Principals

Jeffrey J. Kimbell
Jennifer Vesey Rossman
Aaron K. Cohen
Jodie Low
Ian P. Weston

Jeffrey J. Kimbell

Jeffrey J. Kimbell, President of Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates, represents clients in the life sciences community seeking legislative remedies for their needs. Kimbell & Associates was founded in 1998 and has since grown to include five full-time lobbyists and/or policy experts in the field of medical devices, pharmaceuticals, biodefense and biotechnology. The firm has 17 hand-selected clients, all in the life sciences space.

Three years after establishing his firm, in January of 2001, Mr. Kimbell was named to President George W. Bush's Transition Team Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). He was the only consultant to serve on the Committee.

Life Sciences-Related Experience

Prior to Kimbell & Associates, Mr. Kimbell served as the first Executive Director of the Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA) from 1994-1998. While at MDMA, he directed all Washington policy initiatives on behalf of MDMA's member companies. During his tenure, the association grew from 25 companies to 130, an increase that can be directly attributed to a number of legislative victories, including passage of a landmark bill to overhaul the product approval process at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In addition to the handling of those matters before the U.S Congress, Mr. Kimbell was also responsible for MDMA's interaction with state and foreign governments and federal agencies of jurisdiction on tax and trade matters. In this capacity, he worked very closely with both the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). As the principal spokesperson for MDMA, Mr. Kimbell handled all communications with the media, the public and private financing communities on Wall Street and related venture capital firms, the U.S. Congress, the White House, HHS, and the FDA.

While at MDMA, in 1996, he was elected Vice-President of the National Medical Device Coalition (NMDC), a ten association grassroots coalition representing 700 companies. NMDC lobbied Congress and the White House for enactment of the FDA reform law. Mr. Kimbell orchestrated five Senior Management fly-in's allowing 200 Senior Executives to meet with virtually every member of Congress (435), 80 Senate offices and key senior personnel in the White House, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the USTR, the FDA, and HHS.

Prior to MDMA, Mr. Kimbell was a personal aide to former Senator Howard H. Baker, Jr. (R-TN) and former Secretary of State Lawrence S. Eagleburger in the Washington office of the Tennessee-based law firm Baker, Worthington, Crossley & Stansberry. While at Baker-Worthington, Mr. Kimbell tracked legislative activity for a host of Fortune 500 clients and helped coordinate events for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, MD (R-TN), U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and former Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN).

Media Related Experience

In June 2006, The Hill recognized Mr. Kimbell as one of the top lobbyists in the medical device field in its "Lobby League." Mr. Kimbell has been quoted in or interviewed by a host of trade and non-trade related publications, including: Bloomberg's Business News (Print & TV), Business Insurance, Bureau of National Affairs'(BNA)Daily Report for Executives, Congressional Quarterly, Congressional Monitor, Forbes, The New York Times, MX Magazine, The New York Observer, Scripps-Howard, Investor's Business Daily, Reuters, Time, The Washington Post, The Washingtonian, The Mineral Wells Index (picture), The Hill, Appliance, and Dickinsen's FDA Review. Mr. Kimbell has authored numerous healthcare and Washington-related articles in publications including: Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry (MD&DI) (three guest editorials), Home Health Care Today, The Food and Drug Law Journal, Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging News, the Biomedical Market Newsletter, and The Washington Times. He also serves on the editorial board of MX Magazine.

Mr. Kimbell has testified before the U.S. Congress and spoken before numerous groups around the U.S. including: Stanford University Business School, the Young President's Organization (YPO's), American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), 16th Annual Symposium on Endovascular Therapy (ASET), International Society of Emerging Technologies (ISET), the Food & Drug Law Institute (FDLI), the Pharmaceutical Marketing Research Group, the U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee, Subcommittee on Government Programs, the Medical Design & Manufacturing Show (MD&M-East), Southern Methodist University's Political Science Symposium, the BioWest Conference, the Michigan Medical Device Manufacturers and Suppliers Association, the Utah International Medical Device Congress, the Orthopedic Surgical Manufacturers Association, the Pharmaceutical and Medical Packaging News Annual Meeting, the Colorado Medical Device Association, and the Medical Device Quality Congress.

