Les Spivey came to the Alpine Group after having served as a Senior Professional Staff Member on the United States Senate Committee on Appropriations. He focuses his practice primarily on appropriations issues. In his most recent position, Mr. Spivey was responsible for coordinating the Chairman's federal funding priorities for Mississippi in twelve annual appropriations bills, and was responsible for coordinating the unprecedented response by Congress in providing appropriated federal funding to the Gulf States in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Prior to Senator Cochran's ascension to the Chairmanship, Mr. Spivey worked on the Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Homeland Security during the initial days of the Department of Homeland Security where he was instrumental in crafting the first two annual appropriations bill for the newly established Department. He performed oversight and budget analysis for the Transportation Security Administration, the Science and Technology Directorate, and the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Directorate. Before the development of the Department of Homeland Security Subcommittee, Mr. Spivey worked as a Professional Staff Member on the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies where he performed oversight and budget analysis for several agencies including university research and rural development activities. Before Mr. Spivey's federal government service, he worked for Ketchum Public Relations Worldwide in Washington, D.C. where he assisted in coordinating a national public affairs campaign in thirty-eight targeted Congressional Districts. Mr. Spivey received his Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from the University of Mississippi and was selected as a John C. Stennis Congressional Fellow for the 109th Congress. He currently resides in Alexandria with his wife, Beth, and their three children.