Welcome to Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid

Lisa Kountoupes

Since founding KDCR Partners in 2007, she is regularly named as a Top Lobbyist by The Hill, and the firm is routinely recognized as a top performing and notable firm by Bloomberg and Politico.

Lisa primarily works with clients in the energy and environment, technology/telecommunications, and healthcare space and has decades of experience working on issues related to appropriations, tax, and trade. She provides strategic advice and legislative advocacy across both chambers of Congress and the Executive Branch to help clients build and strengthen their presence on Capitol Hill.

Prior to her consulting work, Lisa held a series of senior positions in the federal government, including the Executive Branch at the White House, the Department of Energy, and the United States Congress. Lisa served as Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs for President Clinton.

She spent three years as Assistant Director for Legislative Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) where she was part of the team that secured passage of the historic 1997 Balanced Budget Agreement. Beginning in May 1994, she served as a Special Assistant in the Secretary’s office at the U.S. Department of Energy, working on issues related to the electric utility industry, clean energy, environmental clean-up and the nation’s research laboratories.

Prior to her tenure in the Clinton administration, Lisa served as a member of the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee under Chairman John D. Dingell (D-MI).

Lisa graduated with honors and distinction from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

Lori Denham

Lori has been recognized as a top lobbyist by The Hill for the past seven years and has helped lead KDCR through a period of significant growth.

Prior to joining KDCR in 2008, Lori served for more than 20 years on Capitol Hill, for campaigns, and in the private sector. She was Executive Vice President of Government Affairs and Industry Operations for the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) where she led the association’s efforts in public policy and advocacy, retail industry relations, external communications, and served as the association’s lead democratic liaison to Capitol Hill.

Prior to joining RILA, Lori worked for former Rep. Cal Dooley (D-CA) for more than 13 years in a variety of roles including legislative director and chief of staff. During her tenure with Rep. Dooley, Lori helped build and provide key strategic and public policy support for the New Democrat Coalition.

Lori also served as Legislative Director to former Energy and Commerce Committee member Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-OR) and has a range of campaign experience including managing the re-election campaign for Rep. Dooley and serving as a senior staffer on the Kerry-Edwards Presidential Campaign where she worked as Chief of Staff to Elizabeth Edwards.

Lori received a BA from the University of California at Davis in 1990. She received her MPA from the George Washington University.

Julie Hershey Carr

Her clients include Fortune 500 corporations, trade associations and non-profits in healthcare, technology, and telecommunications.

She has successfully advocated for KDCR clients in major legislative battles that ultimately resulted in passage into law, including a landmark medical device tax repeal, medical imaging dose optimization, and over the counter monograph reform. Julie also navigated her clients through a contentious internet governance issue facing significant conservative opposition, as well privacy debates.

A seasoned Republican strategist with strong relationships from the least to the most conservative wing of the party, Julie has strong connections within House Republican leadership and with all House congressional Republican working groups and caucuses.

Prior to entering private practice, Julie served as Legislative Director for former Congressman Joseph R. Pitts (R-PA), Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, where she handled his health care, technology, and trade portfolios. A native Pennsylvanian, Julie worked on his first campaign for Congress, and remains active in Pennsylvania politics.

Julie received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a minor in Business Administration from Messiah University in Grantham, PA.

Randi Reid

Prior to entering private consulting, Randi served as Legislative Director for former U.S. Senator Michael B. Enzi (R-WY) for five Congresses in 2005-2013. Randi oversaw Senator Enzi’s policy development and provided political counsel on landmark legislation focusing on health care, tax, and transportation. She led coalition efforts to galvanize both congressional and third-party support for critical Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committees’ legislation. Randi is a long-recognized leader among Senate Legislative Directors and co-created the Senate Bipartisan Legislative Directors’ Group in 2007. She was the Senator’s primary liaison to the Senate Republican Steering Committee where she focused on building support among conservatives on budget, tax, and health care issues. She also worked closely with committee staff and member offices when Senator Enzi served as the Senate HELP Committee’s top Republican member for eight years, helping the Senator to enact more than 30 bills into public law.

