Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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Tyler J. Birkel

Bend,Oregon

Summary

Experienced leader with over 20 years of expertise in government, politics, and corporate government affairs. Proven track record as an effective advocate, consistently delivering impactful results across federal, state, and local levels of government. Adept at navigating complex political landscapes and building strategic relationships to drive successful outcomes.

Overview

21
21
years of professional experience

Work History

Head of Government Affairs - West Region

Kroger
02.2024 - Current
  • Leading state and local government affairs for Kroger in six states across the Western United States.
  • Successfully launched Kroger’s first coordinated state-level lobbying program in the Western U.S., resulting in legislative wins on key issues.
  • Direct and execute lobbying and advocacy strategies to influence legislation of importance to the company.
  • Develop political engagement and relationship building plan to enhance the company's reputation with elected officials and other key stakeholders.
  • Building new program to bring elected officials on tours of Kroger stores in their districts in order to educate them about the business and enhance the company's reputation.

Senior Manager, Government Partnerships

Bird Rides, Inc.
01.2022 - 12.2023
  • Led business development and local government outreach in the Northwest region of the country.
  • Built relationships with local government officials and executed strategies to win approval for Bird to operate and/or expand in targeted cities.
  • Secured market entry or renewal for Bird in over 10 municipalities, directly driving company revenue growth and increasing micro-mobility access for thousands of riders.
  • Led demos, ride-alongs, lobbying campaigns, and other activities to highlight the value of Bird's micro-mobility solution and differentiate the company from competitors.
  • Cultivated and managed relationships with government officials and third party groups in existing markets to enhance the company's reputation and ensure Bird remained an operator in good standing.

Manager, State and Local Government Relations

Darden Restaurants
05.2018 - 01.2022
  • Managed state and local government relations for Darden Restaurants in the Western half of the United States, covering 25 states.
  • Built relationships with Governors, state legislators, local governments and staff to advocate for Darden's legislative priorities.
  • Advised company leadership on relevant issues and to ensure strategy alignment.
  • Developed and executed strategies to influence policy decision making in assigned states.
  • Spearheaded outreach that improved Darden’s reputation score with elected officials, leading to invitations to join key policy coalitions and task forces.
  • Managed company's COVID response and reopening efforts in multiple states. Served on state advisory groups and business coalitions, helping shape reopening plans for the hospitality sector and ensuring that Darden could resume operations safely and efficiently across multiple jurisdictions.
  • Represented Darden with trade associations and third party groups, and at conferences and events featuring elected officials and industry partners.

President and Founder

Upland Strategies, LLC
03.2017 - 05.2018
  • Founded Upland Strategies, a full service, multi-client firm offering strategic government affairs consulting.
  • Conducted legislative advocacy and strategy development; strategic political engagement and relationship building; bill tracking and updating of internal audiences; and reputation enhancement on Capitol Hill.
  • Delivered measurable client wins on federal legislation, securing policy outcomes that directly enhanced client business operations and bottom lines.
  • Built and scaled the firm from zero to a portfolio of three active clients within the first year of operation.

Director, Federal Government Affairs

Mastercard
02.2015 - 02.2017
  • Executed strategy for communicating the company's legislative priorities to members of Congress and executive branch personnel.
  • Met directly with members of Congress and staff to advocate for Mastercard's priorities.
  • Increased PAC revenue by 39% through a strategic employee engagement campaign, setting a new organizational record for political fundraising.
  • Oversaw drafting of written materials for external distribution, including advocacy papers for government officials, letters to the executive branch, and background documents on important company initiatives.
  • Wrote regular political and public policy briefings for internal audiences, including company executives and PAC Board members.

Manager, Federal Government Relations

Darden Restaurants
11.2010 - 11.2014
  • Managed day-to-day operations in the Washington, DC office for Darden Restaurants.
  • Oversaw relationship building efforts, strategy development, and engagement with federal lawmakers.
  • Managed two teams of contract lobbyists.
  • Met directly with members of Congress and staff to advocate for Darden's priorities.
  • Directed all facets of Darden's PAC.
  • Developed and implemented the PAC contributions plan; attended all events on behalf of Darden PAC; organized industry-specific events for targeted members of Congress.
  • Spoke regularly before large audiences about Darden's history, operations, and public policy issues of importance to the company.

Legislative Assistant / Speechwriter

Office of United States Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE)
01.2009 - 11.2010
  • Handled legislative portfolio on issues relating to agriculture, energy, environment, and trade.
  • Interacted daily with government agencies, Congressional offices and constituents to communicate and advance the Senator's legislative agenda.
  • Drafted briefing memos and made recommendations about policy proposals and how to vote on legislation.
  • Served as one of the Senator's main speechwriters. Wrote speeches, Senate floor remarks, talking points, and press releases on a wide range of topics.
  • Ghost-wrote several op-eds that were successfully placed in the Senator's name.
  • Led key aspects of operational setup during the Senator’s first months in office, including staff hiring and implementation of foundational protocols for constituent services, intern management, mail processing, and internal communication.

Political Director

Mike Johanns for U.S. Senate
10.2007 - 11.2008
  • Built statewide grassroots organization for Mike Johanns' successful U.S. Senate campaign.
  • Recruited and managed hundreds of volunteers, overseeing a staff of 11 direct reports.
  • Identified, recruited, and selected volunteer County Chairs in all 93 Nebraska counties.
  • Oversaw the largest coordinated field effort in the campaign, outperforming projections for volunteer engagement and turnout.
  • Delivered 165,000+ targeted voter contacts, contributing to a double-digit victory margin in a competitive U.S. Senate race.

Legislative Assistant / Staff Assistant

Office of United States Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
07.2004 - 10.2007
  • Researched, planned, and structured legislative strategy on issues relating to agriculture, energy, environment, and trade.
  • Drafted briefing memos and made recommendations about policy proposals and how to vote on specific legislation.
  • Drafted and executed background memos, briefing materials, and in-person briefings for the Senator.
  • Accompanied the Senator on official trips to Colorado, Illinois, and Canada; represented the Senator on official government trips to Taiwan and Cuba, and at numerous meetings in Washington, DC and throughout Nebraska.

Education

Bachelor of Arts - History And Political Science

North Central College
Naperville, IL
06-2004

Skills

  • Legislative Strategy Execution
  • Strategic Relationship Development
  • Effective Team Leadership
  • Reputation Management
  • Speechwriting
  • Compelling Written Communication
  • Engaging Presentation Skills
  • Relationship Building for Business Growth

Timeline

Head of Government Affairs - West Region

Kroger
02.2024 - Current

Senior Manager, Government Partnerships

Bird Rides, Inc.
01.2022 - 12.2023

Manager, State and Local Government Relations

Darden Restaurants
05.2018 - 01.2022

President and Founder

Upland Strategies, LLC
03.2017 - 05.2018

Director, Federal Government Affairs

Mastercard
02.2015 - 02.2017

Manager, Federal Government Relations

Darden Restaurants
11.2010 - 11.2014

Legislative Assistant / Speechwriter

Office of United States Senator Mike Johanns (R-NE)
01.2009 - 11.2010

Political Director

Mike Johanns for U.S. Senate
10.2007 - 11.2008

Legislative Assistant / Staff Assistant

Office of United States Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
07.2004 - 10.2007

Bachelor of Arts - History And Political Science

North Central College

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