Education

Mr. Kimbell graduated from Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, TX, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. While at SMU, he worked for U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (R-TX), a member of the House Ways & Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax, trade, and a significant portion of Medicare.

Personal

In his off-time, Mr. Kimbell is an avid sportsman (fly fishing and bird hunting), President of Magnum Entertainment Group, Inc., Managing Director of Jackalope Real Estate, Inc. in Park City, UT, and President of the City Tavern Club of Washington, DC (2005-6). He was a Board Member of the Capital Club of Washington from 1995-2001 during which he served as President of the Club from 1997-99 and remains a member today. Mr. Kimbell resides in Washington, D.C. when Congress is in session and can be found on the ski slopes of Utah while they are in recess.

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Jennifer Vesey Rossman
Vice President, Government Affairs & Policy

Jen Vesey Rossman, Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy, brings a proven record of numerous bipartisan legislative accomplishments to Kimbell & Associates. She has an impressive level of experience and knowledge of how healthcare policy is developed, implemented, and influenced – along with a strong reputation of seeing legislation through from policy development to law, including legislative achievements in Medicare, Medicaid, public health, tax and pensions.

Most recently Ms. Rossman was with MGI Pharma, where she launched the D.C. office and led federal government affairs for the midsized biopharmaceutical company. Prior to joining MGI Pharma, she was a senior policy advisor to U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, covering issues and legislation before the Senate Finance Committee.

Ms. Rossman's experience in the U.S. Senate includes working closely with Senate Finance Committee staff and key allies to significantly shape the Deficit Reduction Act (P.L.109-171) through successful committee and full Senate passage to target fraud, waste and abuse in the Medicaid and Medicare programs. On behalf of Senator Santorum, she secured key provisions to improve dialysis treatment, expand colon cancer screenings, and protect inpatient rehabilitation facilities and other healthcare providers from Medicare payment cuts.

Of her long list of professional accomplishments, Ms. Rossman is especially proud of her efforts on behalf of those affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders. She worked directly with Senate HELP Committee Republicans and Democrats to manage development of bipartisan consensus public health legislation – Senator Santorum’s Combating Autism Act – achieving unanimous Senate passage, and final passage into law (P.L.109-318).

Ms. Rossman is also a former healthcare executive with a decade of experience in strategic planning for health systems across the country, and holds Master’s Degrees in Healthcare Administration and Political Science from the University of Iowa, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Northern Iowa.

Ms. Rossman's Contact Information is:

Jennifer Vesey Rossman
Vice President, Government Affairs and Policy
Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates
1333 H Street, NW
Suite 620 East
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 682-3990 phone
(202) 682-2244 fax
jvesey@kimbell-associates.com

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Aaron K. Cohen
Vice President, Government and Political Affairs

Aaron K. Cohen, Vice President of Government and Political Affairs, has been with Kimbell & Associates for nearly four years. In his current position, Mr. Cohen represents the public policy interests of the firm’s clients particularly in, but not limited to, the field of federal healthcare policymaking. Coupled with his government affairs responsibilities, Mr. Cohen leads the day-to-day political operations at Kimbell & Associates. He regularly produces in-depth political analyses on key U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and presidential elections and provides political consulting services to all clients.

Mr. Cohen came to Kimbell & Associates from the office of U.S. Senator John Ensign (R-NV) with more than five years of policy and political experience in the United States Senate. He served as Senator Ensign’s chief healthcare policy advisor from January 2001 to January 2005, as well as managed the Senator’s seat on the Senate Special Committee on Aging, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), and the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. In these roles, Mr. Cohen worked on many of the most critical health policy issues including comprehensive Medicare reform and prescription drug coverage, national medical liability reform, health profession recruitment and retention, FDA-related matters including the pharmaceutical, medical device, and animal drug user fee programs, bioterrorism defense, and healthcare coverage and delivery for our nation’s veterans.

Mr. Cohen previously worked as a policy advisor and state liaison for U.S. Senator Richard H. Bryan (D-NV) in Washington, D.C. from August 1999 to December 2000. In that position he concentrated on issues pertaining to the judiciary, immigration, gun control, and Native American affairs. Prior to his service on Capitol Hill, Mr. Cohen worked as a physical therapy technician providing treatment, rehabilitation services, and patient education in both inpatient and outpatient clinical settings for HealthSouth Corporation in his hometown of Las Vegas, Nevada.