A Texas native, Randi began her career in state government affairs working as a Legislative Analyst for the Texas Office of State-Federal Relations in Washington, DC. She started her career on Capitol Hill in 1999 as a Legislative Assistant for Senator Enzi before working as Legislative Director for U.S. Representative Michael C. Burgess (R-TX) during his freshman term in 2003-2004, where she served as his primary counsel for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee activities and legislation.

Randi received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Political Science from Southwestern University and a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University.

Mary Dee Beal

Most recently, Mary Dee served on the Senate Republican Policy Committee for U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), where she provided analysis and education on issues related to tax, budget, appropriations, and small business. She worked closely with staff across the Senate Republican Conference, as well as Republican leadership and key Senate committees to advance Republican priorities.

Prior to her service in the U.S. Senate, Mary Dee served as Senior Advisor to Secretary Sonny Perdue and Acting Chief of Staff to Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky at the United States Department of Agriculture. During her time at USDA, she served as the principal advisor to the Secretary on climate, innovation, ag tech, and agriculture research priorities. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, she led the Department’s crisis management strategy to preserve the national food supply chain and worked closely with officials at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Transportation, and the National Economic Council as the interagency policy lead for the federal food supply chain response.

Mary Dee also spent over seven years in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving as Legislative Director for both Congressman Drew Ferguson (R-GA) and Congressman Austin Scott (R-GA).

Mary Dee is active with a number of organizations in Washington, D.C., including the Georgia State Society. From 2020-2021, she served as the Chairman of the 38th Taste of the South gala, an event that donated $400,000 for non-profit organizations in thirteen states and Washington, D.C.

A native of Statesboro, Georgia, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Mercer University.

Adam Hechavarria

Most recently, Adam served as Legislative Director for Senator Todd Young (R-IN), former Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and a Republican Deputy Whip.  In this role, he led the policy team and provided counsel on issues including tax, telecommunications, trade, manufacturing, infrastructure, workforce development, health care, and immigration. As Senator Young’s Deputy Whip liaison, he worked closely with Republican leadership staff, the Administration, and the Indiana delegation. Further, he led the Senator’s legislative agenda within the Senate Finance, Commerce, Foreign Relations, Small Business, and HELP Committees.

Prior to his work for Senator Young, Adam served as Legislative Director for Senator Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and worked closely on issues involving the Budget, Homeland Security, Armed Services, Commerce, and Aging committees. Among several policy achievements, he successfully worked to enact comprehensive legislation to address opioid addiction, improve defense acquisition and contracting, and address gaps in our nation’s mental health system. He was also responsible for directing preparation and strategy for multiple appropriations and defense authorization cycles, fiscal cliff negotiations, public town halls, and hundreds of national media appearances.

Adam also worked on the Senate Budget Committee under then-Chairman Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) and in the office of Senator John Sununu (R-NH). A New Hampshire native, Adam received a Bachelor of Arts in Government from the University of Maryland and a Master of Arts in World Politics from the Catholic University of America.

MJ Kenny

Most recently, MJ served as Deputy Floor Director for Senate Democratic Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-IL). In this role, he provided daily strategic advice to the Senator and members of the Democratic caucus on all pending matters on the Senate floor. For nearly a decade, MJ advised Senator Durbin and his staff on how best to advance the Senator’s legislative priorities from immigration to health care and tax legislation. He managed the Senator’s daily floor messaging, which led to the elevation of key priorities such as the DREAM Act, and was also responsible for helping generate the Senator’s amendment strategy for every piece of legislation that received floor consideration from the 112th to the 116th Congresses. He also provided counsel on the Senate’s complex rules, knowing how to use the procedures of the institution to achieve legislative and political success both in the majority and minority.

MJ has worked with each Senate committee to help usher major legislative and executive items through the Senate and played a key role in determining weekly caucus floor strategy, developing a distinguished reputation as a skilled political staffer. He worked on multiple Farm Bill and surface transportation reauthorizations, the yearly appropriations bills, the often-lengthy budget caps and debt debates, and the annual National Defense Authorization Act. As a senior leadership aide, he regularly briefed House Democratic Legislative Directors on all matters related to the Senate.

