GovBizPartners Team

                                            
                                                             Partners
Hon. Ray Allen

Former State Representative Ray Allen was first elected to the Texas House Of Representatives in 1992, and served seven terms, retiring in January, 2006. During his tenure he served as the Chairman of the House Committee on Corrections, Chairman of the County Affairs Committee, was a member of the House Committee on Government Reform, the House Appropriations Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Select Interim Committee on Sex Offender Statutes, Vice-Chairman of the Environmental Regulations Committee, the Committee on House Administration, Select Committee on Constitutional Revision, the House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee,  and the House Public Safety Committee. He chaired numerous Subcommittees, focusing on issues related to criminal justice, corrections reform, and the environment, and Chaired the Texas Legislature Sportsmen’s Caucus from 2002 through 2006.

Representative Allen, widely regarded as one of the most prolific and effective House members in passing legislation, authored or jointly authored nearly 400 bills of which more than 150 are now in law. Many of his successful bills were designated as major state laws by independent Senate and House Research Organizations. Those efforts covered a broad range of topics including criminal statutes, child protection and safety, sex offenders, private sector prison industries, crime-victims’ rights laws, Texas’ Concealed Carry law, the Texas Clean Air Act of  1999, and numerous measures regarding local and economic development issues.

 

He serves as a Lieutenant in the Texas State Guard, Maritime Regiment, a part of the Texas Military services under the command of the Governor. Upon leaving elected office in 2006, he founded Service House, Inc., a Government Affairs firm which served a wide variety of clients prior to the formation of GovBiz Partners, LLC.      Contact info: Mobile (512) 965-8300 email: rayallen106@yahoo.com

 

Jeff Heckler    

Jeff Heckler capped a career in public service as Chief of Staff and Policy Analyst to Senator Chet Brooks, then Dean of the Texas Senate. He advised, consulted and represented Senator Brooks on the following issue areas: the environment, natural resources, and waste management; energy; health and human services; transportation; finance; agriculture; criminal justice; gaming; and economic development. Mr. Heckler helped develop and negotiate landmark legislation, the Texas Clean Air Act of 1991 and the Coastal Zone Management and Wetland Protection Acts. During his tenure with Senator Brooks, Mr. Heckler was named executive director of the 1990 Joint Task Force on Waste Management.

He began his legislative career in Senator Brooks’ Health and Human Services Committee where he managed the following issue areas: rural health care; indigent health care; health systems and planning; environmental health and safety; health care providers; and medical and health professions education. Mr. Heckler was clerk to the Special Task Force on Rural Health Care Delivery in Texas, and was the primary researcher, author and editor of the task force report to the Legislature. He also was one of the chief architects of the landmark legislation the Omnibus Health Care Rescue Act of 1989 or HB 18. Prior to becoming a founding Partner of GovBizPartners, Jeff served as President of the Solutions Group which celebrated its seventeenth year in business last October.     Contact info: Mobile (512) 917-5772 email: heckler@myexcell.com

Scott Gilmore

Scott Gilmore served as a House of Representatives Sergeant-At-Arms prior to joining the legislative staff of Rep. Ray Allen in 1993 where he rose to become Chief-of-Staff in 2003. During that time, he also served on the staffs of Rep. John Culberson, Rep. Robert Talton and Sen. Buster Brown. In 2005, Mr. Gilmore founded SEG Strategic Alliances, a government affairs firm which he led until he helped create GovBiz Partners, LLC. He has been working continuously in government or with government affairs clients for more than 17 years.

 

During his lengthy tenure at the Capitol, he developed expertise in the areas of environmental regulation, economic development and criminal justice/corrections. As a staffer, Mr. Gilmore successfully shepherded hundreds of important pieces of legislation through passage into law, including the Clean Air Act of 1999, the Concealed Handgun law, Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws, Civil Commitment law, the post 9/11 Homeland Security and Open Records rewrite, and numerous criminal justice measures.

 

During the past 17 years, he also served as an advisor and consultant on numerous successful congressional, statewide, legislative and local political campaigns. He also served as an elected board member of the Wells Branch Municipal Utility District from 1996 – 2004 and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Association of Business. Scott also serves on the Round Rock Community Development Advisory Commission appointed by the City Council of Round Rock, Texas.     Contact info: (512) 914-4000 email: scottegilmore@gmail.com

                                                   

                                                      Strategic Partners

James Jonas

Since the mid 1980's, James Jonas has been an advocate for clients at the local, state and federal level.  His specialties have included national and state-wde procurements and controversial advocacy requiring access to the highest levels of government.  A graduate of the University of Texas School of Law as well as Washington and Lee University James Jonas provides a wide variety of services to clients. 

Areas of expertise include: business and regulatory compliance, public and higher education, administrative rule making, telecommunications, technology, major state and federal procurements, health and human services, environmental issues, economic development, gaming, municipal issues, water law, executive level /legislative advocacy, and network marketing compliance.


Scott Miller

Scott Miller is a seasoned lobbyist and strategic business consultant with more than eighteen years' experience in the electric and energy industry during which he successfully promoted favorable relationships with legislators and government officials and implementation of favorable regulatory and legislative actions. He joined with GovBiz Partners approximately three years ago as a strategic partner on a number of special projects and has represented clients on issues related to oil and gas, electric utility generation, transmission and retail operations, environmental concerns and policy, water, transportation, automobile, identity theft, renewable energy, criminal justice, tax, finance , and education.  His services include direct lobbying, public affairs strategy, and media consultation. Prior to joining GovBiz Partners and directing his own firm, for twenty-six years, Scott worked for Reliant Energy, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Houston, Texas.

During his tenure with Reliant Energy, Mr. Miller served as Director of Texas Government Relations from 1993 to 2008, coordinating and managing all legislative activities, strategies and policies. In 1997 – 1998, he lobbied at the federal level in Washington DC and also did extensive work with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).  Prior to this position, he worked as a Manager in Reliant Energy’s Regulatory Department and was the Company’s Liaison to the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) a state Agency which regulates electric and telephone utilities in Texas. Immediately prior to joining GovBiz Partners, Scott founded and led his own lobbying firm, Lone Star Lobby.

Lee Ann Fuselier

Lee Ann Fuselier served on the staff of U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady.  As Outreach Coordinator, she worked throughout the 10 counties of the Eighth Congressional District of Texas where she was instrumental in recovery efforts following the devastation of Hurricane Rita.  As a consultant, Lee Ann provides strategic support to business, industry and government in the areas of public relations, government affairs, business and economic development and human resource management.  She serves as the Southeast Region Coordinator for the Texas Association of Business (TAB) working at the grass-roots level with business owners, area chambers of commerce and elected officials to promote a pro-business climate.

 

Lee Ann has a background in human resource management and consulting.  She was the recipient of the 1995 Presidential Award from the Texas Association of Personnel Consultants and earned PHR certification (Professional in Human Resource Resources) from the Society of Human Resource Management in 1996.  She also served as president of the Southeast Texas Human Resource Association in 1997. Prior to beginning her consulting career, Lee Ann earned her B.A. in Political Science from Louisiana State University and served as Human Resource Director for Harris County Precinct 4, working in the Houston office of Commissioner Jerry Eversole.