Husch Blackwell Strategies (HBS) announced today that Katie Whisman has joined its Kansas Government Affairs team as a
Principal in its Topeka office. Katie’s broad experience in the state includes a decorated career in leadership positions with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) as well as success as a sole practitioner of a specialized lobbying practice in Topeka.
HBS CEO Andy Blunt said, “Katie is an impressive force in Kansas government affairs whose success is rooted in the diligent work required of an experienced investigator. Her devotion to getting the job done in the most complicated of circumstances will benefit our clients and represents our commitment to having best-in-class professionals in our twelve offices across the country.”
Katie served 18 years with the KBI, quickly rising from civilian support staff to sworn service and eventually became a valued member of the executive leadership team. The first woman promoted to the rank of KBI Special Agent in Charge, she was appointed by the Director to serve as the Executive Officer. During her tenure, Katie managed the Office of Government Affairs for the Bureau and was the principal advisor to the Director and Executive Staff for legislative affairs.
HBS Kansas Managing Director Matt Hickam added, “Katie is the real deal. She has established herself as an accomplished legislative negotiator who lawmakers count on to get things done in Topeka.”
Katie later put her public policy experience with KBI to work for clients as she opened an independent lobbying practice in 2020 and successfully operated the business until joining HBS today. In the ten years she has worked in the statehouse, as both a government official and an independent consultant, she has successfully advocated for the appropriation of nearly $80 million in state and federal funding for public health and public safety issues related to her clients.
HBS Executive Vice President, State Government Affairs, Rochelle Mallett noted, “Leaders and legislators across Kansas respect Katie for her work as a public servant and her public policy success for clients. We are thrilled to have her on our team and working on behalf of our clients.”
Katie received the KBI’s “Director’s Unit Citation Award” and national recognition for her work in forming and managing a statewide multidisciplinary working group for the Kansas Sexual Assault Kit Initiative. She was more recently honored with the Leadership Kansas Distinguished Leadership Award, presented by Leadership Kansas Board of Trustees.
Katie earned a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from Washburn University in Topeka. She later earned a Kansas Law Enforcement Certification from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Academy in Hutchinson, Kansas. Katie is also a certified public manager, earning her credential from the University of Kansas Public Management Center.
ABOUT HBS
Husch Blackwell Strategies was established in 2018 with the merger of three government affairs practices of Husch Blackwell LLP, Statehouse Strategies LLC, and Cloakroom Advisors LLC, to form a multi-jurisdiction state and federal legislative government affairs firm. HBS Chief Executive Officer Andy Blunt and HBS Chief Operating Officer Gregg Hartley are co-founders of the firm. Today, HBS moves the needle of public opinion and guides decisions of public officials through its integrated services of state and federal lobbying, executive-level strategic counsel, and public affairs. With one of the largest networks of state lobbyists in the country, HBS has twelve offices nationwide – in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin, a federal practice group that ranks as one of Washington’s top performing lobbying firms, and the HBS Public Affairs group based in St. Louis. U.S. Senator Roy Blunt chairs the firm’s Leadership Strategies Advisory Services group in Washington – a specialized executive team that provides a comprehensive whole-of-government advisory service that is tailored to the needs of a specific organization.
