Oldcastle Materials, Inc.
1055 Thomas Jefferson St., NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20007
(202) 625-2122
(202) 625-2153 fax

Government Relations Team

John Hay, VP Government Relations, Oldcastle Materials

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

Patrick Holtz, Director, Government Relations and Counsel
Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.

Sarah A. McDermond, Manager, Government Relations Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.

John Hay
VP 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 25,000 employees in 45 states. The company, headquartered in Washington, Dc. is a division of CRH plc, the international building materials group based in Dublin, Ireland with operations in 32 countries. Oldcastle Materials generated $7.5 billion in revenues in 2007. The company produces asphalt, aggregates ready mix concrete, and provides highway, road and commercial paving services.

John 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, John 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 the local company’s government relations’ requirements.

Much of John’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. John spearheads those efforts. 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, John spent five years with The Boeing Company. He was a director in Boeing’s Government Relations Office in Washington, D.C. John’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, John 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 in Huntsville before moving to Washington in 1991 following the election of Congressman Cramer.

John graduated from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee with a BA 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 and 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 the 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 served as the key legislative strategist for the entire Department of Transportation. Working on a bipartisan basis with the 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.

Palmer left DOT in 1998 as the longest serving Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs in history. 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, Mr. 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 began his congressional career with the Senate Budget Committee, after having completed a two-year appointment as a Presidential Management Intern.

Palmer received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Michigan and his masters of public affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.

Patrick Holtz
Director, Government Relations and Counsel
Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.

Patrick Holtz, who specializes in transportation and homeland security issues, joined Van Scoyoc Associates in late 2004. Prior to joining VSA, Holtz was Washington Representative for the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), the world's largest group of motorcycle enthusiasts.

During Holtz's tenure at AMA, his focus areas included transportation, healthcare, and environmental issues. Holtz effectively managed AMA's lobbying efforts for TEA-21 reauthorization. Holtz also led a successful coalition effort of varied recreational interests in Senate passage of "The Health Care Parity for Legal Transportation and Recreational Activities Act." He also skillfully worked for House passage of "The Trail Responsibility and Accountability for the Improvement of Lands Act (TRAIL Act)" during the 108th Congress.

Holtz received his Bachelor of Arts degree in government and politics from George Mason University and his Juris Doctor degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law. He is a member of the bar in Washington, D.C. and Maryland.

Sarah A. McDermond
Manager, Government Relations
Van Scoyoc Associates, Inc.

Ms. McDermond joined VSA in early 2003, and upon her arrival, she quickly fell into the role of PAC Administrator for Oldcastle Materials PAC. For more than five years now, Ms. McDermond has been responsible for managing Oldcastle Materials PAC and ensuring compliance with all federal campaign finance regulations. With the acquisition of APAC, Inc., Ms. McDermond has also become quite familiar various state campaign finance regulations, as she serves as the PAC Administrator for eleven APAC State PACs.

Ms. McDermond’s primary responsibility at VSA is to provide legislative support to clients who have a particular interest in infrastructure and community development; assisting them in identifying funding sources, developing projects, and advocating requests before the Congress and Federal agencies.

Ms. McDermond, a native of Ohio, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from DePauw University in Greencastle, ID.

© 2008 Oldcastle Materials, Inc.