TOPEKA, Kan. – Husch Blackwell Strategies announced Katie Whisman at their Topeka, KS location as Principal of the Kansas Government Affairs team after 18 years with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and independent lobbying practice.
HBS, which serves as one of the top networks of state lobbyists in the U.S., offers integrated services of lobbying at the state and federal level, executive-level strategic counsel, and public affairs, according to the press release announced on July 12.
Matt Hickam, HBS Kansas Managing Principal said that Kansans will greatly benefit with the addition of Whisman due to her broad experience and success as a legislative tactician.
“Her meticulous and detailed approach to advocacy empowers decision makers at all levels of state government to make well-informed decisions that ultimately advance and protect her clients’ interests. That will be a real asset to HBS clients.”
Hickam said that with Whisman’s wide range of experience, they together will be able to help Kansas clients through the most complicated of circumstances, along with the ability to engage lawmakers on a wide range of issues from regulatory actions to industry altering legislation. With Whismans successful advocates for public health and safety issues, she has advocated nearly $80 million in state and federal funding.
“No matter a client’s varied interests, her diligent work in developing successful lobbying strategies can help solve problems and create new opportunities,” Hickam said.
Whisman spent 18 years working for the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI). During her time at the KBI, she held a number of positions, including special agent, senior special agent, and executive officer, from 2014 to 2020.
After her time at the KBI, Whisman also started her own company for independent lobbying, Katie Whisman Consulting LLC, in 2020.
“In my work as a lobbyist after the KBI, I have advocated for specific increases to public safety agency resource allocations to assist with staffing challenges and ensure access to state-of-the art technology, as well as post-Covid increases to the daily reimbursement rate for nursing facilities.” Whisman said.
Whisman said that she is particularly proud of her work on leading a working group for the Kansas Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI). Under Whisman’s leadership, the KBI processed more than 2,200 previiously unidentified SAKs in Kansas. She received the KBI’s Director’s Unit Citation Award for her work with the Kansas SAKI.
About Husch Blackwell Strategies
HBS was founded in 2018 after three separate practices of Husch Blackwell LLP, Statehouse Strategies LLC, and Cloakroom Advisors LLC joined to create a multi-jurisdiction firm. HBS, which is headquartered in Jefferson City, MO. The firm has twelve offices across the country, including Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Maryland.
The Kansas advocacy team is led by managing principal Matt Hickam, who has nearly 20 years of experience in politics and policy in the Midwest. Hickam, a Topeka native, served as legislative staff to Senator Bob Dole.
