Michael Carpenter
Lobbying since: 2007
Mike is an experienced lobbyist and government affairs and communications professional. He specializes in lobbying and managing state legislative issues, political and issue advocacy campaigns, and developing and implementing strategic plans to achieve our clients’ legislative and reputational objectives. In addition to state lobbying, he provides communications, consulting and procurement services to the firm’s biomedical, entertainment, government services, healthcare, hospitality and transportation clients.
Prior to co-founding the firm, he directed state government affairs for multinational corporations in California and other Western states, managing controversial legislative and regulatory issues. In addition to extensive state lobbying, he managed lobbying and political consulting firms in multiple states, and oversaw ballot initiative and candidate election activities.
He led a corporate public affairs department, overseeing communications, external affairs and philanthropic outreach activities throughout the United States. He launched major community relations programs in California, and has extensive public affairs experience, including coalition development, issue analysis and opinion research, communications, external relations and philanthropy programs, and grass roots advocacy. He has also served as a corporate spokesperson.
He was chief lobbyist and political director for a major statewide California trade association, where he lobbied the legislature and established the organization’s first election program.
He has been a frequent speaker and panelist before national and state organizations, including the American Public Relations Association, National Association of Latino Elected Officials, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National and State Conferences of the NAACP, State Policy Network, California Association of Realtors and California Chamber of Commerce. He has served on the boards of numerous statewide trade and policy organizations.
Mike graduated with highest honors from U.C. Berkeley and earned his law degree from the University of San Francisco. He was a litigation attorney with a San Francisco-based global law firm, representing clients in complex litigation, product liability, medical malpractice and securities litigation. He lives in Sacramento with his wife, Phyllis. They have two daughters, Lauren and Paige.
Gregory Hurner
Lobbying since: 2015
Greg is an experienced professional with a diverse background in the executive and legislative branches of government. He has spent more than two decades on statewide policy development and government relations, with more than 15 of those years in public service, where he developed an extensive network of relationships in the legislature, state agencies, departments and boards. He has served in various executive capacities in three gubernatorial administrations, and as Chief of Staff to the Senate Minority Caucus.
He has extensive experience working on California’s climate change law, including implementation of the state’s cap and trade program for regulated entities and providing clients with risk management and compliance strategies; state and federal environmental permitting and mitigation; water, energy, and tax policy; interacting with regulatory boards and commissions, professional licensing bodies, and tribal governments; and state budgeting and procurement. His expertise in water and natural resources issues includes managing his family’s cattle, dairy and rice operations, in addition to his public service working on infrastructure funding, grant programs and environmental permitting and mitigation. He was a lead negotiator in drafting the recent $11 billion water bond and accompanying legislative water package.
As Senior Advisor to the Director at the Department of Fish and Game (DFG), Greg supervised the legislative, communications and external affairs programs and oversaw Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Policy. While at DFG, he negotiated the final agreement on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) 2100 relicensing for the State Water Project’s Oroville facilities and PG&E’s facilities upstream. He also co-facilitated negotiations involving groups from Oregon and California that included local, state and federal agencies and representatives of fishermen, environmentalists, upstream and downstream water interests, energy users, and conservationists. These negotiations resulted in a 26 party agreement on the allocation of Klamath River water as part of Pacificorps’ relicensing of the Klamath Hydroelectric Project (FERC 2082).
He was a member of the executive team at the State and Consumer Services Agency (SCSA), now known as the Government Operations Agency, where he oversaw the legislative programs of 17 departments and the professional licensing boards at the Department of Consumer Affairs. While at the SCSA, Greg was extensively involved in state procurement reforms and contracting matters. He negotiated legislative relief, including a federal preemption provision prohibiting California from adopting onerous regulations expected to result in over $1 billion in compliance costs for businesses.
Greg is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) and serves on an advisory group to the university President. He is an active volunteer in youth programs and a blood donor. His daughter, Grace, is a graduate of Cal Poly and Santa Clara University. His son, Geoffrey, is an Eagle Scout, an honors graduate of Boise State University, and member of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Jeffrey Sievers
Lobbying since: 2007
Jeff is an experienced lobbyist and political campaign consultant. He specializes in managing legislative issues, political and issue advocacy campaigns, grassroots advocacy, and strategic communications. He has managed sophisticated national, multi-state lobbying and issue management campaigns on behalf of the firm’s clients.
He works extensively on energy, labor, transportation, environmental and financial services issues. He manages the firm’s energy practice, working with multi-national energy corporations and emerging businesses on complex legislative and regulatory issues. He works extensively with the State Lands Commission, the Air Resources Board and the Natural Resources Agency. He also works with the firm’s financial services clients, and led a complex advocacy program to address sub-prime lending issues pending in 14 states and in Congress. He also advises clients on state procurement issues.
Prior to co-founding the firm, he served as Vice President of the Civil Justice Association of California (CJAC), where he was responsible for lobbying, executing the organization’s political programs, developing statewide ballot initiatives, and expanding political fundraising efforts.
He directed the organization’s political action committee and independent expenditure committees, helping to transform CJAC into one of the most politically savvy, broad-based trade associations in California. He has executed ambitious independent expenditure programs that have been widely credited with electing and defeating a number of California Senate and Assembly candidates.