Former Congressman Jim Kolbe is joining in a strategic alliance with the established Arizona-based federal government relations firm of Capitol Strategies, LLC to provide strategic advice and counsel focused on Arizona public and private sector clients.
“My passion has always been to give a voice to Arizona and its citizens, something that is needed now more than ever,” said Kolbe. “I am eager to work to ensure that decisions made in Washington take into account the impact they have on Arizona businesses and local governments, especially as Congress addresses challenges in budgeting, infrastructure, resources, economic development and trade.”
“For more than two decades, Congressman Kolbe has been a champion for Arizona on critical public policy issues facing this state,” said Steven Bloch, President, Capitol Strategies. “Congressman Kolbe’s impressive record of accomplishments and his impeccable reputation for integrity, hard work and a bipartisan ability to bring people together uniquely positions him to find win-win solutions for our clients,” Bloch said.
Jim Kolbe served 22 years in the U.S. Congress and has been involved in a range of key Arizona issues, including water, land, mineral resources, border issues, trade, and Mexico relations. He held important positions in the Congress, including serving for 20 years on the Appropriations Committee, with 10 of those years as Subcommittee Chairman, and was the House leader for passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
Since leaving Congress, Kolbe has served on the U.S. Trade Representative’s Advisory Committee on Trade Policy Negotiations, as Senior Advisor to McLarty Associates, a strategic consulting firm, and on the Secretary of State’s prestigious Foreign Policy Review Board. In Arizona, he continues to serve on the board of the Critical Path Institute, the Southern Arizona Community Food Bank and was recently appointed by Governor Brewer as co-chair of the Arizona Transportation and Trade Corridor Alliance.
