Jessica Blazina, Senior Government Affairs Executive, has more than 20 years of experience working in local and state government in Arizona. She is the latest addition to the the HighGround lobbying team – bringing capacity and assisting the firm in developing deeper relationships and improving client services for new and existing clients. She has worked…
Hamilton, Chief Encouragement Officer (CEO) & Relaxation Coordinator, joined HighGround in December of 2017. Prior to joining the team, Ham served as a young “adopt don’t shop” advocate as part of Almost There Foster Care.
Robyne Richards has 14 years of legislative experience. At the state legislature, she worked directly with members of both chambers in the areas of commerce, natural resources and military. Ms. Richards is responsible for managing the office and supporting team members in government affairs. She is actively involved in local fundraising efforts and serves on…
Barrett Beall, Senior Vice President – Communications & Creative Strategy, serves as HighGround’s liaison between the firm’s longstanding reputation and the new digital realm of politics, exemplifying the importance of a multipronged approach to both social media and traditional forms of PR. She oversees a comprehensive suite of services for HighGround’s clients, including social media…
J. Charles “Chuck” Coughlin is the CEO and President of HighGround, Inc., one of Arizona’s premier public affairs firms. He founded the company more than 30 years ago as a political consulting firm focused on campaign management and has since grown it into a full-service public affairs agency offering lobbying, strategic communications, public opinion research,…
Douglas Cole is HighGround’s Chief Operating Officer. He joined the firm in 1998 after serving as a top staffer in the Arizona House of Representatives, Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Fife Symington, Press Secretary to Congressman John Rhodes III and staff assistant to Congressman John McCain. While Cole has been a key participant in many…
Scott A. Smith, Senior Vice President for Governmental Affairs, has nearly 30 years of experience working in and around state government and on policy and legislative matters at the Arizona State Legislature. Scott has been nominated as the “Best Lobbyist” by the Arizona Capitol Times and is a recipient of the AZ Tax Research Good…
Paul Bentz, Senior Vice President ‐ Research & Strategy, has more than two decades of experience in strategy, messaging, and campaign management. Mr. Bentz and the HighGround team are six-time winners of “Best Pollster”/“Best Polling Firm” by the Arizona Capitol Times, including in 2026. Mr. Bentz has performed survey research for Fortune 500 companies, government…
Patrick J. Cunningham brings 32 years of public sector experience to public affairs consulting at HighGround, and he specializes in the natural resource and water policy arena. Patrick was Deputy Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality from 2003 through 2009, and worked for 12 years in the Arizona AG’s office as Chief Counsel, of…