Nick Iarossi goes to Washington: Capital City Consulting establishes advocacy presence in D.C.

Capital City Consulting (CCC) owner and co-founder Nick Iarossi is expanding his presence in Washington, joining federal lobbying firm BGR Group as Managing Director.

The move comes nearly two years after CCC partnered with Advocus Partners nationwide. BGR Group is Advocus Partners’ federal lobbying firm and is one of the largest and most powerful in the nation.

“Nick is an outstanding political talent who has helped build one of the most successful government affairs firms in Florida history,” BGR Group Chair and CEO Bob Wood said. “We have gotten to know Nick and his colleagues through Advocus and are thrilled to have him formalize a role with us at BGR Group. This is a continuation of an already successful partnership. We are excited to have Nick as part of the team.”

Iarossi will also continue his work with CCC.

Iarossi has more than 20 years of experience working on local, state and federal government policy issues. He’s been named one of INFLUENCE Magazine’s top 100 Most Influential People in Florida Politics and has made the News Service of Florida’s Power 100 list. The Florida Standard named Iarossi the most influential lobbyist in the state of Florida.

And indeed, his influence is obvious. CCC enjoyed a new lobby compensation high earlier this year, collecting nearly $7 million during the opening quarter, topping the previous quarter by six figures. CCC ranks third in Florida Politics’ Lobby Firm Rankings.

Since March, the firm has made three major hires, including Heather Barker, a former senior advisor to Gov. Ron DeSantis; Cory Dowd, another former senior DeSantis staffer; and Alis Drumgo, the previous Administrator for Development and Economic Opportunity for the city of Tampa.

“BGR Group represents the gold standard in Washington, just as Capital City does throughout Florida,” Iarossi said. “I have had the privilege of collaborating with the BGR Group team via Advocus and have been consistently impressed by their commitment to excellence and delivering results for clients.” 

The move comes as President-elect Donald Trump continues to assemble his administration, which includes several top hires hailing from Florida.

“As the second Trump administration begins to take shape, joining BGR will allow me to provide clients new opportunities on a national level in Washington. I look forward to finding ways to expand collaborations between BGR Group, Capital City, and all our Advocus Partners,” Iarossi said.

Iarossi is known throughout Florida and beyond as a prolific fundraiser, including raising money for Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign and supporting committees. He also served as the National Finance Co-Chair for DeSantis’ failed 2024 presidential bid and as Inaugural Finance Chair for both DeSantis’ and former Gov. Rick Scott’s Inaugural Committees.

“Joining BGR as Washington transitions to the new administration is a natural progression for Nick and further enhances the value proposition Advocus Partners brings to clients’ government and public affairs efforts, both at the state and national levels,” said Ron LaFace, Advocus President and co-owner of Capital City Consulting.

CCC helped found Advocus Partners in 2023 — alongside BGR Group and other nationally leading public affairs firms — as a bipartisan, national public affairs firm providing comprehensive and integrated government advocacy and advisory services at every level of government, in all regions of the nation.