Lara Keel Texas Lobbyist Updated Bio
Lara Keel has been involved in Texas politics in and around the capitol city for over 15 years. She currently works with the prestigious and well known Texas Lobby Group. In 2011, Ms. Keel was named the top female hired gun lobbyist by Capitol Inside.
But beyond Jones and Toomey and the other lobbyists who’ve been fixtures in the higher echelons of the power chart for years, the rankings in 2011 reflect the growing presence and clout that a newer generation of public affairs professionals have now at the Capitol as the proverbial torch is passed to them. Keel is a prime example – having been elevated to partnership status with lobby titans Bill Messer and Toomey in the star-studded group they lead at the same time she’s become the go-to lobbyist for Republican women legislators at the Capitol where there are twice as many of them as there were two years ago. Keel – as a result – has vaulted into the top 20 on the hired gun lobby list after being ranked a a rising star lobbyists just four years ago.
Ms. Keel was in the Texas Senate in the 75th and 76th sessions, and followed that with a career as a lobbyist for the Texas Association of Business and Chambers of Commerce. She lobbies the Texas legislature, executive and state agencies, and the United States Congress.
She worked with Mike Toomey in 2011 and 2012 to help move the Texas State Health Insurance contract from Blue Cross Blue Shield to UnitedHealth, as noted by the Dallas Morning News.
A major state health insurance contract was flipped two days ago from Blue Cross-Blue Shield to UnitedHealth, whose top lobbyist is the creator of Rick Perry’s presidential Super PAC Mike Toomey. He also served a stint as the governor’s chief of staff.In addition to Toomey, also on the call list was former Perry campaign manager Luis Saenz and the governor’s former health care policy director and deputy legislative director Victoria Ford. Also on the team is Lara Laneri Keel, who was the top lobbyist for Texas Association of Business before she teamed up with Toomey.
The Texas Prison Business website notes that Lara Keel along with partner Mike Toomey have been hired by the Corrections Corporation of America.
Corrections Corporation of America spent less than GEO, between $75,000 and $150,000, but hired two powerful lobbyists in Mike Toomey and Lara Laneri Keel. Toomey is a former state representative and chief of staff for two governors – Rick Perry and Bill Clements. Keel married the cousin the cousin of former state representative Terry Keel. Both are lobbyists with the Texas Lobby Group.
You can follow Lara Keel on Twitter.