Experienced Policy Professionals
James O'Keeffe
Partner
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 a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Heideh Shahmoradi
Partner
Heideh Shahmoradi is a partner at O’Keeffe Shahmoradi Strategies. With 24 years of federal experience and seven 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 senior positions at the Federal Highway Administration, working largely on the regulations and financing of major projects, and for four years led 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 a Bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance from Bowie State University.
Brian Bell
Sr. Vice President
Brian is a Senior Vice President at OS Strategies. He brings nearly 15 years of experience at the intersection of transportation policy, legislative strategy, and government affairs. Prior to joining the firm, Brian served seven years on the House Aviation Subcommittee, where he spent four years as Staff Director. In this capacity, Brian acted as the principal advisor to House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Ranking Member Rick Larsen on aviation matters. In addition to serving as the Committee’s chief aviation advisor, he also acted as the primary liaison to Democratic leadership, the Senate Commerce Committee, and other congressional committees regarding all issues related to aviation.
During his tenure on the Committee, Brian played a pivotal role in shaping U.S. aviation policy. This includes drafting and leading negotiations for House Democrats on the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, widely considered to be one of the most comprehensive, bipartisan FAA reauthorization bills in recent history. He also drafted and negotiated major aviation provisions in other landmark legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act, the CARES Act, American Rescue Plan, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, the Aircraft Certification, Safety and Accountability Act, and key appropriation and national defense authorization acts, among other bills.
Prior to his time on the Committee, Brian worked as a Director of Federal Affairs for a top Fortune 500 engineering firm, where he helped advance the company’s transportation, energy, and environmental policy priorities. Earlier in his career, he also worked in the personal offices of two Members of Congress who both served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. This blend of legislative and corporate experience has positioned Brian as a uniquely qualified advocate for clients navigating complex regulatory landscapes.
Brian is a frequent speaker or panelist at aviation industry conferences and currently serves on the Board of the Aero Club of Washington, D.C. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Government & Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park and his law degree from Washington & Lee School of Law.
Naomi Walker
Senior Director
Naomi is Senior Director at OS Strategies. With five years of experience serving senior members of both the U.S. House and Senate, she brings comprehensive expertise in federal appropriations and legislative procedure across a broad range of policy areas.
Before joining OS Strategies, Naomi served as a Legislative Assistant to Representative Steve Womack, where she managed a comprehensive legislative portfolio during his Chairmanship of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development. In addition to overseeing matters related to transportation and housing policy, Naomi was responsible for appropriations and policy matters pertaining to energy and water, interior and the environment, and agriculture.
In this capacity, she worked in close coordination with House Appropriations Committee staff to advance the Chairman’s legislative objective across multiple annual spending bills, and she secured numerous wins in key authorization pieces of legislation, including the FAA 2024 Reauthorization Act and the 2022 and 2024 Water Resources Development Acts.
Naomi also served two years as Legislative Correspondent for Senator Jim Inhofe, where she focused on matters related to transportation, commerce, science, environment, and public works.
Naomi holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from the University of Oklahoma.