The Russell Group - Announcements

Announcements

OCT 29
Ashlee Johnson Named Top Lobbyist

Congratulations to Ashlee Johnson for her recognition as a 2024 Top Lobbyist from the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics!

OCT 1
The Russell Group Announces 2025 Government Affairs Internship

The Russell Group is looking for a highly motivated student and member of MANRRS to serve as a Government Affairs Intern the summer of 2025. This internship is designed for students interested in government policy and lobbying work, specifically impacting the agricultural industry. For more information on the role, please click here.

APR 1
The Russell Group Again Named Standout Firm by BGOV

The Russell Group is pleased to be recognized in Bloomberg Goverment's 9th Annual Top-Performing Lobbying Firms Report once again. Again tapped as a "Standout Firm," this distinction specifically highlights our exceptional client retention rates and commitment to client service. The complete report can be viewed here.

FEB 6
The Russell Group Announces Summer 2024 Internship

We are looking for a highly motivated student and member of MANRRS to serve as a Government Affairs Intern this summer (June 3rd-August 1st). This internship is designed for students interested in government policy and lobbying work, specifically impacting the agricultural industry in areas including sustainability, food safety, child nutrition, biofuels, animal health, trade, conservation,...

DEC 6
Ashlee Johnson Named Top Lobbyist

We are thrilled that our own Ashlee Johnson has been named as a top lobbyist this year by The Hill. See the full list here.

APR 27
The Russell Group Announces New Hires

The Russell Group is pleased to announce that Kate Thompson and Morgan Orem have joined the firm as Legislative Assistants. Kate and Morgan will be responsible for overseeing legislative and regulatory issues and developing policy communications for The Russell Group’s family of clients. Kate was raised in Davis, California. She grew up on her family’s...

OCT 13
Randy Russell Featured on TLC Todd-versations Podcast

Listen or watch here. "The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining. - John F. Kennedy We are fortunate to have the sage wisdom of a longtime, inside-the-Beltway political heavyweight, Randy Russell. He's forgotten more than we'll ever know, and that is just part of why presidents, foreign dignitaries, and business...

MAY 12
The Russell Group Named One of Bloomberg Government's "Standout Lobbying Firms of 2021"

The Russell Group is pleased to again be recognized as a top performing lobbying firm by Bloomberg Government. Specifically named as a Standout Firm, The Russell Group has exceeded metrics in revenue growth, growth in average revenue per client, client retention, and revenue per lobbyist. Click here for a complete analysis.

MAR 3
Samantha Buchalter Promoted to Vice President

The Russell Group is pleased to share that Samantha Buchalter has been promoted to the role of Vice President. Buchalter has been with the firm for nearly 5 years, beginning in an analyst role and rapidly rising through the ranks. She has been essential in expanding the firm’s climate and sustainability advocacy portfolio as well...

DEC 9
Lacey Bowersox Joins The Russell Group Team

The Russell Group is pleased to welcome Lacey Bowersox to our roster in the role of Legislative Assistant. Lacey will be a key member of our team, boosting our level of client service while managing all legislative and regulatory issues for our clients. Lacey hails from Texas and received her B.A. in English and International...

JUL 20
Ashlee Johnson to Join The Russell Group

The Russell Group announced today that Ashlee Johnson will be joining the firm on September 1. The addition of Johnson will bolster the strong bipartisan team of policy experts at The Russell Group, and enhance the highest level of government affairs and advocacy service in the food and agriculture industry. “We are thrilled to have...

JAN 14
The Russell Group Announces New Hire and Staff Promotions Strengthening Legislative & Regulatory Affairs Division

The Russell Group announced today the hiring of Justina Graff and several staff promotions as part of the firm’s continued growth. “We’re thrilled to welcome Justina to our family. She will be a tremendous asset to our team as we continue to focus on enhancing our level of government affairs service. Her experience serving the...

MAR 16
Randy Russell Joins Agri-Talk on March 16, 2020

Agri-Talk | Pro Farmer policy analyst Jim Wiesemeyer fills in for Chip this afternoon and has a conversation about the markets and pandemic with Randy Russell of The Russell Group. Plus we have Monday afternoon regulars Jack Scoville of Price Futures Group and Cary Artac of Artac Advisory. Listen here.

JUN 12
Alex Noffsinger Joins The Russell Group

The Russell Group is pleased to announce that Alex Noffsinger has joined our team as a Legislative Assistant. Alex will serve a critical role managing all legislative and regulatory issues and will work closely with our clients to track and review Congressional and Executive actions. He spent nearly two years at National Association of State...

JUN 3
Samantha Buchalter Promoted to Legislative Manager

The Russell Group today announced that Samantha Buchalter has been promoted to Legislative Manager. Buchalter has been with the firm since 2017, beginning as a Legislative and Regulatory Analyst and most recently serving as a Legislative Assistant. In this capacity, she will have an expanded role in advising clients and managing key legislative and regulatory...

