Press Release
Washington, D.C., March 30, 2010 – Van Scoyoc Associates Inc., Washington’s largest independent government affairs firm, has launched a new subsidiary to develop non-lobbying activities including Federal marketing and business consulting.
The new firm, VSConsulting Inc., will provide clients with comprehensive advice on how to navigate Washington to achieve their objectives. The firm’s initial focus will be to develop clients from the defense industry, the higher education community, and from overseas. In addition, VSConsulting will market the services of its sister lobbying affiliates to those clients requiring such services. VSConsulting eventually plans to add other services, including association management and public relations consulting.
Martin Cargas, formerly the top “diplomat” at Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. responsible for international relations, and Christopher Bourne, an expert in the military application of science and technology, are joining the new firm as its initial Vice Presidents.
The Implementation Group, an existing non-lobbying consulting subsidiary, will continue to operate as a division of VSConsulting. Dr. Joseph Danek, a Senior Vice President well known in academic circles, will continue to head The Implementation Group.
H. Stewart “Stu” Van Scoyoc, President and CEO of all of the firms, said he was creating VSConsulting both as a way to expand into new avenues of business and to market the services of Van Scoyoc Associates and Capitol Decisions Inc., his two existing government affairs firms.
“In a way, this new company was created as a vehicle for the remarkable talents of the staff, including our new VPs Chris Bourne and Marty Cargas,” Mr. Van Scoyoc said. “We expect great things from Chris, because of his deep understanding of defense issues and technology, and from Marty, based on his many years of international experience. And of course we expect continued success from The Implementation Group.”
Mr. Bourne provides business development and government relations services to clients interested in aerospace, technology, and national security. Mr. Bourne joined VSConsulting following a distinguished U.S. Marine Corps career, in which he achieved the rank of colonel.
With his experience both in the field and at high levels of command, Mr. Bourne understands the military capability development process fully and uses his operational perspective and strategic planning expertise to help his clients capture emerging opportunities.
Mr. Cargas represented Anheuser-Busch (later Anheuser-Busch Inbev) before all levels of government around the globe – from prime minister to city council – on such issues as acquisition and merger approvals, market access, development approvals, and intellectual property protection. He helped the company’s successful expansion into China, securing government approval for Anheuser-Busch to invest over $1 billion in the Chinese beer industry.
Mr. Cargas helps senior decision makers in foreign countries understand important differences in the way governments in the United States and their home countries function. He also advises all of his clients on U.S. political issues and on Washington’s processes and culture.
PRESS CONTACT: Nolan Walters (202) 737-8174 or
Company Leadership
H. Stewart “Stu” Van Scoyoc
“Stu” Van Scoyoc is the President and Chief Executive Officer of VSConsulting and the other Van Scoyoc companies. He has built his companies into Washington’s largest Federal Government affairs and consulting organization independent of a law firm or large corporation.
Along the way, Mr. Van Scoyoc and his companies earned a reputation for care, results, and ethical behavior. Only a few years after the firm opened its doors, The National Journal noticed that “colleagues consider Van Scoyoc a brainy Washington insider who sweats the details.”
Mr. Van Scoyoc is regularly interviewed by leading publications for his insights into politics, Congressional activities, and lobbying. Journalists have come to value his candor and ability to communicate complex ideas simply.
VSConsulting Inc., created in 2010, is the most recent of Mr. Van Scoyoc’s ventures and represents a new line of non-lobbying marketing and consulting activity. VSConsulting works closely with Mr. Van Scoyoc’s two lobbying firms, Van Scoyoc Associates Inc. and Capitol Decisions Inc., to afford clients the fullest possible range of services.
The Hill newspaper had this to say about Mr. Van Scoyoc in a recent profile:
“He believes success can come to those who do not have a hard edge. But the absence of that sharp edge doesn’t mean he lacks business sense. Van Scoyoc has a practice of never hiring former Members of Congress; he only hires former Congressional and Administration professional staff members who are experts in specific areas. Most importantly, he and his lobbyists direct laser-beam attention on their clients.”