Prior to serving as Deputy Floor Director, MJ was a Legislative Aide to Senator Durbin on issues related to transportation, trade, and agriculture. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Northwestern University and originally hails from Bethesda, Maryland.

Denise Mousouris Northrup

Most recently, Denise served as National Finance Director to former Congresswoman Cheri Bustos (D-IL), who served as Chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and Co-Chair of the House Steering and Policy Committee during her time in Congress.

Denise played a key leadership role in Congresswoman Bustos’ finance and political operation in Washington, DC, Illinois and nationally. She oversaw a multi-million-dollar budget, authorized strategic campaign spending, built a prominent leadership PAC and broke fundraising records. During the 2020 cycle, Denise worked at the DCCC serving as Senior Finance Advisor to the Chairwoman where she helped successfully hold the Democratic House majority. She managed the political fundraising agenda of the DCCC Chairwoman and often accompanied Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on national travel. Denise also worked closely with Members of Congress, candidates and their staffs advising them on the national political landscape while cultivating relationships with important stakeholders.

Prior to her work at the DCCC, Denise was an Associate at the Frost Group, a premier DC PAC fundraising firm where she executed quarterly finance plans for clients, including Committee Chairs, Tri-Caucus Chairs, DCCC Frontline Members, DCCC Red-to-Blue candidates, non-profits and Senate candidates in addition to leading events at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, PA.

A proud Greek-American from Virginia Beach, Virginia, Denise holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in History from Dickinson College.

David Peluso

Prior to entering private consulting, Dave served as Chief of Staff for former House Republican Conference Chair (and current House Energy and Commerce Chair) Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). In addition, Dave was Chief of Staff for Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Chair of the House Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Data, Innovation, and Commerce. Dave’s extensive work in the House Republican Conference has made him a well-placed expert on the complex dynamics in the House with unique insight into the day to day thinking of members of Congress across the ideological spectrum.

Dave achieved a number of legislative successes while working in the House, including securing policy victories in appropriations, energy and homeland security bills, as well as shepherding bills concerning tax, regulatory reform, telecommunications and cybersecurity. Dave is also respected for his strategic communications skills and his political savvy, having served as Communications Director for Congressman Bilirakis as well. In addition to his work with Members, he is a recognized leader among House Republican Chiefs of Staff, where he has presented regularly at the Congressional Institute’s Chiefs of Staff retreat and helped lead outreach efforts which fostered collaboration among House Chiefs of Staff and leadership offices. During his time with Congressman Bilirakis, he led the campaign that secured the Congressman’s position on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in coordination with House Leadership and key stakeholders.

Prior to his tenure in Washington DC, Dave served as a Finance Director for Congressman Bilirakis’ initial campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives. Dave received a Bachelor of Science in Technology Management from St. Petersburg College.

Leslie Zelenko

Though she primarily works with the firm’s health care practice, Leslie uses her policy and political expertise to advise clients on a range of issues, including the annual appropriations process.

She most recently served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislation at the Department of Health and Human Services where she led the Department’s legislative strategy and engagement for public health. In her two and half years working in the Department she worked on policy and legislation relating to public health preparedness, including during the Covid-19 response, and the PREVENT Pandemics Act & Preparedness All-Hazards Prevention Act (PAHPA). Leslie also steered the agency’s legislative strategy on the development of ARPA-H, the expansion of mental health care for children and families, reform of the organ procurement system, and drug pricing and drug shortage issues.

Prior to her role in the Biden-Harris administration, Leslie served nine years in Congress as Legislative Director for Congressman Mark Pocan (WI-02). In this role, she managed his Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Subcommittee portfolio. Leslie also spearheaded the Congressman’s health policy work in his role as co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Leslie received her Master of Public Policy from the George Washington University and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Owen Drexel

Prior to joining KDCR Partners, Owen was an intern in the office of Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), and a financial analyst for the University of Pittsburgh’s business office.

