Team Category: Main TRP team page

Stuart joined Thorn Run Partners after over 15 years in government service and the field of government relations. Having been intimately involved with press, politics, and policy throughout his career, he has enjoyed a long-established track record of bringing a holistic approach to his clients’ challenges . As a former Chief of Staff for both a Congressional Blue Dog and a New Democrat, he has not only overseen several moderate Democratic offices, but takes pride in earning a reputation for bringing together people from both sides of the aisle.

Before becoming a Partner at Thorn Run Partners, Stuart served as a Partner at the American Continental Group. At the American Continental Group, he worked on a broad portfolio of clients, with a special focus in the telecommunications and health care sectors.

On the Hill, after leaving Senator Jay Rockefeller’s office in 2007, where he served as press secretary, Stuart was named Chief of Staff for Congressman Zack Space, who represented a historically-Republican Ohio district.  Stuart oversaw all aspects of the Congressman’s operations, including his technology, energy, and health care work on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. While there, Stuart engineered the creation and funding of Connecting Appalachia, a 16-county, multi-million dollar broadband venture whose goal was to bring connectivity and commerce to rural, Appalachian Ohio.

More recently, Mr. Chapman served as Chief of Staff for Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy of New York, where he orchestrated a multi-faceted plan that helped her to survive a 2012 redistricting cycle that saw her seat targeted for elimination. He also supervised the Congresswoman’s work on the Education and Workforce Committee and the Financial Services Committee, including her work as Ranking Member of the International Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee. During the 112th Congress, Mr. Chapman was honored with selection to the bi-cameral, bi-partisan Stennis Fellows Program.

Stuart earned a B.A. from Rhodes College, an M.A. from the University of Georgia, and a Ph.D. from Boston University. He is the author of the award-winning Shelby Foote: A Writer’s Life. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife, Bridget Walsh, and their twin children, Genevieve and Ben.

Greg Burns is a seasoned advocate for local and regional governments, providing strategic counsel on federal policy, funding, and regulatory issues. With more than twenty-five years of experience, he has helped clients nationwide — from major metropolitan areas to rural communities — secure over $2 billion in federal funding and achieve high-impact policy wins.

Described by clients as a “secret weapon in D.C.,” Greg takes a highly personalized approach to advocacy. He works closely with each client to design and execute strategies tailored to their community’s unique priorities. His long-term, partnership-driven approach has earned him enduring relationships with clients who have worked with him throughout his more than two-decade lobbying career.

Before joining Thorn Run Partners in 2018, Greg served as Vice President at Van Scoyoc Associates for ten years and held senior roles at another leading lobbying firm. He began his career on the legislative staff of Rep. Darlene Hooley (OR) and at the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

Greg earned his B.A. in Government and English from the University of Virginia. He lives with his family in Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.

JP Brandt joined Thorn Run Partners as Senior Health Policy Counsel in May 2021, bringing significant experience shaping healthcare policy at both the State and Federal levels. JP leads the firm’s healthcare policy team, navigating the ever-changing legislative and regulatory landscape to resolve clients’ current problems, anticipate future issues, and design solutions to assist clients in reaching their long-term business objectives.

Prior to joining Thorn Run Partners, JP served as a senior analyst in the Office of Legislation at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where he leveraged his deep understanding of healthcare policy and Capitol Hill to provide technical and policy analysis to Agency leaders, the Senate Finance Committee, and the House Energy & Commerce Committee on all proposed or introduced legislation affecting Medicaid, while also advancing the Administration’s policy goals. JP’s efforts were crucial to the implementation of numerous recently enacted laws, including the Coronavirus relief bills, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, and the ten-year reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). In addition to working with the Hill on legislation, JP played a vital role in the regulatory and sub-regulatory processes by reviewing and revising regulations impacting coverage, provider payments, and drug pricing.

Before his Federal experience, JP served as Legislative Counsel for the Committee on Health and Human Services for the D.C. Council. In this role, he worked closely with members of the D.C. Council, local and national stakeholders, and advocacy organizations to develop consequential healthcare policy and enact the legislation required to achieve the desired results.

JP grew up in Pennsylvania where he was ranked first in the State as a competitive gymnast. He received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of William & Mary and a law degree from the George Washington University Law School. He is admitted to practice law in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Paul Bock has more has 30 years of experience in politics and policy, with extensive experience on campaigns, on Capitol Hill, and in government relations. During those decades, Paul developed a thorough understanding of Washington and an extensive network of contacts that helps clients design and effectively implement their public policy strategies.

Prior to joining Thorn Run Partners, Paul was a partner at the law firm of Holland & Knight where he helped corporations, trade associations, nonprofits and foreign countries achieve success in a wide range of policy areas. Specifically, Paul was the firm’s lead Senate Democrat, and in that role advised dozens of firm clients on how best to navigate the Senate Democratic Caucus. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Paul served as legal counsel and political consultant to a wide range of business interests as vice president of Capitol Hill Strategies LLC, where he was responsible for planning and implementing legislative strategies for numerous corporate and governmental clients. Overall, Paul has more than 10 years of lobbying experience on issues ranging from health care and financial services to transportation and international trade.

Before joining the private sector, Paul was Chief of Staff for Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) for over twelve years. During that time Paul was actively involved in all aspects of the legislative process, with a focus on the Senate Appropriations and Judiciary Committees.

In addition, Paul worked to bring his staff colleagues together. For five years, he was the host of a weekly meeting with Democratic chiefs of staff and Senate leadership, and he worked across the aisle to co-found the Bipartisan Chiefs of Staff Association. He also helped formed an association of current and former Democratic chiefs of staff that regularly gathers on Capitol Hill. Finally, in 2008, Paul was one of only six Senate staffers chosen to act as a liaison between the Obama/Biden transition and the Senate.

Paul  earned a B.A. and Masters in Public Policy from Georgetown University as well as a J.D. from Northwestern University Law School, where he was an editor on the law review. A native of Chicago, Mr. Bock is a veteran of campaigns in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Forging a career in Washington, DC has provided Jessie Howe Brairton valuable government affairs experience and an extensive professional network that allow her to navigate a shifting political landscape and effectively advocate for her clients. Ms. Brairton joined Thorn Run Partners in 2011 and specializes in policy strategy and issue advocacy for a diverse portfolio of clients including corporations, nonprofits, and coalitions.

Prior to joining Thorn Run Partners, Ms. Brairton made an impact in the private, nonprofit and government sectors. She was Director of Federal Government Affairs in Eli Lilly’s Washington, DC office where she lobbied both chambers of Congress on Medicare, patient assistance programs, and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Ms. Brairton led the internal ACA team and worked cross-functionally to deliver results for the company.

Before entering the corporate world, Ms. Brairton managed federal public policy development for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation’s largest advocacy organization representing small and independent businesses. At NFIB, she co-chaired the Small-Business Health Plan (SBHP) Coalition and developed lobbying, press and grassroots strategy.

Ms. Brairton launched her career working for the United States Senate’s Special Committee on Aging, chaired by Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA).  After working in the Senate, she joined the office of Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX 21) who served tenures as Chairman of both the House Judiciary and House Science Committees. Ms. Brairton managed Congressman Smith’s legislative initiatives before these committees, with a broad portfolio that included intellectual property, anti-trust legislation, crime, terrorism, and space exploration.

With extensive experience as a lobbyist and Capitol Hill staffer in the areas of health care, business, early education and care, and judiciary related issues, Ms. Brairton has built relationships in both the Senate and the House that enable her to directly influence policy outcomes for her clients.

Ms. Brairton earned a B.A. in Political Science and French from Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia. She lives in Arlington, VA with her husband and two children.