At our board meeting on January 14, 2015 we welcomed 5 new members for three-year terms: Edward An of Google, Meredith Attwell Baker of CTIA-The Wireless Association, Kirk Blalock of Fierce Government Relations, Arshi Siddiqui of Akin Gump, and Dawn Sweeney of the National Restaurant Association. We are also very pleased to welcome Larry Harlow of Harlow Government Relations, LLC as an Advisory Governor.
We are delighted to have these leaders join us and are looking forward working with them to further our mission of promoting the highest professional and ethical standards in lobbying.
Edward An serves as a policy manager at Google, representing the company before Congress. Prior to joining Google, Ed was with Time Warner and, subsequently, Time Warner Cable for more than 12 years, as vice president of public policy and government affairs. He earlier served as legislative assistant to Senator Russ Feingold and a senior associate at the Strategic Alliances Group. Ed began his career with a number of public interest organizations, including Handgun Control.
Meredith Attwell Baker joined CTIA-The Wireless Association as its President and CEO in June 2014. Prior to joining CTIA, Meredith served as the senior vice president of government affairs at Comcast NBCUniversal. Meredith also served as a commissioner to the Federal Communications Commission until June 2011. Previously, Meredith served in the Bush Administration as the acting administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Kirk Blalock is partner at Fierce Government Relations, a government relations firm. Previously, Kirk served as special assistant to President George W. Bush and deputy director, White House Office of Public Liaison. Prior to his Presidential appointment, Kirk served in several key positions, including: director of external affairs, Philip Morris Companies Inc.; special assistant to Chairman Haley Barbour, Republican National Committee; and special assistant to U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander.
Larry Harlow is the president and founder of Harlow Government Relations, LLC and has extensive public and private sector government relations experience. Prior to opening Harlow Government Relations, LLC, Larry served as an executive at Timmons and Company. In President George H.W. Bush’s Administration, he served as assistant secretary of the treasury for legislative affairs.
Arshi Siddiqui is partner at the international law firm Akin Gump. Building on more than fifteen years of policy, political and private-sector experience, Arshi came to Akin Gump after serving as senior policy advisor and counsel to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). Prior to her tenure in the Speaker’s office, Arshi represented corporate clients before Congress and the executive branch. She began her career on Capitol Hill, first as a policy aide to Rep. Eva Clayton, and subsequently as Ways and Means counsel to Rep. Xavier Becerra.
Dawn Sweeney is the president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. Before joining the National Restaurant Association in 2007, Dawn was president and CEO of AARP Services, the wholly owned taxable subsidiary of AARP. Her 25+ years of marketing, advocacy and policy experience also include leadership positions at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association and the International Dairy Foods Association. Dawn has been named one of the perennial top association CEOs in the country for the past several years.
