2025 Boutique Lobbying Firm of the Year
INFLUENCE Magazine’s Golden Rotunda Awards
Good things come in small packages. While that's a catch phrase often used to describe velvety boxes filled with blingy jewelry, it can just as easily describe RSA consulting, a boutique lobbying firm that, despite its size, packs a mighty punch.
You might not realize it by looking at the massive list of wins the firm notched this Legislative Session, but it includes fewer than a dozen staffers. Under the guidance of firm President and CEO Ron Pierce and Vice President and COO Natalie King, RSA brings home the budget and policy bacon for their clients year after year through a mix of lobbying prowess and good old-fashioned kindness.
“In an industry where the ends justifies the means Ron has built RSA on the core values of honesty, integrity, and a tireless work ethic. I'm proud of his success and even more proud of the corporate culture he's created along the way," said Tom Lee, a former Senate President who helped Pierce get his start in the early 2000s when Pierce served as Lee's policy advisor.
Decades later, Pierce has built a firm from the ground up that serves clients both statewide and at home, in Pierce's Tampa Bay community.
This year, team RSA delivered big victories in the education space by successfully advocating to expand the state's school readiness program, boosting charter school funding through legislation requiring school districts to proportionally share sales tax revenue based on enrollment, and increasing transparency in funding for certain apprenticeship and trade programs.
The firm also worked on behalf of Continuing Care Retirement Communities, along with Sen. Jay Collins, Rep. Tom Fabricio and the Office of Insurance Regulation, to soften language in a bill aimed at reforming laws governing the communities, including in bankruptcy filings.
Locally, RSA furthered efforts this Session toward establishing a regional metropolitan planning organization in the Tampa Bay area and advocated against changes to the tourist development tax (TDT) that would have diverted funds to offset cuts to property taxes. The TDT plan never came to fruition.
And their work doesn't stop at policy fights. Team RSA also enjoyed several budget wins, including securing rate increases for Florida's Federally Qualified Health Centers, bringing the total increase, including federal dollars, to $30 million annually. They also secured funding for A Kid's Place foster home ($500,000); and for Film Tampa Bay ($500,000) to produce an adaptation of the book "A Land Remembered" as a miniseries.
"Ron Pierce and the team at RSA Consulting are the gold standard in strategic advocacy," said Christina Barker, Chief of Staff to Jeff Vinik and a partner at Catalyst Communications who has worked closely with the firm. "Their integrity, tireless work ethic, and deep understanding of Florida's political and business landscape consistently deliver results that make a lasting impact. Ron and Natalie lead with heart, purpose and an unwavering commitment to the communities they serve."
Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez, whose Office is an RSA client, shared similar praise. "Ron Pierce and RSA Consulting are an effective and exemplary firm that utilize a strategic approach to building relationships with their experienced lobbyists to navigate the complex landscape of policy and lawmaking, while always maintaining the highest moral and ethical standards. They do it the right way," he said.
RSA celebrated its 15th anniversary last year, and is a firm to watch. The team continues to grow, meanwhile, with the addition this year of Dewayne Mallory to lead its Local & Community Affairs arm, a key focus that sets RSA apart as a firm with strong local roots.
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