Valente & Associates - Federal Representation | Legislative Analysis

Our Team

Mark Valente III

Mark Valente III is President of Valente & Associates. For over 15 years, Mr. Valente has brought his long record of active participation in local, state, and federal government and public service to a wide range of clients, cabinet secretaries, elected officials, candidates and not for profit causes. Mr. Valente's government experience includes serving in the Office of Public Liaison in the Reagan White House, as well as Director of Congressional Relations for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). In that role he worked closely with the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (FEHBP), the largest health care program in the world, which is administered by the OPM. As head of Congressional Relations, Mr. Valente also guided through Congress legislation which reformed and revamped the federal pay system, working extensively with the Office of Management and Budget, all executive branch agencies and the various federal employee unions.

A true public servant, Mr. Valente served as an elected City Councilman from Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, from 1981-1989. Through the experience he gained working for President Reagan, Mr. Valente earned a reputation as one of the country's top outreach and coalition strategists. From 1986-1989, Mr. Valente was the Director of the Republican National Committee's (RNC) Coalition Development Department, and also served as Senior Advisor to the National Voter Coalitions Division for the Bush/Quayle '88 campaign and in a similar capacity for the Dole/Kemp '96 and the Bush/Cheney campaigns. In 2001, Mr. Valente served on the Department of Energy's transition team. Because of his unique political background and legislative expertise, policy makers in both the United States Congress and the executive branch frequently seek Mr. Valente's counsel on a variety of public policy and political issues. In addition to sitting on steering committees for a number of Members of Congress, Mr. Valente is an active participant in the National Republican Congressional Committee's Business Leadership Trust. Mr. Valente currently serves as an Advisory Board and Executive Committee member of Villanova University's Center for Marketing and Public Policy. He is also active in the National Italian American Foundation and the Annandale-North Springfield Little League. Mr. Valente is a graduate of Villanova University's College of Commerce and Finance, as well as the University of Detroit School Of Law. He and his wife, the former Claudia Barker, reside in North Springfield, Virginia.
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Michael D. Bell

Michael Bell is Vice President of Valente & Associates. Prior to joining the firm Mr. Bell was Director of Government/Political Affairs for Vodium, Inc., an Internet Content Services Provider. In this capacity, Mr. Bell oversaw communications strategies and outreach to all sectors of the government/political market. Mr. Bell also developed and managed the company's relationships with numerous government/political institutions. Prior to joining Vodium, Mr. Bell served in several capacities for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science. His tenure at the Committee included serving as founding Multimedia and Events Manager for the full committee and its four Subcommittees. In this capacity, Mr. Bell directed all aspects of the Committee's high technology, including web cast production, video-teleconferencing and streaming media conveyance across multiple platforms. Prior to joining the full Committee, Mr. Bell served as a Legislative Assistant for the Subcommittee on Technology. Mr. Bell has served as an advisor to numerous campaigns and is regularly consulted by senior staff in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. Mr. Bell currently is active in a leadership role for a number of House leadership committees.
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Harmony M. Allen

Harmony Allen is the Director of Government Relations and Corporate Communications at Valente & Associates. She brings more than a decade of communications, legislative and political professional experience to Valente & Associates. Prior to joining Valente & Associates, Ms. Allen served as a founding partner of Silver Dollar Strategies (SDS), a public affairs firm specializing in strategic communications and event management. Before founding SDS, Ms. Allen served as the Director of Government Relations and Communications for a student loan company specializing in financial assistance for students and their families. In this position, Ms. Allen was responsible for communicating business objectives and policy interests to Members of Congress and community leaders in addition to developing and implementing a strategic plan for corporate communications.

Before beginning her work in the private sector, Ms. Allen spent eight years working on Capitol Hill. She served as Chief of Staff and Communications Director to a senior Member of the House Appropriations Committee. There she gained a broad range of skills, including a solid understanding of the legislative and appropriations process and valuable crisis communications experience. As Chief of Staff, she oversaw all of the operating procedures for both the Washington, DC and district offices while managing a strategic plan for all legislative, political and administrative matters related to the office. In her work as Communications Director, Ms. Allen coordinated an extensive national communications strategy and was the principal spokesperson for the Member.

