Bio

Kevin Mathis Senior Legislative Counsel

Kevin joined The Sheridan Group after fifteen years on and off Capitol Hill as one of the premiere movers and shakers of domestic policy in the country.

On Capitol Hill, Kevin worked on the Senate Judiciary Committee for Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA), handling judicial nominations, civil rights and gay rights issues. Kevin then moved to the Senator’s personal office where he served as Specter’s senior health policy advisor, worked on key appropriations issues – including funding for medical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) while Specter chaired the powerful Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee – and served as the Senator’s Legislative Director.

Kevin left Capitol Hill to serve as Executive Director of the Campaign for Medical Research, a nonprofit advocacy organization created to lead the effort to double the budget of the National Institutes of Health. This group, which was founded and led by former House Republican Leader Bob Michel (R-IL), Congressman Paul Rogers (D-FL) and former Senator Mark Hatfield (R-OR), brought together leading public health organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Research!America, and several leading scientific organizations. At the Campaign for Medical Research, Kevin played a leading role among health care advocates in conceptualizing and driving the five-year effort to double funding for the National Institutes of Health, taking the budget from $13.5 billion in FY1998 to $27 billion in FY2003.

Kevin returned to Capitol Hill to serve as Chief Counsel and Policy Advisor to Senator Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), who was a key moderate voice in a closely-divided Senate. This role allowed Kevin to play vital roles in some of the nation's most important debates in health care reform, disaster preparedness, homeland security and judicial confirmations.

At The Sheridan Group, Kevin puts his years of experience drafting appropriations bills in Congress to use as he provides strategic advice to clients on funding issues. He also leads the firm’s domestic health policy portfolio work, including advocacy for organizations such as the American Cancer Society and HopeLab.