Who We Are

Ken Burnette

Travis Smith

A founding partner at LINK, Travis Smith helps to oversee the firm’s operations, while also guiding clients as they navigate the political landscape. 

Travis has worked with small businesses and Fortune 500 companies in the fields of technology, finance, real estate, energy, healthcare, gaming and engineering. He has nearly two decades of experience in government, campaigns, as well as corporate and political messaging. At LINK, Travis leads issue advocacy campaigns as chief strategist and guides the research and development of messaging all the way through implementation. Working closely with our clients, Travis takes complex problems and devises outside-the-box solutions.

He has successfully managed some of the most difficult and expensive U.S. House and Senate races in the country. After a hard-fought victory in 2010, Travis served as Chief of Staff to Rep. Kevin Yoder in Congress. From there he went back into the private sector to apply his knowledge and expertise helping corporate communication teams distill and convey complex messages to their target audiences. 

Travis owns and operates a number of businesses in the corporate and political space, including the political research and polling firm co/efficient he co-founded in 2019. This nationally-recognized firm was chosen as the research partner for a joint effort between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services to assess attitudes around the COVID-19 pandemic.

A San Francisco Bay Area native, Travis now lives in Richmond, Virginia with his wife Kristin and their four children.

Matt Moran

Matt Moran is a 10-year veteran of Virginia politics and public affairs. He has worked on multiple statewide political campaigns, served as a top advisor to two House Speakers, and represented clients across multiple industries in front of the General Assembly. He is currently the senior political advisor to Governor Glenn Youngkin.

At LINK, Matt develops comprehensive public affairs strategies using his political, public policy, and communications experience to solve problems for clients. He oversees research, strategy, message development, and campaign planning, and works with clients to execute their plans based on quantitative metrics and tangible results. 

After managing several successful campaigns, Matt joined the office of Virginia House Speaker Bill Howell as a top advisor for communications and policy in 2012. Matt went on to work for 2017 Republican Gubernatorial nominee Ed Gillespie and served as Chief of Staff to Speaker Kirk Cox. He currently advises federal and state candidates across the country on policy and communications strategy. 

Matt has also represented numerous corporate clients, including Fortune 500 companies, national, regional, and state-level trade associations, and non-profits across multiple industries. He has experience running policy and public affairs campaigns related to business, health care, energy, transportation, insurance and financial regulation, construction and real estate development, gaming, cannabis, criminal justice, and technology. 

A native of Southwest Virginia, Matt graduated from the University of Virginia and now resides in Richmond with his wife Brooke and their three kids Bennett, Graham, and Merritt.

Abigail Barden

Abigail Barden graduated in 2024 from James Madison University with an undergraduate degree in political science. While a full-time student, she held roles as a Data Course Developer and Research Assistant at the American Political Reform & Innovation Lab and served as the Legislative Review Data Analyst for the Virginia Department of Health. A Richmond native, Abigail continues to reside in her hometown, where she is a Project Manager at LINK, specializing in creating and executing strategic public affairs plans and campaigns.

Robert Barlow

Ron Butler

Ron Butler has over 30 years of experience in political and public affairs campaigns. At LINK, Ron develops and oversees comprehensive public affairs strategies.

Ron is the co-founder of Creative Direct, a LINK-affiliated company. Since forming Creative Direct in 1997, Ron Butler has grown the business from a small regional player to one of the largest and most successful voter contact firms in the nation, with clients from Maine to Hawaii. Under Ron’s leadership, Creative Direct played a pivotal role in U.S. Senate, Gubernatorial, and Congressional races across the country. Prior to forming Creative Direct, Ron managed many successful campaigns for local and statewide office.

Ron resides in the greater Ft. Lauderdale area with his wife, Elizabeth, and their two children.

Rachel Clawson

Whitney Frost

Whitney Frost has years of freelance and in-house graphic design experience. At Creative Direct, she creates visually persuasive direct mail on behalf of our clients. She graduated from Liberty University in Virginia where she received her degree in Studio and Digital Arts: Graphic Design. Born and raised in Maine, Whitney now resides in Georgia.

