About Us
Our Story
At DBS Public Affairs Group, we are driven by a powerful passion and vision: to empower our clients to thrive and succeed. Founded by experienced government administrators and public policy experts, Ida McPherson, Rich Williams, and Jack Howard, who are all seasoned leaders with extensive experience in both the private and public sectors, our firm is dedicated to excellence and inclusivity. DBS Public Affairs Group is more than a business venture for our partners. It is personal. Through our extensive consulting services and program management expertise, we guide our clients in navigating the complex government public policy arena, helping them achieve their goals. With a passion for empowerment and a commitment to fostering strategic alliances, we go beyond consultancy by collaborating with our clients to connect them with key decisionmakers to create sustainable partnerships that will lead to opportunities for success in the public and political arena. Together, we are passionate about building a future where our clients’ economic prosperity and their public policy successes go hand in hand.
Core Competencies
Lobbying & Government Relations
Budget Advocacy Consulting
Workforce Development Training
Coalition Building and Mobilization
Political Communication Consulting
Political Affairs and Campaign Strategy
Where decisions are made about the allocation of billions in public funds, we ensure your voice is heard and your interests are protected.
Consultants
Jack Howard: Leading with Passion and Excellence
- Jack has the unique experience of having been appointed by four Governors, from both major political parties, and from two different states, to serve in their Gubernatorial Administrations. He was first appointed by Virginia Governor Mark Warner in 2002 and he was then re-appointed by Governor Tim Kaine in 2006. In 2010, he was re-appointed to his leadership position by Governor Bob McDonnell to served in a key role in state government. In his leadership position, he served as a Policy Analyst as well as one of the Governor’s top appointed officials who was responsible for increasing the percentage of the Commonwealth’s annual multi-billion-dollar procurement budget that was contractually awarded to certified Small, Women-owned and Minority-owned businesses (SWaM) and to certified Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) companies and to veteran owned businesses.
- In the private sector, he garnered over 25 years of experience as a Business Development Professional, Political Consultant, Strategic Communications Professional, and as a Marketing Executive. He is also experienced in Media Relations after having served for eight years as a News Radio Talk Show Host at WNIS News Radio Station in Norfolk Virginia and as a Television Commentator in the Hampton Roads Region of Virginia.
- Most recently, he served at the Maryland Department of General Services from 2015 – January 2023 in Governor Larry Hogan’s administration as the Assistant Secretary for Business Enterprise Administration where he oversaw several major state programs that are valued at over $2 billion.
- He was also selected by Norfolk Virginia native Tim Reid, who is a Television Actor and Movie Director and Mr. Reid’s wife, actress Daphne Maxwell Reid, to serve as the founding Co-Executive Director of The Tim Reid Scholarship Foundation. In this community based organizational leadership position, Jack successfully raised over $1 million for scholarships that the Foundation awarded to underprivileged students who were seeking to attend college in Virginia and earn a degree that would change their lives for the better.
- He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Mississippi College in Clinton Mississippi.
- Jack is also a proud military veteran who served honorably on active duty and in reserves in the U.S. Navy for seven years.
Company
DBS Public Affairs Group, LLC4445 Corporation Lane, Suite 162 – Virginia Beach, VA., 23462
Contact
( 757 )-717-0349
