Dale
J. Florio, Esq
Dale J. Florio, an attorney, is a public affairs professional with experience
at the federal, state and local levels. Legislative strategy development,
direct lobbying and coalition development are Mr. Florio’s specialties.
Prior to founding the Princeton Public Affairs Group, Mr. Florio managed
the Philip Morris state and local government affairs program throughout
all 50 states. He was responsible for development and implementation of
the company’s lobbying strategy, grassroots effort and political
contributions program. Before joining Philip Morris, he served as federal
public affairs representative with the National Association of Manufacturers
and as an administrative assistant to
a
member of the New Jersey General Assembly.
In
1979, Mr. Florio was elected as a member of the Borough Council
in Somerville, New Jersey. He chaired the Finance Committee
of the Council, while serving on that committee for nearly
three years. In June, 1992 Mr. Florio was elected Chairman
of the Somerset County Republican Organization. In the Spring
of 1992, he was nominated by State Assembly Speaker Chuck Hayatian
and appointed by Governor Florio to the New Jersey Building
Authority. Mr. Florio served as a key advisor to Christie Todd
Whitman during her successful primary and general election
victories in 1993 and 1997 and was subsequently named to the
Governor’s Transition Team. He was also a member of the
Task Force on the Affordability and Accessibility of Health
Care in New Jersey. Mr. Florio serves on the Boards of Commerce
Bank/Central, Innovative Educational Programs, Inc., and the
Adult Day Center of Somerset County.
A graduate of Allegheny College and Seton Hall Law School, Mr. Florio is admitted to the practice of law in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Mr. Florio also serves as the Head Boys Varsity Basketball Coach for West Windsor Plainsboro-North High School, Plainsboro, New Jersey.
Brad
Brewster, Esq
Bradley S. Brewster, an attorney, has worked on some of the most important
and complex issues facing this nation in recent years. A former Executive
Director of the New Jersey General Assembly and General Counsel to the
General Assembly Majority Office, Mr. Brewster played an important role
in the 
drafting
and resolution of the New Jersey criminal code reform legislation and the
creation of several major state environmental protection programs and economic
growth initiatives. He is also a partner in Winning Strategies a Washington,
DC based federal lobbying firm.
Prior
to joining the Majority Office, Mr. Brewster was in the private
practice of law and served as counsel to the Assembly Judiciary,
Law and Public Safety Committee. Mr. Brewster has taught environmental
law and served as a chairperson of the Department of Environmental
Protection and Energy Transition Team for Governor Christie
Todd Whitman. He has also lectured in politics and government
at Rutgers University and Seton Hall Law School. He previously
served on the Board of Trustees at Montclair University and
currently serves as a Governor’s appointment on the Board
of Trustees of The College of New Jersey.
Mr.
Brewster formerly served on the Board of the New Jersey Garden
State Games, the Governor's International Trade Commission
and the Governor's Olympic Development and Recognition Committee.
He has assumed a variety of advisory roles for several statewide
political campaigns since 1983. He also serves on numerous
local boards and charities. Mr. Brewster is a regular television
commentator on state and national political and public affairs
for several media programs including the Comcast Network. He
has also been a panelist and speaker at numerous public affairs
programs and conferences concerning state and federal issues.
A graduate of Ursinus College and Vermont Law School, he is
a member of the Bar in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Hon. John F. Russo, Sr., Esq
(Former Senate President)
Senator
John F. Russo, Sr., was the first Democrat elected from his district
in nearly one hundred years and was re-elected five times by some of
the largest margins in the state. He has spent 18 years in the New Jersey
Senate, has authored more than 200 laws and been involved in virtually
every major public policy issue at one time or another. 
Senator
Russo served as the state's Senate President and acting Governor from
1986 to 1990. He served as Majority Leader in 1978 and again in 1984
and 1985 and was the primary sponsor of the New Jersey death penalty
law. Senator Russo served on the Joint Committee on Appropriations and
a Special Sub-Committee on Tax Reform. He chaired the Committee on Energy,
Agriculture and Environment as well as the Senate Judiciary Committee.
In
1985, Senator Russo finished second in a field of six candidates in the
New Jersey Democratic Gubernatorial Campaign. He then went on to co-chair
Governor Jim Florio's successful gubernatorial campaign. Senator Russo
was elected Ocean County Democratic Chairman for four terms during the
1970's. A former First Assistant Prosecutor in Ocean County for ten years,
he graduated cum laude from Notre Dame University in 1955 and received
his law degree from Columbia University in 1958. He is an active pilot,
skier, tennis player and golfer.
William J. Pascrell, III Esq
With
a prominent career in state and federal public affairs, William J. Pascrell,
III, more commonly known as BPIII, is a lobbyist with the Princeton Public
Affairs Group, Inc. (PPAG).
Along
with his position at PPAG, BPIII has been the Passaic County Counsel
since his unanimous appointment by the Passaic County Freeholder Board
in 1998. BPIII was again unanimously re-appointed for a fourth term in
2007. As the County Counsel, BPIII has orchestrated the consolidation
of the Office of Consumer Protection and the Office of Weights and Measures
into one as well as amalgamating the County Adjusters Office in order
to streamline and bring more efficiency to County government. He has
also drafted Passaic County’s first Ethics Codes, which is the
strongest in the state of New Jersey, by which the County abides.
In
addition to his 2 major positions, BPIII served as a key insider and
adviser to John Kerry’s National Presidential campaign. BPIII has
also been an esteemed advisor to United States Senator and Governor Jon
Corzine, United States Senator Frank Lautenberg, United State Senator
Robert Menendez, Congressman Robert Roe, Herb Klein and Albio Sires as
well as Governor James E. McGreevey. BPIII played an instrumental role
in both McGreevey campaigns, one being McGreevey’s narrow defeat
to Christine Todd Whitman in 1997 and the other is his landslide victory
over Bret Schundler in 2001. He has previously served former Congressman
Herb Klein and former Governor James J. Florio. As Congressman Klein’s
Chief Counsel and Chief of Staff, BPIII coordinated programs helping
constituents with problems ranging from IRS to Immigration to Small Business
Loans to Veterans Benefits. Working closely with Congressman Klein, BPIII
helped bring millions of dollars back to the 8th Congressional District
of NJ as well as federal monies for President Clinton’s Americorp
Program in Paterson, NJ through the NJ Community Development Corporation.
On behalf of Congressman Klein, BPIII also worked with the Clinton administration
to draft, pass, and implement the national program to put 100,000 police
officers back on the streets of America. As Special Counsel to Governor
Florio, BPIII aided in developing and implementing the $1 billion dollar
New Jersey Economic Recovery Fund.
BPIII’s
impressive education equipped him with the necessary skills and fundamentals
enabling him to execute his positions with precision and credibility.
BPIII commenced his undergraduate career at Rutgers University graduating
Cum Laude from the Eagleton Institute of Politics and Public Administration.
Seton Hall Law School awaited him next and prepared him for Harvard University’s
Kennedy School of Government Senior Executives in State Government Program.
BPIII is a member of the bar in Washington, D.C., New Jersey and is admitted
to practice before the United States Supreme Court. In 1991 BPIII was
selected as a delegate to the American Council of Young Political Leaders
exchange program to Hong Kong and China. In 1992 he was also a Leadership
New Jersey fellow.
Along
with these distinctions BPIII also serves on the Board of Directors for
the New Jersey Community Development Corporation, Habitat for Humanity,
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the United Way of Passaic
County. The political web site, PoliticsNJ, named BPIII in their Power
List of top 100 political players in New Jersey. In 2003, NJBIZ magazine
featured Bill in their annual Forty Under 40 edition. For the past 10
years, NJBIZ has recognized 40 young men and women for their outstanding
contributions to the New Jersey Business Community. BPIII is the star
of the weekly show “The Battling Bills” which is on every
Sunday on Comcast CN8. He is also a regular political commentator on
talk shows like “It’s Your Call” with Lynn Doyle, “Diner
Politics” with Laura Jones, News 12’s “Power and Politics” and
has participated in live Court TV Internet discussions. In 2005 BPIII
was nominated for a Mid-Atlantic Emmy award for performance on the “Battling
Bills” weekly national political show. .
David A. Smith, MSFS
David A. Smith, a principal in the Princeton Public Affairs Group, is a veteran of the public affairs arena and has successfully managed public affairs campaigns impacting auto insurance, life insurance, tort reform and environmental legislative initiatives. Mr. Smith received national acclaim when he was honored with a "Pollie Award" by the American Association of Political Consultants and named to their United States "Public Affairs Team of the Year," the only state lobbyist in the country to receive this honor. Mr. Smith was also named one of the most influential players in New Jersey's Healthcare arena by the Annual HealthSense Listing., Mr. Smith was nominated by the honorable Governor Richard Codey and confirmed by the New Jersey Senate to be a Commissioner on the New Jersey Motion Picture and Television Commission, a four year term which ends in July 2009. Mr. Smith serves on the National Board of Directors of the Public Affairs Council, and was one of the few contract lobbyists in the Country to be appointed to a National Task Force charged with creating ethical standard for lobbyists throughout the United States. Mr. Smith is a founder and member of the Board of Directors of ProtectingAmerica.org, an advocacy organization Co-chaired by James Lee Witt, former Cabinet member under President Clinton and Admiral James Loy, Deputy Director of Homeland Security under President Bush.
Mr. Smith has appeared on television and radio stations representing clients' interests, authored dozens of articles on politics/policy issues in New Jersey and is a frequent guest speaker/lecturer at national and state conferences, legislative hearings, meetings and seminars. He has been a consultant to statewide and legislative political campaigns and is a member of the Executive Finance Committee of the Assembly Democratic Leadership Committee as well as the New Jersey State Democratic Committee. He is a Committee member of the NJ Society of Association Executives and leads the firm’s multi-state public affairs management services. Mr. Smith also serves as the President of PPAG IA, LLC, a subsidiary company of the Princeton Public Affairs Group, which identifies and manages business development joint venture opportunities. Prior to joining the firm in 1995, Mr. Smith served as Director of Policy and Planning for the New Jersey General Assembly Democratic Office. In that capacity, Mr. Smith supervised the partisan staff of all Assembly Committees and Task Forces while serving as senior staff aide to the insurance and commerce legislative committees. He was a Director with the New Jersey Dental Association from 1985 to 1990 and served on several national and state health care and insurance advisory committees.
Mr. Smith was awarded a Master of Science in Financial Services (MSFS) Degree from the Richard D. Irwin Graduate School of The American College. He is a Graduate Fellow of the Public Affairs Institute, a three year educational program of the Public Affairs Council located in Washington, DC. Mr. Smith also graduated from Gettysburg College and currently holds various insurance licenses.
Robert A. Nixon, MGA
Robert
A. Nixon has been a lobbyist and public affairs advisor with Princeton Public
Affairs Group, Inc. since 1995. Among his many legislative and regulatory
successes, he has represented New Jersey’s largest law enforcement
and firefighter unions in expanding their rights and benefits; successfully
provided for the State’s first dedication of boat registration fees
for maritime resources; and has been active in expanding client participation
in information technology projects.
Since
1990, Mr. Nixon has served as a political consultant and
legislative aide to elected officials in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
He served as legislative aide and campaign advisor to New
Jersey Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Bill Gormley.
He was also a consultant to the New Jersey Assembly Republican
Majority in 1994. In 1993 he was campaign director for the
re-election of State Senator John Scott. Mr. Nixon currently
serves as the Republican Municipal Chairman of Freehold,
New Jersey.
Mr.
Nixon has served on several State and local Boards and Commissions
including membership on the Board of Trustees of the New
Jersey Community Development Corporation in Paterson, New
Jersey and on the Board of Trustees of the Freehold Little
League. He received a Masters of Governmental Administration
from the Fels Center of Government at the University of Pennsylvania
and a B.A. in politics from St. Joseph’s University
in Philadelphia where he serves as an Adjunct Professor in
Government and Politics.
Sonia
Delgado, MGA
Sonia Delgado is a seasoned health care professional with over ten years
experience in health care policy, program development, and administration.
She brings to the firm wide-ranging health care experience in strategic
planning and management of legislative and regulatory issues. Ms. Delgado
has held senior executive positions at HIP Health Plans, UMDNJ-University
Hospital, and Mercy Health Plan of New Jersey, providing leadership and
expertise in public policy, government affairs, and business development.
Ms.
Delgado is a former senior policy analyst for the New Jersey
State Senate Democratic Office where she staffed the Health
and Human Services, Children's Services, and Military and
Veteran Affairs Committees. She also staffed Governor Florio's
Commission on Health Care Cost Reduction and served on the
Planning Group of the New Jersey Breast and Cervical Cancer
Control Commission. In the fall of 2000, Ms. Delgado was
appointed by State Democratic Chairman Tom Giblin to serve
on the New Jersey Legislative Appointment Commission.
Ms.
Delgado has served as an adjunct and associate professor
at Seton Hall University and the New School for Social Research.
A Fels Scholar, Ms. Delgado holds a Masters Degree in Government
Administration from the Fels School and a Bachelor of Arts
Degree both from the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Delgado
has served on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, New Jersey
Initiatives Advisory Committee and on the Board of Trustees
of the Community Health Law Project. She currently serves
on the Board of Trustees at the University of Medicine and
Dentistry of New Jersey and Presbyterian Homes and Services.
Her
areas of expertise include business development, utilization
and quality management.
Andrew V. Sinclair
Andrew manages the firm’s transportation portfolio that includes the
state’s most prestigious consulting engineers, contractors and developers.
He also helps manage the firm’s economic development services. Prior
to joining PPAG, Andrew served as Special Assistant to the Commissioner of 
Transportation
during the administrations of Governor Christine Todd Whitman and Acting
Governor Donald DiFrancesco. In this capacity he was involved in complex
issues ranging from public/private partnerships, access permits, aviation
and grants and funding to mitigating community opposition to transportation
projects. Andrew represented and acted for the Commissioner on the NJ Commerce
and Economic Growth Commission, the New Jersey Alliance for Action and the
Home Port Alliance for the USS New Jersey.
Andrew
holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of
Delaware and the Management Institute of the Northeast
Association of State Transportation Officials. He is a
graduate of Leadership New Jersey and was awarded the prestigious
Leadership New Jersey Program Development Award for organizing
the annual Forum on the Future of New Jersey.
Andrew and his wife, Jennifer Cottell, an attorney, live
in Metuchen with their sons Cameron and Brandon.
Alfred
J. Gaburo
Mr. Gaburo is a lobbyist at the Princeton Public Affairs Group, New Jerseys’ premier
governmental relations firm. Over the past fourteen years Mr. Gaburo has
earned a reputation as one of the state capital’s most knowledgeable
and respected advocates. His practice centers around healthcare, insurance,
transportation and environmental issues. His client roster reads like a
who’s who of business in New Jersey including leading companies in
the pharmaceutical, insurance, hospital and maritime industries.
Prior
to joining Princeton Public Affairs Group, Mr. Gaburo perfected
his lobbying expertise while a partner at Hodes, Shaw, Bodman
and Gluck and at the GluckShaw Group. He also gained extensive
national experience as a Field Director for Bailey Political
Consulting, Inc., where he organized and mobilized support
from business, industry and community groups in grassroots
campaigns in New Jersey, Arizona and Louisiana. Additionally
Mr. Gaburo has served as Executive Director of the New Jersey
Soft Drink Association.
Mr. Gaburo served in elected office from 1996-1999 as a member of the Borough
Council in his hometown of Raritan, New Jersey. He was elected council
president in 1998 and has also served on the borough’s planning board
and as Police and Fire Commissioner. Mr. Gaburo also served as a Somerset
County Republican Committeeman and was the Raritan Borough Republican Municipal
Chairman. He has also served as a political strategist for local, county,
state and national campaigns for offices ranging from Freeholder, Sheriff,
Mayor and United States Senate. A former member of the Advantage Bank Advisory
Board, Mr. Gaburo has also served as a gubernatorial appointee and received
NJ Senate Confirmation as a member of the New Jersey Real Estate Appraiser
Board and the 225th Anniversary of the American Revolutionary War Commission.
Mr. Gaburo also serves as a Director on the board of the Commercial Fidelity
Insurance Company.
A graduate of the University of Delaware, Mr. Gaburo also attended the
American Institute of Applied Politics in Washington, DC and the Eagleton
Institute of Applied Politics at Rutgers University. He is a Leadership
New Jersey Fellow, class of 2000 and resides in Montgomery Township, Somerset
County with his wife Margaret and daughter Adele.
Molly
J. Slingerland, Esq
Ms. Slingerland joined the firm in January 2004 and works with a variety
of clients on legislative and regulatory matters in addition to implementing
grassroots advocacy and organizing on a range of initiatives.
In
February 2007, the firm expanded its reach to New York State
creating Princeton Public Affairs Group • New York.
A native of upstate New York, Ms. Slingerland has begun orchestrating
government affairs representation and services in the Empire
State for the firm.
Ms.
Slingerland has served as a political operative in various
states including; New Jersey, Massachusetts, Iowa, Missouri,
West Virginia, Minnesota and New York. Notably, coordinating
field operations in 2000 for former Senator Bill Bradley’s
Presidential Campaign and prior to that assisting with fund
raising efforts for Gore 2000. Ms. Slingerland has spearheaded
field, grassroots organizing and constituent development
operations in a U.S. Senate race, U.S. Congressional race,
New Jersey Gubernatorial race and various judicial and municipal
races. In addition, Ms. Slingerland served as a law clerk
for the U.S. Attorney of the Northern District of New York
and the Honorable Richard C. Giardino, Fulton County Judge
and Surrogate.
A
graduate of Wellesley College, cum laude, and Albany Law
School of Union University, Ms. Slingerland was the Editor-in-Chief
of the Albany Law Review and published the article, Children’s
Justice: The Legislative and Judicial Career of Minnesota
Chief Justice Kathleen A. Blatz, 65 ALB. L.R. 1137 (2002).
Ms. Slingerland serves as a Governor’s Appointment
on the New Jersey Advisory Commission on the Status of Women.
Ms. Slingerland is admitted to the practice of law in New
York and New Jersey.
The
Honorable Jack Collins, Esq
is
New Jersey’s longest serving
Speaker of the General Assembly,
a lifelong educator, hall-of-fame
college basketball player and coach,
lawyer, sports enthusiast and farmer
from Pittsgrove Township in Salem
County.
During
his tenure in the Legislature, Mr. Collins led the fight
to reduce the state tax burden on New Jersey’s middle-class
families and the working poor. He voted to reduce New Jersey’s
sales tax by more than $600 million and cut the state income
tax by 30 percent. The Speaker also sponsored the New Jersey
SAVER rebate program, which will provide $1 billion in direct
property tax relief to every homeowner who pays school taxes.
Mr. Collins also sponsored legislation to remove more than
260,000 low-income families from the state income tax rolls
and authored a law that froze property taxes for New Jersey’s
most needy senior citizens. Mr. Collins also spearheaded
the effort to reform New Jersey’s automobile insurance
system and was a driving force behind the implementation
of core curriculum standards in New Jersey’s public
schools—a law designed to ensure every student receives
a quality education. He retired from the General Assembly
in 2002 after serving sixteen years.
Born
in Atlantic City, Mr. Collins moved to Gloucester City at
a young age and went on to attend Glassboro State where he
received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1964 and his master’s
degree three years later. Mr. Collins has the distinction
of being a member of the South Jersey Basketball Hall of
Fame, the Glassboro State College Hall of Fame and the Gloucester
County Hall of Fame. After retiring as a college basketball
coach, Mr. Collins studied law at the Rutgers University
School of Law in Camden and received his degree in 1982 and
was admitted to the New Jersey Bar. Mr. Collins retired from
Rowan University where he served as a professor of graduate
instruction in education-related issues and school administration.
Lorna D. O'Hara
Ms.
O’Hara has more than ten years of experience in political
development and government affairs within various organizations
in and around Washington, DC.
Most recently, Ms. O’Hara was employed as the Director
of Political Development for The American Council of Engineering
Companies (ACEC). Prior to ACEC, she was in charge of Political
Outreach for Capital One Financial Corporation, where she developed
the Corporations’ Capitol Contact Network and achieved
thirty to forty percent increases in Political Action Committee
totals during each election cycle.
Lorna began her career in government affairs at The National
Restaurant Association as an intern. After four years with
the Association, she went on to manage the Political Action
Committee and the organization’s annual Public Affairs
Conference. She played a key role in achieving the Associations’ goal
of raising $1 million through its Political Action Committee.
Ms. O’Hara served on The Kennedy Center’s Camelot
Circle Board, Project Children’s Stout Hearts and the
Blarney Ball Committee. She was selected to serve on Capital
One’s Volunteer Organization Board in 2000 and was nominated
Board Development Committee Chair in 2001
An alumnus of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, O’Hara
holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in East Asian Studies. Upon
graduating from the university, O’Hara studied at the
University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.
Lorna resides in Monmouth Beach, Monmouth County where in 2006
she served on the borough’s Centennial Committee. In
2007 the Mayor of Monmouth Beach appointed O'Hara to represent
the borough on the Monmouth County Regional Health Commission. She is also a member of the Monmouth County Regional Women's Political Caucus and was appointed Treasurer in 2007. In 2008 Mayor Howard appointed Ms. O'Hara to serve on the Monmouth Beach Planning and Zoning Board.
Amy
C. Dempster, MPP
Amy joined the Princeton Public Affairs Group in January 2006 after an
extensive internship with the firm while she was earning her graduate degree
at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy.
Ms.
Dempster’s activities with the firm are broad based
and include a range of issues, including, energy initiatives, education policy,
development issues and health care. She
currently provides research, legislative and regulatory support,
coalition building and community outreach services.
A strong advocate for women’s involvement and advancement in the political process, Ms. Dempster was appointed as the inaugural president of the Monmouth County Regional Women’s Political Caucus (MCR-WPC), in 2007, which is the Monmouth and Ocean county chapter of the Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey (WPC-NJ). In addition, Ms. Dempster was accepted into the Christie Todd Whitman Excellence in Public Service Series class of 2007-2008.
Ms. Dempster earned a Masters of Public Policy degree, with a concentration in political processes and institutions from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. While at the Bloustein School, Amy was a fellow to the Dean of the Public Policy program where she created and implemented the schools mentoring program. Amy was also awarded an Edward J. Bloustein fellowship in Public Policy, as well as an enhancement fellowship from Rutgers University for her commitment to community service.
Her commitment to the University continues as she now serves as a board member of the Bloustein School Alumni Association and as a representative at the Rutgers University Alumni Federation. In her capacity as a Rutgers Alumni Federation representative, she serves as a member of both the Government Relations Committee and Finance Committee.
Originally from California, Ms. Dempster graduated cum laude from the California State University of Fullerton where she participated as a Varsity Debate team member throughout her college career. While on the policy debate team, she was named to the Debate All American Team.
