Specializing in legislative advocacy, municipalities, utilities, and regulatory challenges
Focused Advocacy continues to set best practices for local government and utility-related advocacy at the Texas Capitol. We are grateful that our diverse roster of clients continue to trust our team with their government relations priorities.
We help our clients accomplish their goals by developing the right strategy, implementing tactics that work, and incorporating our firm’s executive and grassroots networks in our customized, client-driven advocacy solutions.
CONTACT US:
512.637.6020
info@focusedadvocacy.com
Our Leadership Team
Curt Seidlits
Founder and CEO
Seidlits is one of Austin’s premier government affairs and lobby strategists. Before founding Focused Advocacy, Seidlits was Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for Energy Future Holdings, formerly TXU Corp. He oversaw federal, state, and local governmental advocacy, as well as public policy and political action committees. Before joining TXU, Seidlits was the president and CEO of the Association of Electric Companies of Texas, a group representing the investor-owned electric companies in Texas. During Seidlits’ thirteen-year tenure in the electric industry, he helped engineer the public policy change establishing competition in the electric industry and led the ensuing debates over several legislative sessions. Seidlits served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1986 - 1996. He served on a variety of House Committees including Judiciary, Ways and Means, and Elections and Redistricting. In 1993, he was appointed chairman of the House State Affairs Committee and during his tenure he oversaw many diverse issues, including tort reform, ethics, utility regulation, public information and procurement. Seidlits sponsored legislation that substantially rewrote the state’s electric and telecommunications regulations. Seidlits earned both his law degree and bachelor’s degree in political science from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He began his legal career as a prosecutor and has spent more than forty years in legal practice.
Brandon Aghamalian
Partner and President
Aghamalian is a recognized expert on municipal issues, economic development, property taxes, and transportation and transit. He has worked in and around Texas state government for over twenty years. Aghamalian joined Focused Advocacy in 2010 to establish the firm’s lobby practice and local government advocacy group. Prior to that, Aghamalian founded and managed a local government practice for HillCo Partners, representing dozens of cities before the Legislature. From 2002 to 2006, Aghamalian was the Director of Government Relations for the City of Fort Worth, where he served in the administrations of Mayors Ken Barr and Mike Moncrief. Earlier in his career, Aghamalian worked in various capacities at the State Capitol, including stints as Director of the House Committee on Business and Industry, Chief of Staff for State Representative Kim Brimer, and Legislative Director for Representative Todd Smith. Aghamalian is a graduate of the Texas State University (BA in Accounting) and earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the UT School of Law and a Master of Public Affairs from LBJ School of Public Affairs.
Snapper Carr
Partner and General Counsel
Carr joined Focused Advocacy in 2010 to establish the firm’s lobby practice and local government advocacy group. His primary focus is representing the needs of local governments before the Texas Legislature. From 2006 to 2010, Carr founded and managed a local government practice for HillCo Partners, representing dozens of cities before the Legislature. Previously, Carr served as the Legislative Counsel and Associate for the Texas Municipal League (TML) from 1998 to 2006, representing municipal interests before state and federal legislative, administrative and judicial bodies. At TML, Carr earned a reputation as an expert in the fields of land usage, utilities, military and water issues. From 1994 to 1998, Carr served as the committee clerk for two Texas House committees -- the Committee on State Affairs and the Committee on Land and Resource Management. Carr is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Government and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the UT School of Law.
Client Success Team
Lynlie Hurd, Legislative and regulatory counsel
Lynlie provides strategic counsel to a diverse client base to aid in the development of individualized strategies to achieve clients’ legislative goals. She possesses 17 years of experience in facilitating the development of public policy in both local and state government. Prior to joining Focused Advocacy, she served as chief of staff for a former chairman of the Texas House Natural Resources Committee for over a decade. Lynlie’s background includes serving as a member of the Bexar County Commissioners Court staff, consulting on multiple federal, state, and municipal political campaigns, and working as a public affairs account executive for a regional public relations firm. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government from Angelo State University and Doctor of Jurisprudence from St. Mary's University School of Law.
Josh Meeks, Communications director
Josh is a seasoned public affairs professional who specializes in creative communication solutions at the Texas Capitol and statewide. The founder of Republic Square Media, he delivers writing, digital design and storytelling support to former and current clients, including local governments, issue campaigns, statewide trade associations, Fortune 10 companies, and more. Josh’s work inside the Texas Legislature includes nearly a decade of service as legislative director and communications director in the Senate, where he staffed the Senate Finance Committee, state budget conference committee, and more.
Our Specialties
Focused Advocacy is a premier public affairs firm based in Austin, Texas. With a seasoned team and a large research staff, we help our clients accomplish their goals by developing the right strategy, implementing tactics that work, and incorporating our firm’s executive and grassroots networks in our customized, client-driven advocacy solutions.
Our specialties include lobbying on behalf of municipal policy issues, navigating regulatory issues for utility and energy interests, developing procurement strategies that work, and advocating for the values we share with our clients.
We are proud that Focused Advocacy continues to set best practices for local government and utility-related advocacy at the Texas Capitol. We are grateful that our diverse roster of clients continue to trust our team with their government relations priorities. .
Legislative Advocacy
The legislative advocacy team at Focused Advocacy have more than 100 years of combined experience at the Texas Capitol. With nearly a thousand bills passed and partners who maintain one of the richest network of relationships in the advocacy industry, we’re proud of the results our clients have accomplished.
Municipal Government Lobbying
Focused Advocacy’s second-to-none municipal advocacy team are proud to support the continued success of cities large and small across Texas. Without exception, our municipal government practice is recognized by experienced insiders as the premier lobbyists for cities statewide.
UtilitIES and Energy-Related Regulatory Challenges
Our regulatory team have served as front-line decision makers in the legislative and regulatory arenas for nearly three decades. Our successes help our clients protect investment, maintain the stability of critical services, and establish paths for client-driven initiatives that lead to long-term success,