Washingtonian magazine also recognized Mr. Van Scoyoc as one of the most influential lobbyists in Washington in its most recent survey. Mr. Van Scoyoc’s business formula is built on “hiring smart, entrepreneurial people with plenty of energy, and then getting out of their way,” he said. His staff’s professional development tends to parallel his own evolution, starting with mastery of one technical field, and then expanding from there.
Mr. Van Scoyoc earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University in 1969, where he also received the Alpha Phi Omega Award for Leadership and Outstanding Service to the University. For several years, he worked as an engineer for the DuPont Company, while earning a law degree at night from the University of Maryland.
Mr. Van Scoyoc came to Washington and joined DuPont's government affairs office handling legislative and regulatory issues. He then spent eight years as Vice President at Charls Walker Associates, a well-known lobbying company, where he focused on tax, energy, insurance, and environment. Striking out on his own, he became a founder of the Winburn, Van Scoyoc & Hooper government relations firm.
In 1990, Mr. Van Scoyoc created Van Scoyoc Associates Inc., with a focus on Congressional appropriations and taxation. That company quickly developed more than 20 practice areas, ranging from agriculture, biotechnology, defense and foreign affairs, and education, to financial services, energy, homeland security, transportation, and telecommunications.
In 2000, Mr. Van Scoyoc created Capitol Decisions Inc., a boutique lobbying firm providing government relations and public affairs counsel in health care, community development, energy, and grassroots advocacy.
Separate from the government affairs firms, he formed the law firm of Van Scoyoc Kelly PLLC in 2004 to provide counsel for military and civilian government contractors and innovative legal solutions to acquisition, procurement, and regulatory issues. He is a member of the Delaware, District of Columbia, and U.S. Supreme Court Bars.
Mr. Van Scoyoc is active with a number of community and service organizations, including the Armed Forces Foundation, Kidsave, Lehigh University, N Street Village, Our Military Kids, Project Hope, Redeemer Lutheran Church of McLean, Va., and the U.S. Capitol Historical Society.
Christopher M. Bourne
Christopher Bourne is a Vice President with VSConsulting Inc., providing business development and government relations services to clients interested in aerospace, technology, and national security. Mr. Bourne joined VSConsulting following a distinguished U.S. Marine Corps career, in which he achieved the rank of colonel.
At VSConsulting, Mr. Bourne works with companies and coalitions of companies to increase their capacity to fulfill military requirements, to understand the procurement process, and to contribute meaningfully to the Nation’s defense. With his experience both in the field and at high levels of command, Mr. Bourne understands the military capability development process fully and uses his operational perspective and strategic planning expertise to help his clients capture emerging opportunities.
Mr. Bourne is not a Federal lobbyist, but his clients have access as needed to his colleagues at Van Scoyoc Associates Inc., Washington’s largest independent government affairs firm and VSConsulting’s sister firm.
As an expert in the military application of science and technology, Mr. Bourne has specific experience in the high-tech demands of a modern expeditionary military force, including command and control; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; force protection, and efficient energy.
In his final military assignment as Chief Technology Officer and Chief Training Officer for the Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Mr. Bourne served as the commanding general’s principal advisor on science and technology and oversaw the process of turning Marines’ combat needs into new equipment for field use.
This work capped a career distinguished by excellence both on and off the battlefield that brought Mr. Bourne into lifelong relationships with senior officials and contacts in Washington and worldwide.
Mr. Bourne led troops in humanitarian and combat operations, including the evacuation of American citizens from the Philippines following the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo. In November 2001, he led the first conventional forces into Afghanistan in a nearly 400-mile amphibious operation from ships in the Arabian Sea. In 2008, as Senior Advisor to the Provincial Chief of Police in the difficult Anbar Province of Iraq, Mr. Bourne played a primary role in improving the performance of a 28,000-person police force.
