Team Category: Main TRP team page

Andres Kardonski joined Thorn Run in March 2026, bringing experience as a bilingual political communications professional on Capitol Hill. At Thorn Run, Andres supports the firm’s growing Maritime and Logistics policy practice.

Prior to joining the firm, Andres served as Communications Advisor to U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt (R-MO), where he helped develop and execute strategic messaging on legislative priorities, drafted press materials, and coordinated with state and national media. He previously served as Communications Director for U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani (AZ-06), leading a bilingual communications operation during an election year.

Earlier in his career, Andres interned in the office of former Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Louis Sola, where he gained exposure to maritime policy and regulatory issues.

Andres graduated from Pitzer College in 2022 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.

Ben Calkins joined Thorn Run Partners in 2026, bringing a background in policy analysis, legislative operations, and government affairs. At Thorn Run, Ben works on the firm’s Energy and Financial Services practices, leveraging his past experiences across the public and private sectors to help clients advance their priorities. Prior to joining Thorn Run, he served as an intern for the Democratic Staff of the House Science, Space, & Technology Committee and the district and D.C. Offices of Representative Joseph Morelle (NY-25) in Congress, for GQR Research, a polling and campaign consulting firm, and for ML Strategies, a bipartisan government affairs firm.

Ben grew up in Rochester NY, but has spent the last four years in D.C., where he graduated from American University with a master’s in Public Policy Analysis and a bachelor’s in Political Science. In his free time, Ben enjoys playing soccer, photography, going to the movies, and cheering on the Buffalo Bills.

Kyle Winslow is a strategic consultant with Thorn Run Partners (TRP). He provides consulting services regarding energy, defense, and appropriations issues. 

Kyle brings over 15 years of experience in the energy government affairs, external affairs, communications, and public policy space at the federal and local government levels and with nonprofit and private sector clients.

Kyle served as Senior Advisor for Congressional Affairs as well as External Affairs Director at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO), where he worked on matters of Congressional oversight, budget matters including related to annual appropriations process and budget reconciliation, and external engagement with policymakers and other stakeholders on program developments and over $100 billion in deal announcements. Kyle led the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) legislative affairs team as Legislative Director, where he helped secure the highest level of program funding in the program’s history at the time.

Kyle holds a B.A. from Bucknell University and an M.P.P. from George Washington University. He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and three beagles.

Mary is a seasoned public-sector leader and attorney with more than two decades of experience at the nexus of maritime policy, international trade, transportation, and infrastructure. Most recently, she served as the Chief of Staff at the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), where she was a trusted advisor to four successive Chairmen since 2013. In this role, she helped guide the agency through periods of significant regulatory change, market disruption, and global supply chain challenges, while supporting the Commission’s strategic, operational, and policy priorities.

During her tenure at the FMC, Mary developed deep in-house expertise in competition, compliance, and enforcement policies affecting international trade. She played a central role in implementing major rulemakings mandated by the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 and in shaping U.S. international ocean shipping policy. Her experience at the Commission encompassed a wide range of senior and legal roles, including trial attorney in the Bureau of Enforcement; special assistant in the Bureau of Certification and Licensing; international affairs attorney in the Office of the General Counsel; deputy director of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Dispute Resolution Services; and counsel to a Commissioner.

As a senior executive, Mary helped lead the agency’s response to unprecedented maritime and supply chain challenges, including global supply chain disruptions that tested the resilience of U.S. trade and transportation systems. She represented the Commission in high-level interagency initiatives advancing national priorities related to transportation, economic competitiveness, and infrastructure investment. Her federal service provides a nuanced understanding of the intersection of regulation, competition policy, enforcement, and global commerce. Prior to her federal service, Mary clerked for the Superior Court of New Jersey, Criminal Division.

At Thorn Run Partners, Mary will lead the maritime practice and support clients across the transportation, logistics, infrastructure, and international trade sectors, to assist clients navigating complex regulatory environments and advancing strategic objectives.

Mary earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Villanova University and a Juris Doctor from Widener University School of Law. She lives in Oakton, Virginia, with her husband and two children.

Hayden Jewett is a seasoned government affairs professional with over a decade of experience across Capitol Hill, the private sector, and multi-client lobbying. He brings to Thorn Run Partners a proven track record of delivering federal policy wins and strategic counsel to clients, navigating complex legislative and regulatory environments.

