial Markets at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.  In that capacity he provided counsel on key policy matters including: the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, chaired by Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr., financial markets policy, international investment, capital markets competitiveness, alternative energy financing and government loan guarantees, the Private Sector Hedge Fund Managers’ and Investors’ Practices Committees, regulatory policy, securitization, credit rating agencies, mortgage finance and origination, government financing and lending, and cash and debt management modernization.  While serving at Treasury, Mr. Appleton’s portfolio also included a variety of policy matters including CFTC reauthorization, FAA reauthorization, public-private infrastructure financing, energy markets regulation, housing policy, tax relief, fiscal stimulus, and retirement security legislation.  In recognition of his work in advancing Secretary Paulson’s policy initiatives, he received the Department of the Treasury’s Exceptional Service Award.

Prior to joining the Treasury Department, Mr. Appleton served as a Legislative Assistant to Senator James M. Talent.  In that role, he advised Senator Talent on taxes, international trade, appropriations, retirement security, health care, Medicare, Medicaid, labor, Internet, telecommunications and technology issues.  He also assisted Senator Talent with his duties as a member of the President’s Export Council, the U.S. Senate Cuba Working Group, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and the U.S. Senate Republican Task Force on Health Care Costs and the Uninsured.  Previously, Mr. Appleton served as Policy Director for Senator Talent’s 2006 reelection campaign and as Deputy Policy Director for Senator Talent’s 2002 campaign.

A fourth generation Missourian, Mr. Appleton was born and raised in University City, Missouri.  He is a graduate of Stanford University with degrees in history and political science.  While attending Stanford, Mr. Appleton conducted research on U.S.-Middle Eastern relations under the direction of former U.S. Ambassador Thomas W. Simons, Jr.

The Honorable Fernando Ferrer is a Co-Chairman of IGR Group.

One of the top Hispanic leaders in America, Mr. Ferrer brings 30 years of public policy experience to Mercury Public Affairs’ government affairs arm, IGR Group.

Mr. Ferrer served as a member of the New York City Council, where he authored key laws making New York a leader in public safety, civil rights and anti-discrimination, including the first Civilian Complaint Review Board Law. During his 14-year tenure as Bronx Borough President, Mr. Ferrer designed and oversaw the largest urban rebuilding effort in the country and is nationally recognized as an architect for revitalizing American cities.

In 2001, Mr. Ferrer ran a historic campaign for Mayor of New York City, highlighting the issues that affect the lives of each and every New Yorker. In 2005, he won the Democratic Primary for Mayor, becoming the first Latino to ever do so in New York City history. In addition, Mr. Ferrer also serves as director of Sterling Bancorp, Sterling National Bank and the Regional Plan Association.

Michael McKeon is a Co-Chairman of IGR Group.

Prior to joining IGR Group, Mr. McKeon served as Governor George Pataki's Director of Communications. In that role, he advised Governor Pataki on major policy and strategic decisions, while developing and overseeing all communications plans. Mr. McKeon served as chief spokesman for the Governor, responding to national, state and local media inquiries on a daily basis, while shaping a pro-active media strategy to promote the Governor's agenda. He was responsible for overseeing the State's crisis communications, including during the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, several major plane crashes and numerous natural disasters. In addition, Mr. McKeon oversaw development of all advertising involving Governor Pataki, scheduled and planned events to further the Governor's goals, and was responsible for the development of all major speeches, including the annual State of the State.

Prior to that, Mr. McKeon served as Press Secretary to the Governor, overseeing the daily communication operations of the Governor's office and all state agencies and authorities. He directed more than 100 communications professionals throughout State government to ensure a consistent presentation of the Governor's agenda. Mr. McKeon's efforts to promote the Governor's record and his agenda helped Governor Pataki achieve record-high approval ratings for a Republican in an overwhelmingly Democratic state.

In the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks, Mr. McKeon worked closely with Governor Pataki to help manage the State's response to the crisis. He advised the Governor on every public event and private briefing, including daily meetings with Mayor Rudy Giuliani and city officials, as well as with Bush administration officials. Mr. McKeon also oversaw development and production of highly acclaimed "I Love New York" ads, including an award-winning national spot featuring Governor Pataki and Mayor Giuliani to encourage tourism in New York City just weeks after the attacks. As the Governor's chief liaison on September 11th issues to City Hall and family groups, Mr. McKeon worked closely with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and his staff, along with White House senior staff, on the development and production of the ceremonies marking the first anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Recently, Mr. McKeon served as a member of the distinguished panel of judges for the International World Trade Center Site Memorial Competition which selected the memorial for Ground Zero.

