Winning in California is hard. No one understands that more than Capitol insider Russell Lowery, founder and managing partner of High View Strategies (HVS). With more than 25 years of senior legislative, political, public affairs, and lobbying experience, Lowery has seen how the convoluted regulatory process can make it nearly impossible for some voices to be heard by legislators with any real impact. He launched HVS, a political advocacy firm, with the mission of bridging that gap.
“I understand that legislators respond differently to corporations, small businesses, unions, and other interest groups,” Lowery said. “I knew that if groups could be mobilized with a stronger messaging strategy, they could become real influencers on the issues that matter to them most.”
Prior to launching HVS, Lowery was Chief Deputy for a California State Board of Equalization (BOE) member. He’s also been a lobbyist for a Fortune 200 company and Chief of Staff in a number of legislative offices, as well as for a California Constitutional Officer. His partner, Therese Twomey, has served as Director of State Tax Affairs and chief lobbyist for the California Taxpayers Association. With 20 years of fiscal and public policy experience, Twomey is known and respected by a large network of elected officials, Governor’s Office staff, regulatory board/commission members, and state agency staff.
With a diverse team of policy experts, HVS is not another public affairs firm, but a powerhouse of political puzzle solvers. Through their individual relationships and experience within the influential, eight-block radius of the Capitol, HVS is uniquely equipped to develop digital advocacy strategies that help groups create a stronger message, as well as identify the specific influencers who need to hear it. This also includes developing web content and social media campaigns to engage and mobilize group members, bolstering public and financial support for their cause. In-house real estate development experts can also support clients through the project approval process with an innovative approach that minimizes costs while securing the approvals necessary to move their project forward.
“Our favorite clients are those that have a specific challenge that requires a regulatory result,” Lowery said. “If we can’t figure out a path forward to successful completion for a potential client, we’ll tell them up front. HVS isn’t concerned with having a lot of clients for the sake of numbers. We want to focus on the people we can help the most, so that they can garner the greatest impact.”
With that business strategy, HVS helped a number of clients achieve their goals in 2019 by orchestrating amendments to bills, defeating proposals that would directly affect their client’s industry, and getting various projects approved. Several associations also contracted with HVS to develop their member recruitment and retention strategies, as well as to generate more fundraising opportunities.
The company’s projections for 2020 show no signs of slowing down. With big policy issues and political fights on the horizon, HVS is poised to take on all the challenges an election year will bring for its clients, which are so diverse in their interests and goals that no two days look the same. In order to navigate California’s legislative machine on behalf of those interests, HVS needs the freedom to focus all their resources on developing tailored strategies to help each of their clients reach their goals. To afford them that freedom, Duran Kinst Strategies has had the privilege of providing digital and communications support on some of their projects.
“I appreciate Duran Kinst’s flexibility and enthusiasm,” Lowery said. “The work that HVS does looks so different from day to day, so they’ve been able to support us on a variety of projects that have benefited our clients. I truly feel that we have their full attention anytime we need it.”
For more information on how High View Strategies can turn policy ideas into action, visit highviewstrat.com.
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