President and Executive Partner of the ***** Group, LLC, a national consulting firm that specializes in reputation management, strategic positioning and issue advocacy for the nonprofit, philanthropic, governmental and business sectors; and the founding partner of the Ravton Healthcare Group a Baton Rouge, Louisiana- based private holding company.

Over three decades of senior level experience in government, philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. Prior to forming the ***** Group, he served as senior policy advisor to Governor Don Siegelman of Alabama, overseeing legislation and public policy specific to human and social services, education, the arts and culture, economic development, early childhood learning and outcomes oriented contracting. Formerly, President and Trustee of the Day Foundation a private philanthropy with assets in excess of $250 million. Concurrently, he served as the Executive Trustee of the Clarence Day Foundation, a parallel organization whose holdings consist of one of the largest antiquates collections in the United States.

The ***** Group client portfolio includes developing and implementing the $170 million Hurricane Katrina recovery effort for the State of Alabama; rebuilding the Faith-in-Action network on behalf of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; repositioning the National Rural Association as a relevant force in regards to federal healthcare policy for the underserved; securing permanent line-item funding for the Louisiana Area Health Education Center System; rebranding and sustainability for the National Alliance on Mental Illness throughout the southeastern U.S.; developing and implementing the Alabama VOAD network; and the creation and strategic positioning for the Erie (PA) Downtown Arts & Cultural Coalition. Also, his firm has developed winning strategies for many local and state political campaigns in Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia and Pennsylvania.

He is the founder of the member-based Louisiana Rural Health Association; Acadiana Habitat for Humanity; and AHECs for a Healthy Louisiana, an advocacy association. He has served in senior posts for Memphis Mayors Wyeth Chandler (D) and Richard Hackett (R); and has also worked internationally on behalf of the City of Houston, Texas on matters specific to economic development and tourism.

A Pittsburgh native, he has spoken before trade association and executives on such interesting topics as “How Funders Think: An Insider’s Perspective” and “How Government Really Works: Insider’s Secrets”. He is an experienced executive coach and crisis management strategist.

Master of Art, University of Illinois