James Higdon Email & Phone Number

Sound public policy does not stand on its own. Often, the obvious solution fails because of a lack of familiarity with the people, the politics and the process. As a government relations professional, I employ keen strategic thinking skills and a commitment to building long-standing, personal and professional relationships with high-level decision makers to successfully advocate for Fortune 500 clients, local governments, issue campaigns, small businesses and some of the most respected professional associations in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A successful advocate requires a diverse and highly adaptive skill set. My professional experience, in part, includes: - Daily contact with legislators, public agencies, trade associations, business professionals, community leaders and industry allies- Providing testimony before legislative committees to advance, and ultimately pass, legislation- Drafting comprehensive political updates and grassroots action alerts, which are frequently repackaged by clients for internal reporting - Coordinating grassroots outreach on behalf of clients, including leading “Hill Visits” at the state capitol - Preparing successful responses to RFPs from government and quasi-governmental entities - Maintaining strict adherence to the Kentucky Legislative and Executive Branch Ethics Commissions - Author of a blog post that was published in The National Law ReviewGovernment affairs consultants work at the nexus of business and government. Developing an acute understanding of what motivates the private and public sectors, then building coalitions of stakeholders to achieve favorable outcomes for my clients, is the foundation of my lobbying career.

Listed skills include Legislative Relations, Public Policy, Government, Politics, and 15 others.