Owen holds a Masters of Arts in Business Management and a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh, where he was a scholarship athlete on the Pitt football team earning All ACC academic honors.

Erin Howley

Erin joined Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid in May of 2023. Prior to her time at KDCR she served as a Legislative Intern in the office of Senator Gary Peters (D-MI). She graduated from the University of Michigan in 2022 where she majored in Political Science and Psychology.

Nancy Harper Marlow

Ms. Marlow brings more than two decades of administrative experience to the firm from both political and business entities. Most recently, she worked as Executive Assistant to the President and CEO at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She has held the same role at a variety of companies, including the American Institute of Architects and Total Wine & More. Ms. Marlow also managed strategic operations for former Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) in his work focused on mental health and substance use disorders, and managed administrative operations for the Washington, D.C. advocacy arm of Total Global, a major energy producer. Prior to these roles, Ms. Marlow spent 13 years managing operations at ZG Ventures, a venture firm in D.C. focused on early-stage investments in health and technology.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Marlow served in the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) under the Clinton administration, first as Special Assistant to the Chair and then as Associate Director for Outreach and Strategic Planning. In this capacity she provided counsel on the development and execution of the President’s environmental platform. She also held administrative and event planning positions at the League of Conservation Voters and the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Ms. Marlow received her B.A. in Liberal Arts from Virginia Tech.

Alayah Reynolds

Alayah joined KDCR Partners in January of 2023 after working for the office of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan for nearly two years as a Senior Public Engagement Liaison focusing on creating pathways for constituents to learn about and directly influence the policies that govern their state with an emphasis on public safety, economic development, and the Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota. Prior to that, Alayah worked for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety in the Commissioner’s Office. Alayah earned her B.S. in Biology from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities College of Biological Sciences in 2019.

Teresa Schofield, SHRM-CP

Prior to joining Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid, Ms. Schofield served in c-level roles at two client services firms, most recently as Chief Administrative Officer at New Blue Interactive. Before that, she spent more than a dozen years at The Herald Group, a bipartisan public affairs firm, where she helped the firm grow from four employees to more than 25 and built policies and processes to enable that growth.

Ms. Schofield has served in a variety of public affairs roles, drawing on her public policy and corporate and trade association communication expertise to provide media relations, strategy and content development counsel in client services and trade association environments.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Schofield worked in the office of then-Congressman Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), where she handled a diverse portfolio of domestic policy issues, and in the Office of Legislative Affairs at the White House during the Clinton Administration, first as an intern and then as assistant to the deputy director for legislative affairs. Ms. Schofield has also held positions at JP Morgan in New York and at Wachovia Bank in Atlanta.

Ms. Schofield holds a BS in Business from Wake Forest University and has earned the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)-CP certification.

Paula Short

She continued as the Office Manager for Congresswoman Pelosi when she became the Democratic Leader and the first woman Speaker in the House of Representatives. In addition to managing all of Ms. Pelosi’s Washington DC offices, she supervised the internship program and managed the House of Representatives Democratic Page Program. Paula studied Business Administration at Pennsylvania State University.

Lincoln Virant

Lincoln joined Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid in May of 2024. Prior to his time at KDCR he served as a Legislative Intern in the office of Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL), a Consulting Intern with the Comedy Cures Foundation and an Equity Research Intern at Cavan Capital. He graduated from The George Washington University in 2024 where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in International Affairs with a Minor in Political Science

Tanner Walsh

Tanner joined Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid in April of 2022 as a Legislative Assistant. Prior to his time at KDCR, Tanner spent two years at Abbott Laboratories as a Government Affairs Assistant focusing on issues pertaining to Healthcare, Cybersecurity, and Tax. While in undergrad, Tanner spent 5 months working as a Constituency Intern for Harriet Harman M.P. in British Parliament and additionally as an Intern for Kwame Raoul’s campaign for Illinois Attorney General in 2018.

Tanner earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Economics from DePauw University in 2019.