Venn Strategies, LLC

Venn Strategies, LLC, founded in 2001 by Stephanie Silverman, is a political consulting, public affairs and lobbying firm which "empowers its clients to anticipate, respond to and successfully originate policy, legislative and regulatory initiatives in the areas of tax policy, health care policy, trade policy and international investment, and economic policy." [1]

"The expertise of Venn’s professional staff extends to Congress, the White House and Executive Branch, independent agencies, governors’ offices, NGOs, think tanks and trade associations." [2]

About the Principals

• In November 2003, Tax Analysts, publisher of Tax Notes, announced its "picks for the 'Top 10' tax lobbyists in Washington." Venn Strategies' Anne I. Urban and Sandra Swirski were ranked numbers 7 and 8 respectively. [3]

• Noelle M. Hawley is a member of the 2005 board of directors and serves on the membership committee of The Tax Coalition, "founded in 1983 to provide a forum for the exchange of ideas among professionals in federal tax policymaking and to encourage the professional development of women in federal tax policy." [4]

• Stephanie E. Silverman is President and Executive Director of the S Corporation Association, which her firm, Venn Strategies represents as a client. [5]

• Sarah L. Walter, former Legislative director to Senator John Breaux (D-La.), "one of the two Democrats involved in negotiations over the Medicare," left her job 28 days after the 2004 Medicare bill was signed and took up her new job with Venn Strategies, according to "Medicare's Revolving Door" in the May 2004 issue of Mother Jones. [6]

• Ann I. Urban, who was Legislative Director for Senator Bob Kerrey and as Legislative Assistant for Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, is a member of the board of directors of Means for Dreams, which "connects teachers who lack funds necessary to provide materials for their students with individual donors who would like to support education in a personal way." [7]

Staff

• Stephanie E. Silverman, Principal [8]
• Sandra G. Swirski, Principal [9]
• Anne I. Urban, Principal [10]
• Sarah L. Walter, Principal [11]
• Noelle M. Hawley, Vice President [12]
• Laura T. Simonson, Assistant Vice President [13]
• Genevieve Missirlian, Assistant Vice President [14]
• Christopher Fox, Government Relations Associate
• Kimberly B. Hamelburg, Government Relations Associate

Clients

• Alliance for Charitable Reform
• American Benefits Council
• American Council for Gift Annuities
• AmeriNet, Inc.
• American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association
• Amsted Industries
• Appleton Inc.
• Association of Small Foundations
• BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)
• BellSouth Corporation
• Boston Scientific
• Eli Lilly & Company
• Emerson Electric
• Employee-Owned S Corp of America
• Federation of American Hospitals
• Ferrell Companies
• Fidelity
• Freddie Mac
• GCI Group
• Lifetouch Inc.
• Messer Construction Co.
• MetLife
• National Housing Trust
• National Committee on Planned Giving
• The Philanthropy Roundtable
• S Corporation Association [15]
• Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
• PhRMA

• The All American Patriots Lobbyists List includes Aeromexico, Agilent Technologies, Inc., American Education Reform Foundation, Aspen Systems Corporation, Citigroup, Coalition for American Manufacturing Jobs, Generations Visa Service, Hubbard Broadcast Corporation, Inc., Informal Coalition, Long Law Firm, Manatt Phelps & Phillips/CEMEX USA, National Association of Stock Plan Professionals, National Housing Trust, National Venture Capital Association, Organization for International Investment, Pension Reform Action Committee, Politics Nationwide, Professional Services Council, Sallie Mae, and Wilson Tool Enterprises. List published February 17, 2004.

Contact details

1101 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Suite 550
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202 466-8700
Fax: 202 466-9666
URL: http://www.vennstrategies.com/

SourceWatch Resources

• Philanthropy Roundtable

External links

• Venn Strategies, LLC Client List Links.
• "The Lobbying World" Section, The Hill, October 2, 2002: "Venn Strategies and Strategic Health Solutions have formed an alliance to combine the resources of the two young firms. Venn was founded last year by Sandra Swirski and Stephanie Silverman; Strategic Health Solutions was started earlier this year by Denise Henry."
• Janet Novack, "Unfinished Corporate Tax Business," Forbes.com, December 10, 2003.
• "Medicare's Revolving Door," Mother Jones, May 2004.
• "The Medicare Drug War" (cache file), Public Citizen'sCongress Watch, June 2004: "Sarah Walter departed from her position as legislative director and chief health policy adviser for Sen. John Breaux (D-La.), one of the two Democrats who participated in negotiations over the Medicare bill, to take a position with Venn strategies – whose clients include Eli Lilly."