Mr. McKeon also served as chief spokesman and a top strategist for Governor Pataki's successful 2002 re-election campaign, while also playing a central role in the Governor's 1998 re-election. Those campaigns resulted in the two largest margins of victory for a Republican in New York State history, while the 2002 campaign was praised by a highly respected national media pundit on "Good Morning America" as the best campaign in America that year.

Prior to joining the Pataki administration in May 1995, Mr. McKeon worked for more than 10 years as a reporter for three New York newspapers, winning several awards for local and political reporting. A graduate of Utica College of Syracuse University, Mr. McKeon has three children and lives in New York City.

Kieran Mahoney is a Managing Partner of IGR Group and is one of the nation's leading political and public affairs strategists - providing counsel to a wide variety of political and business clients.

Called one of the "best political strategists of his generation" by The New York Times, Mr. Mahoney has been helping Republicans win elections for more than 20 years - particularly in states that are historically Democratic strongholds. In all, Mr. Mahoney has run elections and conducted polling in over 30 states.

Mr. Mahoney is a prominent figure in New York politics. With more than 20 years of experience, he has unrivaled knowledge of state affairs. Mr. Mahoney has served as a senior adviser to all three of Governor George Pataki's campaigns. In addition to guiding Governor Pataki on his successful re-election bid in 2002, Mr. Mahoney helped lead Pataki to an unprecedented victory in 1998 - winning the highest margin of victory in state history. He was also a top strategist and manager of George Pataki's first gubernatorial campaign in 1994 that ended Democrat Mario Cuomo's twelve-year reign.

Nationally, Mr. Mahoney consulted for many of the most hotly contested races of 2002 - helping the Senate achieve historic victories. A chief consultant for Senator Gordon Smith, he helped take the toss-up race and break it wide open with Smith winning by sixteen points. Mr. Mahoney was also instrumental in Smith's come-from-behind upset Senate election in Oregon in 1996.

Also in 2002, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) and the Republican Leadership Council (RLC) both sought out Mr. Mahoney for their toughest battles. As media consultant for the NRSC, Mr. Mahoney worked on the successful independent expenditure campaigns for John Sununu in New Hampshire, Norm Coleman in Minnesota and Lamar Alexander in Tennessee.

Prior to recent elections, Mr. Mahoney was a national political advisor to the 1996 Dole for President campaign and managed Senator D'Amato's comeback re-election victory in 1992.

Mr. Mahoney's extensive political experience transcends the electoral process and gives him an edge in dealing with corporate and public affairs issues. Mr. Mahoney has managed successful public affairs campaigns, proxy fights and public relations battles for industry leaders in telecommunications, healthcare, energy and transportation, among others.

In his capacity as senior public affairs strategist for one of the nation's leading telecommunications companies, Mr. Mahoney orchestrated several statewide regulatory victories - not only saving his client billions from new rate structuring, but also altering the industry environment to allow the client to solidify its position in current markets as well as enter new ones.

Working with a coalition of the nation's largest long-term healthcare companies, Mr. Mahoney passed benchmark tort reform legislation in a number of key states, including Florida and Texas, and won billions in increased federal Medicare funding for the coalition.

Mr. Mahoney lives in Harrison, New York with his wife Sara, three sons and a daughter.

Kirill Goncharenko is a Founding Partner of Mercury Public Affairs and leads the firm's operations in Washington, D.C., California, Texas, St. Louis and Minneapolis. In addition, Mr. Goncharenko manages IGR Group, the national, bi-partisan lobbying firm managed by Mercury Public Affairs.

Prior to founding Mercury Public Affairs, Mr. Goncharenko worked in international relations in the United States Senate, served as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for a $3 billion healthcare company with 65,000 employees and as an Executive Vice President of global crisis communications at Burson-Marsteller, a leading global public relations firm.

Mr. Goncharenko’s extensive corporate background, coupled with a foundation in electoral politics and Capitol Hill, allows him to devise cutting-edge public affairs campaigns that achieve specific business results for his many global clients, including Motorola, AT&T, Seagram, CBS, Southern California Edison, HCA, Pfizer, and Hilton Hotels among many others. His recent strategic work for one client led to billions of new federal funding and tort reform in several key states. In addition, Mr. Goncharenko has provided senior counsel to corporations under the spotlight of some of the highest profile crises of the past 15 years.

