Team Spotlight: Jen Kidwell, Of Counsel

Jen brings nearly a decade of experience working with families in a variety of settings to her work as a Wills and Trusts attorney.

She views legal documents that are commonly used to help families plan for the future as tools for investing in the relationships, stories, and causes that ultimately create a legacy.

Jen prioritizes a values-based planning process and takes time with each client to educate and counsel them through potentially challenging decisions.

Posted in Law

Team Spotlight: Rob Garagiola

An expert on energy, tax, business regulation, and procurement matters, Rob lobbies for clients in Maryland, Delaware, and Washington, D.C. As a former Maryland State Senate Majority Leader and State Senator for ten years, Rob understands the inner workings of state government. Prior to becoming a State Senator, he spent close to a decade on Capitol Hill – both as a lobbyist and senior staffer for U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., who is now the Chairman of the Energy & Commerce Committee. In addition, he has experience lobbying in Baltimore City and Frederick County. Rob also lobbies before the Delaware General Assembly, DC City Council, and in the halls of Congress.

A triple threat for Compass, Rob serves as a Principal for Compass Government Relations and Compass Public Relations and as the Managing Member for Compass Law. With nearly 30 years of legislative, lobbying, and advocacy experience at the federal, state, and local levels of government, and over 20 years practicing law in D.C. and MD, Rob plays a leading role in managing the Compass leadership team and nurturing the firm’s enterprise growth and innovation.

Services Spotlight: Procurement

Compass Government Relations helps dozens of clients obtain contracts with state and local governments in MD, DE and D.C.; However, navigating state and local procurement can be daunting task. It is not just about submitting a bid and signing on the dotted line. A robust government relations strategy can help develop more targeted business pipelines through identifying future opportunities, developing relationships with stakeholders, and holding discussions well ahead of any blackout periods.

Compass guides our clients through the process of conducting business in the public sector. We open the right doors and provide strategic advice that wins our clients contracts. We help clients work through the state and local levels, public school systems, university systems and Maryland’s unique Board of Public Works, a panel composed of the State’s governor, treasurer, and comptroller that votes on all state contracts over $250,000.

Team Spotlight: Addison Pruitt

Addison connects the dots between government advocacy and communications on behalf of Compass clients. Prior to joining Compass, he served as Communications Specialist for the U.S. Architect of the Capitol, where he coordinated messaging and led outreach initiatives to House Members, staff, and key congressional stakeholders.

As the former Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, Delegate Darryl Barnes, Addison led the office’s marketing and strategic communication efforts, serving as a liaison for constituents on all legislative activities.

Addison has also worked with several nonprofits and businesses, providing consulting services in brand identity, graphic design, web development, and multimedia.

Your Vacation Checklist

The summer heat and humidity are surely here to stay for another month or two, and hopefully you have time for at least one more getaway before the arrival of pumpkin-spice-everything. Whether you’re heading to the beach, hiking in the mountains, or exploring a new city, we have some suggestions for ways to make your trip even more relaxing.

If you have minor children and have managed to leave them at home, have you given their caretaker the authority they need to take care of them in an emergency? There are a few ways to approach this depending on your state, but most of them are variations of a Power of Attorney or a Standby Guardian Designation.

Have you officially designated back-up medical decision-makers if both you and your spouse are injured on that amazing parasailing trip? If you haven’t decided on at least two tiers of medical decision-makers, you could be setting your family up for conflict, and, the person you would trust the most to manage your health may not come out on top. Set up or review your Advanced Directive for Healthcare to make sure your wishes are clear so you can parasail in peace.

We can help you check these hidden items off of your vacation to-do list, in addition to creating or updating your will or trust and other important estate planning documents.

Posted in Law
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