Most recently, Hayden served as a multi-client lobbyist representing a range of companies and associations before Congress and the Executive Branch. His advocacy helped clients testify before key congressional committees and achieve both short- and long-term policy victories. His work spans a broad array of issues, including artificial intelligence, energy, tax policy, critical minerals, and supply chain resiliency.

Prior to that, Hayden was an in-house lobbyist at Gap Inc., a Fortune 200 company, where he led federal advocacy on tax and privacy issues. He also worked closely with the Administration to draft and implement the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, a critical piece of legislation aimed at preventing forced labor in global supply chains. His role required a deep understanding of international supply chain operations, particularly across Asia and the United States, and positioned him as a key player in corporate human rights and trade compliance efforts.

Before transitioning to the private sector, Hayden spent nearly five years on Capitol Hill serving the Texas congressional delegation in the offices of Small Business Chairman Roger Williams (R-TX) and former Congressman John Culberson (R-TX). He played a key role in shaping policy strategy and advised on Labor-HHS, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch appropriations. During his tenure, he led efforts to protect federal funding for hospitals and research institutions and was instrumental in securing bipartisan support for Hurricane Harvey recovery initiatives.

Outside of his professional work, Hayden is deeply engaged in political and civic leadership. He serves as Co-Chair of the D.C. Chapter of Maverick PAC and sits on its Steering Committee. He is also a longtime coach for the Republican Congressional Baseball Team, helping prepare nearly 40 members of Congress annually for the bipartisan Congressional Baseball Game for Charity held at Nationals Park.

Hayden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Latin American Studies from Miami University. During his undergraduate years, he was actively involved in student life, including Sigma Alpha Epsilon, the Redhawk Solar Energy Society, Red Alert, and the Adopt a School program.

Chris has more than 15 years of experience bridging traditional financial services with cutting-edge innovation and technology. He has led global public policy efforts across digital assets, private funds, and the broader financial services sector, actively shaping legislation and regulation in the United States and abroad on behalf of clients. With a strategic understanding of how Washington works and an extensive network of contacts in Congress and across federal agencies (SEC, Treasury, Banking Agencies), Chris helps clients develop public policy solutions that deliver meaningful business value.

Before joining Thorn Run Partners, Chris co-founded and served as President of Capitol Asset Strategies (CAS), a consulting firm focused on helping clients navigate complex regulatory, policy, and strategic issues at the intersection of financial services and emerging technology. At CAS, Chris helped his crypto clients advance the bipartisan passage of the IRS Broker Rule Congressional Review Act disapproval resolution and helped his clients shape the recently passed U.S. stablecoin framework, the GENIUS Act.

Prior to forming CAS in 2022, Chris worked directly in the crypto industry. He served as Head of Global Government Relations for the Celo Foundation (an L1 blockchain) and led U.S. federal and state policy for Sorare SAS, a SoftBank-backed NFT gaming company. His work at Celo involved engaging on key provisions in the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, including frameworks for stablecoins and crypto market structure.

From 2017 to 2022, Chris spent five years in the private equity industry, building and leading the global advocacy program at the Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA). Representing over 650 institutional investors with more than $2 trillion in AUM, Chris led successful campaigns on legislation and SEC rules affecting private markets and advanced ILPA’s legal best practices initiatives. He spearheaded the development of the ILPA Model LPA—the first free, public limited partnership agreement for private funds—and led engagement on the  2022 proposed SEC Private Fund Adviser Rule. He also advanced policy changes in the EU under AIFMD II, including the Article 23 fee reporting requirement for European LPs, and engaged on a variety of tax, foreign investment, and antitrust issues impacting private funds. This included ILPA’s engagement on retail access to alternative investments.

Before ILPA, Chris served as General Counsel and co-head of government affairs at the Small Business Investor Alliance (SBIA), where he advocated for Business Development Companies (BDCs), Small Business Investment Companies (SBICs), and U.S. middle-market private equity advisers. He led the effort to create the SEC’s Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation and the permanent SEC Small Business Capital Formation Advisory Committee. He also advanced legislation that raised the SEC registration threshold for certain private fund advisers and supported the eventual passage of reforms to the BDC leverage cap to 2:1.