Mr. Goncharenko frequently speaks on crisis management at executive conferences, including the Forbes CEO Forum.

Mr. Goncharenko received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Mr. Goncharenko speaks Russian and resides in Manhattan with his partner Yulia, son Sasha and daughter Katya.

Jonathan Greenspun is a Managing Director of IGR Group.

Mr. Greenspun was appointed by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to serve as Commissioner of the Mayor's Community Affairs Unit. Mr. Greenspun was the youngest Commissioner in the Bloomberg administration and among the youngest commissioners in New York City's history.

The Community Affairs Unit (CAU) serves as the Mayor's eyes and ears in New York City and during his tenure with the Administration, Mr. Greenspun worked closely with the City's 59 community boards, as well as its tenant and civic groups, neighborhood/block associations, and community-based nonprofits. The CAU responds to all city emergencies where communities are directly impacted. The Unit also assists in the planning and implementation of the Mayor's special events, which include official receptions, celebrations, commemorations and ceremonies. Prior to working for the City of New York, Mr. Greenspun spent seven years working for Governor George E. Pataki where he served as his Executive Assistant. Based in the Governor's New York City Executive Chamber, he was a member of the Governor's office of community affairs.

The office is comprised of liaisons to various ethnic communities within the State of New York. Part of Mr. Greenspun's responsibilities included the crafting and implementation of public policy, accompanying the Governor to all events downstate, speech writing and providing various constituent services.

Mr. Greenspun's political work includes Mike Bloomberg's 2001 mayoral campaign; Rick Lazio's 2000 Senate campaign; Al D'Amato's 1998 Senate Campaign; and Governor Pataki's 1994 and 1998 gubernatorial campaigns.

Born in Brooklyn, Jonathan and his wife Rosesara currently reside in Riverdale with their two sons Andrew and Matthew.

John Lonergan is a Managing Director of Mercury Public Affairs/IGR Group.

At IGR Group since 1999, Mr. Lonergan has garnered deep experience in the public affairs, political consulting and New York State government relations practices by providing counsel to leading corporations and coalitions such as Pfizer, Sallie Mae, Greyhound Bus Lines, Lockheed Martin, the American Health Care Association and Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Most recently, Mr. Lonergan has primarily worked as a strategist advising corporate clients engaged in public affairs campaigns in New York State. Drawing upon his extensive experience on the campaign trail and his knowledge of policy positions, Mr. Lonergan develops communication strategies and tactics that will most effectively persuade lawmakers, administration officials and other opinion leaders in order to achieve a client’s business objectives. His approach to public affairs is based on integrated communications – encompassing a full range of tactics including public opinion research, advertising, public relations, lobbying and grassroots/grasstops mobilization. Mr. Lonergan also serves as a registered lobbyist in New York State, representing the interests of a variety of clients before the legislature and state agencies.

From 1999 to 2002, Mr. Lonergan focused on federal and state public affairs campaigns for the health care industry, managing a number of multi-million dollar advocacy advertising efforts for a national trade association, the Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care. As a result, the nursing home industry won billions in new Medicare funding from Congress and significant tort reform in key states like Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania.

Prior to joining Mercury, Mr. Lonergan was Gov. George Pataki’s (R-NY) Research Director during his 1998 re-election campaign. After graduating from American University in Washington, D.C., Mr. Lonergan served in Gov. Pataki’s Office of Federal Affairs and was the polling director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee Independent Expenditure Division from 1995-1996.

Mr. Lonergan resides in Manhattan with his wife Olivia.

Rodney S. Capel is a Senior Vice President of Mercury Public Affairs/ IGR Group.

Prior to joining Mercury, Mr. Capel served as New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn’s Deputy Chief of Staff for state and federal affairs.

In this capacity, Mr. Capel assisted the New York City Council Speaker on all matters pertaining to New York City’s State and Federal legislative issues by serving as the City Council’s lead lobbyist. Following the controversial Sean Bell shooting, Mr. Capel led the City Council’s efforts to improve police/community relations by organizing citywide clergy roundtables and community forums. These efforts led to significant reforms in the New York Police Department’s “stop and frisk” and “use of force” procedures.

Prior to working for the City of New York, Mr. Capel spent five years working for the New York State Democratic Committee, first serving as Political Director in 2001. In 2005, Mr. Capel made history by being appointed the first African-American Executive Director of a major political party in the State of New York.  Mr. Capel’s management of the daily operations of the State Committee helped to establish the State Committee’s aggressive “six in 06” field program which led to the Democratic Party’s sweep of all the statewide races for the first time in a generation. 