Ken Fuellbier

Ken Fuellbier has worked at all levels of politics, from District Director for Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (AZ-8) to Campaign Manager for several recent high profile Virginia State Senate and Virginia House of Delegates races.

At LINK, Ken works with small and large clients across the country and brings his knowledge and experience in both the governmental and political space to ensure seamless planning and execution of client plans.

Dean Goodson

Dean Goodson has over 12 years of Virginia government and political experience. He has worked on two statewide campaigns, served as senior staff for three members of House leadership, including two Virginia House Speakers, and represented homebuilders and developers before local governments and the General Assembly.

Dean was responsible for overseeing the House Republican Campaign Committee’s operation in 2021 and 2023. His efforts helped Republicans successfully reclaim the House Majority in 2021. In 2022, he joined Speaker C. Todd Gilbert’s office where he served as Chief of Staff. Dean brings extensive legislative experience that allows him to assist those looking to navigate the Legislative and Executive branches.

A Charlottesville native, Dean now lives in Richmond, Virginia with his wife Jesica and their two daughters.

CJ Grover

CJ Grover manages some of LINK’s most high-profile clients, including running the Scoop & Score effort to pass legislation to help lure the Kansas City Chiefs to a new stadium on the Kansas side of the state line.

CJ resides in Overland Park, Kansas with his wife and their three children. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Juris Doctor from the University of Kansas.

Jacob Hawkins

Jacob Hawkins is an ultra-competitive digital operative with over a decade of experience strategizing and executing award-winning political and public affairs campaigns. He currently serves as President of Digital at LINK Public Affairs. His experience includes consulting on presidential and statewide campaigns, the highest-spending ballot initiatives in history, and leading the launch of a $300MM+ education foundation as its first Executive Director. He can build a digital program from the ground up: from identifying and acquiring target audiences, to developing software platforms and websites, to designing and placing advertisements.

Jacob is a graduate of Georgia College. He resides in Atlanta with his wife Lenze.

Elisabeth Martin

As Project Manager, Elisabeth Martin supports LINK’s senior partners and executes strategic public affairs campaigns with a focus on LINK’s Georgia clients. A graduate from the University of West Georgia, Elisabeth holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications with a concentration in Public Relations. Elisabeth has served in multiple executive board positions within the university’s Public Relations Student Society of America chapter, to which she credits her skills of professionalism and leadership. She also was an active member of Bluestone: a student-led public relations firm through which she would lead on creativity and client engagement. 

A proud Georgia native, Elisabeth currently resides in Smyrna with her husband.

Sydney Place

Sydney Place joined the team in June 2022 as LINK’s Executive Assistant. She works closely with team members to provide administrative support and ensures smooth operation of the company. A valuable member of the LINK team, Sydney is a strategic planner and is incredibly reliable and detail oriented.

Born and raised in Winchester, Virginia, Sydney graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2020 and now resides in Richmond, Virginia.

Justin Roth

Justin Roth is a seasoned political and policy professional with expertise in legislative strategies, critical domestic policy matters, and foreign affairs. He has more than two decades of experience in government affairs and lobbying for multiple trade organizations. Most recently, he served as Chief of Staff for three prominent United States Congressmen and a U.S. Senator, including former Senator Martha McSally, and former Congressman Ron DeSantis.

Throughout his tenure, Justin has leveraged his experience in public policy and communications to advise representatives and shepherd major legislative victories. He has overseen virtually every aspect of the legislative and policy process, with expertise in the areas of financial services, foreign affairs, and press and legislative operations. During his time as a Chief of Staff, he also oversaw the political operations of each Member he served.

Justin has also utilized his legislative and policy background to advance the mutual interests of organizational partners such as the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) and the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America. During this time, he served as a leading government affairs professional, running federal lobbying efforts, providing strategic planning, and representing members on all federal legislative and regulatory issues. 

Justin graduated with his Master of Science in History of International Relations from The London School of Economics. He also holds his Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University, where he currently serves as a University Trustee, with a double major in Political Science and History.  He splits his time between Northern Virginia and Florida with his wife Jill and their two boys.

Emily Schindelbeck

Emily Schindelbeck joined LINK in 2024. Drawing on her previous experience, Emily works with copywriters to design eye-catching mail, collateral, and digital ads. A Virginia native, Emily graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelors in Fine Arts degree.

