Laserfiche WebLink
He earned his law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School, cum laude, and his <br />bachelor's degree from Saint John's University in Political Science, summa cum laude. <br />The Right Experience <br />Unlike many lobbyists, Chris has an extremely unique and valuable background in both <br />legislative and executive branch governance. The experience of serving as both a legislator and <br />a senior advisor to a governor gives him a "360 degree" view of state government, which gives <br />his clients an advantage as they compete for scarce resources. <br />An excellent of example of the way in which this experience is helpful to clients is the capital <br />investment bill, popularly known as the "bonding bill." In 2010, Chris was responsible for <br />executing Governor Pawlenty's bonding bill from start to finish. <br />In his role, he led a team that reviewed proposals, crafted the governor's recommendations, <br />negotiated with the legislature, and finally brought the bill to a successful conclusion. <br />Few people in Minnesota government understand the capital investment bill process in a <br />comprehensive manner Chris does, and he can put that knowledge to use on behalf of Ramsey. <br />Another example of Chris DeLaForest having the right kind of experience is his assignment to <br />the House Taxes Committee. In addition to the having a familiarity with the arcane world of <br />taxation, service on the committee creates a strong bond of "brotherhood" and "sisterhood" with <br />former colleagues and staff that carries beyond legislative service, conferring upon alumni an <br />"open door" relationship with the committee. <br />The Right Relationships. <br />Ultimately, good governmental relations is about positive relationships with legislators, state <br />agencies, and the public servants who work across state government. The best public policy <br />ideas are "dead in the water" if they cannot first gain an audience and then legislative and <br />gubernatorial support. <br />Chris DeLaForest has spent a decade building and strengthening relationships with key Capitol <br />decision makers. While these relationships don't guarantee a particular outcome, they greatly <br />enhance the chances that an issue will be heard by decision makers and given a fair hearing. <br />While he has numerous friendships and professional relationships at the Capitol, some of the <br />more relevant relationships include: <br />Speaker of the House Kurt Zellers <br />Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch <br />Tom Sorel, Commissioner of MnDOT <br />