"I'm as much a part of the client's team as I am the Ben Barnes' team... this is key to achieving success."
Patsy Thomasson
Prior to joining the Ben Barnes Group, Patsy was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Foreign Buildings and led the agency through the crises of the bombings of the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. As the bombings made clear that embassies around the world were vulnerable to attack, Patsy and her team at the State Department developed ways to more quickly complete projects designed to improve the safety for U. S. citizens overseas. During Patsy's tenure, her team stood out on construction projects such as shepherding the construction of a U. S. embassy in 14 months, rather than the typical 36 months schedule. Under Patsy's leadership, State partnered with the contractors, the embassy personnel and the citizens of the interested host countries to make the work move quickly and efficiently.
"A team approach facilitates getting tasks done more quickly and efficiently," says Patsy. "Most important, team buy-in ensures that the success of the project or work is valued by all."
"I just get tremendous energy from working with the people and causes I believe in."
Ben Barnes
Ben's keen political insight, hard work, ability to cut through the clutter, and instant charisma made him a protégé of President Lyndon B. Johnson and an ally of Governor John Connelly. His political career is the stuff of legend: elected to the Texas House of Representatives at the age of 22 and elected the youngest ever Lieutenant Governor with more votes than any statewide candidate in Texas history. His legislative legacy has benefited generations of Texas public school students and has transformed Texas into a technological hub.
After leaving office, he tried his hand at land developing and was one of the principal actors behind the Barton Creek Resort in Austin, TX. He foresaw an urban and modern Austin and was part of the wave of developers who literally built the city we see today.
Now, in his third career, Ben Barnes is a gifted fundraiser for the Democratic Party and a trusted advisor in Washington, DC. Recently, the Houston Chronicle named him one of the "Ten Most Powerful Texans in Washington." His understanding of political machinations gives him a sense of what needs to be done and how to do it. He figures out the long-term strategy and is able to see the end-run goal at all times.
"I bring to my clients a lifetime of knowledge and experience," Ben Says. "And I love the chance to make new things happen with them."
"We pride ourselves on doing what we say we're going to do"
Kent Caperton
Kent's sure hand has helped guide the Ben Barnes Group since 2006. He works on national and state issues for clients with government relations and public policy problems. He also teams with law firms on issues of complex litigation.
Prior to joining the Ben Barnes Group, he was managing Director of Public Strategies, focusing on legislative, regulatory, and political policy for the firm's telecommunications clients. Kent was also a shareholder in the Austin law office of Winstead, Sechrest & Mink, where his focus was legislative and administrative matters, as well as civil litigation involving complex issues and multiple partners.
During his ten-year service in the Texas Senate, Texas Monthly called him 'the dominant member of the Senate' and three times named him on their 'Best' list of their annual 'The Best and Worst Legislators.' He is also a former Municipal Judge, former Assistant Attorney General, and is widely respected for his contributions to community and legal work.
'I work very closely with my clients, taking it one day at a time when it comes to active legal issues,' says Kent. 'They can expect 100% commitment to get the job done properly, ethically and completely.' '
"Accomplishing something significant requires diligence in taking care of the details."
Wyeth Wiedeman
Today's issues are more complex than ever before, with numerous moving parts, unforeseen consequences and emerging opportunities.
Wyeth Wiedeman is a man who excels at always knowing the details and factoring them into decisions made on behalf of his clients. He is attuned to the changing winds in Washington and anticipates tomorrow's trends.
Wyeth joined the Ben Barnes Group two decades ago and has accumulated a vast array of knowledge and experience across a broad spectrum of legislative topics. He has represented clients in multiple industries: oil and gas, agriculture, financial and healthcare. He has also consulted on projects with environmental organizations and higher education institutions.
Wyeth graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, and is a well-known fundraiser for the Dell Children's Hospital in Austin, TX. He served as the President of the Dell Children's Council, which advocates on behalf of children's healthcare and hosts educational opportunities for the greater-Austin community.
'Our clients rely on us to handle the politics' Wyeth says. 'I don't burden them with all of the minutiae, I just get it done.'
"quote"
Patsy Thomasson
Today's issues are more complex than ever before, with numerous moving parts, unforeseen consequences and emerging opportunities.
Wyeth Wiedeman is a man who excels at always knowing the details and factoring them into decisions made on behalf of his clients. He is attuned to the changing winds in Washington and anticipates tomorrow's trends.
'Our clients rely on us to handle the politics' Wyeth says. 'I don't burden them with all of the minutiae, I just get it done.'"It's not enough to understand the problem; you have to frame and execute a workable solution."
Scott Moorhead
It is one thing to craft sound decisions and strong policies. It is quite another to keep everyone involved in the process on the same page.
Scott Moorhead ensures that clients are apprised of new developments. He is the strategist who asks the right questions, the analyst who culls out the facts that matter, and the go-to guy who makes sure clients' needs are being met.
A native of Houston and an honors graduate from the University of Texas at Austin's Plan II Program, Scott joined the Ben Barnes Group in 2008. He is passionate about energy and water-resource issues, infrastructure, economic development, and land-use planning. He will complete his Master's in Energy and Earth Resources from the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin in 2012.
He also serves on the board of Anthropos Arts, an Austin-area charity that brings extracurricular music instruction to disadvantaged middle and high-school students in the city.
'Everyone can get their hands on information,' says Scott. 'It's how you carve it up and use it that separates excellence from white noise.'
