McBee Strategic Consulting (MSC), LLC, a leading government relations and strategic communications firm, today announced that aerospace and security policy veteran Erin Neal will join as an Executive Vice President in its advocacy unit later this month.
Neal spent twelve years in the aerospace industry prior to joining McBee, most recently as a director of government relations for Orbital ATK in support of the company’s commercial, military, intelligence, and civil space programs. She also served as ATK Aerospace Systems’ lead lobbyist. While at ATK, Erin led a successful effort on behalf of the entire U.S. satellite industry to reduce barriers to free trade, by modernizing antiquated export control regulations that had stymied this sector since the late 1990s. She came to ATK from Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., where she was a manager for government relations, serving as a business development liaison to NASA and NOAA headquarters, and a lobbyist to the hill for Ball’s civilian and commercial programs.
Neal previously worked as a senior staffer to U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, supporting the Senator in his role on the Budget and Commerce Committees. She also served as a space and telecommunications policy analyst at the Congressional Research Service, was part of the Space Studies Board at the National Academy of Sciences, the Office of Space Science at NASA Headquarters, the Space Policy Institute at the George Washington University, and in the offices for two Members of the House of Representatives.
“Erin’s expertise in so many facets of aerospace policy will make her an incredible addition to our team,” said MSC Managing Director and executive committee member Sam Whitehorn. “Her understanding of how industry and government can work together to develop new programs and policies in aerospace is unmatched.”
“I’m excited to add my experience to McBee Strategic’s already impressive team,” Neal said. “MSC knows how to navigate the intersection of the public and private sectors for its clients like no one else in Washington.”
Last year MSC, through an acquisition by Wiley Rein, became an independent subsidiary of the law firm. Together, the two firms create a Washington, D.C. legal, advocacy and communications powerhouse providing sophisticated client services.
ABOUT McBee Strategic Consulting
McBee Strategic advises corporations, institutions, and trade associations across a range of services including traditional advocacy, strategic communications and digital media. Founded in 2002, the firm represents some of the world’s most innovative companies and associations in the aviation and aerospace, defense and security, energy, financial services, health care, technology, and transportation sectors. Since its inception, the firm has been consistently recognized as one of Washington’s premier advocacy and strategic communications firms. For more information, please visit www.mcbeestrategic.com.