Despite ongoing worldwide chaos and record unemployment levels in Michigan, Acuitas is working harder than ever to ensure clients are continuing to receive high quality, personalized government relations services and accurate up-to-date information in this seemingly ever-changing world with COVID-19. 

We’re working so hard in fact, that we’ve promoted two current employees to higher-level positions and added two new employees.

On the lobbying team, Andrea Cascarilla, who joined the firm in 2014, has been promoted to Senior Legislative Director. 

Cascarilla’s accomplishments with Acuitas are numerous, extraordinary, and prove just how instrumental she is to the team. Most recently, she was recognized by state Rep. Aaron Miller, R-Sturgis, former Rep. Isaac Robinson, D-Detroit, and the Michigan Mental Health Counselors Association for her work on PA 96 of 2019 – a law that ensures Michigan’s licensed professional counselors can continue to provide treatment to hundreds of thousands of residents in need.

Cascarilla is responsible for managing many clients and throughout her time at Acuitas, has played a direct role in several successful appropriations efforts for clients to help them improve our state, from health care and education to infrastructure and economic development.

New to the Acuitas lobbying team, Carson Gatt is assuming the role of legislative director. Gatt is an MSU alumnus and comes to us from House Majority Floor Leader Triston Cole’s office.

Gatt joined the office of House Majority Floor Leader Cole at the start of the 2019-2020 Legislative term and served as both legislative assistant and legislative director. He gained extensive knowledge of the legislative process while there and is excited to bring exceptional insight, knowledge, and work ethic to the Acuitas team.

Rounding out the lobbying team is a face with which many of our clients have become familiar. Tony Antonelli, formerly a legislative analyst, joins Gatt as a legislative director.

Antonelli has shown stellar growth in his legislative prowess and we’re excited to be able to promote him to the next leadership level. Antonelli joined Acuitas after spending a few years at one of Washington D.C.’s top lobbying firms. In addition to federal advocacy, he advises Acuitas clients on regulatory and business issues.

Our other new hire is former intern, Spencer Cook. Cook, who interned with us in 2018 and 2019, is now a full-time legislative assistant.

After graduating from Michigan State in 2019, Cook spent a few months with the Michigan Automobile Dealers Association and then decided to come back to join Acuitas in March. Cook is currently pursuing a Postbaccalaureate Certificate in Geospatial Intelligence Applications from Penn State’s World Campus in his spare time.

Joining Cook at the legislative assistant position, is Kristen Abraham.

Abraham interned with Acuitas in 2019 and 2020 and was retained part-time until she officially graduated from MSU this spring. As of a couple of weeks ago, she is now a graduate of the Social Relations and Policy program within the James Madison College at MSU and we’re glad to have her on our team in a full-time capacity.