Jess Peterson, WSS President.

Jess Peterson represents and monitors legislative interests for a growing number of agricultural, business, and academic clients. Peterson and the WSS staff provide clients a full-time presence in Washington, DC and actively maintain a consistent dialogue with federal, state, and local policymakers. Peterson also serves as a spokesperson for various membership groups and frequently appears on national media forums and industry panels representing member concerns and interests.

As a 5th generation rancher and Montana native, Jess Peterson is familiar with the concerns of rural America. For the past four years Peterson has successfully represented the interests of thousands of Americans on Capitol Hill and inside the Administration. Jess also understands the need to continually listen to the voices of the countryside, and maintains open bi-weekly conference calls for membership groups to facilitate active dialogue on industry concerns.

Mr. Peterson also manages a cow-calf operation near Miles City, Montana. Continually playing an active role in the management of the ranching operation keeps Peterson aware of the needs and importance of American agriculture and strong rural communities. Peterson is a proud alumnus of Miles Community College in Miles City, Montana, and of Gonzaga University of Spokane, Washington.

Melissa Lewis, Appropriations Director.

Melissa first started on Capitol Hill as a Finance Assistant at Glacier PAC, Senator Max Baucus' Political Action Committee. She then sharpened her legislative skills working for a key western senator for two years. Her position involved processing federal appropriations requests and keeping the senator prepared for hearings and markups. Melissa joined a reputable government affairs consulting firm and became the firm's Senior Associate in January 2005.

With her tenure in the Senate and lobbying experience, Melissa expertly navigates through the federal legislative and regulatory mazes of Washington. Her portfolio includes agriculture and rural development, small business and trade issues, community and economic development, public safety, emergency management, transportation, environmental and social services.

As WSS's Appropriations Director, Melissa keeps a keen eye on the appropriations process and unearths unique funding opportunities for our clientele by ferreting out obscure federal programs. She possesses a unique and comprehensive knowledge of federal funding programs and grant opportunities. Melissa uses her expertise to develop winning federal legislative agendas for WSS clientele. She also drafts the firm's appropriations requests and corresponding support letters.

Additionally, Melissa provides WSS with research on regulatory/legislative issues and advises WSS on federal legislation—both proposed and adopted—that could affect client agendas. Melissa also helps draft timely and effective correspondence for our clientele to send to Congress and federal agencies.

Stacia E. Couch, Washington D.C. Operations Manager.

Stacia Couch, WSS Washington D.C. Operations Manager, has over 13 years of professional experience in the legal, academic, public policy, information technology, and business consulting fields. Most recently, Stacia provided best practices research on IT infrastructure design and implementation to Fortune 500 companies. Prior to that, she served as a research associate in a public policy research center where she managed large-scale research projects primarily for Tennessee government clients.

Her diverse interests and background give her a unique ability to manage people, projects, and client and vendor relationships. At WSS, she manages all IT, including designing and maintaining WSS's online presence, and assists the team with legislative and industry-related research, writing, and bookkeeping.

Stacia holds a master's degree in communication and information from the University of Tennessee and a B.A. in English from Clemson University. She co-directed and designed Education Crossroads, a book and website designed to alter public opinion regarding the true value of education, and co-authored An Economic Report to the Governor of the State of Tennessee (several annual editions); School-to-Work: Do Tennessee's Higher Education Graduates Work in Tennessee, Part 1: State-level Labor Market and Earnings Trends; The State of Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance, and Behavioral Intention Determinants towards Post-Secondary Education: Clues for Strategic Message Development. She also volunteers as site coordinator for Project Northstar, a program helping homeless and low-income children in the city.