Providing Strategic and Legislative Advice in Government Relations

O’Keeffe Shahmoradi Strategies, LLC is a strategic, government affairs consulting firm in Washington, D.C. providing unparalleled assistance to clients by developing and executing comprehensive solutions to advance their public policy needs and manage political risks.

Our Firm

Our firm was established by James O’Keeffe and Heideh Shahmoradi, who have 50 years of federal transportation policy experience. This includes a decade in the private sector and nearly 40 years of combined federal government experience, half of which were as senior committee staff in the U.S. Senate and half of which were at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Mark Copeland brings nearly two decades of congressional and state experience having worked for members in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

James O'Keeffe

Partner

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James O’Keeffe is a partner at O’Keeffe Shahmoradi Strategies LLC, which provides strategic, government affairs counsel and transportation consulting services to corporations, trade associations, and public-sector organizations. Prior to co-founding this firm in 2018, James ran a successful government relations consulting firm, O’Keeffe Strategies, for five years.
O’Keeffe was senior staff on the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for 10 years, departing in 2013 as deputy staff director. During his time on the Committee, he was the primary negotiator for Senate Republicans on all highway-related provisions of two major surface transportation bills (SAFETEA-LU and MAP-21).

Prior to his time on the Environment and Public Works Committee, James was the Senior Analyst for Transportation on the Senate Budget Committee. In that role he was responsible for developing and enforcing the transportation components of the annual budget resolution. He also served as the Transportation Analyst at the Congressional Budget Office, where he estimated federal spending on transportation programs and the status of the Highway Trust Fund and the Airport and Airways Trust Fund. O’Keeffe has experience in working on municipal finance issues at the World Bank as well.
James holds a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University and B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

(202) 465-5986

[email protected]

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Heideh Shahmoradi

Partner

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Heideh Shahmoradi is a partner at O’Keeffe Shahmoradi Strategies. With 24 years of federal experience and nearly six years in the private sector, Heideh is an expert in transportation policy. Her broad policy and political background allow her to successfully advance legislation on Capitol Hill.

Prior to co-founding the firm in 2018, Heideh served for more than seven years as the Clerk and Staff Director on the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies overseeing nearly $140 billion in budgetary resources. She was responsible for analyzing the annual budget, negotiating funding levels, and overseeing agencies at the U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Transportation Safety Board, Amtrak and other independent federal agencies. Heideh has extensive knowledge of the legislative and appropriations process having worked on more than a dozen annual and supplemental appropriations acts.

Heideh has a proven record of success working on various issues for her clients in all modes of transportation, housing, telecommunications, energy, cybersecurity, homeland security, and defense, as evidenced by her selection as a Top Lobbyist by Bloomberg Government, the National Institute of Lobbying and Ethics, and The Hill for the past several years.

Heideh also worked at the U.S. Department of Transportation for 17 years. She held a senior positions at the Federal Highway Administration working largely on the regulations and financing of major projects, and four years leading the Government Affairs Office in the Office of the Secretary as the senior career official.

Heideh holds a Master’s degree in Administrative Management and Bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance from Bowie State University.

(202) 495-9282

[email protected]

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Mark Copeland

Vice President

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Mark Copeland is an expert legislative and policy strategist who brings nearly two decades of congressional and state government experience to the OS Strategies government relations team. Having worked with senior members in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, Mark leverages his extensive knowledge of the federal legislative process, as well as his deep ties within the Executive Branch and across Capitol Hill.

Before joining OS Strategies, Mark served as Senior Policy Advisor to U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and focused on transportation, infrastructure, telecommunications and agriculture policy, including the Senator’s work on the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Mark helped spearhead the Senator’s legislative victories in the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act of 2021, the 2020 and 2018 Water Resources Development Act bills, the PIPES Act of 2020, and the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act.

Mark also served 11 years in the U.S. House of Representatives as Legislative Director for both Congressman Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11) and former Congressman Tim Bishop (NY-01) where he led their policy teams and focused on transportation, infrastructure, appropriations, and environmental issues. Mark was also a Senior Advisor at the Illinois Department of Transportation in the Office of Planning and Programming.

Mark graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with Bachelors of Arts degree in Political Science.

(202) 365-0999

[email protected]

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Our Current Clients Include:

American Association of Airport Executives
American Trucking Associations
Amtrak
Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety
Calumet City
CEMEX
Charleston County Aviation Authority
City of Cedar Park, Texas
Concrete Masonry and Hardscapes Association
Fluor
Ford Motor Company
General Aviation Manufacturers Association
Harsco Rail
Iontra
NextNav
Portland Cement Association
QualComm
San Francisco Metropolitan Transportation Commission
Southwest Airlines
Spire Inc.
TMobile
Trimet

Our Clients

About Us

The firm has strong working relationships with members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives, senior staff of relevant infrastructure committees, political and career staff at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and senior officials throughout the Administration.

OS Strategies works collaboratively with clients to hone their policy positions and legislative goals. Our extensive experience provides us a deep understanding of the legislative and regulatory processes. The firm helps clients navigate the political environment and complex legislative processes in order to reach their goals by drawing upon decades of experience, a clear and detailed understanding of the policies and process, and well-established, long-held relationships.

James, Heideh and Mark have the critical relationships, policy expertise, and experience to achieve successes in Washington to deliver for their clients. They were each recognized in The Hill's Top Lobbyists in 2022.

Heideh was also recognized in The Hill's Top Lobbyists in 2021 and 2020 as well as Top 100 Lobbyists in 2021 by the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics.

 

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