Mark Isakowitz, PresidentMark Isakowitz joined the firm as a name partner in January of 1998 and in the decade since has been a strategic advisor, advocate, and coalition manager for the firm's clients. He learned to run large, complex lobbying campaigns in his previous job as director of federal governmental relations for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation's largest small business advocacy organization. He managed NFIB's House lobbying team and developed strategy on issues affecting NFIB's 600,000 members. Mark was also NFIB's specialist on health care, working with House and Senate leaders on numerous major bills. According to an article in National Journal, "Isakowitz played a big role in helping derail President Clinton's health care proposal in 1993."
Mark served for several years as a press secretary to Congressman Paul Gillmor, who was a senior member of the House Commerce Committee. He has also worked as an aide in the Ohio Legislature. In addition, he worked on presidential, gubernatorial, and congressional campaigns in past years, including communications and advance work for the Dole for President campaigns.
In 2000, Isakowitz was also a member of the Bush-Cheney Transition Advisory Team.
Mark is a cum laude graduate of The Ohio State University and a native of Cleveland, Ohio. He and his family currently live in Oak Hill, Virginia.
Kirk Blalock, PartnerKirk Blalock joined the firm in November of 2002 and became a name partner in October of 2003. Kirk joined the team after serving President Bush as Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Director, White House Office of Public Liaison. At the White House, Blalock managed and coordinated all White House public affairs, outreach and coalition development activities for the Executive Office of the President with the Business Community. He also worked closely with the President’s Office of Legislative Affairs, Office of Strategic Initiatives and Office of Political Affairs to promote and support Presidential Initiatives on a local, state and national basis. In addition, Blalock coordinated with the National Economic Council, the President’s Council of Economic Advisors, the Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. Department of Treasury, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of Policy Development on all Presidential Initiatives related to business and the economy.
Previous to his Presidential appointment, Blalock served in several key positions including: Director of External Affairs, Philip Morris Companies Inc., Special Assistant to the Chairman, Republican National Committee (when Haley Barbour was chairman), and Special Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Education (when Lamar Alexander was Education Secretary).
Kirk is a graduate of Auburn University and a native of Atlanta, Georgia. He and his family currently live in Alexandria, Virginia.
Kirsten A. Chadwick, PartnerKirsten Ardleigh Chadwick joined the firm in February of 2004 after serving President George W. Bush as a Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. As a liaison to the U.S. House of Representatives, Kirsten served as the primary point of contact for the President and senior White House staff to the Committees on Agriculture, Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, Ways & Means and to the House Republican Leadership. Kirsten managed the day-to-day White House legislative strategy for several major pieces of legislation in the 108th and 107th Congresses including the No Child Left Behind Act (HR 1), the Trade Act of 2002 (HR 3009) and the Jobs and Growth Tax Act of 2003 (HR 2). Kirsten co-chaired the interagency task force charged with passing the Trade Promotion Authority Act in 2001-2002.
Prior to joining the Administration, Kirsten was a Principal at the law firm of O'Brien Calio, LLP. From April-August 2000, Kirsten served as the Deputy Assistant Convention Manager for Public Liaison at the Republican National Convention. Kirsten served in the George H. W. Bush Administration in 1992 and as a volunteer on the gubernatorial campaign of Governor Bill Weld (MA).
Kirsten is a graduate of Penn State University and is a native of Boston, MA. Kirsten and her family currently reside in Alexandria, Virginia.
Mike Chappell, PartnerPrior to joining the firm in May of 2003, Michael Chappell served as Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Chip Pickering of Mississippi. Michael served as the senior policy advisor for legislative matters. In addition, Mike managed Congressman Pickering's activities on the Energy and Commerce Committee and his role as the Co-Chairman of the Congressional Wireless Telecommunications Caucus and the Congressional Electricity Caucus.
Before joining Pickering's staff, Mike was the Office Manager and Press Aide to Mississippi Congressman Roger Wicker. Mike also worked on the presidential campaign for Senator Phil Gramm during the 1996 election cycle.
