There is an old adage in Washington: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu”. Not being part of the discussion can cost businesses and associations dearly when legislators and bureaucrats negotiate laws or rules under which we must operate. Every day, decisions are made inside the Beltway which have dramatic effects on the people who make America work. Lobbyit was formed to take back the lobbying industry. We provide basic and transparent services starting at just $995 per month. Our structure and ethos eliminate the barriers to entry for those who, for too long, could not afford to participate in decisions that impacted their lives, businesses and industries. Lobbyit’s new breed of lobbyists know the United States is supposed to be a government of the people and for the people. Let us help you amplify your voice in the corridors of power.
MEET THE TEAM
Our core staff is quite simply the best there is. Managing the day-to-day operations of our rapidly expanding practice takes the brightest talent available. We are proud to call them ours.
Paul Kanitra, Founder & President
Paul Kanitra, Founder and President of Lobbyit, is a prominent, nationally recognized leader and innovator at the forefront of a groundbreaking movement in the Washington lobbying industry. Paul brings with him over a decade of unique and varied legislative experience and a political background that includes work in Congress on behalf of large and small corporations, non-profit associations, municipalities and Native American reservations. He currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Association of Government Relations Professionals and as Chairman of the Standards & Ethics Committee.
After many successes in the lobbying industry, Paul has leveraged his contacts, expertise, resources, and reputation to establish a dynamic, cutting-edge lobbying firm with a revolutionary business model. His firm, Lobbyit provides comprehensive, professional, and affordable representation to a diverse clientele. By making the services of Washington DC lobbyists accessible to a broader client population, Lobbyit provides a voice to companies and organizations that have had little or no representation in the past.
Featured in prominent national publications such as The Washington Post, WallStreetJournal.com, and Worth Magazine, Lobbyit has quickly become a major player in the DC lobbying industry. Since founding the company early in 2009, Paul has scored significant victories for a wide range of clients in appropriations, taxes, licensing, data access, consumer protections, and land usage. He has led efforts and built alliances that have resulted in regulatory changes, widespread Congressional support, and numerous legislative successes.
As the leader of this new class of lobbying firms, Paul is especially proficient at building coalitions and mobilizing grassroots efforts to strengthen his clients’ voices. His prowess at government relations ensures he is able to meet his client’s numerous legislative and regulatory goals. Paul believes strongly in running a lobbying firm for the rest of us.
Originally from Point Pleasant Beach, NJ, Paul graduated from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. He is a member of the American League of Lobbyists and active in multiple philanthropic organizations such as Hoops for Hope and Clean Ocean Action.
Richard Hoar, Executive Vice President
Richard Hoar is Lobbyit’s Executive Vice President. He manages the firm’s team of lobbyists and provides government relations and political intelligence services to the firm’s clients. His policy areas of expertise include travel & hospitality, education & workforce, trade & commerce, and defense & security issues, gained from eight years of experience in the government relations sector and another decade of service as a senior staff member on Capitol Hill.
Prior to becoming a government relations professional, Richard served 4.5 years as the Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for U.S. Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), where he served as the congressman’s chief policy advisor, providing legislative and political advice on all issue areas as they relate to the congressman’s policy goals and congressional district.
Prior to joining Rep. Bilirakis’ office in 2010, Mr. Hoar served for six years as a professional staff member for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, where he worked on legislative issues regarding labor and workforce policy, helping Republican committee members pursue policies and oversight that encouraged and allowed employers to provide jobs to the economy, workers with safe and healthy work environments, and reforms to the federal government.
Hailing from the Tampa Bay area and a former military intelligence officer in the Army Reserve, Mr. Hoar earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from George Washington University.
Michael Blake Bezruki, Vice President of Government Relations
Michael Blake Bezruki brings nearly a decade of government relations experience to Lobbyit, having represented both major corporations and trade associations on Capitol Hill and in state capitals across the country. Prior to joining firm, Michael Blake Bezruki served as the Advocacy Director for Wells Fargo, based in Washington, D.C. where he oversaw the legislative and political engagement of Wells Fargo’s senior corporate leaders and more than 260,000 employees nationwide. In this role, Michael Blake leveraged Wells Fargo’s unique company story and national footprint to help advance and restore the bank’s reputation with policymakers on Capitol Hill, as the organization undertook efforts to support its customers through the Paycheck Protection Program and other COVID-19 economic relief efforts. In this role, Michael Blake also worked to establish Wells Fargo’s reputation as a leader in corporate responsibility by launching the bank’s national voter education campaigns and policymaker engagement series, partnering with community and government organizations to support Wells Fargo’s customers and employees engaging in policy and the political process.
Before his role at Wells Fargo, Michael Blake worked for the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) as a Director on the Intergovernmental Affairs team. In this position, Michael Blake helped lead the trade association’s advocacy efforts on a number of issues critical to the housing industry with federal, state, and local policymakers. He also worked to elevate the organization’s national political profile through the implementation of NAHB’s Congressional Endorsement and Defender of Housing programs.
Michael Blake began his career working on a U.S. House of Representatives race in his home state of Illinois, assisting with strategic communications and outreach to community leaders. Michael Blake then went on to serve as a Government Affairs Consultant for a Washington, D.C.-based public affairs firm, advising the firm’s trade association clients on best practices in lobbying and grassroots advocacy.
