Gary Palmquist brings over 20 years of experience as a lobbyist and Capitol Hill staffer to Thorn Run Partners. Drawing on his extensive network of bipartisan relationships on Capitol Hill, Mr. Palmquist has a strong record of developing lobbying strategies and delivering successful results. A seasoned practitioner, he focuses his representation on financial services, healthcare, corporations, coalitions, and trade associations. Mr. Palmquist joined Thorn Run Partners in 2010 from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation's leading small business advocacy organization. At NFIB, he developed advocacy and grassroots strategy and lobbied Congress in support of tax relief and healthcare reform.

Before his work for the NFIB, Mr. Palmquist served as Legislative Director to former Congressman Dennis Cardoza (D-CA), a senior member of the House Agriculture Committee and co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of House Democrats committed to fiscal responsibility and accountability for taxpayer dollars. In that role, he was involved in crafting Blue Dog Coalition alternatives to the federal budget, tax reform legislation, trade agreements and other policy priorities. Mr. Palmquist previously worked for Congressman Ken Bentsen (D-TX), a former senior member of the House Financial Services Committee. In addition to his duties as Legislative Director, Mr. Palmquist also assisted in the pro-growth policy work of the centrist New Democrat Coalition of which Mr. Bentsen was a leader. Additionally, Mr. Palmquist served as Legislative Director to former Congressman Bob Clement (D-TN), a long-serving member of the House Transportation and Budget Committees.

A skilled liaison between the business community and Capitol Hill, Mr. Palmquist's pragmatic, bipartisan approach has earned respect on both sides of the aisle. Mr. Palmquist received his B.S. from the University of Houston and a master's degree from American Military University. When not in Washington, DC, Mr. Palmquist lives in Los Angeles with his wife Katie.