AAMS is pleased to announce a new relationship with Thorn Run Partners in support of ongoing legislative and regulatory efforts. Founded in January 2010 by veteran lobbyists Andrew Rosenberg and Chris Lamond, who previously served as staffers to Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Fred Thompson (R-TN), respectively, Thorn Run Partners is a full-service government relations, policy, and strategic communications firm with offices in Washington, DC, Portland, Oregon, and Los Angeles. It has been recognized as a Top 10 lobbying firm by respected publications including Politico, Roll Call, the Hill, Congressional Quarterly, and Bloomberg, consistently ranking among the nation’s most creative and effective government relations companies.

Our primary contact at Thorn Run Partners is Senior Vice President, Kyle Sanders. Kyle brings a decade of public service experience to Thorn Run Partners that includes his most recent assignment as a senior aide and Deputy Chief of Staff to Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), a member of the Senate Finance, Banking, Judiciary, and Veterans Affairs committees.

While working for his home-state Senator, Kyle oversaw the office’s economic development, transportation & infrastructure, appropriations, federal grants, and disaster recovery initiatives. This unique policy set allowed him to develop an expansive network of state, local, federal, non-profit, and private sector partners establishing him as a uniquely accomplished convener in Washington. Kyle graduated with Honors from the University of North Carolina Wilmington earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Philosophy. He obtained his J.D. with honors and is licensed to practice in North Carolina and Washington, DC. He lives in DuPont Circle with his wife, Miriam, and their daughter.

The AAMS team will also include:

Andrew Rosenberg, Founding Partner
Andy brings 20 years of experience as a lobbyist, Capitol Hill staffer and former congressional candidate to Thorn Run Partners, which he co-founded in 2010. Throughout his career, Mr. Rosenberg has counseled a wide range of corporations, trade associations and non-profits on strategic matters involving public policy.

Shea McCarthy, Partner
For over 12 years, Mr. McCarthy has provided Thorn Run’s clients with deep analysis and a keen understanding of federal health care policy. Respected on both sides of the aisle for his substantive approach to health care advocacy, Mr. McCarthy counsels clients on the intricacies of health policy and helps develop and execute strategies to influence federal laws. As a central figure in the health policy community — known amongst staffers as the organizing force behind an ongoing series of highly-attended networking events — Mr. McCarthy maintains an extensive network of health care staffers, particularly those on key committee of health care jurisdiction.

Gary Palmquist, Senior Vice President
Gary brings over 20 years of experience as a lobbyist and Capitol Hill staffer to Thorn Run Partners. Drawing on his extensive network of bipartisan relationships on Capitol Hill, Mr. Palmquist has a strong record of developing lobbying strategies and delivering successful results. A seasoned practitioner, he focuses his representation on financial services, healthcare, corporations, coalitions, and trade associations. Mr. Palmquist joined Thorn Run Partners in 2010 from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s leading small business advocacy organization. At NFIB, he developed advocacy and grassroots strategy and lobbied Congress in support of tax relief and healthcare reform.

“With our core value of advocacy in mind, I am excited to continue working on AAMS legislative and regulatory initiatives with Thorn Run Partners by our side,” said Jana Williams, AAMS President and CEO. “Our members will benefit from partnering with a bipartisan firm to offer greater depth and multiple areas of expertise, and I am confident that Thorn Run Partners will strengthen our advocacy efforts.”