As an experienced political operative, Michael Blake is a two-time recipient (2017 & 2018) of Campaign & Elections Magazine’s Reed Award for excellence in political advocacy. Michael Blake is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University and resides in Washington, D.C., where he spends his free time serving on the boards of two non-profit organizations focused on advocating for policies supporting the development of affordable housing in the Washington, D.C. area.
Jake Kohn, Director of Government Relations
Jake Kohn joined the LobbyIt team in June 2021 as Director of Government Relations. Jake plays an important role in the continued development and execution of all strategic initiatives on behalf of a large and diverse client roster. He works to define and advance policy and advocacy issues, perform background research, and organize and lead meetings with internal and external stakeholders.
Jake came to LobbyIt after founding his own firm, Kohn Law & Policy, where he provided legislative and regulatory analysis for clients at the state and federal level. Prior to that, Jake worked as a legislative associate at Rapoza Associates, where he developed his skills in legislative affairs, advocacy, and coalition management. He was the policy lead for the National Rural Housing Coalition and his portfolio focused on rural housing and development along with federal community financial investment policy. During this time, he generated and maintained relationships in Congress, planned and executed conferences and briefings on the Hill, acted as a federal agency liaison, prepared testimony, submitted regulatory comments, and distributed legislative updates and advocacy opportunities.
Before Rapoza Associates, Jake served as legislative counsel for the Washington D.C. City Council Committee on Finance and Revenue. While working for the City Council he managed a policy portfolio including budget, transportation, and judiciary issues. When Jake first arrived in the District in 2015, he worked as an associate at American Bridge, an opposition research firm, where he performed policy and legal research and worked as part of a team to produce reliable and actionable information. Jake started his political career working on campaigns in New York at the city and federal level.
Jake grew up in West Bloomfield, Michigan. He earned his BA from Yeshiva University and his JD from Brooklyn Law School. He is licensed in Washington D.C. and New York.
Lindsay Atherton, Government Relations Director
Lindsay Atherton is an experienced lobbyist and government affairs and contracting consultant. She began her career in private equity and insurance, engaging at both the state and federal level. In future roles, she would go on to expand her understanding of government work to include appropriations, government contracting, government partnering, contract vehicles, and federal corporate strategy. Lindsay has a comprehensive understanding of legislative, appropriations, and contracting processes representing the entire lifecycle of government funding from start to finish.
Prior to joining Lobbyit, Lindsay worked as a lobbyist in the defense and emerging technology industry. This work was done with both start-ups and experienced systems integrator partners. There, she developed comprehensive campaign strategies for entities looking to expand or improve their federal footprint. She also worked to influence federal appropriations to ensure the U.S. was appropriately investing in emerging technology essential to the success of the United States and its civilian and military assets.
Lindsay is a graduate of North Carolina State University where she received degrees in International Affairs and Communications. She then continued her education at Elon University where she received her Masters in Business Administration (MBA). She currently resides in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia where she spends her free time outdoor with her dog, Skip.
Juan Mejia, Government Relations Manager
Juan Mejia joined the Lobbyit team in October 2022 as a Government Relations Manager. His background and experience spans government consulting, public affairs, advocacy, and campaigns at the national and local level.
Prior to joining Lobbyit, Juan represented a variety of clients at a Washington, D.C. lobbying and public affairs firm. In his role, he elevated client issues, pitched reporters, and placed stories in national and state news outlets. His work shaped public perception around legislative and regulatory issues. He also worked on the Trump-Pence 2020 re-election campaign where he was tasked with increasing Hispanic turnout and piloting bilingual communications strategies. A national engagement strategy resulted in the highest Hispanic turnout since the 2002 presidential election.
Juan is a graduate of Lamar University where he majored in Economics and minored in Business Law. He currently resides in Chesapeake Beach, Maryland where he spends his free time playing golf and trying new restaurants with his wife, Alexandra.
Andrew Schinski, Government Relations Manager
Andrew Schinski joined the LobbyIt team in late 2021 as a Government Relations Manager. By trade, Andrew is a licensed attorney barred in the District of Columbia. Andrew covers a large issue portfolio in policy areas such as workforce development, supply chains, transportation, insurance, healthcare, and energy.
Prior to his role at Lobbyit, Andrew served as a policy consultant tasked with legislative and regulatory apparatus within energy markets. Prior to his licensure with the D.C. Bar, Andrew spent time in the executive branch at the Federal Communication Commission’s Office of Legislative Affairs where he focused on his legal training to aid with legislative initiatives and correspondence with members of Congress. Before the FCC, Andrew was a law clerk within the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Chief Administrative Law Judge. In this role, Andrew regularly reviewed claimant’s cases and advised the board as well as administrative law judges as to the validity of a case based on multifaceted regulations.
Before law school, Andrew worked in insurance markets working with brokers leveraging actuarial rates to assess risk premiums. Andrew grew up in Malvern, Pennsylvania and earned his B.S. in political science from Thomas Jefferson University and his J.D. from The Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law in Washington, D.C. While completing his J.D., Andrew was a visiting member of the Public Policy Institute with a focus on Administrative Law, Law & Economics, and Contract Drafting.
Want to become a part of the Lobbyit team? Find out about our career opportunities.