Ms. Allen began her career on Capitol Hill in the office of a senior Armed Services Committee Member. She also interned for the Dole-Kemp Presidential campaign, worked on several congressional campaigns, and continues to stay active in politics. Ms. Allen graduated cum laude from Westmont College with a B.A. in Political Science.
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Mark W. Rodgers

Mark Rodgers is Of Counsel to the firm of Valente & Associates. Mr. Rodgers brings more than twenty-five years of experience in the field of government relations, both in the executive and legislative branches at the federal and state levels. In addition, Mr. Rodgers has broad experience in private sector labor-management relations, most recently serving as Vice President of Industry Relations for the Motor Freight Carriers Association (MFCA), representing management as lead labor negotiator in the LTL trucking industry. Prior to his work with MFCA, Mr. Rodgers served as deputy staff director of the U.S. House of Representative's Committee on Education and the Workforce, managing the workforce (labor & employment) portfolio. In this position, Mr. Rodgers was responsible for coordinating policy and legislative reforms for all health care and pension issues under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

From 1995-1998, Mr. Rodgers served as Deputy Secretary for Labor and Management Relations at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, appointed by Governor Tom Ridge. He also served as senior personal advisor to Governor Ridge on labor-management and labor/political issues. Prior to this position, Mr. Rodgers headed the Government Relations Office of the Smithsonian Institution, the largest museum and research entity in the world. Mr. Rodgers is well versed in federal procurement policy, particularly through the General Services Administration (GSA), and has designed and implemented a number of federal marketing initiatives. Mr. Rodgers has a wealth of political experience, serving as labor liaison for the Bush-Quayle '88 campaign, serving on the 1989 Presidential Transition Team, and also as a member of the U.S. Department of Labor's Transition Team in 2001.
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William E. Flynn

Recognized for accomplishment and leadership ability, Ed Flynn consults with organizations on strategy, organization, business processes and people management. He brings an unwavering focus on results, ensuring alignment with business objectives and outcomes. From 2003 to 2008, Ed was Principal and Federal Sector Practice Leader for Hewitt Associates, the global leader in human resource consulting and administration. He built Hewitt's Federal practice through a series of key engagements generating over $30 million in annual revenue, receiving the Hewitt Leadership Award in 2006. Prior to joining Hewitt, Ed was a senior executive with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the Government's HR agency. During 2002, he served as Senior Policy Advisor to the OPM Director, and was instrumental in developing the HR program for the new Department of Homeland Security. From 1994 to 2002, Ed was the Associate Director for Retirement and Insurance at the agency. There, he directed the $70 billion Federal retirement systems, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, and the Federal Employees Group Life Insurance Program. He created the Federal Flexible Benefits Program, and helped secure passage and implementation of the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program. From 1992 to 1994, he was Assistant Director for Financial Control and Management, where he managed the Service's financial management and related programs.

Ed received the President's Distinguished Senior Executive Award from President Clinton in 1999, and was designated a Meritorious Senior Executive by President Bush in 2002. From 1989 to 1992, Ed was partner and Executive Vice President of Schroeder, Flynn & Co. Based in Atlanta with seven offices throughout the Southeast, the firm provided retained outplacement services to corporate clients undergoing executive transition or a major downsizing. Prior to that, Ed worked for OPM in several executive positions as Regional Director and Deputy Regional Director in the Atlanta and Chicago regions, and as Assistant to the Director for Regional Operations in Washington, DC. Ed's early experience with the agency included budget, accounting and administrative management positions in both headquarters and field locations. A decorated Vietnam veteran, Ed holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from George Mason University, where he graduated with honors. He pursued graduate studies in public administration at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Ed and his wife, Judy, have been active in community affairs, participating in fund-raising events and serving as foster parents. The Flynns reside in Arlington, Virginia.
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Geoff Bacino

Geoff Bacino is Of Counsel to Valente & Associates, working with the firm's Financial Services Policy Team.

Bacino has held senior regulatory positions in two presidential administrations. He is considered an expert in the area of Dodd-Frank legislation and its impact on both credit unions and government sponsored lending entities (“GSEs”).

