Overview
(December 6, 2023, Washington, DC) – Leslie Belcher, Elizabeth Burks, and Rowan Bost have been named to The Hill’s Top Lobbyists 2023. The list honors the corporate lobbyists, hired guns, association leaders and grassroots activists who leveraged their expertise and connections to make a difference in Washington, DC. Top lobbyists have helped their clients navigate the flood of regulatory activity from the Biden administration, which has started pushing billions of dollars in funding, grants and tax credits out the door as major legislative packages— namely the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and CHIPS and Science Act — come online.
As Managing Director, Government Affairs & Public Policy at Steptoe, Leslie Belcher, an Oklahoma native, is a power-player and recognized trusted advisor to members of Congress. She offers clients more than 35 years of public and private sector experience, directing government relations campaigns for a variety of clients. Leslie has her finger on the pulse of the House Republican Conference and possesses an extensive knowledge of the legislative process. This combination of understanding the subtle nuances of a very complex GOP Conference, how that intersects with policy decisions, combined with the “art of the possible” in divided government, is unparalleled in Washington. She previously served as the chief of staff for Reps. Tom Cole and Wes Watkins and as legislative director for Rep. Bill Brewster. This bipartisan experience gives Leslie a unique and valuable perspective and set of experiences.
Elizabeth Burks is the lead Democratic lobbyist for Steptoe’s clients. She served for almost two decades as a Senate and House staff member, including as Chief of Staff to both Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)–Chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee and senior member of the Senate Finance and Energy Committees–and Rep. Jim Turner (D-TX), for whom she also served as Legislative Director and Coordinator of the Blue Dog Coalition when Turner served as the Administrative Co-Chair. In her role as Managing Director, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Elizabeth helps clients navigate government relations and legislative issues impacting their business. Elizabeth applies her deep understanding of policy and legislative process with keen political savvy and a wealth of strong relationships to accomplish her clients’ needs before Congress and federal agencies. On any given day, she helps clients advance their goals on Capitol Hill, as she works to secure lawmakers to headline their events as well as meetings with senior staff on short notice when harmful legislative language threatens the work of her clients.
As Director of Government Affairs & Public Policy, Rowan Bost brings nearly a decade of experience in policy development and legislative strategy to Steptoe. In her first two years in the private sector, Rowan has quickly established herself as a leader among the next generation of lobbyists. She is highly sought after for her perspective as someone who is both fresh off the Hill and also a veteran of the legislative and appropriations processes.
Read the full list of Top Lobbyists on The Hill’s website.
About Steptoe
In more than 110 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
