Simon Wlodarski has served our country in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now he is working for Bank of America. Tune in to hear his story.
Release Date: 11/04/2024
A Tribute to Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman with Cristine Almeida
The Political Life
In the wake of the tragic political assassination of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, sits down with of Almeida Public Affairs in St. Paul, Minnesota. The conversation explores Speaker Hortman's career and legacy in Minnesota as well as the impact of her death reverberating in the community of states and the challenge to our country which faces increased threats of violence to public officials.
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Reconciliation & Medicaid: What's at Stake for States with Barrett Thornhill and Brock Ingmire
The Political Life
Today, we are rebroadcasting a recent MultiState virtual client event hosted by on the budget reconciliation bill which contains President Trump's domestic policy agenda currently moving in the U.S. Senate. In May, the House narrowly passed the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" — which would cut taxes, increase border and military spending, and notably scale back Medicaid, among other provisions. Maggie alongside two of her health care policy expert colleagues,with Forbes Tate Partners and with MultiState, explored the current disposition and provisions of the...
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SGAC Celebrates 50 Years!
The Political Life
On today's episode, hosts President of the This year, SGAC celebrates its 50th anniversary. Fred shares an 101 on SGAC and how the organization is marking this milestone year with a national campaign to celebrate the state government affairs profession and raising funds for He also talks about his favorite new spot - Bowdie's Chophouse in Lansing, Michigan, where he had his best meal this year.
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Meet Machalagh Carr – who has held some incredible jobs on Capitol Hill; General Counsel on the Ways and Means Committee, General Counsel for the Speaker of the House and Ultimately Chief of Staff for the Speaker.
The Political Life
Machalagh Carr is a trusted and discreet counselor with decades of private sector and government experience. She has nimbly navigated the intersection of congressional investigations and oversight, law, geopolitics, international anticorruption measures, and policy, and served as the top staffer in Article I as Chief of Staff to Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. She is the Founder & CEO of Quell strategies, a boutique consulting firm where she helps client navigate Washington and translates the intricacies of public policy to the business world. Prior to her role as Chief of...
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On the Front Lines – Representing X at State Capitols – Meet Jordan Rodell.
The Political Life
Jordan Rodell is a seasoned public policy professional specializing in technology and free speech advocacy. She currently serves as Public Policy Manager at X (formerly Twitter), where she leads legislative and executive engagement efforts across the U.S. Prior to this, she was the State Policy Manager at the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), advancing policy on content moderation, privacy, digital taxation, and antitrust. Earlier in her career, Jordan tracked emerging legislation at Stateside Associates, with a focus on tech, privacy, and economic development. She...
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How the state AGs are Asserting in 2025
The Political Life
During The Political Life podcast's legislative session recess, we bring you another rebroadcast of a recent MultiState virtual event. To gain insights on trends and a better understanding of the state of play with attorneys general, MultiState'sand Kelley Drye & Warren's, AG Practice Chair, hosted a conversation on March 25, 2025. For many states, March marks the halfway point for legislative session and aptly coincides with the excitement and chaos of March Madness. In 2025, March seems to have a little more madness with a new presidential administration and state attorneys general...
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Meet Jacque Robinson-Baisley, currently the Director of External Affairs for Cordoba Corp. in their Education and Facilities Sector.
The Political Life
Meet Jacque Robinson-Baisley, currently the Director of External Affairs for Cordoba Corp. in their Education and Facilities Sector. Jacque also served as Vice Mayor and Councilmember for the City of Pasadena – that was recently devastated by the wildfires. Jacque is a tenured leader with over two decades of experience in stakeholder engagement and government relations in the greater Los Angeles region and statewide. Her prior experience includes managing and directing community, electoral, and advocacy campaigns with labor unions, nonprofits, school districts, and philanthropy. She...
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Meet Will Melofchik- the new CEO of National Conference of Insurance Legislators – NCOIL.
The Political Life
For this week's episode, we are rebroadcasting a webinar hosted by and and features new National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL), Will Melofchik. Will was installed as CEO on January 1. He was formerly NCOIL's General Counsel. Previously, Will was a Regulatory Officer in the Legislative and Regulatory Affairs Unit at the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance and worked in private practice. Will is a member of the New Jersey and New York Bar, having graduated cum laude from Touro Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Moot Court Honors Board. Will...
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This week We Sit Down with Speaker Brian Evans of Arkansas!!
The Political Life
Rep. Brian S. Evans serves as Speaker of the House for the 95th General Assembly. He is serving his fourth term in the Arkansas House. He represents District 68 which includes the city of Cabot, as well as portions of Lonoke County. For the 94th General Assembly, he served as Chair of the House Education Committee. Speaker Evans is in logistics where he serves as President of L&L Freight Services, Inc. He is the former Chairman of the Board of the Transportation Intermediaries Association. Speaker Evans previously served 10 years on the Cabot School Board. He attended the...
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Meet the leader of GOPAC - David Avella.
The Political Life
David Avella is the Chairman of GOPAC, the Republican Party's premier organization dedicated to educating and electing Republican leaders. The GOPAC network invested nearly $33 million in the 2023-2024 election cycle. A seasoned communications professional and political leader, Avella has spent his career working to advance free enterprise, job creation and opportunity. He is a requested speaker on current national and state affairs, news headlines of the day and how to communicate effectively. Mr. Avella is a frequent guest on national television and radio,...
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SIMON WLODARSKI, is a Senior Vice President at Bank of America and is a member of the U.S. State and Local Government Relations Team, overseeing State/Local Government Relations for the company in Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Colorado. In this regional role with the company, Simon works on public policy issues impacting the financial services industry. In his leadership role with the company, he engages with public officials and banking industry leaders across the country. Simon serves as the Bank’s liaison with the National Council of State Legislators, a national trade association of state legislators. He also serves as Vice Chair on the Executive Board of the Civic Federation, a non-profit organization advocating for responsible fiscal health of state and local government in Illinois.
Prior to joining Bank of America, Simon served in the Administration of Pat Quinn, Governor of Illinois. Simon began his public policy career supporting the Office of Management and Budget before serving as Chief of Staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs. In that capacity, Simon oversaw finance, human resources, operations and legislative affairs.
Simon served in the United States Marine Corps, enlisting in 1995 as an infantry Marine. Transferring to the Reserves to attend college, Simon went on to pursue a commission in 2003, serving as an Infantry Officer during combat tours in Iraq. Simon transferred to the Illinois National Guard in 2011, serving in Afghanistan as an advisor, as well as an embedded officer in the Polish Task Force. Simon most recently served in Ukraine as an advisor, leading a multi-National NATO team working with the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Amongst his awards, Simon is most proud to have earned the Army’s Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Marine Combat Action Ribbon, and retired in December 2022 as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army National Guard.
Simon was born in Chicago, Illinois, and currently lived in Arlington Heights with his wife and two sons. He completed a BS in Engineering from Iowa State University and an MBA from Northern Illinois University.