Team Category: Main TRP team page

B.G. Wright joined Thorn Run Partners in January 2021 with more than three decades of experience in Congress and service across the military. Immediately prior to joining Thorn Run, Mr. Wright served as a professional staff member for the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science (CJS). His oversight responsibilities include the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and the National Space Council, providing generational impact to programs that will return humans to the Moon and beyond.

Mr. Wright served as staff in the U.S. Congress for 26 years, beginning as a military fellow while completing more than 22 years of military service, retiring as a Colonel. He served as a professional staff member with the House Committee on Appropriations from 2008 to 2020; the Senate Committee on Appropriations from 1995 to 2008; and held multiple concurrent Pentagon assignments from 1990 to 2000.

Prior to his assignment on the House Appropriations CJS Subcommittee, Mr. Wright served on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, where his portfolio included: all Overseas Contingency Operations for the Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syrian conflicts; Overseas Humanitarian Disaster and Civic Assistance; and the National Guard and Reserve Equipment Accounts. In addition to his broad portfolio, he organized over 80 Congressional visits to over 95 countries on every continent.

Before his service in the House, Mr. Wright served as a professional staff member for the Senate Committee on Appropriations. He held several roles including professional staff member for the Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; acting as liaison to the U.S. Senate, Committee on Armed Services; liaison to the U.S. Senate National Security Working Group; and coordinating Senate floor amendments for annual appropriations bills.

During his service in the U.S. Army, Colonel Wright was a battalion commander and a combat veteran of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He supported Department of Defense engagement with the Legislative Branch through several postings at the Pentagon with the Office of the Secretary of the Army and the National Guard Bureau; was a military fellow to the U.S. Senate, Committee on Appropriations; and was a White House military aide to President Clinton.

Mr. Wright holds a master’s degree in political science from the University of Louisville, a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Eastern Kentucky University, attended the U.S. Army War College, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff Officer’s College, and completed the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Institute’s Foreign Affairs Interdepartmental Seminar.

Throughout his career, Mr. Wright has been the recipient of many awards, medals, and honors. He is the 2017 recipient of the National Guard Association of the United States’ distinguished Montgomery Medal; the 2017 recipient of the National Guard Bureau’s Minuteman Award; a Member of the Outstanding Young Men of America; and the Golden Key National Honor Society (Scholastic). His military awards include: The Bronze Star (Desert Shield/Desert Storm – during combat); The Joint Service Commendation Medal; and five times awarded the Meritorious Service Medal; and many other military awards.

Chris Webster joined Thorn Run Partners in March of 2023, bringing a background in policy advocacy, research, and outreach from the public, private, and non-profit sectors. At Thorn Run, he primarily supports the firm’s financial services team by conducting research, covering hearings and other events, authoring memos, and tracking and analyzing key policy developments.

Prior to joining Thorn Run, Chris worked for the nonprofit U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, where he researched congressional candidates and helped facilitate expansion of the organization’s grasstop network of influencers in Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington. He also interned on Capitol Hill for influential members of both major parties: Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) and Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC). And before that, he completed an extended internship with the government affairs team at Elanco — Eli Lilly and Company’s former animal health subsidiary.

Chris is a graduate of both North Carolina State University and The George Washington University, where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, respectively, in international affairs. He currently resides near Washington, D.C.’s Logan Circle and is a dual U.S.-U.K. citizen.

Jess brings more than 25 years’ experience in higher education policy, science funding policy, grants and research enterprise planning, and research development expertise to Thorn Run Partners. Jessica is known for her work in higher education policy and reform, particularly as it pertains to how underserved and underrepresented individuals, institutions (HBCUs, TCUs, HSIs, and MSIs), and groups are represented in, and benefit from, the Federal funding landscape.

Bringing a long track record of experience as a grant strategist and writer, Jessica co-leads the Grant Enterprise Growth Strategy Practice. This team assists clients in increasing the extramural funding base needed to support research, scholarship, innovation, teaching, and community engagement. In this role, she delivers a unique combination of solutions-focused consulting services to help clients identify and pursue multiple pathways to sustained success in the Federal funding marketplace, including: strategic planning, government relations, public relations, faculty development, partner engagement, Team Science, program design, and grant proposal development. Her client portfolio includes colleges, universities, academic medical and other health systems, community groups and associations, and research-intensive for- and non-profit organizations.

Jessica also leads Thorn Run Partners’ Grantsmanship Initiative. Successful grantsmanship requires a skillset that is built, continually developed, and adapts to evolving contexts. During her career, she has worked closely with a range of grant writers – including researchers, educators, and non-profits – to gain the skills needed to be successful across the entire grants lifecycle. Using a “coaches” approach to learning, Jess helps grant writers self-discover solutions to proposal development, while challenging conventional thinking about research funding that create barriers across cultures and institutions. Since 2015, investigators participating in her training and coaching sessions have secured more than $50 million in sponsored awards related to the proposals they developed in her workshops.