APR 22
Russell Group Again Recognized as One of D.C.’s Best

The Russell Group is proud to have been named a top performer once again by Bloomberg Government, receiving an honorable mention. See the 2018 Top-Performing Lobbying Firms here.

SEP 4
Jessica Schulken Joins Russell Group

Jessica Schulken has joined The Russell Group, Inc. firm President Randy Russell announced today. The addition of Schulken adds to a bipartisan team of food and agriculture policy experts who have worked at the highest levels of the federal government. “Jessica immediately brings an added dimension to our practice with two decades of work on...

MAR 29
Savannah Block Promoted to Senior Legislative Assistant

The Russell Group announced today that Savannah Block has been promoted to Senior Legislative Assistant. Block has been with the firm for nearly two years, beginning as an intern and then serving as a Legislative and Regulatory Analyst. In her new capacity she will advise clients on key legislative and regulatory issues and assist in...

NOV 1
Former Secretary Dan Glickman Joins The Russell Group as Strategic Advisor

The Russell Group is extremely pleased to announce that former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman has joined the firm as a strategic advisor and counselor. Dan will be a key part of our firm in providing his insights, advice, and counsel. Secretary Glickman currently serves as the Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Congressional...

OCT 13
Samantha Buchalter Joins Russell Group Team

The Russell Group is pleased to announce the addition of Samantha Buchalter to our team as a Legislative and Regulatory Analyst. Samantha Buchalter was born and raised in central Connecticut. In high school, she participated in a four-year vocational agriculture program and was actively involved in the FFA. After high school, she moved to D.C....

APR 4
The Hagstrom Report | Members, staffers pack meals for global hungry

Members, staffers pack meals for global hungry About 100 people including members of Congress joined with Kraft Heinz officials on Tuesday to pack more than 7,500 meals to be distributed through Rise Against Hunger, an international hunger relief organization whose purpose is to deliver food and aid to the world’s most vulnerable populations. “Together, we...

JAN 18
The Russell Group Hires Karla Thieman

The Russell Group is excited to announce that Karla Thieman has joined the firm. Karla’s unique skillset will enable The Russell Group to continue serving clients with the highest level of service in the industry. Karla has served as Chief of Staff for the United States Department of Agriculture since September 2015 after joining the...

NOV 15
Bloomberg BNA | Conaway Positioned to Stay at Top Spot on House Agriculture

Conaway Positioned to Stay at Top Spot on House Agriculture By Casey Wooten | November 9, 2016 8:13PM ET Nov. 9 (BNA) — House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway (R-Texas) breezed to victory in his re-election bid, laying the groundwork for another two years of his chairmanship on the panel. Conaway received about 90 percent...

SEP 8
Savannah Block and Allison Crittenden Join The Russell Group

The Russell Group today announced that Savannah Block and Allison Crittenden have joined the firm as Legislative and Regulatory Analysts. Block and Crittenden will provide detailed research and analytical support to the firm and its clients. Block and Crittenden are both 2016 graduates of Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Block previously served as...

AUG 31
Agri-Pulse | Meet the Farmhands

Agri-Pulse | Meet the Farmhands As a food and agriculture lobbyist with 30 years of experience, Randy Russell has been entrusted with advocating for many causes on Capitol Hill, including the GMO labeling debate. In this video, Randy talks with Agri-Pulse about his time in Washington and how it all started with a desk in...

FEB 24
Russell Group Named Top Ten Performing Firm by Bloomberg Government

The Russell Group has been ranked as the 9th top-performing lobbying firm in 2015 by Bloomberg Government. Russell Group Inc. is one of only two firms to make Bloomberg Government’s top performers list for the fourth time in a row. The firm’s run of consistently positive performance helped it move up to the 9th overall position from...

JAN 23
Rice Commission’s grower meeting focuses on changes in D.C.

Posted: Thursday, January 19, 2017 7:33 pm | Updated: 9:53 pm, Thu Jan 19, 2017. By Jake Abbott/ jabbott@appealdemocrat.com Northern California rice growers were told that the future of the industry looks promising under the new presidential administration at the California Rice Commission’s annual grower meeting in Yuba City and Colusa on Thursday. The event saw six...

DEC 3
Andrew Harker Promoted to Vice President of The Russell Group

The Russell Group announced that Andrew Harker has been promoted to the position of Vice President of the firm, effective today. In this capacity, Harker will coordinate all legislative and regulatory activities for the firm. Harker, a native of Virginia, has been with The Russell Group for over eight years and previously worked for the...

NOV 24
Russell Group Recognized As Top Performer By Bloomberg Government

The Russell Group is again ranked as a top-performing lobbying firm by Bloomberg Government for Q3 of 2015, the second quarter in row. Bloomberg Government examined six business performance metrics to determine which firms excelled during the third quarter of 2015, of the roughly 1,300 registered lobbying firms that filed Q3 lobbying disclosure reports with the Senate, only...