Hugh Weber joins Bokorney Group.

A press release went out today noting that GOP campaign veteran Hugh Weber has joined David Bockorny in forming the Bockorny group; a one stop shop for campaign management, lobbying, and public affairs:November 20, 2006
Bockorny Group, Inc. Opens South Dakota ’s First Full-Service State and Local Firm in Sioux Falls

South Dakota natives David Bockorny and Hugh Weber are pleased to announce the opening of Bockorny Group Inc. (BGI) State and Local, South Dakota ’s first full-service public affairs, government advocacy and political management firm.

“We are very pleased to open the first branch of our State and Local operations here in South Dakota . As South Dakota natives, Hugh Weber and I have a strong commitment to ensuring that this state continues to build on its record of success in economic development, education and agriculture.” said David Bockorny, CEO of Bockorny Group, Inc. “While based in Sioux Falls--the economic engine of the region--the Bockorny Group State and Local practice will endeavor to serve clients in all parts of South Dakota and the Upper Midwest. We recognize the diversity of our great state and the strength that comes from Eastern South Dakota, the James River Valley , our beautiful West River and Black Hills regions.”

“David Bockorny and the Bockorny Group’s federal practice bring a wealth of experience and resources to the table for our state and local efforts. BGI State and Local seeks to capitalize on this reputation and record of success to the benefit of our clients and the people of this state,” said Hugh Weber , Senior Vice President of Bockorny Group, Inc, and COO of the Sioux Falls operations. “With unparalleled expertise in critical areas of public policy and political strategy, we can provide our clients with the knowledge and credentials to influence policy from the Mayor’s office to the Oval Office. Never before has a state and local public affairs practice started with such a solid foundation.”

“Lobbying and Government Advocacy have moved beyond simply tracking and monitoring of bills during session. Bockorny Group State and Local intends to represent a very limited number of clients during the legislative session to ensure that we can fully integrate our efforts with our clients’ interests. By keeping our portfolio to 4 or 5 clients, we can have a much broader impact on our clients’ behalf in state and local government, statewide and local ballot initiatives, crisis management, and strategic business plans that assist in the complex intersection of public and private sector efforts,” Weber said. “We look forward to assisting South Dakota companies that do business in the maze of state, local, federal and other jurisdictions as well as those out of state clients who are looking for opportunities to come to South Dakota and do business in our great state. With this goal, we plan to work on behalf of a few organizations who represent the greatest opportunities for the people of this state.”

“It’s an honor to be opening the first firm of its kind here in our homestate of South Dakota , “said Weber. “With their continued growth and commitment to progress, Sioux Falls is the ideal place to start this practice.”

Bockorny and Weber bring a wealth of personal experience to the firm. A graduate of Woonsocket High School , Bockorny began his Washington career by serving as a legislative aide to Congressman, and later Senator James Abdnor. He also served as a key member of President Reagan’s White House Legislative Affairs Staff. His tenure as the leader of the Bockorny Group has involved him in virtually every major industry and political battle in Congress over the past 20 years. The Hill, a leading newspaper with the largest circulation of any Capitol Hill publication has consistently named Mr. Bockorny among the top “ K Street ” lobbyists - a designation determined through direct acknowledgments by Members of Congress, key aides and other lobbyists. Bockorny received a B.S. degree cum laude from Dakota State College and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of South Dakota . He was recognized as one of the 27 most outstanding students to receive a degree during the first 100 years of operation of the South Dakota higher Education system. Bockorny serves on the board of the Dakota State University Foundation and has a 30 year history of involvement in South Dakota Higher Education. BGI State and Local intends to utilize this experience on behalf of our state’s colleges and universities as they seek new sources of funding to address the challenges of the 21st century.

A native of Milbank, Clark and Watertown , Weber’s career began in South Dakota ’s Office of Economic Development where he was a Regional Representative for the Governor. He later was appointed by President Bush to serve in the Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Agency. In 2004, Weber served as National Political Education Director on the President’s national campaign team at the Republican National Committee. Weber has provided strategic political consulting in over 25 states and to several international parties. Most recently, he provided general consulting and strategic messaging for Mayor Munson’s upset re-election and Governor Rounds re-election campaign. Weber graduated from Swarthmore College and holds a master’s degree from George Washington University ’s Graduate School of Political Management where he focused in Campaign Management and Strategic Message Development. Weber’s involvement in state and local campaigns brings unique insights into the leadership and key committees of SD legislature as well as senior members of the Administration.

Monica Larsen has also joined the Bockorny Group as Executive Assistant to the CEO and will be based out of the Sioux Falls office. Larson attended Washington High School in Sioux Falls and the University of South Dakota . She was previously a member of Senator John Thune’s 2004 campaign team and Staff Assistant in Thune’s Washington D.C. Senate office.