Prior to joining TRP, Jessica served as Vice President for a DC-based government relations firm. She was also the coordinator for research development services at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), where she provided support for high-priority government affairs and research initiatives. She has also served in various science and science education units at NASA Langley Research Center and NASA Headquarters.

Her scholarship draws on concepts of social justice, research justice, educational justice, philosophy and history of science, decolonization, and critical race theory to advocate for legitimate “senses of places” in federally sponsored projects. Through these ideas, Jessica argues for congruence in thought, policy and practice: in making claims that diversity in habits of mind and action has been, and always will be, the sine qua non of human survival; our knowledge-building institutions must reflect such diversity as the sine qua non of intellectual survival. In recognition of this position, Jessica serves on the boards of the Drexel-Morrell Center and the Tapestry Institute.

Among her professional and community activities, Jessica has served as a grant reviewer for numerous federal agencies. She is also active in multiple professional organizations, including the National Organization of Research Development Professionals (NORDP), where she has served in various committee roles.

Jessica earned her PhD from VCU, an MA from George Washington University and her AB from Princeton University. She lives in Bethesda, MD with her husband and their very mean cat, Priscilla.

Sara Traigle van Geertruyden joined Thorn Run Partners in January 2011 as a healthcare and welfare policy expert with 14 years of experience. Sara began her career on Capitol Hill, working for former Senator John Breaux (D-LA) from 1996-2003, first as a projects assistant handling Congressional appropriations and advising constituents on the federal grant process, and ultimately spending over 3 years as a legislative assistant overseeing Senate Finance Committee issues for health and welfare.

In 2003, she joined the law firm Patton Boggs where she practiced in the public policy group handling regulatory and legislative issues related to health care, welfare, and appropriations for clients. Sara has represented clients including hospital systems, pharmaceutical companies, health care provider associations and coalitions. Her scope of work in health policy combines expertise in working with all of the major health care agencies, including the Medicaid Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Administration on Aging, and the Food and Drug Administration. Sara has also been closely monitoring and engaging the newly created Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC), the Federal Coordinated Health Care Office, and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

Sara handled important lobbying efforts related to the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA) and the recently-passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for clients. Sara was actively engaged in drafting regulatory comments for her clients during the implementation of the MMA and continues to assist clients seeking to influence the regulatory process.

Among her greatest professional accomplishments, in 2005-2006 Sara managed the Medicare Rx Education Network, a coalition of over 80 national associations brought together by a mutual goal of educating seniors about the new Part D benefit under Medicare. In 2009-2010, Sara successfully represented a Louisiana-based coalition of health care providers seeking to avoid a dramatic reduction in Medicaid payments after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita as part of the new health reform law. After being deeply involved in efforts to reauthorize the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (T.A.N.F.) law during her tenure on Capitol Hill, Sara continues to work on issues related to the health and welfare of low income families and children.

Sara has a strong reputation on both sides of the political spectrum, having staffed Senator Breaux in his efforts to pass legislation that he championed with former Senator Bill Frist (R-TN) to modernize the Medicare program, and in his efforts to raise bipartisan ideas for health reform and T.A.N.F. reauthorization. Sara also has expertise in counseling clients through the Congressional appropriations process.

Ms. Van Geertruyden received her bachelors degree from Wake Forest University and earned her juris doctor at the Catholic University Columbus School of Law.

Scott Tominovich brings to Thorn Run Partners and its clients extensive expertise in working with the Federal Government. Prior to joining Thorn Run, Scott was a Vice President at several Washington based government affairs and grant consulting firms.

He began his career on Capitol Hill as Special Assistant to the current House Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and since then has spent the last 20 years representing a myriad of organizations including some of the country’s most respected corporations, foundations, healthcare providers and post-secondary institutions.

Scott has a long and proven track record of success and is widely regarded as being an exceptional developer and implementor of unique and creative government affairs strategies as well as unyielding advocate for his clients.

He assists his clients in increasing their capture rate of federal funding by helping them navigate the annual appropriations process and the competitive grants and contract space.

His understanding of how to engage the Executive and Legislative branches of government is unmatched and it has provided his clients the rare opportunity to have their voices heard and their issues addressed.

Scott is a graduate of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA, where he received his B.A. in English and political science. He lives in Annapolis, MD, with his wife KC and their three sons.

Chas Thomas joined Thorn Run Partners in 2017 after spending four years on Capitol Hill. While on the Hill, he worked primarily on financial services, telecommunications, energy, agriculture, natural resources, budget, and tax issues. Thomas maintains a strong network of relationships with policymakers and staff in both the House and Senate, ensuring a pathway for effective advocacy efforts that help impact policy.   

Mr. Thomas served on the campaign of Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) prior to beginning his career on Capitol Hill in the office of Congressman Robert Pittenger (R-NC). While with Mr. Pittenger, Chas served as the Congressman’s senior legislative assistant and lead staff liaison to the House Financial Services Committee, including Monetary Policy & Trade, Financial Institutions & Consumer Credit, and Terrorism & Illicit Finance Subcommittees.

