Oldcastle Materials

Oldcastle Materials, Inc.
900 Ashwood Parkway
Suite 700
Atlanta, GA 30338
(770) 522-5600
(800) 241-7074 toll free
(770) 522-5608 fax

Government Relations Team

John Hay, VP Government Relations, Oldcastle Materials

Steven O. Palmer, Vice President, Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.

Graham Hill, CEO, Ice Miller Strategies

Casey Morgan, Manager Government Relations, Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.

Don McCann, Legislative Assistant, Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.

John Hay
Vice President of Government Relations
Oldcastle Materials

John Hay joined Oldcastle Materials, Inc. in October 2002 as the company’s first vice president of government relations. Oldcastle Materials is an integrated construction materials group in the United States with more than 17,500 employees in over 40 states. The company, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a division of CRH plc, the international building materials group based in Dublin, Ireland with operations in more than 30 countries. Oldcastle Materials generated $6 billion in revenues in 2009. The company produces asphalt, aggregates and ready mix concrete and provides highway, road and commercial paving services.

Hay is responsible for coordinating government relations activities for Oldcastle at the federal, state and local levels. The company derives significant revenue from transportation infrastructure at all levels of government. In his capacity, Hay coordinates with all Oldcastle companies and works closely with them to develop and implement a focused government relations strategy to achieve Oldcastle Materials’ policy objectives as well as local companies’ government relations requirements.

Much of Hay’s effort focuses on federal and state highway funding and related issues such as environmental and regulatory matters pertaining to surface transportation. Political involvement by Oldcastle’s employees is crucial to success in the government relations arena at all levels of government. He has implemented a political grassroots communications system across the company and directs the Oldcastle Materials, Inc. Political Action Committee, as well as the company’s political consultants.

Prior to joining Oldcastle, Hay spent five years with The Boeing Company. He was a director in Boeing’s Government Relations Office in Washington, D.C. Hay’s lobbying responsibilities included federal legislative matters supporting Boeing’s Commercial Airplane Group, Boeing Air Traffic Management, Boeing’s aviation security activities and other commercial aviation interests in the company. His prior lobbying assignment at Boeing was in support of the company’s space programs including the Space Shuttle, Space Station and space launch vehicle programs.

Before joining Boeing Government Relations in January 1998, Hay served for over six years on the staff of the United States Representative Bud Cramer (D-AL), most recently as the congressman’s chief of staff. A native of Huntsville, Alabama, he practiced law and was a partner with Sirote & Permutt PC in Huntsville before moving to Washington in 1991 following the election of Congressman Cramer.

Hay graduated from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee with a bachelor of arts in economics and received his law degree from the University of Alabama.

Steven O. Palmer
Vice President
Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.

Steve Palmer came to VSA in 1998 after having served nearly 20 years on Capitol Hill as assistant secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). After settling in at VSA, Palmer proudly signed Oldcastle Materials, Inc. as his first client.

At VSA, Palmer has developed a practice that focuses on transportation, aviation, technology, telecommunications, homeland security and economic development. He represents public sector and corporate clients on policy initiatives, appropriations and administrative actions before Congress and executive branch agencies.

Palmer was nominated in 1993 by President Bill Clinton and confirmed by the Senate to serve as DOT’s assistant secretary for governmental affairs. For more than five years, he was the key legislative strategist for the entire DOT. Working on a bipartisan basis with Congress, Palmer helped secure passage of critical legislation such as the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), Federal Aviation Administration reform bills, the Amtrak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997 and the annual transportation appropriations bill.

In addition to his legislative accomplishments, he expanded outreach to state and local officials and organized constituency and grassroots support. Palmer also coordinated grant activities for airports, highways, mass transit, and other development and safety programs.

Before his appointment to DOT, Palmer served 10 years in senior positions on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. From 1983 to 1990, Palmer was the senior professional staff member on the Aviation Subcommittee; in 1990, he assumed the senior staff position on the Science, Technology, and Space Subcommittee.

Palmer received his bachelor of arts in political science from Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan and his master of public affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.

Graham Hill
CEO, Ice Miller Strategies

Graham Hill is a founding member and chief executive officer of Ice Miller Strategies LLC. Hill’s practice focuses primarily on transportation, homeland security and energy matters where he counsels clients on congressional and executive branch policy and legislative and regulatory matters with a focus on legislative strategy, legislative procedure and the federal budget process. Hill has also testified before Congress on homeland security matters, and is regarded as an expert on transportation matters and is regularly invited to speak at national transportation conferences.

Prior to joining Ice Miller Strategies in 2006, Hill served as the staff director and senior counsel to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Highways, Transit, and Pipelines. For the subcommittee, Hill oversaw the professional legal and legislative staff, and managed the drafting, negotiation and consensus building on H.R. 6, The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act – a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). Known more commonly as the Highway Bill, SAFETEA-LU authorized $286 billion over five years for our nation's highway and transit infrastructure, and reauthorized the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration. Graham similarly oversaw the reauthorization of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the hazardous materials jurisdiction of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA), and the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). As counsel to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Full Committee for Investigations and Oversight, Hill conducted investigations on behalf of Congress into various areas of the committee's jurisdiction, with a particular focus on aviation issues.

In 1999, Hill served as counsel and legislative director for Representative Chip Pickering of Mississippi, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Additionally, Hill has worked in Mexico as a consultant to the U.S. State Department and for Senator Phil Gramm of Texas, Senator Trent Lott of Mississippi and Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi. Upon leaving the Senate in the summer of 1992, Hill worked on the Bush/Quayle campaign in the political division and the press office. Following the campaign’s conclusion, he worked for Haley Barbour at the RNC during the 1993-1994 campaign cycle and into 1995.

Hill was also nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate to serve on the National Council for Disability (NCD), an independent federal agency with jurisdiction over all matters affecting those with disabilities. The NCD was the author of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). Hill serves concurrently as both a principal with Ice Miller Strategies and member of the NCD.

Hill received a juris doctorate from Tulane Law School, and a bachelor of arts from The University of the South in political economy. He is a member of the New York and New Jersey state bars.

Casey Watts Morgan
Manager, Government Relations
Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.

Casey Watts Morgan serves as manager of government relations at Van Scoyoc Associates Inc. specializing in transportation and economic development issues. Prior to joining VSA, Morgan served as policy assistant to the former U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters, where her primary responsibility was aviation policy.

At the U.S. Department of Transportation, Morgan served in the Office of Governmental Affairs as associate director. Morgan worked directly with members of Congress and staff on a variety of aviation and surface transportation legislative issues, serving as the liaison with the secretary.

Morgan’s professional background includes working in the Office of Legislative Affairs at the White House and for Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas.

Morgan received her bachelor of arts from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and is currently a part-time graduate student at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia, working toward a master in public policy.

Don McCann
Legislative Assistant
Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.

Don McCann joined Van Scoyoc Associates Inc. in early 2008 and serves as legislative assistant. Upon his arrival, he assumed the role of PAC administrator for Oldcastle Materials PAC. For several years, McCann has been responsible for managing Oldcastle Materials PAC and ensuring compliance with all federal campaign finance regulations. With the acquisition of APAC, Inc., McCann has also become quite familiar with various state campaign finance regulations, as he serves as the PAC administrator for 11 APAC state PACs. McCann’s primary responsibilities at VSA include providing legislative support to clients who have a particular interest in transportation infrastructure and community development as well as advocating client requests before Congress.

McCann is a native of San Diego, California, where he received his bachelor of arts in political science from San Diego State University. Currently, McCann is enrolled at The Institute of World Politics in Washington, D.C. and is studying international relations and national security policy.