Based out of Sioux Falls , BGI State and Local stands ready to meet the needs of clients both in the communities where they operate and in Pierre and Washington , DC where they are regulated. Through long-term partnerships with Mayors, City Councils, County Commissions, Governors, Congress and senior Presidential Administration officials, BGI State and Local partners with its federal office to ensure that our state and federal partnerships are leveraged for each client’s specific needs.

Bockorny Group State and Local is a branch of Bockorny Group, Inc, a Washington DC-based federal practice. Listed as one of Washington , D.C. ’s, leading bipartisan government affairs consulting firms, it includes principals with extensive House, Senate, and White House experience. South Dakota clients of The Bockorny Group at the federal office include the Broin Companies, a leader in ethanol production; an agriculture coalition supporting the growth of Dakota Minnesota & Eastern Railroad; the South Dakota Corn Growers Association; and Sioux Valley Health Systems.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Way to go PP, get that Jarrod Johnson Post knocked way down to the bottom.
Anonymous said…
They may be political operatives extraordinaire, but they put out a lousy press release. Badly written and way, way to much jargon. And is it LarsEn or LarsOn?
Anonymous said…
That was great bipartisan work they did for Dick Kelly's campaign. I'm sure their fees were very reasonable. Their success speaks for itself.
Anonymous said…
...and they did such a great job with Dick Kelley didn't they?
Anonymous said…
I think they were 0-for-2006. 100% of the campaigns they were involved in turned out the same way!
Anonymous said…
It would seem these elite political operatives are trying for a power grab in South Dakota. So much for lobby reform in SD if this group gets its way. And so much for the democratic process.
Anonymous said…
"I have a strong commitment to ensuring that this state continues to build on its record of success in economic development, education and agriculture" What a great American! David Bockorny should run for Governor in 2006. Yokels like us back in South Dakota will just hand a smart guy like Bockorny the keys to the Gov's Mansion. He's got the most expensive house in South Dakota, so he must be smarter and more talented than all of us.

I've been thinking for years that we need a smart K Street lobbyist to save us from ourselves.

Hugh, where do I sign up?
Anonymous said…
Dave Bockorney's triumphant return to South Dakota was highlighted by his and Hugh's hyper partisan and negative trashing of Scott Heidepriem's campaign. It galvanized Democrats and turned off Republicans. Hopefully they will be better at issue management in Pierre then they are at micromanaging state legislative races.
Anonymous said…
these bums are Republican hacks
Anonymous said…
Why do South Dakotans despise anybody with money?
Anonymous said…
Sure are a lot of have-nots that love to trash the haves on this blog.... I'm sure they got where they are in life by feeling sorry for themselves rather than going to work.
Anonymous said…
Hugh hurt himself in this last cycle. He should have been recruiting doorknockers and signhangers and phone callers. Instead he wanted to play political operative and make phone calls all day long.

I won't second guess the strategery portion of the campaign because we don't know what the numbers were, BUT:

we do know is that campaigns require grassroots efforts to win. Rounds and Fredrick pumped 40 k into that race and yet Dick had less than a handful of doorknockers and phonecallers working on his behalf.

Hugh lost the ground game because he didn't want get his hand dirty. Typically country club republicanism.

This type of firm is needed in SD but not if they are unwilling to mobolize grassroots types. Speaking of that, that is what the party is supposed to do.
Anonymous said…
They are disliked because they wrote a press release proclaiming themselves as a major national political firm. How smart they are.

As a political consultant you're only as good as the last race you lost.

I love money! If you have money and would like to adopt me or take me with you on holidays in Cancun, I have nothing against that :)
Anonymous said…
Dick Kelly lost for a number of reasons.

1) Bockorny's bunch ran a God Awful gratuitously nasty campaign that voters saw through; and

2) Dick Kelly was nowhere to be found. Every time I saw him in his district he was behind the wheel of his car.

Forget the army of doorknockers. The most important door knocker in a campaign is the candidate - as Heidepriem proved, and Bill Thompson proves every year in the same district, which has a couple thousand more republicans than dems.

I know republicans just think it's their birthright to win without working for it, but sometimes the voters don't know that. Now Dick has all the time in the world to sit at his country club. Wait, he spent the whole campaign there!
Anonymous said…
"unparalleled expertise"??

That is a mighty generous assesment of the Bockorny Group's effort in the Dick Kelly race.

A "solid foundation" of raising money in Washington for Tom Delay and trashing candidates back here in South Dakota with a campaign even most GOP insiders would characteize as distorted, negative and hyperpartisan.

I know if I was a Republican wanting to be a Governor or a Senator I would dial these guys up ASAP.
Anonymous said…
I have worked with Hugh in the past and there is no doubt he's a smart, articulate, and an insightful political mind.

Bockorny Group is lucky to have him on board.

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