THE WIND COALITION TEAM
Eric Bearse | Richard "Rick" Walker | Walter Reid | Randy Cain | Janis Carter
Curt Roggow | Kimberly Svaty
ERIC BEARSE
Communications Consultant
A veteran speechwriter, communications consultant, and adviser to candidates and officeholders, Eric Bearse specializes in helping private and public sector clients develop and communicate key messages to the public.
Bearse wrote speeches for Texas Governor Rick Perry for eight years (1999 - 2007), including two inaugural addresses, four state of the state speeches and several political convention addresses. He is a 15-year political professional who currently provides consulting services to the Speaker of the Texas House and the State Comptroller, and who has helped craft speeches for the Attorney General of Texas and the Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission Michael Williams. Bearse serves a variety of public and private sector interests with communications needs, and has extensive experience in developing direct mail, television and radio messages for political and corporate clients.
Having worked on numerous political campaigns in Texas, Bearse is experienced in developing and implementing earned media strategies, overseeing grassroots initiatives to draw attention to an issue, and implementing crisis communications strategies. Since going into private consulting, Bearse has provided general consulting and communications services to legislative candidates, written numerous speeches for officeholders and university officials, directed grassroots and media campaigns aimed at shaping regulatory decisions, and helped Governor Perry write his first published book, "On My Honor".
A 1993 graduate of Texas A&M University, Bearse was a proud member of Fightin' Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets and earned a bachelor of arts degree in political science. He, and his wife Jene, have two young children, Charlotte and Andrew, and reside in Austin.
RICHARD "RICK" WALKER
Technical Consultant - SPP
Richard (Rick) Walker is founder and principal of Sustainable Energy Strategies, Inc., which provides consulting services to utilities, developers of renewable energy projects, large landowners, and the regional wind development consortium covering the ERCOT and Southwest Power Pool regions of the U.S.. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Texas, and received an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering (Environmental) and a Masters of Business Administration (Finance) from Texas A&M University at College Station, Texas. Currently, he is completing coursework toward a PhD in Wind Science Engineering at Texas Tech University.
Mr. Walker's career has spanned over 26 years with major electric utility companies, a consulting engineering firm, and his own consulting practice. While in the utility industry, he served in a wide variety of areas including transmission design engineering, rates & regulatory affairs, federal governmental affairs, research & development, and renewable energy project development.
In 2003, Mr. Walker was awarded the American Wind Energy Association's award for Outstanding Contribution to the Wind Industry. He has served the Board of Directors for several organizations including the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), Texas Renewable Energy Industries Association (TREIA), the Utility Wind Interest Group (UWIG), the Solar Electric Power Association (previously known as the Utility PhotoVoltaic Group), and the Central Electric Vehicle Consortium (CEVC).
WALTER REID
Technical Consultant - ERCOT
Walter Reid is currently representing the Wind Coalition at ERCOT as well as providing support for proceedings at the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Walter is also consulting with a number of wind-power developers concerning ERCOT market rules and assisting with the business aspects of various contracting issues. He was heavily involved in the development of both the zonal and the nodal market rules for ERCOT and continues to help update those rules.
Before Walter starting consulting in 1995 he worked for the Lower Colorado River Authority for 25 years in a variety of engineering, managerial, and executive management positions. Walter was Executive Director of Electric Operations for several years in charge of all of LCRA's transmission, generation, fuels, and contracting activities. He continues to provide consulting support to the LCRA today.
Mr. Reid received his degree in Electrical Engineering from Tulane University and spent six years in the Navy Nuclear Submarine service before coming to Austin.
TEXAS
RANDY CAIN
Randy C. Cain represents clients before the Texas Legislature in the areas of utility law, transportation, municipal affairs, health care law, and other matters. He is recognized in the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Editions of The Best Lawyers in America in the specialty of Government Relations Law.
Prior to forming his own firm in 2004, Mr. Cain was a partner at Brown McCarroll, LLP. Before a merger with Brown McCarroll in 2003, he was a partner at the Austin law firm of Hilgers & Watkins, PC. Mr. Cain started the Legislative Section at Hilgers & Watkins in December 1994. Prior to that, in 1994 Mr. Cain served as general counsel to the Texas Secretary of State. As general counsel he was chief legal advisor to the Secretary on all matters within agency jurisdiction, including election law, agency administration, ethics, and statutory filings.
In 1993-94, Mr. Cain served as deputy to the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. As a member of Secretary Bentsen's legislative staff at the Treasury Department, he worked on the passage of NAFTA, budget reconciliation and banking regulatory consolidation, among other issues. Mr. Cain met with congressional staff on treasury legislative initiatives, set up meetings with members of Congress and prepared legislative briefings for the Secretary of the Treasury.
Before his work at the Treasury, Mr. Cain was legislative director in Washington, D.C. for Senator Lloyd Bentsen during 1992-93. He directed a legislative staff of twelve persons. He supervised preparation of legislation, floor statements, and the answering of constituent mail.
