Lobbying World: USDA deputy undersecretary to lead José Andrés-backed Global Food Institute

Stacy Dean will be the first executive director of the José Andrés-backed Global Food Institute at George Washington University. Dean was most recently deputy under secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services and was previously vice president for food assistance policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

“Under the leadership of Stacy Dean, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service has been innovative and forward-looking in their efforts to enhance nutrition security and put healthy food on dinner tables and in school lunchrooms across the country, resulting in some of the most significant milestones in the food and nutrition space in decades," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Brett Quick has joined Phronesis D.C. as a principal, quickly registering to lobby for several clients including Visa, Verizon, the National Association of Realtors, Koch Government Relations and her former employer, the Crypto Council for Innovation. She was previously staff director of the Senate Banking Committee’s National Security, International Trade and Finance Subcommittee.

Forbes Tate Partners has added Justin Kintz as a partner. Kintz joins from Peloton and is an Uber, Orbitz and Interior Department alum.

Mervyn Jones II is now a partner at Prism Group. Jones joins from Batie & Associates and spent stints on the Hill with Reps. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) and Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.).

Abid Qureshi and Daniel Walsh have been elected co-chairs of Akin effective April 1, 2025. They will succeed Kim Koopersmith, who has chaired the firm since 2013.

Matt Lapin is joining the International Trade Practice and National Security Practice at Wiley Rein LLP as a special counsel. Lapin has served as senior counsel for Lawyers Without Borders, as international trade counsel for The Linde Group and as counsel for administrative and regulatory law at the Export-Import Bank of the United States.

OpenAI has hired Ryan Beiermeister as vice president of product policy and Josh Lawson to work on product policy. Beiermeister was most recently director of product for social impact at Meta and is a Palantir alum. Lawson, most recently director for AI and democracy at the Aspen Institute, was previously head of electoral and emerging risk at Meta and North Carolina’s chief state elections counsel.