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Tom Quinn

Associate Vice President

Tom Quinn, an Associate Vice President at Van Scoyoc Associates, is a firm believer in what “Tip” O’Neill, the late Speaker of the House, once famously observed: “All politics is local.”

The national value of a product, area of research, or project can’t be neglected, Mr. Quinn says. “But establishing district and state impact is a critical component of gaining Member support for clients, even if they are not headquartered in the Member’s district or state.”

Mr. Quinn has built his government relations practice by closing the gap between his clients and the Federal Government and by helping organizations navigate the complicated Federal appropriations and authorization processes. Mr. Quinn has advised senior Members of Congress, as well as the leaders of Fortune 500 companies, billion-dollar defense contractors, small businesses, and universities.

He learned the appropriations process from the inside, while working as Legislative Director for a senior Member on the House Appropriations Committee. In that role, Mr. Quinn oversaw appropriations matters, provided policy advice, and worked to build public-private partnerships for economic development.

Also during his time on Capitol Hill, Mr. Quinn regularly worked the Congressional authorization process, which is sometimes neglected by lobbyists focusing too intently on appropriations.  Mr. Quinn knows the authorization stages behind valuable new projects. He handled the SAFETEA-LU, which provided $244 billion for public infrastructure projects, and the Water Resources Development Act, which provided critical authorizations for the nation’s water-related projects.

Legislative initiatives are only part of the story, though. Knowing the Federal marketplace’s demands are as important as knowing the procedures and people involved in legislation. Even the best legislative initiatives must be husbanded through the bureaucracy to fruition. “Federal representation does not begin and end at the steps of the Capitol Building; the Executive Branch is just as critical to a client’s success as working with Congress,” he said.

A native of Oradell, New Jersey, Tom Quinn was educated in the Jesuit tradition at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Middle Eastern studies.