Lawyers / Professionals

A long-time political activist, Mr. Donatelli is executive vice president and director of federal public affairs for McGuireWoods Consulting LLC, and serves as counsel with McGuireWoods LLP.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, Sen. John McCain tapped Mr. Donatelli to serve as deputy chairman of the Republican National Committee, where he coordinated the RNC's fundraising and organizing activities directly with the McCain-Palin presidential campaign.

His previous appointments have included serving as an assistant to President Ronald Reagan for political and intergovernmental affairs and as deputy assistant to the president for public liaison at the White House. He served on White House Chief of Staff James Baker's team that negotiated presidential debates in 1984. Mr. Donatelli was also a senior advisor to Bob Dole in 1996 and represented his campaign in debate negotiations.

He has more than 20 years of experience in public policy advocacy and boasts substantial expertise in the legislative process. He has represented a variety of companies in such diverse areas as energy, taxes and trade, telecommunications, and Homeland Security. He has also provided strategic advice and policy guidance to many large companies and trade associations.

Mr. Donatelli has appeared on numerous public affairs programs on MSNBC, Fox News and CNN, and is a noted writer whose articles have been printed in the Washington Post, the Washington Times and the New York Daily News.

In 1992, he chaired the Christopher Columbus Quincentennery Commission that celebrated the 500th Anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the New World. He is also chairman of the Reagan Ranch Board of Governors of the Young America's Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving President Reagan's Ranch in Santa Barbara, California as an historical property. In March 2009, Mr. Donatelli was elected chairman of GOPAC, a group that assists Republican "rising stars" running for state and local office.