Mr. Capel's political and legislative career includes: serving as Senator Chuck Schumer’s Deputy State Director in 1999; serving as State Director for the New York State Kerry/Edwards Presidential campaign in 2004; Carl McCall’s gubernatorial campaign in 2002; the New York Gore/Lieberman 2000 presidential campaign; serving as Maine Political Director for Clinton/Gore Presidential campaign in 1996; Rep. Charlie Rangel’s Congressional re-election in 1994. Rodney proudly served in President Clinton’s administration as a Special Assistant to the Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs for the U.S. Department of Education.

Rodney was listed by City Hall Newspaper as one of their next generation of political leaders in New York in their inaugural listing of “Rising Stars Under 40”. Rodney has also been featured in Crain’s New York Business and the New York Daily News as someone best fit to fill “Harlem’s generation gap” and a future political leader for New York City.

Rodney is a graduate of Syracuse University where he received his B.A. in Political Science and completed his master’s degree in Political Management from the George Washington University.  Rodney currently resides in Harlem with his fiancée Fayola and their dog Zuri.

DinaMangiafridda is Director/Lobbying Compliance Officer at IGR Group.

Dina Mangiafridda is the firm’s New York State and New York City Lobbying Compliance Officer. Working for IGR Group since its inception, Mrs. Mangiafridda has been responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable state and city lobbying regulations, routinely interfacing with the NYS Commission on Public Integrity and the Lobbying Bureau of the Office of the City Clerk. Always cognizant of the scrutiny placed on lobbyists, Mrs. Mangiafridda discloses all legislative and procurement lobbying activities performed by the firm’s registered lobbyists along with their compensation in multiple reporting cycles throughout the year in a complete and timely manner.

Mrs. Mangiafridda also serves as Director on the New York Government Relations team. In this capacity she specializes in working with clients throughout the state that treat patients with alcohol disorders and diseases of addiction.  Mrs. Mangiafridda played a crucial role in creating the first state-wide association devoted to addressing the needs and concerns of licensed NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services proprietary providers.

Due in part to Mrs. Mangiafridda’s strategy for building and strengthening relationships with targeted legislative and executive branches of state government, the Association enjoys enormous success and fosters an unprecedented spirit of collaboration with their colleagues in the industry.

In 2006, Mrs. Mangiafridda was recognized for her dedication and team-building commitment and received Fleishman-Hillard’s coveted Team Player Award in the New York City Office.

Prior to joining Mercury Public Affairs and FHGR, Mrs. Mangiafridda served as Community Liaison for the Town of Eastchester and Assistant to the Village Manager in Scarsdale, NY, Westchester County. Mrs. Mangiafridda’s municipal management expertise consists of coordinating community, press and governmental relations, including the planning, implementation and evaluation of special projects and programs.

With eight years of municipal government experience Mrs. Mangiafridda has extensive knowledge of federal, state and county grant programs which fund local community activities.

Mrs. Mangiafridda was responsible for successfully researching and writing six Community Development Block Grants, administered by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, totaling over $1 million in funding.   

Born and raised in Westchester County, Mrs. Mangiafridda is passionate about local races and has applied her knowledge of grassroots campaigning and her tireless energy to several campaigns in the Town of Eastchester, Westchester County Clerk and NYS Assembly elections.

Mrs. Mangiafridda holds a Master of Public Administration from the Dyson School of Arts and Sciences at Pace University, and currently resides in Westchester County.

Thomas Doherty is a Partner of IGR Group.

Mr. Doherty has served as Governor Pataki's Deputy Secretary for Appointments in Albany. Mr. Doherty oversaw the Governor's Office of State and Local Government Affairs including advising Governor Pataki on all aspects of effective communications with state and local government officials to better help them serve their constituents.

While Senior Administrative Assistant to the Governor, he monitored and advised Governor Pataki on statewide and national issues, coordinated all gubernatorial events, and traveled regularly with the Governor, managing his daily schedule and appearances.

As Executive Director for "Victory '98" for the New York State Republican Committee, Mr. Doherty implemented set-up for the campaign infrastructure, managed a campaign staff of fifteen for the five statewide candidates, and oversaw all aspects of the Victory '98 campaigns, including fund-raising activities, scheduling of candidates, political strategizing, and press opportunities.

Mr. Doherty served his local community as Eastchester Councilman from 1993 to 1997, and Village of Tuckahoe trustee from 1991 to 1993, where he was recognized by The New York Times for his efforts to consolidate government and make government more efficient.