Rob Simms

Rob Simms, founder of St. James Strategies and Senior Advisor at Link Public Affairs, brings a wealth of experience from his 25 years of advising a diverse range of clients, from candidates and campaign committees to corporations and public affairs clients across the U.S.

Before establishing St. James Strategies, Rob co-founded the highly successful Convergence Media, a leading name in advertising, digital and consulting services. His work spans across U.S. Senate, Governor, and Congress campaigns, Super PACs, political party committees, and more.

Notably, in 2017, Rob played a key role as the general consultant and media strategist for Karen Handel’s historic special election campaign, the most expensive congressional race in U.S. history. His roster of high-profile clients includes Governor Ron DeSantis, Governor Mike Parson, Congressman Carlos Gimenez, the NRCC, the NRSC, and the RGA. His award-winning consulting and creative work have earned him accolades such as “Best Bare-knuckled Street Fight,” “Most Original Ad,” “Best Use of Humor,” and “Best Republican Ad.”

In addition to his campaign work, Rob offers strategic advice to Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, public affairs organizations, and non-profits, guiding them through the complexities of political, public affairs, and regulatory landscapes.

Before his current roles, Rob served as Chief of Staff to Congressman Bill Shuster and Deputy Secretary of State under Karen Handel in Georgia. Here, he handled the administration of the 2008 presidential elections and later testified on voter fraud and Photo ID issues before the U.S Senate. Rob, also an Adjunct Professor at George Mason University, enjoys sharing his insights as a featured speaker at conferences, panels, and roundtables.

Outside of his professional pursuits, Rob is a passionate sports fan, supporting the Redskins, Bullets, Nationals, Capitals, Newcastle United, and DC United. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife Cindy, their son Jack, and their mini-golden-doodle, Dutch.

Parker Slaybaugh

Parker Slaybaugh has nearly 15 years combined experience in Virginia government and broadcast journalism. Parker served as Chief Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for Governor Glenn Youngkin. During his tenure in the Youngkin Administration, he played a vital role in key policy initiatives while assisting with business development and regulatory reduction efforts in Virginia.  

Parker also has extensive experience advocating for clients and helping them to accomplish their goals. Prior to his time in Virginia Government, Parker worked as a television news reporter and anchor in Virginia where he earned an Emmy award, an Edward R. Murrow award and numerous Associated Press awards.

Jay Walker

Jay Walker is a 20-year veterans of Georgia politics and public affairs. Jay most recently served as Senior Political Advisor to Governor Brian Kemp’s successful 2022 re-election campaign.  Throughout his career, Jay has worked to elect Congressmen Drew Ferguson, Barry Loudermilk, and Rick Allen and served as an advisor to Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue. Jay was the Chief of Staff to Speaker of the Georgia House Glenn Richardson and Executive Director of the Georgia House Republican Caucus from 2019 to 2020.

At LINK, Jay will develop and oversee comprehensive public affairs strategies and provide strategic advice to corporate clients on public affairs matters with a heavy focus on Georgia companies. Jay will continue his political practice, including advising Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, with Creative Direct, a LINK-affiliated company.

A proud graduate of the University of Georgia, Jay currently resides in Perry, GA with his three daughters. Jay services LINK clients out of the Atlanta office.

Scott Weldon

Scott Weldon joins the team as a veteran of campaigns, policy, and public affairs. Starting his political career at a local public relations firm in Virginia Beach, VA, Scott has managed some of the toughest races around, including defeating a senior incumbent Congressman while being outspent 10 to 1.

Scott’s focus on poignant messaging and ability to adapt to the data and emotion of the environment make him a great addition to our team. He has served as a legislative aide in Virginia and went to Capitol hill as Communications Director for several members of Congress. Scott finished his career on Capitol Hill as Deputy Chief of Staff to Congressman Jeff Van Drew(R-NJ) where he helped the member switch political parties from Democrat to Republican and oversaw the policy and communications operations in the office.

Scott has worked with a broad range of clients helping them build the most effective strategies to achieve their desired outcomes. Scott currently resides in Arlington, VA with his wife Laura and two children.