Drew Wilson
Florida Politics’ countdown of the Top 25 lobbying firms in the state continues.
Many of the firms ranked in the late teens and twenties were clumped at around $750,000 in Q2 revenue, with the separation between rankings rarely exceeding $20,000. However, tallies ratchet up to the $1 million at No. 16 and grow at a faster clip further up the chain.
Here’s a rundown of the second-quarter numbers for firms ranked No. 20 through No. 16.
A reminder: Florida Politics estimates how much firms earn based on the middle number of the per-client ranges they list on their compensation reports. Firms report contracts in $10,000 increments. Compensation reports also include firm-level ranges, giving outsiders a rough idea of their minimum and maximum earnings.
No. 20: RSA Consulting Group
Ron Pierce and the roster of lobbyists at RSA Consulting Group reported earning an estimated $785,000 in the second quarter, including $400,000 in the Legislature.
The Tampa Bay-based firm is a regional powerhouse and the firm’s client sheet is chock full of clients with “Tampa” in their name, such as the Tampa Bay Builders Association; Tampa Bay Partnership; Tampa Bay Thrives; Tampa Family Health Centers; the Tampa Bay Lightning; Tampa Bay Sports Commission; Tampa Hillsborough Film and Digital Media Commission; Tampa Theatre; Tapper Ventures Tampa Sports Authority; Treasure Coast Community Health; Triangle Capital; and the Trinity School for Children.
Founder Pierce, COO Natalie King, VP Edward Briggs, Director of Government Relations Matthew Herndon, Government & Community Affairs Coordinator William George and lobbyists Melody Arnold and Natalie Brown also reported earning $385,000 in the executive branch via a nearly identical set of clients.
Both reports listed overall ranges between $250,000 and $500,000, indicating the firm finished Q2 with at least $500,000 in earnings and could have reached the $1 million mark.
No. 18 (Tie): The Mayernick Group
The Mayernick Group finished the second quarter with an estimated $850,000 in pay, $665,000 of which flowed in through their efforts in the Legislature.
Led by husband-and-wife duo Frank and Tracy Mayernick, the firm represented 58 legislative clients in Q2, including a half-dozen that paid $25,000 apiece. Those contracts were with ALDI, Alkermes, Citrus Health Network, HCA Healthcare, Hikma Specialty USA and The Home Depot.
AT&T, Florida Power & Light Co. and U.S. Sugar are also among the powerhouses represented by The Mayernick Group, though their portfolio also includes a bevy of state-level interests such as the Florida Behavioral Health Association, Florida Health Care Association, Florida Medical Association and the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services.
The Mayernicks and lobbying partners Rob Johnson and Brooke Evans listed 51 executive branch clients, all of which overlapped with the legislative list. Each paid contract on that side of the fence was listed in the up-to-$10,000 range.
Overall, the firm reported earning between $500,000 and $1 million in the Legislature and between $50,000 and $100,000 in the executive, making for a top-end earnings estimate of $1.1 million.
No. 18 (Tie): Rutledge Ecenia
Rutledge Ecenia’s second-quarter report also clocked in at $850,000, putting it in a tie with The Mayernick Group in the No. 18 spot.
Lobbyists Gary Rutledge, Andrew Rutledge, Stephen Ecenia, Diana Ferguson, Jessica Janasiewicz, Richard Lindstrom, Corinne Mixon and Matt Puckett listed 68 contracts that combined to $625,000 in earnings on their legislative compensation report.
That sheet was topped by Miami-Dade County in the $45,000 bracket, followed by the Florida Police Benevolent Association at $35,000.
The firm’s executive branch compensation report listed a subset of the same clients and was responsible for $225,000 of the firm’s Q2 haul. A pair of $15,000 contracts — one with Savvas Learning Company and the other with T-Mobile — split the top spot. The remainder of the firm’s executive clients were marked down in the up-to-$10,000 range.
Firm-level ranges list earnings between $500,000 and $1 million in the Legislature and $100,000 to $250,000 in the executive, indicating the firm earned at least $600,000 in Q1, with a top-end estimate of $1.25 million.
No. 17: Anfield Consulting
Anfield Consulting snagged the No. 17 spot in the rankings on the back of a $690,000 haul in the Legislature and a $240,000 addendum in the executive branch.
Al Balido, Frank Bernardino, Rosanna Catalano, Brett Cyphers, Natalie Fausel and Edgar Fernandez represented 58 clients in the Legislature for all or part of the quarter with 55 of those also relying on the firm to ply the Governor, Cabinet and state agencies.
The Polk County Commission and the Canadian consulting juggernaut WSP shared the No. 1 spot on the legislative report, with both listed in the $45,000 bracket.
The firm’s overall total was bolstered by a slew of other county and municipal governments, including Gulf County, Indian River County, Monroe County, Palm Beach County, Polk County, St. Lucie County, Flagler Beach, North Miami Beach, Broward County, Punta Gorda, Wildwood, Cutler Bay and Sunrise.
Anfield’s legislative report fell into the $500,000 to $1 million range, while the exec sheet showed earnings in the $100,000 to $250,000 range, giving the firm a $600,000 floor and $1.25 million ceiling.
No. 16: PooleMcKinley
The five-person team at PooleMcKinley earned at least $1 million last quarter, according to newly filed compensation reports.
Range reporting undersells the firm’s performance in Q2. Using the middle number of each contract would show $375,000 in legislative pay and $400,000 in executive pay, or $775,000 combined.
However, the firm disclosed overall earnings between $500,000 and $1 million on the bottom line of each compensation report, meaning that $1 million is the firm’s earnings floor. The gap between their minimum and maximum earnings — based on the top end of each contract — is narrow, with the latter clocking in at about $1.3 million.
Named partner Will McKinley worked alongside Angela Dempsey, Fred Dickinson, Erik Kirk and Sophie Smith representing 51 clients in the Legislature and 46 clients in the executive branch.
The firm’s most lucrative client overall was Seminole Hard Rock Digital, the Seminole Tribe’s subsidiary for its recently relaunched remote sports betting offerings. It provided an estimated $70,000 in pay, or $35,000 on each report.