Mr. Doherty has also served as Public Information Officer for the Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities, Assistant to the Chairman for the Westchester County Board of Legislators, District Representative for the Office of Congressman Joseph J. DioGuardi, and Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Office of Westchester County Executive.

He holds a B.A. in Mass Communications from University of Charleston (West Virginia) and currently resides in Tuckahoe, New York.

Ryan Karben is a Managing Director of IGR Group, and is based in Albany, NY.

Ryan Scott Karben, Esq. brings sixteen years of experience in elected and appointed positions in state and local government to his government relations and public affairs practice.

As an Assemblyman from 2002 to 2006, Karben chaired the Subcommittee on Renewable Energy and enacted innovative legislation providing low cost power to schools across the state.  Assemblyman Karben's legislative investigations uncovered disparities in homeland security funding, secret lawsuit settlements by utilities and accounting irregularities in state agencies.  Karben also served on committees overseeing public authorities and the state’s insurance industry.  When elected, Assemblyman Karben was the body's youngest member.

Prior to his service in the Assembly, Karben was Majority Leader of the Rockland County Legislature and a member of the Town of Ramapo Planning Board.  He has served on the boards of numerous community organizations, including UJA Federation, Martin Luther King Center and Big Brothers-Big Sisters and is a Trustee of the Young Israel of Monsey.  His community service has been honored by, among others, the Community Action Program, Keren-Or/The Jerusalem Center for Multi-Handicapped Blind Children and the Gemstep Foundation.

Karben graduated from the Columbia University School of Law, where he was designated a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and previously practiced law with Simpson Thacher & Bartlett and Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt & Mosle.  He received his B.A. in English from Yeshiva University and currently the principal and owner of the Law Office of Ryan Karben, specializing in civil litigation, land use and real estate.  He serves as counsel to the Village of Spring Valley and the Village of Suffern.

He is married to the former Lauren Bekritsky.  The couple has three girls: Michal Fara, Hanna Meghan and Naava Etta.  The Karbens live in Monsey, NY.

Peter Barden is a Managing Director of Mercury Public Affairs/IGR Group.

Recently, Mr. Barden worked as a Managing Director of Corporate Finance at The Seaport Group, a New York City-based investment banking firm where he specialized in financing renewable energy companies.  From 2001 to 2004, Mr. Barden served as Senior Vice President of Public and Governmental Affairs for the New York Power Authority, where he gained experience in controversial issue advocacy and crisis management, including the siting of fossil-fueled power plants in New York City and the federal licensing of major hydroelectric plants in Upstate New York.

Before joining the Power Authority, Mr. Barden served as Governor George Pataki’s Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs, where he worked as a liaison between the Governor and Legislature. From 1996-1999 Mr. Barden served in various capacities with State Senator Jim Wright, including Chief of Staff, Director of Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, and Communications Director.

Mr. Barden has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Colgate University.

Gordon Warnock is a Vice President of IGR Group.

Prior to joining IGR Group, Gordon Warnock served as an elected representative with the New York State Troopers PBA for 11 years, holding the positions of union delegate, Vice President and Legislative Director.

As a retired member of the New York State Police and Trooper of more than 20 years, Mr. Warnock was involved in all facets of law enforcement and received extensive training, including numerous forensic identification specialties taught by the FBI and other experts.

Through his law enforcement and union experiences, Mr. Warnock has become an expert in crisis management and has gained unique experiences in legislative and public relations work.

As the Legislative Director of the PBA, Mr. Warnock built – from the ground up - a highly-recognized and very effective grassroots political program. Under his leadership, numerous key legislative measures were instituted benefiting the PBA membership, the State Police and the citizens of New York.

Mr. Warnock cultivated relationships with New York State elected officials on behalf of the PBA and hosted several fund-raisers, directed and worked on campaigns across the state, and specialized in assisting in areas of new media and social media. Through his activism, Mr. Warnock was appointed to the New York State Comptroller’s 9/11 Workers Task Force. He also served on the Legislative Committee of the New York State Public Employees Conference and the New York State Association of PBAs.

Mr. Warnock was instrumental in the success of the National Troopers Coalition (NTC), of which the State Troopers PBA is a member. He served as the NTC Treasurer, helped organize seminars on the legislative process and was integral in the nationwide network that helped overcome crises and obstacles for state police unions across the country.

