Ballard Partners Announces Formation of Venezuela Working Group as Part of New Western Hemisphere Affairs Practice

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New Practice and Working Group Include Former Officials from the National Security Council, State Department, U.S. Senate and U.S. House

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ballard Partners, one of the nation’s leading government relations firms, is pleased to announce the launch of its Western Hemisphere Affairs Practice Group. This new practice area is designed to provide comprehensive strategic advocacy and advisory services throughout the Hemisphere, specifically focusing on Latin America, Mexico, Canada, and Greenland.

As part of this expansion, the firm is also establishing a dedicated Venezuela Working Group. This specialized unit will assist clients in navigating the complex regulatory, diplomatic, and commercial landscape resulting from the United States’ evolving engagement with Venezuela.

“The geopolitical and economic integration of the Western Hemisphere has never been more vital to U.S. national interests,” said Brian Ballard, President of Ballard Partners. “By formalizing this practice group and the Venezuela Working Group, we are ensuring our clients have access to the deep regional expertise and bipartisan institutional knowledge required to succeed in these critical markets. 2026 marks a transformative year for hemispheric policy, and Ballard Partners is uniquely positioned to lead at this frontier.”

This multidisciplinary team brings together former high-ranking government Trump administration officials as well as Congressional officials who possess decades of experience in international trade, diplomatic relations, and cross-border regulatory affairs and transactions, including energy, infrastructure, and critical minerals. The group will be an invaluable asset for clients looking to engage with stakeholders from Ottawa to Caracas to Mexico City and Greenland.

The Western Hemisphere Affairs Practice and the Venezuela Working Group will include the following Ballard Partners professionals:

  • Micah Ketchel. Ketchel served as Senior Advisor to the National Security Advisor at the White House National Security Council, and as Senior Advisor for the Bureau of International Organizations at the U.S. Department of State, where he liaised with the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
  • Tracie Pough. Pough served for 18 years as Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who represents a Congressional district in South Florida with one of the largest Venezuelan-American communities. She has deep relationships with U.S. policymakers on issues related to Latin America and the Caribbean.
  • Tucker Knott. Knott recently served in the United States Senate as the Chief of Staff for Senator Ted Budd (NC) for three years. Prior to the Senate, he worked in the US House of Representatives for seven years as the Chief of Staff for Congressman George Holding (NC-13).
  • Thomas Boodry. Boodry served as Special Assistant to President Trump and Senior Director for Legislative Affairs at the White House National Security Council. Prior to his White House service, he spent eight years on Capitol Hill, including roles with Senator Marco Rubio and Congressman Mike Waltz, where he led legislative and committee work across the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Armed Services portfolios.
  • Jose Felix Diaz. Diaz, a Cuban American attorney and former four-term Florida legislator, has been a key strategist in guiding Ballard Partners’ expansion into Latin American markets and beyond. As a graduate of Columbia Law School’s Parker School of International & Comparative Law and as an appointed member of Miami-Dade County’s International Trade Consortium, he brings a deep understanding of the region’s unique legal and political landscape to the firm’s Western Hemisphere Affairs and Venezuela working groups.
  • Scott Wagner. Wagner has decades of experience in cross-border transactions in Latin America, strategically advising on tens of billions of dollars’ worth of public and private infrastructure projects involving maritime ports, airports, water management, environmental restoration, and energy pipelines. As an attorney, Wagner has assisted multi-national entities with issues in Panama, Cuba, Colombia and Venezuela.

The formation of this group continues Ballard Partners’ strategic global expansion, building on its established presence in major international hubs and its reputation for delivering results in high-stakes environments.