LegiStorm

A former senior aide for Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) has brought some old clients to his new firm.

Josh Kardon left the Capitol Hill Consulting Group in January to join the lobbying firm Capitol Counsel LLC as general counsel. Kardon's clients, the National Parks Conservation Association and Air Products and Chemicals Inc., followed him in his transition to Capitol Counsel LLC, according to lobbying filings. Kardon will be lobbying on issues related to natural resources, energy and budget related issues for these organizations.

Prior to entering the lobbying world, Kardon spent 21 years on the Hill. His most recent stint was with Wyden, serving as his chief of staff for 16 years.

Rep. Jim Gerlach's (R-Pa.) transportation aide has left to work on behalf of the nation's air traffic controllers, an interest group Gerlach has long championed.

Allie Valocchi joined the National Air Traffic Controllers Association this month as a political and legislative representative. The NATCA, which currently represents 20,000-plus controllers across the nation, is an affiliated trade organization of the AFL-CIO. Last year, the Washington, D.C.-based group lobbied against FAA furloughs, pay freezes and other possible negative consequences of the federal government shutdown.

While many unions have taken a generally dim view of Gerlach's legislative record, he has been a long-time friend of air traffic controllers. Gerlach is a cosponsor of H.R. 3578, a bill that slow-rolls the Federal Aviation Administration's attempts to test air traffic controllers for sleep disorders such as sleep apnea. And NATCA is one of his biggest campaign contributors over his career, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

For the past three years, the American University graduate has worked with Pennsylvania's Republican delegation. She started her government career as a staff assistant for Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) before becoming Gerlach's legislative correspondent. Eventually, Valocchi was promoted to be the congressman's legislative assistant for transportation, telecommunications and science issues among other policy areas. 

The former chief of staff for Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) is working for the South Korean government to expand visa opportunities for the country's citizens.

Michael Higdon joined Cornerstone Government Affairs LLC in December as vice president after serving on the Hill since 2000, most recently as Rogers' chief of staff. Higdon will be trying "to create a unique E-4 professional visa category for Korean nationals to work in the United States," according to Foreign Agent Registration Act papers.

Higdon is not the first Hill insider to be employed by South Korea on immigration issues. In the past year, Seoul has used former aides from the White House, congressional offices and the CIA to guarantee the inclusion of special work visas for South Koreans in immigration reform legislation.

A Rhode Island political aide has parlayed a short-term stint as a Hill press aide into a government relations job.

Lauren Broccoli has been hired to lobby for Lewis-Burke Associates LLC, a firm specializing in education lobbying, after working as a staff and press assistant in the office of Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) since July of last year. The Washington-D.C. based firm focuses on policy issues related to higher education institutions and education organizations.

Before coming to the Hill, Broccoli held positions on Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse's (D-R.I.) campaign and Rep. David Cicilline's (D-R.I.) campaign. Broccoli received her bachelor's degree from Boston University and holds a law degree from Roger Williams University School of Law.

Rep. Steve Pearce's (R-N.M.) deputy chief of staff for the past seven months is now using her congressional knowledge to help a national energy trade association.

Allison Cunningham became a government relations specialist for the American Gas Association last month. The AGA, which represents 199 energy companies across the United States, advocates for the usage of natural gas as the primary source of fuel. Last year, the Washington, D.C.-based organization lobbied Congress on natural gas and cybersecurity issues.

Cunningham brought a plethora of Hill expertise to her new position. Previously, she served the New Mexican in the capacities as a scheduler/executive assistant and as the director of special projects/executive assistant. The Oklahoma State graduate also served Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) as his staff assistant, legislative correspondent and scheduler.

Natural gas is facing a boom in production in the United States due to the new availability of shale gas.