Prior to his work in Washington, Mr. Cain was the City of Dallas assistant city attorney for legislative affairs, representing the interests of the city council and city manager of the nation's eighth largest city. He was the city's legislative liaison with both state and federal legislatures and agencies. In the 1991 session, the Texas legislature passed into law nine bills that were Dallas city priorities.
Before his work in Dallas, Mr. Cain practiced law for three years with Hilgers & Watkins. The majority of his practice consisted of civil trial work, including most areas of commercial litigation and consumer law. He also had an administrative law practice and a legislative practice, and in the 1989 Texas legislative session, was a contract lobbyist for the City of Dallas.
He is a 1986 graduate of Baylor University School of Law, a 1978 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, majoring in Business Administration, and a graduate of Pampa High School in Pampa, Texas.
JANIS CARTER
Janis Carter brings over 20 years of Texas legislative and government relations experience to Winstead PC clients. She began her legislative consulting and work in 1998 and joined Winstead in 2002. Previously she served for six years as director of the House Committee on Appropriations under former Chairman Robert Junell.
Janis' extensive experience and background working across party lines provides clients with strategic legislative and government affairs counsel in a number of areas. During previous legislative sessions, she represented clients on issues including, but not limited to, taxation, appropriations, higher education funding, finance, public education, insurance, alternative energy and local government issues. Janis has represented clients before the Texas Legislative and Administration branch on issues including:
- Legislation
- Instrumental role in the growth of wind energy in Texas
- Economic development legislation which has attracted major businesses to Texas
- Complex appropriations matters
Janis has become recognized as one of the state's most informed sources on the budget and appropriations process. She was responsible for coordinating with statewide elected officials and their key staff members regarding budget and agency issues and thus developed relationships with key personnel at many state agencies, commissions and departments. Her additional governmental experience includes four years as legislative aide to Representative Junell and five years as district director to former Representative Dick Burnett.
During the interim, Janis continues to represent clients on a variety of government relations interests before state agencies and commissions and with members of the legislature. She effectively communicates with agencies during the agency rulemaking and implementation phase of legislative, appropriations and statutory directives.
OKLAHOMA
CURT ROGGOW
Curt Roggow is a government consultant and registered lobbyist in the state of Oklahoma. For over 18 years, Curt Roggow has been involved in Oklahoma's political process developing good relationships while understanding the dynamics of grassroots representation, pro-business issues and political strategy.
Curt completed a successful career in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 1998 to 2006. Representative Roggow served as the Assistant Majority Floor Leader and Chairman of the Appropriation and Budget Sub Committee on Natural Resources. As chairman, Curt worked closely with state water and environmental projects by authoring legislation to dedicate revenue to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and Oklahoma Conservation Commission. Curt also severed on the staff of US Congressman Frank Lucas from 1994-96.
In 2007, he created Roggow Consulting, LLC, because he thoroughly enjoys using his skill to guide others through the legislative process for the betterment of Oklahoma and our nation.
Curt is a graduate of Oklahoma State University with a BS in Agricultural Economics. Curt and his wife Allison have four children and live in the small community of Hillsdale, Oklahoma.
KANSAS
KIMBERLY SVATY
Kimberly Svaty is the owner and principle in Gencur Svaty Public Affairs, a government relations, communications and public affairs firm incorporated in Topeka, Kansas. Recognizing that energy is fundamental to leading the life that people want to live, Kimberly is passionate about crafting solid energy policy that will allow our state and nation grow and prosper.
Prior to starting GSPA, Kimberly served as Vice-President Government Affairs and Community Relations for ITC Great Plains, a transmission-only utility operating across the Great Plains region. Kimberly was one of three individuals tasked with creating the company from scratch and doing something that has never been done before in the energy industry- receiving a utility designation by a Corporation Commission without having utility assets. Previously Kimberly served as Government Affairs Director for Aquila, an electric and natural gas utility that served seven Midwest states and Sprint where Kimberly had responsibility for a seven-state region concerning wireless, wireline and VOIP public policy. Kimberly also was tasked at Sprint and Aquila for creating and growing both organizations' state and federal PACs.
Serving as the Program Assistant for the Dole Institute of Politics in Lawrence, KS and working for the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee in Washington D.C. provided Kimberly's entrée into the political realm. Kimberly is a graduate of the University of Kansas receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in both Political Science and History and a Master of Arts degree in International Studies also from KU. GROWING COMMUNITY is a foundation started by Gencur Svaty Public Affairs to help support local organizations that help enrich local communities. In addition to GROWING COMMUNITY, Kimberly is active with Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity and speaks around the state on the importance of leadership. Kimberly is married to Joshua Svaty, a farmer and a four-term member of the Kanas House of Representatives who is currently serving as the Kansas Secretary of Agriculture. They are content to reside with their young son in their "little yellow house on the hill" in rural Ellsworth County, Kansas. www.gencursvaty.com