jim linK
director of public affairs
Jim@SMGstrategy.com
Jim leads the SMG public affairs division, and is presently working with medical schools, hospitals, and health associations, as well as clients in the high-tech and distilled spirits industries.
In the early 2000s, he led the government relations team at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores where he served as the association’s chief lobbyist for companies such as CVS, Walgreen’s, and Rite-Aid on issues including Medicare reimbursement, and labor, tax, and trade issues. He was also the chief lobbyist for the American Iron and Steel Institute.
In the 1990s, he was a legislative assistant and a top aide in the Senate Republican Whip office. He also served in other posts on Capitol Hill, including as an aide to members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and as a fundraiser for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Miami University (Ohio) and an MBA in International Business from The American University in Washington, DC. He was a Bryce Harlow Scholar while attending The American University.