Christopher J. Hessler
Ted Michaels
Michael Stafford
Meghan Higgins
Christopher J. Hessler
Mr. Hessler has nearly 25 years of environmental and energy policy experience both in the public sector for state congressional elected officials and private sector clients. He served a Governor, two U.S. Senate Committee Chairmen, and a Member of the House of Representatives and managed issues for corporate and non-profit clients.
In 2003, Mr. Hessler founded AJW, Inc. for the purpose of providing high-quality consulting and advocacy services to clients seeking to accelerate the development and deployment of emerging energy and environmental technologies. Based on his experience as a policy aide, and a view that better technologies enable better policies, Mr. Hessler chose to focus AJW on addressing the unique challenges faced by technology innovators attempting to attract investment and penetrate markets dominated by incumbents and heavily influenced by government policies.
Previously, Mr. Hessler served as Professional Staff and Deputy Staff Director for the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. There he was the principle staff member for issues related to the Clean Air Act, global climate change and energy. He also participated in a broad range of activity related to many other environmental statutes as well as highway, water, and other infrastructure funding issues.
Prior to his service in the Senate, Mr. Hessler worked for Governor Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey as a Policy Advisor responsible for federal environmental and energy issues. Earlier he worked for Congressman Dick Zimmer (R-NJ) first as the field director on a successful underdog race for Congress and later as a Senior Legislative Assistant for science and technology. Mr. Hessler started his career as a consultant in the New Jersey public affairs firm of Holt, Ross, and Yulish, Inc. where he served clients including Ciba Geigy, Union Carbide, and McDonald’s Corp.
In both the private sector and public sector, Mr. Hessler has built a reputation for his expert knowledge of environmental law and his ability to forge solutions to politically thorny environmental and energy issues. He led and participated in successful efforts to amend the Clean Air and to develop and pass other federal legislation related to energy policy, environmental protection, and infrastructure development.
Mr. Hessler serves as a member of the California Air Resources Board Low Carbon Fuels Advisory Panel. He has also served as a member of both the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Act Advisory Committee and on the Board of Directors of the Northeast States Center for a Clean Air Future (a public/private initiative created by NESCAUM).
Ted Michaels
Mr. Michaels is a Partner at AJW, Inc. and has more than 15 years of experience in federal and state government affairs during which time he served on Capitol Hill and for trade associations representing both the public and private sectors. Prior to joining AJW, Mr. Michaels served for four years as President of the Energy Recovery Council (ERC), the national trade association representing the waste-to-energy industry. He was principally responsible for the legislative, regulatory, research, education, and technical services offered to ERC’s membership.
Prior to joining ERC, Mr. Michaels served for five years as the Staff Director of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Superfund and Waste Management, under the chairmanship of Senator Lincoln D. Chafee of Rhode Island. In this capacity, Mr. Michaels worked extensively on the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, which was signed into law on January 11, 2002.
Prior to serving in the Senate, Mr. Michaels worked for five years as a Policy Analyst in the Natural Resources Group of the National Governors’ Association. In this capacity, he assisted in the development of policy positions adopted by the nation’s Governors and advocated on behalf of those positions.
Mr. Michaels received a Master of Arts in American History from Fordham University and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Providence College.
Michael Stafford
Michael Stafford has more than 30 years of professional experience including government relations, public affairs, communications, association management, marketing and strategic planning in a wide array of interest areas including energy, environment, health care and tax policy. Mr. Stafford has extensive experience in working with media consultants, survey researchers and public relations organizations in developing and directing national public affairs and communications campaigns. He has designed and directed numerous national, regional and state level government relations education, outreach and advocacy programs and related policy conferences and legislative workshops.
Mr. Stafford served nearly a decade on Capitol Hill as Chief of Staff to Members serving on the House Committee on Ways and Means, Public Works and Transportation, and the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. In 1992, he served on the Clinton-Gore National Campaign Staff as Deputy Director of Research and Policy. Mr. Stafford attended George Washington University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and has a Bachelors of Arts in Banking and Finance from the University of Arkansas.
Meghan Higgins
Meghan Higgins has worked with AJW, Inc since 2004. As a Senior Associate, Ms. Higgins provides high value lobbying and strategic advice to a diverse group of clients regarding public policy issues related to energy and environment technologies and markets. She specializes in developing and implementing proactive government relations strategies for clients including, but not limited to, effectively engaging policy makers, researching and drafting legislation, and building coalitions to support passage.
Recently, Ms. Higgins led a broad coalition of more than 500 environmental, science-based, labor, public health, industry, and state and local governmental groups in securing the reauthorization of the Diesel Emission Reduction Act in the lame duck session of the 111th Congress.
Ms. Higgins began her career on Capitol Hill while working for the United States Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Ms. Higgins earned her B.A. in Politics from Wake Forest University and her M.A. in Comparative Ethnic Conflict from Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
