Our Team

Adrian has spent his career working at the highest levels of government in Florida and advising candidates for local, state, and federal office.

Prior to joining Ballard Partners, Adrian served as Chief of Staff to Governor Ron DeSantis. In that role, under the Governor’s leadership, Adrian managed the Executive Office of the Governor and oversaw all executive branch agencies. During his tenure as Chief of Staff, Adrian helped the Governor navigate the tragic Surfside building collapse in June of 2021 and the surge of the COVID-19 Delta variant. Adrian also successfully spearheaded key Governor priorities in gaming, the environment, education and health care.

Adrian entered the DeSantis Administration as Deputy Chief of Staff, where he oversaw the following state entities and executive agencies: the Agency for Health Care Administration; the Department of Health; the Division of Emergency Management; the Department of Environmental Protection; the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission; the Department of Business and Professional Regulation; the Department of Economic Opportunity; Enterprise Florida; VISIT Florida; the Florida Housing Finance Corporation; and Department of Management Services.

Adrian began his professional career as a business law attorney focusing on mergers and acquisitions before pursuing his passion for government policy and politics, which, before joining Governor DeSantis, included roles as an attorney and Deputy Staff Director for the Florida House of Representatives, Deputy Director of Agenda Development for the Republican Party of Florida and Senior Advisor to Speaker of the Florida House Jose Oliva.

Adrian received his Bachelor’s in Arts from Florida State University and Juris Doctor from the Florida State University College of Law, where he remains involved in student recruitment and mentoring.

Adrian grew up in Miami, Florida, and now resides in Tallahassee, with his wife, Ashley, and his two children, Elle and Lane.