Since joining Thorn Run Partners, Mr. Thomas has continued to work on issues for clients around multiple industries. Chas has used his extensive experience within the financial services, transportation, energy, tax, and appropriations realms to implement legislative agendas that deliver targeted wins for clients. 

Chas is a native of Greenville, SC and received his B.A. from the University of South Carolina. He currently lives in Alexandria, VA with his wife.

Beau Schuyler has 25 years of experience lobbying, working as a congressional staffer, and in political campaigns. Mr. Schuyler began his involvement in politics working on Capitol Hill, then later as a Democratic lobbyist advising clients on important policy matters.   Over that time, he utilized this experience to help find areas of common ground with Democrats and the business community on complex legislative issues.

Prior to joining Thorn Run Partners, Mr. Schuyler worked for nearly 10 years at the lobbying consulting firm Capitol Hill Strategies.  There he served corporate and trade association clients on their government affairs efforts, providing strategic advice on an array of critical issues including, health care, tax and trade.

Before joining the private sector, Mr. Schuyler worked for Congressman John Tanner (D-TN), a former senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee.  In addition to his duties as Legislative Director, he was responsible for handling Mr. Tanner’s tax, trade, and budget-related matters.  Mr. Schuyler also assisted in the pro-growth policy work of the moderate Blue Dog Coalition of which Mr. Tanner was a leader.  Additionally, Mr. Schuyler served as Legislative Director to Congressman Mike McIntyre (D-NC) and Staff Assistant to Congressman Charlie Rose (D-NC).  He also worked on the Clinton-Gore ’96 and Gore 2000 campaigns in their legal departments.

Mr. Schuyler earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and lives in Alexandria with his wife and four children.

Paul arrived at  Thorn Run Partners after decades as an active player in the Washington policy-making milieu.  While he has drawn on the experience and expertise he gained on Capitol Hill in the fields of public works and infrastructure to serve a wide range of clients in the private and public sectors, that experience has broadened over the years so that his knowledge of issues and problems confronting a variety of public entities provides him with the ability to assist them in successfully addressing a wide array of needs.  That his clients have secured well in excess of $2  billion in federal assistance stands as testimony of his ability to provide solutions to almost any problem they face.

Paul’s career in public policy began on Capitol Hill, where he served for four years on the legislative staff of a senior Member of the California delegation.  This was followed by seven years on the staff of the House Highways and Transit Subcommittee, where he served until his appointment and service of three years as Staff Director of the full Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.  During his time on the Hill, Paul was involved with the drafting of legislation, and oversight of matters, involving highways and transit; the policies, programs, and projects of the Army Corps of Engineers; the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts; funding and regulation related to the aviation and motor carrier industries; our nation’s public buildings and grounds; and the Economic Development Administration.  His interest in the programs of each of these continues unabated today.

Following his service on the Hill, Paul began a career as an advocate for clients seeking assistance from the federal government or seeking to ease administrative or regulatory burdens they face that emanate from Washington.  His success at this can be measured not only by the amounts of assistance he has brought to them, but by the number of clients he continues to enjoy working with since initiating their relationships 15, 20, 25 years ago, and more.  In addition to cities and counties ranging in size from 20,000 to well over a million, he has also been pleased to work with transportation districts, water agencies, and – of course – a variety of private sector clients.

Paul received his BA in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, and continued his studies at the University in Public Administration and Public Policy Analysis.  Today, he enjoys living with his two daughters in “The Little City” of Falls Church, Virginia.

Kyle Sanders 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. While overseeing the wide-ranging economic development portfolio, Kyle helped numerous private companies navigate nuanced federal roadblocks to crack open hundreds of millions of dollars in private capital investment and thousands of new jobs to the state. While also leading the Senator’s intergovernmental affairs portfolio, he helped local units of government secure billions in federal grant funding and guided them through the all-too-common “bureaucratic pauses” associated with many federal projects. Over the course of his career in public service, Kyle’s results-driven approach to advocacy has earned him a reputation for solving complex problems on behalf of stakeholders of all types.

Kyle’s Hill experience extends beyond his time in the Senate. Since arriving in Washington, he has provided counsel to Representatives John “Judge” Carter (R-TX), Andy Harris (R-MD), and David Rouzer (R-NC). During his time as Representative Rouzer’s Legislative Director, Kyle led the Congressman’s policy team covering issues ranging from judiciary and financial services to transportation and agriculture. Kyle was also integral in the Congressman’s disaster recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricanes Matthew and Florence.

Kyle’s career in advocacy began before he set foot in Washington.  Prior to working on Capitol Hill, he served as an Assistant District Attorney in his hometown of Fayetteville, North Carolina, where he prosecuted misdemeanor cases in District Court.

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.