Hartford Business Journal

16 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | JANUARY 22, 2024 FOCUS: LEGISLATIVE PREVIEW Eric Gjede (left) and Andrew Markowski (right) are partners at Connecticut-based lobbying firm Statehouse Partners. HBJ PHOTO | SKYLER FRAZER Seeking Influence As legislative session begins, CT lobbying corps sees new players, fresh starts By Skyler Frazer sfrazer@hartfordbusiness.com W hen the 2024 legislative session kicks off in just a few weeks, there will be a noticeable shake-up in the lobbying corps at the state Capitol. There have been several high-pro- file hires by local lobbying firms in recent months, and even new players entering the market. Connecticut-based Statehouse Partners, formerly named State- house Associates, late last year added Eric Gjede, the former top lobbyist at the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. The CBIA, in turn, tapped former GOP lawmaker Chris Davis to lead its government affairs team. Hartford lobbying firm Kozak & Salina recently hired Donna Hamzy Carroccia, the former chief strategy officer of the Connecticut Conference of Municipal- ities, an association that represents cities and towns. Meantime, national law firm McCa- rter & English has established a government affairs practice in Connecticut, led by former longtime chief of staff to the Connecticut Senate Democrats, Vincent Mauro Jr. And a startup lobbying firm — Zimmerman Fields and Associates LLC — announced its launch in September. The firm is led by Robert Fields, a campaign manager and political consultant with ties to Connecticut, and Duval Zimmerman. In addition to Hartford, the firm will also operate out of Wash- ington, D.C., Fields said. The significant number of changes isn't typical in the state's small but steady lobbying industry, which has generated nearly $52 million in total compensation during the 2023-24 reporting period, according to the Office of State Ethics, which over- sees the sector. Firms adding talent or entering the market say they see growth opportu- nities as the need for representation at the Capitol grows. And they'll be competing to represent clients in diverse industries, ranging from manufacturing and health care to hospitality and insurance. "Not every client is always concerned about passing a law or defeating a law, and very often they just want to know what's going on," at the state Capitol, said Andy Markowski, founding principal of Statehouse Partners. "They want to have a trusted advisor, someone who can provide them with analysis and intelligence about what's happening, so that they can be in compliance, and so that they can fore- cast what they may need to do in their business or industry. What happens at the state government level impacts most people's and most businesses' daily lives far more than what happens at the federal level." Growing the business Markowski founded Statehouse Partners in 2012 after working for several years in Massachusetts and Connecticut politics. Since then, he's represented groups such as the Yankee Institute for Public Policy, Utility Contractors Association, CT Heating and Cooling Contrac- tors and Auto Body Association, among others. He's likely best known as the Connecticut state director of the NFIB, a national trade group that represents small businesses. "I've maintained and built the client lists … as a solo practitioner throughout all those years," said Markowski, whose firm has reported $272,447.30 in total compensation during the 2023-24 reporting period, ethics data shows. "I always thought about growing, but you have to find the right person, the right opportunity, and that's where Eric comes into play." Before working at CBIA, Gjede was cutting his teeth in Connecticut government at the Legislative Commissioners' Office, where he provided nonpartisan legal counsel to members of the Connecticut General Assembly. He was recruited in 2012 to join CBIA, where he worked on labor and finance-related issues on behalf of the trade association's thousands of business members. He was eventually promoted to vice president of public policy, leading CBIA's lobbying team. "That gave me a lot of opportunity to work with folks like Andy and a lot of other trade associations or lobby- ists throughout the years on all sorts of issues, whether tax issues, labor issues, economic development, trans- portation, you name it," Gjede said. After more than a decade at CBIA, Gjede said he caught the entrepre- neurial spirit and wanted to start something new. His familiarity with Markowski, and the fact they were allies on many issues over the years, made the pairing a fit, he said. They're a two-person operation. Gjede said he had a few prospec- tive clients in mind when he made the transition, and has since brought on groups such as the Connecticut Food Association and Wine Institute. David Kozak and Adam Salina, prin- cipals of Kozak & Salina, joined forces in 2009. They met when working for U.S. Congressman John Larson (D-CT), and they worked together both in Congress and the private sector before launching their firm. Since starting as a two-person shop with no clients about 14 years ago, Kozak & Salina has grown to four lobbyists representing about 40 clients across a slew of industries such as manufacturing and health care. The firm has reported just over $1 million in total compensation in the 2023-24 reporting period, ethics data shows. Elizabeth M. Gemski, who worked for 10 years as a government affairs consultant at law firm Murtha Cullina, joined Kozak & Salina in 2020, and Hamzy Carroccia joined at the start of this year. The additions have been stra- tegic, the co-founders said. Gemski brought business consulting exper- tise, while Hamzy Carroccia brings a strong knowledge base of issues impacting cities and towns. "The Connecticut political land- scape continues to change, and Donna Hamzy Carroccia David Kozak Adam Salina Vincent Mauro Jr.

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