Former Democratic House Speaker James Amann’s Milford-based lobbying firm has bought out a competitor and hired the son of former Republican Gov. Jodi M. Rell.
International Government Strategies LLC is expanding with the addition of lobbyist Michael Rell of Wethersfield and industry veteran Marshall Collins.
Amann announced the staffing additions Tuesday, which include the merger of Collins’ firm, Marshall R. Collins & Associates. Amann, a former Democratic state Speaker of the House and long-time state representative from Milford, founded IGS in 2010 with former Milford state senator Win Smith.
“Mike and Marshall are professionals of the highest caliber who have reputations for integrity, hard work, and the ability to reach across party lines,” said Amann.
Rell worked as a press secretary for the state Senate Republican Caucus, a policy analyst for the House Republican Caucus and most recently as that caucus’s director of outreach. He also is a member of the Wethersfield Town Council.
Collins is president of his firm and has more than 38 years of government relations experience, including roles as a former Connecticut’s assistant attorney general, and director of public affairs for the Connecticut Business and Industry Association (CBIA). He is a member of the Board of Finance in Salem.
IGS specializes in government relations and business development with clients that include the Connecticut Nail and Spa Association, the Schaghticokes Tribal Nation, and the Coalition of Connecticut Shell Fisherman, among others.