Prior to serving as a Trooper, Mr. Warnock held several positions in the Health Care industry. He was a Bio Chemical technician for Baxter Travenol International, specializing in the creation of diagnostic biological chemical testing methods and devices. He was also employed in the cardiac care industry in the area of post operative pacemaker monitoring, using cutting edge proprietary equipment.

Taking pride in his community, Mr. Warnock has volunteered his time with Cub Scout and Boy Scout groups, has coached Pop Warner football and Little League baseball teams, and has served as a member of the Board of Trustees at the First Presbyterian Church in Port Jervis. He and his wife, Wendy, are the parents of three children and live in Orange County.

During his tenure with the PBA, Mr. Warnock was responsible for negotiating unprecedented collective bargaining agreements for the approximately 4,000 members for the past 10 years. Salaries increased more than 120% during that time, with the most recent contract valued at well over $300 million dollars.

Prior to serving as a Trooper, Mr. Warnock held several positions in the Health Care industry. He was a Bio Chemical technician for Baxter Travenol International, specializing in the creation of diagnostic biological chemical testing methods and devices. He was also employed in the cardiac care industry in the area of post operative pacemaker monitoring, using cutting edge proprietary equipment.

Taking pride in his community, Mr. Warnock has volunteered his time with Cub Scout and Boy Scout groups, has coached Pop Warner football and Little League baseball teams, and has served as a member of the Board of Trustees at the First Presbyterian Church in Port Jervis. He and his wife, Wendy, are the parents of three children and live in Orange County.

Senator Talent is a Co-Chairman of IGR Group and has been active in Missouri and national politics for 20 years.  

Senator Talent's career in public service began in 1984, when at the age of 28 he was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives where he served eight years, the last four as the senior Republican leader in the Missouri House.  In 1992, he was elected to the first of four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives where he represented Missouri's Second Congressional District.  During his eight years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Talent co-authored the historic welfare reform bill, championed national security issues on the House Armed Services Committee, and enacted legislation to help revitalize urban neighborhoods and help lower health care costs.

In 2002, Missourians elected Talent to serve in the United States Senate where he worked with Republicans and Democrats to enact critical legislation for Missouri and served on the Senate Armed Services, Energy and Natural Resources, and Agriculture Committees.  Working with Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden, Senator Talent was successful in securing critical funding and construction bonds in the highway bill and with Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Talent succeeded in passing the most comprehensive anti-meth bill ever enacted into law.  In the summer of 2005, Senator Talent led the fight to add a renewable fuels standard to the energy bill and now, 7.5 billion gallons of renewable fuels like ethanol and bio-diesel must be added to the nation’s fuel supply by 2012. 

Jim and his wife, Brenda, were married in 1984.  They have three young children: Michael, Kate and Chrissy.  Brenda practices law part-time at the law firm, Bryan Cave. Brenda also served four years as an officer in the United States Army.

Jesse D. Appleton served as the Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Financial Markets at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.  In that capacity he provided counsel on key policy matters including: the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, chaired by Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr., financial markets policy, international investment, capital markets competitiveness, alternative energy financing and government loan guarantees, the Private Sector Hedge Fund Managers’ and Investors’ Practices Committees, regulatory policy, securitization, credit rating agencies, mortgage finance and origination, government financing and lending, and cash and debt management modernization.  While serving at Treasury, Mr. Appleton’s portfolio also included a variety of policy matters including CFTC reauthorization, FAA reauthorization, public-private infrastructure financing, energy markets regulation, housing policy, tax relief, fiscal stimulus, and retirement security legislation.  In recognition of his work in advancing Secretary Paulson’s policy initiatives, he received the Department of the Treasury’s Exceptional Service Award.

Prior to joining the Treasury Department, Mr. Appleton served as a Legislative Assistant to Senator James M. Talent.  In that role, he advised Senator Talent on taxes, international trade, appropriations, retirement security, health care, Medicare, Medicaid, labor, Internet, telecommunications and technology issues.  He also assisted Senator Talent with his duties as a member of the President’s Export Council, the U.S. Senate Cuba Working Group, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and the U.S. Senate Republican Task Force on Health Care Costs and the Uninsured.  Previously, Mr. Appleton served as Policy Director for Senator Talent’s 2006 reelection campaign and as Deputy Policy Director for Senator Talent’s 2002 campaign.

A fourth generation Missourian, Mr. Appleton was born and raised in University City, Missouri.  He is a graduate of Stanford University with degrees in history and political science.  While attending Stanford, Mr. Appleton conducted research on U.S.-Middle Eastern relations under the direction of former U.S. Ambassador Thomas W. Simons, Jr.