Rob Jones is the founder of Alliance Group. An attorney by training, Rob has also served at the senior level in administration of former Virginia Governor Gerald Baliles and served on the Richmond City Council. A hands-on manager, Rob stays involved with all aspects of client work at the firm. Rob is on the board of the Virginia Council of CEO's, the Virginia Economic Bridge and Leadership Metro Richmond, in addition to being an active member in the Virginia and Greater Richmond Chambers of Commerce to name a few. Rob is a graduate of the University of Virginia - McIntire School of Commerce and holds a J.D. from Lewis & Clark, Northwestern School of Law. Interesting facts about Rob 1. Has two awesome dogs that double as the firm's mascots. 2. Is always on the go - been to 49 of the 50 states and 25 plus countries. 3. Is addicted to technology and caffeine - he is always connected to the net via his iPad, iPhone or laptop and iced or hot coffee is always within arm's reach. David Bass works primarily in Alliance Group's public relations sector, concentrating on PR, media relations, and event planning for some of our corporate clients. David is very active in the city of Richmond having held a leadership position with the City's award winning Neighborhood Team Process and serving as Vice-President of the Shockoe Neighborhood Committee. David is currently President of the Manchester Alliance and serves on the Marketing and Advocacy Committee of Venture Richmond. He is a graduate of the University of Richmond with a B.A. in International Studies with a minor concentration in German. Interesting facts about David 1. Has eaten at almost every restaurant within the Richmond city limits. 2. Is fascinated by all things mid-century modern. 3. Has been a die-hard Star Trek fan for more than 25 years. Katie Donnini is our resident grassroots organizing expert. She's built, managed, and maintained coalitions up and down the East Coast. Grassroots is Katie's true love; she's been rallying up supporters through issue and political campaigns for nearly 10 years. Prior to joining Alliance Group, Katie was the Director of Government Relations for the American Heart Association, where she was responsible for health systems policy, grassroots and media advocacy. Katie also has held the role of Grassroots Manager for the American Cancer Society, Program Manager for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Regional Organizer for Citizen Action and The Public Policy and Education Fund, and Site Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs. At Alliance Group, Katie focuses primarily on the firm's healthcare and non-profit initiatives. Katie holds undergraduate degrees in management, liberal arts, and leadership from Trocaire College and the University of Richmond. Interesting facts about Katie 1. Is an avid seashell collector, especially Chesapeake Bay oyster shells. 2. Native Buffalonian - Katie really knows chicken wings and snow! 3. Loves disco music, especially Earth, Wind & Fire! Peter DuMont wears several hats, working on grassroots and PR initiatives, as well as serving as the firm's IT specialist. Peter can "talk tech" with the best of them - a great skill to have on staff when some of the rest of us think "tech" is a foreign language akin to "Czech." Active in the community, Peter serves as an elder at Eternity Church in Richmond and is active in the local arts, serving as a volunteer usher at the Landmark Theater. A native Minnesotan, Peter is a graduate of the University of Richmond with a B.S. in English. Interesting facts about Peter 1. Is an avid cyclist. 2. Has twice participated in a 12-hour marathon reading of John Milton's Paradise Lost. 3. Doesn't think his favorite books should be made into movies. Katie Frazier is our government relations guru who's wanted to be a lobbyist since the third grade and has spent her career representing interest groups at the state and federal level. Working with Congress, Governors, Cabinet members, legislators, local officials and agency personnel gets her blood flowing and she relishes educating others on key issues. Prior to joining Alliance Group, Katie was the Vice President-Public Affairs for the Virginia Agribusiness Council. Her advocacy efforts focused on the Chesapeake Bay and water quality, water supply and water use, farmland preservation, property rights, alternative energy, and livestock and poultry issues. In addition to advocacy, Katie's experience working for a non-profit association gives her unique insights into association management and working for member organizations. At Alliance, Katie works with a variety of clients providing government affairs, advocacy, and association management services. Katie is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics and Political Science, where she currently serves on the Alumni Board of Directors. Interesting facts about Katie 1. Is a Civil War and history buff--she's planning to meet her love of history and wine by collecting all the stamps on the Virginia Wine Civil War Sesquicentennial Passport. 2. Spent a summer in college on a mission trip to Thailand teaching English in elementary schools. 3. Has developed an appreciation for classic country and has been known to sing along with Barbara Mandrell and Loretta Lynn. Matt Gray is Alliance Group's resident fundraising expert. He also has significant experience organizing at the grassroots level and working with members of the Virginia General Assembly, having served as Director of Development for the Republican Party of Virginia. In Washington, Matt worked as a fundraiser for Senators John McCain, Elizabeth Dole, George Allen, John Ensign and Jim Inhofe. Additionally, he worked as an event planner for the non-profit Prince of Wales Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting various charities in the fields of health, education, the built environment and the natural environment. Active in the community, Matt is involved with Benedictine High School Alumni Association, the Forest Hill Neighborhood Association, the Richmond SPCA, the Republican Party of Richmond and St. Benedict Catholic School. Matt earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from James Madison University. Interesting facts about Matt 1. Has five (5) four-legged children, three dogs and two cats: Madison, Myrt, Mimi, Duke and Duchess. 2. Is addicted to Home Shopping Network. 3. Is a barbeque fanatic, recommends Bennie's Barbeque in Stratford Hills. Don Harris works as the firm's government relations liaison in Northern Virginia. A former VP for Inova Health System, Don serves as an Inova representative on the Board of the Alliance for Advancing Non-Profit Health Care and the Hospital Advocacy Group of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association. In the community, Don is a board member of the Campbell-Hoffman Foundation. He is a founding member and past chairman of the Board of the Northern Virginia Area Health Education Center (AHEC). He served on the boards of the Health Systems Agency of Northern Virginia and the Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry (NOVAM). He participated in the inaugural Leadership Fairfax class as a former board member of the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce. Don graduated from Indiana University and Yale University with masters' degrees and has an undergraduate degree from Franklin College of Indiana. Interesting facts about Don 1. Grew up on a farm in Indiana and is today an avid weekend gardener who specializes in bringing barely living things back to life. 2. Is a huge Indiana basketball fan. 3. Enjoys reading historical and international intrigue novels. Amanda Fassett Murray is the newest member of the team and works primarily in Alliance Group's public relations sector specializing in social media, networking and media relations. With a strong background in sport marketing and sponsorship, the Charlotte, N.C. native relocated to Richmond after working for NASCAR's largest team, Roush Fenway Racing. Prior to Roush Fenway, Amanda completed the U.S. Olympic Committee's prestigious internship program in the paralympic division with the U.S. Association of Blind Athletes in Colorado Springs. Amanda is a proud graduate of the University of Miami (FL) where she double majored in Public Relations and Sport Administration with a minor in Marketing. Interesting facts about Amanda 1. Amanda enjoys engaging in outdoor extremities from scuba diving to snowboarding. 2. Amanda has lived in four states in the past 2.5 years (Florida, Colorado, N.C., Virginia) but is thankful to now call Richmond home! 3. Amanda is a loud and proud Miami Hurricane-It's All About the U! Michael Phillips works primarily in the Public Relations sector of the firm. He is highly skilled in media relations, often being told that there isn't a story that he can't find an outlet for. He works and maintains relationships with mainstream and specialized media, including national print publications, broadcast and on-line media. Another aspect of Michael's work is event planning. He frequently plans and executes major events including media, government officials and business leaders throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Michael is a graduate of the University of Virginia where he earned a B.A. in History, led several student organizations and served as an undergraduate researcher. Interesting facts about Michael 1. Enjoys listening to Greek and Persian music. 2. Has a collection of early American antiques and can commonly be found at his desk listening to Se Pira Sovara while previewing the latest auction (on his lunch break, of course). 3. Takes advantage of the government relations aspect of the firm, Michael enjoys posing for photo ops with KIs (Key Influentials in PR lingo). Andy is a lawyer by training, with a corporate and transactional background at a large international law firm. Andy also has extensive experience in state government, having worked in senior positions for two Virginia Governors focusing on government administration and reform as well as technology issues. Andy assists our clients with crafting and implementing communications strategies to respond to a wide range of needs, drawing on his substantial experience with strategic planning for fast-paced, complex organizations. Andy's leadership roles in government included experience managing enterprise-wide projects, including many large-scale ventures involving multiple large and small organizations. Andy has valuable government relations and public policy experience in drafting and analyzing legislative and regulatory proposals. Andy has a track record as a consensus-builder, with an ability to build relationships through a balanced, collaborative approach. Andy earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Virginia. Andy is active in civic and charitable organizations in the Richmond community, serving in leadership positions with the YMCA and his church and having served on the Board of Directors of Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Interesting facts about Andy 1. Andy spent his college summers working on jump crews at horse shows throughout the southeast....much like a "roadie" for rock bands. 2. Andy hopes to one day finish the ever-accumulating tower of books on his nightstand, and as a devoted "double Hoo" even aspires to add all of TJ's papers to that growing pile (has Volumes I and II thus far....). Ben Rowe works primarily with corporate and non-profit initiatives and assists with the implementation of successful Association Management strategies and Public Relations. Prior to joining the Alliance Group team, Ben was the firm's intern in January 2010. Ben is a graduate of Randolph-Macon College where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and Biology, conducted independent research and held leadership positions within several student organizations. Interesting facts About Ben: 1. Spent a month building efficient stoves in Guatemalan villages 2. Can correctly identify nearly all native Virginia tree species and provide interested parties with both the common and scientific name