Mike graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and is a native of McComb, Mississippi. Mike currently resides in Arlington, Virginia.
Katie Huffard, Senior Vice-PresidentPrior to joining the firm in February of 1999, Katie Braden was Legislative Assistant to Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee. During her four years of service to the Senator, Katie handled a wide variety of issues ranging from labor and small business, judiciary and patent and copyright law, campaign finance reform, health care and substance abuse issues. In addition, Katie handled many politically complex and sensitive issues such as the 1998 consideration of the global tobacco settlement. Katie was instrumental in the drafting of the comprehensive package, in particular the FDA jurisdiction title, put forward by the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee for consideration by the full Senate.
Before joining Senator Frist’s staff, Katie served as Deputy Press Secretary for Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama.
Katie graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, and is a native of Nashville, Tennessee. She and her family currently reside in the District of Columbia.
Kate Hull, Director, Government AffairsKate Hull joined the firm as Director, Government Affairs in January of 2003, after spending eleven years in the United States Senate. Most recently, Kate served as Staff Director for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Subcommittee on Aging. Prior to that, Kate spent four years as Senior Legislative Assistant to Senator Tim Hutchinson. Kate advised the Senator on a wide variety of issues, including health care, aging, tax, budget and small business. Kate was a key negotiator in the 2002 bioterrorism conference committee, the Patient’s Bill of Rights debate and 1997 legislation to reform the Food and Drug Administration. Kate was also responsible for drafting the Senate version of the Nurse Reinvestment Act (S. 1864), which was signed into law on August 1, 2002.
Before joining Hutchinson’s staff, Kate spent five years on the legislative staff of Senator Bill Cohen.
Kate graduated from the College of William and Mary, in Virginia, and is a native of Maine. She and her family currently reside in Alexandria, Virginia.
Aleix Jarvis, Director, Government AffairsAleix Jarvis joined the firm in February of 2005 after ten years on the staff of Senator Lindsey Graham. For the last six of those years, Aleix served as Legislative Director and chief policy advisor to the South Carolina Republican. In that role, he developed and coordinated legislative and floor strategy on a wide range of issues, with particular focus on defense, energy, budget and trade issues. He served as Graham's designee on both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees where he developed substantial expertise in defense, nonproliferation, environmental and energy policy. Aleix served as policy advisor to the Graham for Senate campaign in 2002, coordinated grass roots activities along Florida's critical I-4 corridor during the Bush-Cheney 2004 presidential campaign, and has volunteered on numerous other campaigns including Senate races in 2006, and McCain 08. He served as Director of Operations for the 2008 Republican National Convention.
Prior to joining Graham's House staff, Aleix served on the staff of Congressman Charles Taylor of North Carolina.
Aleix graduated from the University of North Carolina and is a native of Lewisville, North Carolina.
Don Fierce, Founder
Don Fierce is the founder of Fierce & Associates, which in 1998 was renamed Fierce & Isakowitz and is today Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock. In 1993, Mr. Fierce took a leave of absence from his previous firm to serve at the Republican National Committee. At the RNC, he held the position of Director of Strategic Planning and Congressional Affairs. As Director, he was the chief liaison to Republican members of the House and Senate as well as providing strategic planning for gubernatorial and congressional races. Don worked directly with the Republican leadership to coordinate legislative and communication strategy.
Don began his career in government and politics in 1969 while working in the office of Congressman Jim Broyhill of North Carolina. In 1970, he left to manage the successful campaign of Congressman Lamar Baker of Tennessee. Following that victory, he served on Capitol Hill as a legislative assistant for three years to Congressman Walter Powell. In 1973, Don entered the Nixon/Ford Administration in the office of Congressional Affairs at the General Services Administration. Three years later he joined the Ford for President campaign as a regional field director responsible for five states. During the Reagan Administration, Don served as a consultant to Lee Atwater for three years. During his career he has consulted on numerous congressional, senatorial and presidential campaigns. In 1994, he was instrumental in developing and implementing the Republican plan to regain majority control in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Don has two children and resides in Washington, DC.