Back home, he served in a number of command and staff assignments, including Aide-de-Camp to the Commandant of the Marine Corps and as a member of the Joint Staff Directorate for Strategic Plans and Policy.
A distinguished graduate with Master’s degrees from both the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the National War College, Mr. Bourne directed planning of three major combat operations and is the recipient of several military honors, including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Defense Meritorious Service Medal. Mr. Bourne is a native of Vestal, N.Y., and was commissioned in the Marine Corps after graduation from Boston University.
Martin dePorres “Marty” Cargas
Martin dePorres “Marty” Cargas is a Vice President with VSConsulting Inc. providing strategic business and government relations counseling. Both domestic and international clients benefit from his more than 20 years of legal and government affairs experience on a worldwide stage.
Mr. Cargas helps senior decision makers in foreign countries understand important differences in the way governments in the United States and their home countries function. He also advises all of his clients on U.S. political issues and on Washington’s processes and culture.
Prior to joining VSC, Mr. Cargas was the top “diplomat” at Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. (which subsequently became Anheuser-Busch Inbev) for 10 years. As such, he was responsible for the company’s relations with all governments outside of the United States.
Mr. Cargas represented the company before all levels of government – from prime minister to city council – on such issues as acquisition and merger approvals, market access, development approvals, and intellectual property protection. He was part of the Anheuser-Busch management team behind the company’s successful expansion into China, securing government approval for Anheuser-Busch to invest over $1 billion in the Chinese beer industry. He also helped the company expand its operations in many other countries, including through a joint venture in India.
Because of this experience, Mr. Cargas provides valuable assistance to clients entering international markets for the first time or expanding existing operations. Mr. Cargas is not a Federal lobbyist, but he works closely with his colleagues at Van Scoyoc Associates Inc., VSConsulting’s affiliated lobbying firm and the largest independent government affairs firm in Washington.
Together, the professionals at VSConsulting and Van Scoyoc Associates have hundreds of years of experience working within the Federal Government, representing clients before it, or as in Mr. Cargas’ case, counseling clients how to understand and deal with the Government.
During his 18 total years with Anheuser-Busch, Mr. Cargas rose from the Legal Department to become Vice President of Global and Environmental Policy. Previously, he had practiced law for five years at the St. Louis firm of Lewis Rice and Fingersh.
Mr. Cargas is a graduate of the University of Michigan, the Hofstra University School of Law, and the Boeing Institute of International Business at St. Louis University.
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James M. Crum
James Crum built his career around leading teams of experts to solve difficult problems. He has worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, on Capitol Hill, with the Department of Homeland Security, with the Department of Army reconstructing Iraq, and for a variety of other agencies and clients.
“I’m a firm believer in what psychologists call the ‘gestalt theory,’’ he said. “I believe that collaborative teams prove that the value of the members working together is greater than the sum of their individual efforts.”
Mr. Crum, a Vice President at VSConsulting Inc., worked for 18 years with the Los Angeles District of the Corps of Engineers before moving to Washington to work on national policy issues at Corps Headquarters and other Federal agencies. In addition to his consulting work, he is a registered lobbyist with Van Scoyoc Associates, an affiliate company, working with local communities, corporations, and other clients.
In Los Angeles, Mr. Crum handled all phases in the life cycle of infrastructure projects, from planning, design, construction, and operations, to emergency management. He served as Deputy to the Director of the Programs and Project Management Division during his last two years in Southern California, overseeing more than 75 District projects involving environmental restoration, water resource improvement, and navigation issues.
Because his career combines both national policy and overseeing individual projects, Mr. Crum can resolve complex issues from different perspectives. For example during the Iraq reconstruction program, he developed the policies governing a U.S. program to teach Iraqi engineers how to operate new power plants and other infrastructure. The State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Iraq adopted Mr. Crum’s policy framework.
