HIGHGROUND - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Account Executive - Social Media & Public Relations
Barrett Beall, Senior Account Executive - Social Media & Public Relations, serves as HighGround's liaison between the firm's longstanding reputation and the new digital realm of politics, exemplifying the importance of a multipronged approach to both social media and traditional forms of PR. Ms. Coughlin has a distinctive capacity to employ the art of influence…
Job Titles:
- CEO
- President
- CEO and President of HighGround, Inc
Chuck Coughlin is CEO and President of HighGround, Inc. He founded the Company 27 years ago as a political consulting firm specializing in campaign management. Today, the firm has a full palate of public affairs professionals from lobbying, communications, public opinion polling, digital media, and campaign management. In recent years the firm was named: "2023 Best Polling Firm" by Arizona Capitol Times, "2022 Public Affairs Firm of the Year" by Campaigns and Elections, "2022 Best Lobbying Firm" and "2022 Best Public Relations Firm" by Arizona Capitol Times.
Coughlin is a five-time winner of Arizona's "Best Political Operative" awarded by the Arizona Capitol Times. Additionally, he has earned the Arizona Capitol Times title of "Leader of the Year" twice. He served as Governor Brewer's transition Chairman for her 2009 Transition team and was the campaign manager for Governor Symington's 1994 re-election campaign which overcame a post Labor Day double-digit deficit to win re-election. Under his leadership, HighGround has won over 50 awards from Campaigns and Elections and the American Association of Political Consultants.
Douglas Cole is HighGround's Chief Operating Officer. He joined the firm in 1998 after serving as a top staffer in the Arizona House of Representatives, Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Fife Symington, Press Secretary to Congressman John Rhodes III and staff assistant to Congressman John McCain.
While Cole has been a key participant in many major policy initiatives over the past three decades, he cites the legislative creation and voter approval of Valleywise Health, Maricopa County's public health care system, as his proudest career achievement. A fourth-generation Arizonan, Cole helps guide the firm's successful lobbying and business development practice.
Job Titles:
- Senior Government Affairs Executive
Jessica Blazina, Senior Government Affairs Executive, has more than 20 years of experience working in local and state government in Arizona. She is the latest addition to the the HighGround lobbying team - bringing capacity and assisting the firm in developing deeper relationships and improving client services for new and existing clients. She has worked for elected officials throughout the valley and represented multiple municipalities as the director for state and federal relations. Ms. Blazina brings a depth of knowledge and experience in local government issues, regional and statewide issues including funding, economic development, regional cooperation, and transportation. Her bipartisan relationships have contributed to successes for cities and towns at both the federal and state levels.
Keeley Gibbs, Account Executive, brings her unique background in design, web development, and programming to support HighGround's public affairs and government affairs clients. Prior to joining the team, Ms. Gibbs worked as a government relations specialist at the Arizona State Legislature where she studied the legislative process and worked closely with legislators on behalf of her clients.
Before her work in politics, Gibbs worked in website and digital development for a Phoenix firm specializing in cryptocurrency. She is looking forward to blending her political and digital experience together to provide a unique outlook on all projects. Ms. Gibbs is a recent graduate of The University of Arizona with a degree in eSociety and Information Technology and a minor in History and Sociology of Journalism and Communication studies with a certification in Software Engineering.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President for Governmental Affairs
Nick Ponder, Senior Vice President for Governmental Affairs, has nearly two decades of experience working in state and local governments in Arizona and New York City. Mr. Ponder has been nominated for "Best Lobbyist Under 40" and "Best Government Lobbyist" by the Arizona Capitol Times.
Prior to joining HighGround, Nick served as Legislative Director for the League of Arizona Cities and Towns where he spearheaded several major policy efforts including securing the passage of Wayfair legislation and strengthening local revenue bases by increasing the municipal portion of Voter Approved Local Revenue in 2021. Mr. Ponder's work helped the organization win "Best Industry or Trade Association" from the Arizona Capitol Times in 2019. Prior to his role representing municipalities Nick spent thirteen years working on state and local pensions at the state and local level.
Job Titles:
- Public Affairs Consulting - General Counsel Emeritus
Patrick J. Cunningham brings 32 years of public sector experience to public affairs consulting at HighGround, and he specializes in the natural resource and water policy arena.
Patrick was Deputy Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality from 2003 through 2009, and worked for 12 years in the Arizona AG's office as Chief Counsel, of the Environmental Enforcement Section and Criminal Division. Mr. Cunningham and HighGround do not provide legal services to HighGround clients.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President - Research & Strategy
Paul Bentz, Senior Vice President - Research & Strategy, specializes in public opinion surveys and is four-time winner of "Best Pollster" by the Arizona Capitol Times. He has nearly two decades of experience in strategy, messaging, and campaign management.
Mr. Bentz has performed survey research for Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, school districts, business organizations, and many other clients. Mr. Bentz has also been at the point of a significant number of major public policy issues and has built a reputation for managing challenging statewide, regional, and local campaigns.
Robyne Richards has 14 years of legislative experience. At the state legislature, she worked directly with members of both chambers in the areas of commerce, natural resources and military. Ms. Richards is responsible for managing the office and supporting team members in government affairs.
She is actively involved in local fundraising efforts and serves on a board at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Ms. Richards volunteers for NewLifeCenter domestic violence shelter in Goodyear and advocates for women and children seeking to escape domestic violence.
Job Titles:
- Governor Brewer 's Chief of Staff, and Director of the Arizona Department of Administration
- Senior Vice President for Governmental Affairs
Scott A. Smith, Senior Vice President for Governmental Affairs, has nearly 30 years of experience working in and around state government and on policy and legislative matters at the Arizona State Legislature. Scott has been nominated as the "Best Lobbyist" by the Arizona Capitol Times and is a recipient of the AZ Tax Research Good Government Award among other honors and awards.
Smith served as Governor Brewer's Chief of Staff, and Director of the Arizona Department of Administration, and was a key contributor to many of Gov. Brewer's signature policy achievements. Scott also served as the State Relations Director for ASU President Michael Crow. Scott's clients include publicly-traded multinational corporations, an international non-profit organization, local governments, and regional and municipal organizations.