Earlier in his career, Chris worked on broker-dealer and investment adviser issues at the Financial Services Institute (FSI) and conducted insider trading investigations at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). He also served as a legal fellow on the Senate Banking Committee under Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) during the drafting of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2009.

Chris remains active as an advisor, investor, and fundraiser in the private markets. He previously advised Aumni, Inc., a private fund legal analytics platform acquired by JP Morgan, and currently serves on the advisory board of Steward Asset Management, a strategic anchor investor in emerging and diverse private equity and opportunistic managers.

He holds a J.D. from the University of San Diego School of Law and a B.A. in Political Science and Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Chris is admitted to the bar in California and the District of Columbia. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife Catherine and their two daughters, Savannah and Caroline.

Louis Sola brings nearly two decades of public and private sector leadership in transportation, trade, infrastructure, and maritime policy. He is a former Chairman and Commissioner of the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission and was nominated by two different U.S. Presidents. Sola was in the room for key decisions on U.S. tariff policy and played a central role in international trade and port modernization strategy.

In addition to his federal service, Sola previously served as a Florida State Commissioner, where he led initiatives on transportation, economic development, and infrastructure investment across the state. His work at both the state and federal level gives him a unique understanding of the regulatory landscape and the intersection of local and global commerce.

Sola is also a seasoned maritime entrepreneur. He is the founder of Evermarine, a leading yacht brokerage firm specializing in luxury vessels across the Americas. With decades of experience as a licensed yacht broker, he has represented major international brands and negotiated complex, high-value transactions throughout Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

At the FMC, he led major initiatives to stabilize supply chains, reduce port congestion, and strengthen U.S. competitiveness in global shipping markets. He earned bipartisan recognition for his crisis leadership during COVID-19 and oversaw critical reforms affecting ocean carriers, ports, and intermodal logistics providers.

A decorated and disabled U.S. Army veteran, Sola is fluent in Spanish and has deep expertise in Latin American markets, LNG infrastructure, and cargo and cruise industry development. His global network and cross-sector experience make him a trusted advisor to clients navigating complex regulatory and political environments.

Sola holds a degree in Accounting and International Finance from the University of Illinois, providing a strong foundation in both fiscal policy and global market dynamics.

At Thorn Run, Sola advises clients across transportation, logistics, infrastructure, and international trade — delivering strategic outcomes at the highest levels of government and industry.

When he’s not in Washington, DC, Lou lives in Miami, FL with his wife Karen.

Yani joined Thorn Run Partners in 2025. He began as an intern prior to joining Thorn Run full time and before that, worked in legal consulting. At Thorn Run, Yani works on the firm’s advanced technology practice, where he developed experience conducting legislative research and helping clients develop their federal funding requests with members of Congress and the administration. Yani’s primary agency expertise includes the Departments of War, Interior, Energy, and Commerce.

Yani is from Atlanta, GA, and graduated from Tufts University with a bachelor’s in philosophy and economics. In his free time, Yani enjoys playing soccer, chess, and watching movies.

Sarah joined Thorn Run Partners in February of 2025, bringing a background in health policy, research, and political communications. At Thorn Run, Sarah supports the firm’s health policy practice by conducting legislative research, analyzing and summarizing hearings and other events, and writing communications materials on key policy developments.

Prior to joining Thorn Run, Sarah completed Congressional internships with Senator Gary Peters (MI), Representative Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), and Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06). These experiences afforded her a background in legislative and communications Congressional work, as well as instilled her desire to pursue a career in health policy. In addition to drafting press releases, video scripts, and press clips reports for the communications team, Sarah has experience working on constituent correspondence programs and writing policy memos pertaining to health policy topics such as the 340B Drug Pricing program and pharmacy benefit managers. She brings a research background to Thorn Run, having worked at Michigan Medicine with data sets to better understand and disseminate information pertaining to parental perceptions of child-related health topics. Sarah has also worked at the Alliance for Citizen Engagement on policy research concerning the environmental impacts caused by the food industry and microplastics.

Sarah is a graduate of the University of Michigan, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Community and Global Public Health from the School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media from the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Outside of Thorn Run, Sarah enjoys exploring different DC neighborhoods, frequenting an array of coffee shops, visiting the Folger Shakespeare Library, writing poetry, and cheering on her hometown teams, the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres.