The History of Ervin Graves

For more than 30 years, Ervin Graves Strategy Group has achieved results for our clients in defense, appropriations, biotech, health services, finance, cybersecurity, natural resources, consumer packaged goods, fintech and more. At the same time, Ervin Graves has been a trusted, bipartisan resource to policymakers, leveraging experience and insight into a broad range of issues to inform the legislative process.

Building on the principles of bipartisanship and trustworthiness that Jim Ervin laid out when he founded the firm in 1987, former Congressman Tom Graves joined forces with Jim in 2020 to launch Ervin Graves Strategy Group. After nearly 20 years in the Georgia legislature and U.S. House, Tom has a reputation for relationship building and forging creative solutions to some of the biggest challenges facing the nation.

Meet The Team

Tom Graves">

Honorable Tom Graves

President and CEO
As a north Georgia country boy, Tom’s life has been fueled by one slogan his father shared with him: Dream Big, Work Hard, and Achieve Much. ‍He’s been a...
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Jim Ervin">

Jim Ervin

Chairman
As an original founder of Ervin Graves, Jim works with each of our clients to coordinate a legislative agenda that fits their specific needs and interests. He utilizes his...
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Joe Kasper">

Joe Kasper

Managing Director
Joe is an experienced government affairs specialist with a unique and diverse background that provides clients with a higher-level of innovative and effective strategies. His extensive work...
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Allison Feikes">

Allison Feikes

Senior Vice President
Allison is a seasoned professional with a proven track record of communicating effectively with people from different political persuasions. She has a thorough knowledge of U.S. domestic and foreign...
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Amanda Kasper">

Amanda Kasper

Senior Vice President
Amanda brings extensive experience fostering and managing public-private partnerships in healthcare, clinical research, and environmental issues. She has demonstrated success representing the interests of senior leadership...
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Chuck LeVinus

Senior Vice President
Chuck LeVinus joins Ervin Graves Strategy Group after serving almost 23 years with the Phoenix Fire Department where he retired as a Fire Captain. During his firefighting career, Chuck...
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John Lucio

Senior Vice President
John joins Ervin Graves after fives years as a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Defense Subcommittee, where he specialized in shipbuilding research and development, procurement, and...
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Matt Salmon

Senior Vice President
Matt served three terms representing the 5th District of Arizona before honoring a self-imposed term limit, leaving Congress in 2000, at which time he worked as a consultant to...
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Tim Baker

Director of Operations
Tim is an experience manager, utilizing his years as a Chief of Staff for three Members of Congress to coordinate and execute the inner office functions that support the...
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Dan Sauers

Senior Associate
Dan Sauers is a graduate student at George Washington University where he is pursuing a Master of Professional Studies in Political Management. Daniel began his career in New York...
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Matt Marsh

Associate
Matt is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College where he earned a Bachelor’s in Government and minor in Leadership in the Public Interest. As an undergraduate he served as Student...
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Rhett Dawson">

Rhett Dawson

Senior Advisor
Rhett joined Ervin Graves after 15 years as president and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council. At ITI he recruited skilled board leaders from the technology industry, built...
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Debbie Burrell

Special Advisor
Since leaving the Hill in 2013, Ms. Burrell has effectively developed and implemented strategies for amending legislation, securing funding for projects and programs, and for revising federal regulations in...
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Graduate to Government Alumni

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Halley Burnside

Research Associate
Halley is currently a second-year graduate student at Carnegie Mellon University studying Public Policy and Management. She began her career studying art history at the University of Michigan and...
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Matt Marsh

Associate
Matt is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College where he earned a Bachelor’s in Government and minor in Leadership in the Public Interest. As an undergraduate he served as Student...
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Caylie Milazzo

Research Associate
Caylie is currently a second-year graduate student at George Washington University pursuing a Master of Arts in International Affairs with a concentration in U.S. Foreign Policy. Caylie previously worked...
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Dan Sauers

Senior Associate
Dan Sauers is a graduate student at George Washington University where he is pursuing a Master of Professional Studies in Political Management. Daniel began his career in New York...
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Erin McCoy

Research Associate
Serving as a Research Associate, Erin is from Des Moines, Iowa and is a first-year Master of Arts student at Johns Hopkins SAIS concentrating in Security, Strategy, and Statecraft....
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