In 2000, Geoff was appointed by President Clinton to the board of the National Credit Union Administration ("NCUA"), the regulator charged with oversight of federally chartered credit unions. While at NCUA, Bacino led the fight to address long term agency budget issues. He was also a key driver of the Accountability in Management Initiative, which strengthened accountability and financial stability of credit unions. The initiative allowed the NCUA to reduce its budget and return a dividend to credit unions nationwide.

In 2006, at the recommendation of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), President George W. Bush nominated Bacino to the Federal Housing Finance Board ("FHFB"). He was confirmed by the Senate that same year. Before it was consolidated with other federal financial regulators as part of the Dodd-Frank bill, the FHFB was the agency responsible for overseeing the Federal Home Loan Banks.

As an FHFB board member, Bacino played an integral role in resolving a number of significant regulatory issues. Among the issues he played a key role was advancing a retained earnings proposal, resuming the Public Interest Director appointments, fostering agency budget reforms, and requiring increases in advances to offset the mortgage crisis.

Originally from Rockford, Illinois, Geoff attended Indiana University (Fort Wayne) and Princeton University for graduate work.

Douglas A. Brook, PhD

Douglas A. Brook is Of Counsel to the firm Valente & Associates where he focuses his efforts on the firm's National Defense and Military Affairs practice. Dr. Brook is a former Dean and currently a Professor of Public Policy at the Naval Postgraduate School of Business and Public Policy in Monterrey, California. Prior to this, he served as the Acting Under Secretary of Defense and Chief Financial Officer, where he oversaw all budgetary/finance matters for the Department of Defense. In 2007 Dr. Brook was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and was responsible for managing and directing all financial matters for the U.S. Navy. Dr. Brook also served as Vice President - Government Affairs for The LTV Corporation, where he directed a comprehensive government affairs program at the federal, state and local levels. Before this he was appointed by the President as Acting Director of the U. S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM), as well as Assistant Secretary of the Army. In the latter position he oversaw all Army spending, and was responsible to the Secretary of the Army for the development, defense and execution of the Army's $70 billion budget.

Dr. Brook began his career as Director of Public Finance of the National Association of Manufacturers in New York, and subsequently joined the Libbey-Owens-Ford Company where he was elected Vice President and head of the company's Washington, DC office. In 1982 he founded Brook Associates, Inc., a public affairs consulting business serving corporate and trade association clients, which he managed until assuming duties at the Pentagon in 1989. Dr. Brook also served two elected terms on the Town Council of Vienna, Virginia, was an active duty Navy Supply Corps officer, and served as an active member of the Naval Reserve for 30 years.

Thomas P. Bruderle

Thomas Bruderle is Of Counsel to the firm Valente & Associates. A seasoned political affairs professional, Mr. Bruderle has spent much of his career advancing the interests of member-based Associations before Congress, The White House, and various federal agencies. He has a long record of advocacy and counseling in the health care and medical fields, specifically regarding pharmacy, health insurance, and imaging issues. He has also spent considerable time advising clients on the variety of recent Medicare reimbursement provisions. A sought after speaker, Tom has spoken to member associations in more than 40 states on health policy and government relations strategy. Previously, Mr. Bruderle served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the American Medical Group Association and the Vice President of Congressional Affairs at the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) – the largest, most influential organization of health insurance professionals. Prior to this work, Tom was Staff Director for both the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) and the American Society of Health System Pharmacists (ASHP). At ASHP he worked to advance the interests of pharmacists in the clinical setting, and provided expertise to The White House with regard to the Medicaid drug pricing provisions of the Health Security Act. As Assistant Director of Government Relations at the American College of Radiology, he represented radiologists, radiation oncologists, and health physicists on imaging issues before Congress and federal agencies.

Mr. Bruderle's Government Relations Association career began with the National Association of Counties, which provided him with significant insight and understanding of the performance, behavior and strength of the nation's 3,100 counties. He came to Washington through a competitive internship in the Executive Office of the President following undergraduate and graduate degrees from Villanova University and course work toward a doctorate in political science at the University of Kansas.