In 2001, Mr. Crum was selected by Corps Headquarters to take on special assignments in national and international infrastructure policy. At the Senate’s Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee, Mr. Crum helped develop the fiscal year 2001 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill. He then helped align funding with Federal agency policy, working with the Office of Management and Budget and other parts of the Administration. Mr. Crum also spent a year as Director of National Policy for the Corps’ hydropower program working with the Department of Energy on renewable energy policy and issues.
Soon after President Bush created the Department of Homeland Security in the aftermath of 9-11, Mr. Crum was called on to develop new infrastructure policies as Director of Infrastructure Recovery with then-Secretary Tom Ridge.
Following the invasion of Iraq, the Army selected Mr. Crum to lead its Washington Office for Iraq Reconstruction, providing policy support to over 2,000 infrastructure projects worth $12 billion. He ended his 2004-2007 tour of duty with the Army as Director of the Iraq Project and Contracts Office in Washington DC.
Mr. Crum earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Loyola Marymount University and his Master of Science from Stanford University in Water Resources Planning and Management.
Kevin F. Kelly
Kevin F. Kelly, a Vice President at VSConsulting Inc., has worked with a range of high technology and Fortune 500 companies, institutions of higher education, governmental entities, and national trade associations.
Mr. Kelly offers corporations and non-profit entities strategic advice and counsel on the capture and expansion of technology-based government contracts. His practice includes assisting universities and colleges in the development of creative solutions to secure additional research funds from Federal agencies and programs.
In addition to his consulting work, Mr. Kelly is also a registered lobbyist and Vice President at Van Scoyoc Associates Inc., where he specializes in budget, appropriations, and legislative issues. His lobbying practice includes efforts to obtain annual funding for programs and projects, as well as providing Executive Branch liaison on policy and budgetary matters.
Mr. Kelly is also the Chief Operating Officer of the Washington, D.C., law firm of Van Scoyoc Kelly PLLC.
Mr. Kelly came to private practice after a dozen years of Capitol Hill experience in various senior positions in the House and Senate.
Mr. Kelly served for eight years with the Senate Appropriations Committee. Six of those years included service as the Chief Clerk and Majority Staff Director for the Veterans Administration, Housing and Urban Development, and Independent Agencies Subcommittee, the Committee's second largest subcommittee, with a $90-billion portfolio in 25 Federal Cabinet departments and agencies.
Serving in this role, Mr. Kelly was the principal advisor and counsel to the Subcommittee Chair and Members on all major budget and policy issues affecting the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans' Affairs. The other two years of Appropriations Committee service involved his role as Appropriations Counsel and Legislative Assistant for Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland. In this capacity, Mr. Kelly managed Sen. Mikulski's appropriations initiatives for 12 of the Committee's 13 Subcommittees, including Transportation, Defense, Commerce-State-Justice, Treasury-Postal Service and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.
Most recently, Mr. Kelly served the Senate Leadership as Chief Counsel and Floor Assistant to the Secretary of the Democratic Conference, Sen. Mikulski. In this role, Mr. Kelly served as a senior advisor to the Senate Democratic Leadership on broad policy matters, including budget and appropriations strategy, regulatory reform, and welfare reform.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Kelly served as a professional staff member on the House Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, where he served as a Subcommittee Counsel on maritime commerce, water resources, marine pollution, and regulation, and the Coast Guard. He also handled various transportation issues related to the Oceanography Subcommittee Chair's assignment on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Mr. Kelly holds a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center and a Bachelor of Arts degree summa cum laude from Borromeo College of Ohio. He has been admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, in Pennsylvania, and before the U.S. Supreme Court. He is a member in good standing of the American Bar Association.
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Thomas N. Quinn
Tom Quinn, an Associate Vice President at VSConsulting Inc., has advised senior Members of Congress, as well as the leaders of Fortune 500 companies, billion-dollar defense contractors, small businesses, and universities.
Mr. Quinn is especially known for his grasp of the local political and economic dynamics that affect the outcomes of his clients’ projects.
In addition to his consulting work for VSConsulting, Mr. Quinn is a registered lobbyist and Associate Vice President for Van Scoyoc Associates, an affiliate company.
