Key Staff
Executive Director
Matt Harney, MBA, CAE
Matt is an experienced association executive and former political consultant. Most recently, he served as Executive Director of the Ohio Osteopathic Association and President of the Ohio Osteopathic Foundation, where he oversaw operations, expanded educational programming, and led advocacy efforts for the association. Matt has also served on many state and national boards.
In addition to his vast and varied experience in association management in multiple states, Matt owned a political consulting firm and served as executive director for the campaign arm of a state legislative caucus.
Matt holds a B.S. in Economics and an M.B.A. from Oklahoma City University. Harney is a certified association executive, one of only 4,500 industry leaders across the globe with this distinction.
Matt lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his fiancé and serves on the Board of Directors for the Grant Park Condo Association.
Lobbyists
John D. Raffaelli
John D. Raffaelli is the founding partner of Capitol Counsel, LLC. He has more than 35 years of experience in federal policy and policymaking, with an emphasis on taxation, finance, health care, international trade, and general business matters. Raffaelli is nationally recognized as one of the most effective lobbyists in Washington and is respected by both Democratic and Republican lawmakers for his knowledge of the legislative process and his ability to develop public policy solutions to client problems. In 1994, he was named by Washingtonian magazine as one of the Top 50 Lobbyists in the Nation’s Capital, and he has made every top lobbyist list in the magazine since it began publishing them. In 2012, he was listed in Washington Life Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Washington. Raffaelli is active each year in many House and Senate campaigns.
John holds a L.L.M in Tax from New York University Law School and a J.D. from the University of Arkansas Law School. Additionally, he holds a B.S. from American University.
Previously, John served as the Founder and Chairman of The Washington Group, There he represented a wide variety of business, tax, and trade clients on Capitol Hill and before executive branch agencies. The Washington Group’s predecessor firm was McAuliffe, Kelly and Raffaelli.
Additionally, he served as counsel for tax and international trade in the Office of Senator Lloyd Bentsen (D-TX) in Washington, D.C. He has an extensive expertise in the tax rules governing depreciation, R&D, insurance, real estate, energy, and other issues. He also worked as an attorney adviser in the Office of Chief Judge Samuel Sterrett of the U.S. Tax Court, a staff assistant in the Office of Congressman Wright Patman (DTX) and a partner at the law firm Bishop, Cook, Purcell, and Reynolds Law Firm in Washington, D.C. His campaign work includes: 1992 Clinton for President campaign; 1996 Clinton-Gore national finance committee; and Vice Chair of the Kerry for President campaign national finance committee. He served as a board member for the Susan G. Komen Foundation from 2011-2016 and was a past member of the President’s Advisory Committee for the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he served as a former managing trustee for the Democratic National Committee.
From changing the definition of under construction to include archeological excavation, creating a new depreciation rule for sale-lease transactions, creating new kinds of tax advantaged accounts or working to fix the tax treatment of unique and new financial transactions, Raffaelli has been a key player in developing the strategy that advanced sound tax policy and business reality. His ability to find creative solutions to conflict has been the key to his success as a lobbyist, a skill that he has used in other fields such as trade, financial services and health.
Dave Olander
David (Dave) Olander is a partner with Capitol Counsel, LLC, where he serves a leading role in the firm’s tax practice. A veteran legislative strategist, adviser, and advocate, he brings to the firm more than two decades of experience in Washington’s tax-policymaking arena and is frequently sought out for his timely insight on tax matters. Olander has appeared as a featured speaker, panelist, or guest lecturer on more than 100 occasions before various academic audiences, trade groups, and other organizations. He served most recently as majority chief tax counsel to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Drew Goesl
Drew Goesl is a partner at Capitol Counsel, LLC. With two decades of Capitol Hill and private sector experience, Goesl has earned the reputation as a highly regarded and experienced consensus builder in Washington. He possesses a keen understanding of federal policymaking and the nuances of Capitol Hill politics. He excels in the arenas of government affairs, corporate strategic advisement, issue advocacy and public relations. Goesl has shaped effective messaging strategies and achieved legislative success at the highest levels of government, and clients regularly seek his robust relationships with members of Congress and staff on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate, the administration, and the national media. He has represented a variety of clients across the spectrum, from Fortune 500 companies to non-profit organizations. Goesl is skilled in the issue areas of tax, energy and commerce, financial services and health care.
Drew holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Arkansas College of Business. Previously, he served as Chief of Staff in the Office of Congressman Mike Ross (D-AR), Washington, D.C. Goesl directed Congressman Ross’s leadership responsibilities for the moderate Blue Dog Coalition. Goesl was responsible for advancing the coalition’s overall agenda in the complicated health care overhaul of 2009. He also served as the Communications Director for Office of Senator Blanche Lincoln (DAR), Washington, D.C. Goesl served as senior adviser, chief communications strategist and spokesperson for the senator. Additionally, he served as President of the United States Senate Press Secretaries Association in 2005.
Political Action Committee
Holly A. Giarraputo
Holly Giarraputo has been a compliance professional for 15 years. Holly began working in compliance at Oldaker, Biden and Belair, LLP in Washington, DC in 2000. Her mentor was William Oldaker, Esq. He served as a General Counsel to the Federal Election Commission from 1976-1979. Giarraputo was responsible for maintaining the bookkeeping of both Mr. Oldaker's law practice and lobbying firm. At the firm she was the sole compliance person for four years and worked on numerous Senate, House and PAC campaigns.
After leaving the firm in 2004, Giarraputo began Campaign Compliance, Inc. and began to focus on supporting federal and state campaigns, political committees and other political organizations. In 2008, Holly moved with her family to the West and continues to work with clients from across the country. When she is not filing FEC reports, she can be found skiing, cooking and spending time with her family.
Finance & Accounting
Sandra K. Brown
Sandra K. Brown is tax manager and payroll services coordinator at Ross & Moncure. She is a native of Arlington, Virginia and a graduate of Marymount University. She majored in Business Studies, and subsequently went on to do a satellite degree in Accounting. She began working for her father’s business in junior high school, and — aside from a brief stint working in Oahu right after college — continued to be his office manager until she joined Ross & Moncure in October of 2002.
Sandy manages hundreds of entity (corporate and partnership) tax accounts, and Ross & Moncure’s Professional Employer Organization (PEO) services. She coordinates with hundreds of clients to meet their payroll preparation and processing needs, and creates and prepares tax efficiency plans for corporate clients focusing on taxation, intelligent decision-making and longevity.
Sandy and her husband Pat live in Calvert County, Maryland with their Labrador, Gunner.