In addition to his work at Kimbell & Associates, Mr. Cohen has participated in numerous political campaigns on the federal, state, and local levels. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Health Care American Foundation, Inc. and is in his third year as president of the Nevada State Society.

Mr. Cohen graduated from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. While attending Pepperdine, he completed a summer program working in the Washington, D.C. office of U.S. Senator Richard H. Bryan (D-NV). Mr. Cohen currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife, Karrie.

Mr. Cohen's contact information is:

Aaron K. Cohen
Vice President, Government and Political Affairs
Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates
1333 H Street, NW
Suite 620 East
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 682-3992 phone
(202) 682-2244 fax
ACohen@kimbell-associates.com

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Jodie Low
Vice President, Government Affairs & Policy

Jodie Low, Vice President of Government Affairs & Policy, has been with the firm for over five years and maintains strong relationships with legislative staff on the House Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means Committees, as well as Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) and Finance Committees. In the 108th, 109th and 110th Congresses, Ms. Low lobbied on a number of medical device, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical issues, including the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act (FDAAA), the Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act, the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), the Medical Device User Fee Modernization Act, the Medicare Modernization Act, the Kidney Care Quality Improvement Act, the Screening Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Very Efficiently (SAAAVE) Act, the Access to Better Choice in Dialysis (ABCD) Act, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Fee Modernization Act, among others.

Ms. Low’s areas of practice include, but are not limited to: cardiovascular, neurovascular, and peripheral vascular devices; cardiology; nephrology; oncology; and hematology. She monitors all activity of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) as it relates to the firm’s clientele.

Ms. Low served as Executive Director of the Coalition for Dialysis Patient Choice from 2005 to 2007. In this capacity she managed all federal activity for the Coalition including submitting hearing testimony, identifying sponsors and co-sponsors for legislation, and representing the Coalition in meetings with Members of Congress and their staff, as well as policy-makers within the Administration.

Ms. Low previously worked in corporate communications for Healthcare Realty Trust, a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in Nashville, TN. Ms. Low previously worked in corporate communications for Healthcare Realty Trust, a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in Nashville, TN. She received her Bachelor of Science, Summa Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University with concentrations in Economics and Mathematics. She is currently seeking her Master in Public Health in Health Policy at George Washington University.

Ms. Low's contact information is:

Jodie R. Low
Vice President, Government Affairs
Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates
1333 H Street, NW
Suite 620 East
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 682-3995 phone
(202) 682-2244 fax
jlow@kimbell-associates.com

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Ian P. Weston
Director, Government Affairs & Chief of Staff

Ian Weston serves as Director of Government Affairs and Chief of Staff. Mr. Weston attends and advises clients on Congressional activity and meetings of the FDA Blood Products Advisory Committee, HHS Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability and Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). Mr. Weston serves as the company's Comptroller, overseeing all financial operations of Kimbell and Associates.

Mr. Weston most recently served as Legislative Assistant to Congressman John Sweeney (R-NY), in which he was responsible for a large legislative portfolio. Mr. Weston advised the Congressman during the 108th and 109th Congresses, utilizing his own knowledge in such specialty areas as Judiciary, Labor, Veterans Affairs/Healthcare, Small Business, Education, Social Security and Campaign Finance & Election Law. Mr. Weston has also completed a number of internships in the policy and political field and has served on the staff of several Congressional, Gubernatorial and state Senate campaigns.

Mr. Weston is a graduate of Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy & Political Science. While at Syracuse University, he was selected to be an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant and Research Assistant at the Maxwell School's Campbell Public Affairs Institute. Mr. Weston is currently pursuing his Masters Degree in Public Policy (Global Medical and Health Policy) at George Mason University in Arlington, VA. In his spare time, Mr. Weston serves as Vice President of the Society of Health Policy Young Professionals, is the President of the regional alumni association for Syracuse University and is a volunteer Firefighter/Medic.

Mr. Weston's Contact Information is:

Ian P. Weston
Director, Government Affairs & Chief of Staff
Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates
1333 H Street, NW
Suite 620 East
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 682-3990 phone
(202) 682-2244 fax
iweston@kimbell-associates.com

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