Jeff Viohl is founder and President of Viohl & Associates, a Washington-based government relations firm established in 1998 which specializes in state policy consulting and advocacy. Jeff has over 25 years of experience working on legislative and regulatory issues.

This experience includes serving as a legislative staff member and state office director for a U.S. Senator, as Director of Government Relations for New York University, and as both Assistant Budget Director and Federal Liaison for the State of Indiana. More recently, Jeff has worked on a range of health care issues at the state and federal level, including state implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the expansion of Medicaid managed care. He’s a strong advocate for integration of Medicare and Medicaid services for individuals dually eligible for both programs, increased use of home and community-based services (HCBS) to meet the long-term care needs of the elderly and disabled, and the expansion of telehealth utilization to improve access to medical and behavioral health services. Jeff’s firm also has experience working on technology, education, energy and transportation issues.    

Jeff received a B.A. in Foreign Affairs and Religious Studies from the University of Virginia and a J.D. from American University, and has been a member of the New York State Bar since 1987. He currently resides with his wife, Rose, in Severna Park, Maryland. They have two daughters, Emily and Megan, and share their home with an assortment of rescued cats and dogs. Jeff can be reached at jviohl@sso.org

Owen Voutsinas-Klose is Vice President of Policy & Government Affairs at Viohl & Associates. In his role, he advises clients on multi-state advocacy and strategy, particularly relating to state Medicaid programs.

Prior to Viohl & Associates, Owen served as an aide in the New York State Senate, working on scheduling and constituent service. He earned his bachelors degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was involved in the Penn Wharton Public Policy Initiative, the Wharton Management Club and the Penn Undergraduate Law Journal. Additional experience during his undergraduate career includes a summer at UBS AG and in the chambers of a New York Supreme Court judge.

He is originally from Rockland County, New York and currently resides in Southwest DC. Owen can be reached at ovklose@sso.org

Emma Van Hees is Vice President of Legislative Affairs & Client Engagement at Viohl & Associates. In her role, she helps to manage the firm's operations and client relationships, and also conducts legislative research and analysis.

Prior to joining the firm, Emma worked in political fundraising where she assisted clients in development, strategic fundraising, and event planning for both political and non-profit clients. Through her work, she helped clients achieve success at various levels of government in the State of Illinois. Emma also held internships with several state level officials in both Texas and Illinois, serving as both a legislative aide and a special projects assistant for notable members during college.

Emma is passionate about U.S. history and the democratic process. She earned her bachelor’s in Political Science with a concentration in American Politics from Cornell College, and is a native of Austin, Texas. Emma resides in Washington DC, and enjoys exploring the city on long walks with her dog, Cash. ​Emma can be reached at evanhees@sso.org

Kevin is a Strategic Advisor for Viohl & Associates. In his role, Kevin utilizes his vast government affairs experience and strong personal relationships with state government officials to help the firm’s clients achieve their policy and business objectives.

Kevin Riordan previously served as Regional Vice President of Federal Affairs at Anthem, Inc. where he helped to lead the intergovernmental affairs and political relations team. He also previously served as Vice President of State Government Affairs at Amerigroup Corporation leading the state lobbying team and as head of US State Government Affairs at General Electric. Earlier, Kevin served as a Washington, D.C.-based federal government relations representative for Chevron, USA and Gulf Oil.

Kevin began his career in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office as assistant attorney general in the criminal division and later served as an assistant district attorney in Worcester, Massachusetts. He attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst and earned his law degree from Suffolk Law School in Boston.