Matt Hickam is President and founder of Hickam Public Affairs where he is responsible for the day to day management of the firm. Under his leadership, Hickam Public Affairs has grown from a small startup to a firm with a host of Fortune 500 corporations and major PR initiatives as clients. In 2012, Matt was named a Top 500 Influencer by Campaigns & Elections Magazine as one of the most influential players in the U.S. political consulting industry, listing him as one of the top 10 influencers in Kansas. This designation underscores Matt’s well-earned reputation for connecting people with issues they care about, and translating their passion into meaningful legislative change.

For nearly two decades, Matt has been involved with Midwest politics and state and national policy on a variety of issues. In addition to lobbying for a number of well-known companies and causes, Matt has managed numerous successful grassroots advocacy campaigns and managed media for many Fortune 500 corporations.

Before founding Hickam Public Affairs in 2010, Matt served numerous corporate clients for six years in his role with a previous public affairs firm. He also worked on the Washington, DC staff of Senator Bob Dole (R-KS), assisting with healthcare and financial issues and, at the behest of Kansas Governor Bill Graves, led the state’s long-term care facility oversight agency.

Matt was raised in Topeka, Kansas, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kansas. He has a family history of politics and public service – his grandfather served as a county sheriff for 25 years, having been elected six times.

Matt has served on numerous boards, including the board of the Topeka Independent Business Association and he was the president of the board of Cair Paravel Latin School, a classical Christian K-12 school in Topeka. Matt and his wife, Stacey, have three daughters.