Before becoming a consultant and lobbyist, Mr. Quinn worked as a senior level staff member for a current Cardinal on the House Appropriations Committee for six years. In that role, Mr. Quinn oversaw appropriations matters, provided policy advice, and worked to build public-private partnerships for economic development.
Also during his time on Capitol Hill, Mr. Quinn regularly worked the Congressional authorization process, which is sometimes neglected by lobbyists focusing too intently on appropriations. Mr. Quinn knows the authorization stages behind valuable new projects. He handled the SAFETEA-LU, which provided $244 billion for public infrastructure projects, and the Water Resources Development Act, which provided critical authorizations for the nation’s water-related projects.
Legislative initiatives are only part of the story, though. Knowing the Federal marketplace’s demands are as important as knowing the procedures and people involved in legislation. Even the best legislative initiatives must be husbanded through the bureaucracy to fruition. “Federal representation does not begin and end at the steps of the Capitol Building; the Executive Branch is just as critical to a client’s success as working with Congress,” he said.
A native of Oradell, New Jersey, Tom Quinn was educated in the Jesuit tradition at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Middle Eastern studies.
Joseph G. Danek
Joseph Danek is the Senior Vice President of The Implementation Group, a division of VSConsulting. As TIG’s Senior Vice President, Dr. Danek provides consulting services to universities, schools and other not-for-profit organizations in science, mathematics, and engineering education and research improvement. He has a broad understanding and extensive experience in designing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating research and education initiatives and R&D improvement strategies through his work at TIG and the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Dr. Danek also serves as the Executive Director of the EPSCoR Foundation, a not-for-profit organization established by the 21 EPSCoR states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands, to support their efforts to enhance their scientific and technological capabilities. As Executive Director, Dr. Danek acts as a national spokesperson for the EPSCoR states and a consultant for developing competitive proposals and improving institutional R&D infrastructures.
Prior to his position at TIG, Dr. Danek spent 26 years at the National Science Foundation. As a Senior Executive with the NSF, Dr. Danek served as Director of the Office of Systemic Reform. This office had an annual budget of over $140 million. In this capacity, Dr. Danek directed three NSF educational initiatives: the State-wide Systemic (25 states); the Urban Systemic (25 cities); and the Rural Systemic (8 regions). In addition, he also had responsibility for directing the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). Prior to this, Dr. Danek was the Director of Human Resource Development Division, where he was involved in designing and directing the NSF’s initiatives to increase the participation of minorities, women, and persons with disabilities in science, engineering and mathematics. Dr. Danek also served on several inter-departmental senior management teams.
Dr. Danek earned his B.S. degree from Mount St. Mary’s College (Maryland) and his Ph.D. in science education from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Professional Staff
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Jennifer Cave
Cave serves as a Manager at VSConsulting Inc., where she assists clients with defense and information technology issues. Her responsibilities include research on issues and assisting in business development.
In addition to her consulting work, Ms. Cave also is a Manager, Government Relations, at Van Scoyoc Associates Inc., an affiliate of VSConsulting.
Prior to her arrival at Van Soyoc Associates in February 2009, Ms. Cave spent seven years with both the Executive and Legislative Branches of the Federal Government. Most recently, Ms. Cave served as a Legislative Aide for then-Sen. John Warner, the former Chairman and Ranking Member of the powerful Armed Services Committee, assisting him with military, foreign policy, and veterans’ affairs.
From 2005 to 2007, she served as Special Assistant in the National Security Council/European Affairs Directorate. And prior to that, Ms. Cave worked as Special Assistant to the Staff Director of the Senate Armed Services Committee. As the Committee’s Special Assistant, she aided in consideration of the annual Defense Authorization Bill.
Ms. Cave is a graduate of the University of Virginia.
Contact Information
101 Constitution Ave. NW, Suite 650 East
Washington, DC 20001
T: 202.639.0671 • F: 202.639.0713
www.vscdc.com
