Our Team

Amanda Simmons is an accomplished Executive Business Partner with over eight years of experience in administrative leadership, project management, and strategic operations. A former Division I collegiate volleyball player, she studied psychology at the University of Louisville and has a passion for supporting mission-driven leaders.

Amanda has worked across industries including real estate, dentistry, consulting, entertainment, and corporate leadership, excelling in executive support, project management, and operational efficiency. Her expertise spans social media strategy, event coordination, and program development, including launching podcasts and overseeing brand transformations.

She currently serves as an Executive Business Partner with Batie and Associates, where she remains committed to fostering strategic growth, organizational excellence, and mission-driven success.

Eboni is a seasoned politico with a diverse background in public policy, fundraising and financial services. Prior to joining Batie and Associates, she most recently served as Deputy Director of No Labels, a non-partisan political non-profit in Washington, DC. Here, she led the organizations corporate program and helped raise its profile with the press.

Prior to No Labels, she worked in the U.S. House of Representatives as an Executive Assistant and Director of Scheduling for Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence (Detroit). However, prior to working on Capitol Hill, she worked in government affairs at IMPACT Strategies, a political advocacy firm that bridged the gap between several major corporations and the Congressional Black Caucus.

Before working in politics, Eboni had a successful career in social work as a Community Support Worker and Treatment Team Coordinator at First Home Care. Eboni was raised in Southern California and is a proud HBCU alum of Hampton University, where she received her Bachelor’s in Psychology, as well as Howard University, where she received her Master’s in Social Work.

Mario Henderson, Esq. serves as General Counsel at Batie and Associates and is an experienced attorney and legal professional with a background in political compliance and HR issues. Mario is a three-time graduate of Florida A&M University with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, a Master’s degree in Social Sciences and a Juris Doctorate in Law. He has provided HR and legal services for a number of large corporations in Florida and California and has worked as a state and federal advocate for labor organizations.

Mervyn serves as Senior Advisor at Batie and Associates, as well as a Principal of MLJ strategies in partnership with Ankara. He lobbies Congress on Appropriations, labor, tech, agriculture, financial services, sustainability, armed services and tax issues. In addition, Mervyn held clients successfully navigate the legislative and regulatory landscape across the federal and state government and strives to build strategic relationships with stakeholders and clients so that they may secure critical investments.

Previously, Mervyn was the Director of Government Affairs at the Independence Fund, where he successfully navigated the veterans legislative landscape. Mervyn built strategic relationships with stakeholders for The Independence Fund to secure veteran’s rights and freedoms and helped educate decision-makers on the inherent needs of veterans and their caregivers.

Before leaving Capitol Hill, Mervyn served as Special Assistant to Congressman Tim Ryan and former Democratic Vice Chair Congressman Joseph Crowley. He was responsible for monitoring federal policy, interactive with state and local government stakeholders, and briefing lawmakers and their staff on Congressional and Administration initiatives and priorities.

Mervyn also served as a liaison to the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Alaskan Pacific Asian Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus. He currently serves as an Advisory Board Member to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

Keenan serves as Principal at Batie and Associates.He received a full athletic scholarship to play for Syracuse University where he was a standout student-athlete. There he achieved the accolades of a 2x bowl winner (New Era Pinstripe & Texas Outback), Big East Football Conference Champion and Big East All-Academic Football Team honoree. After graduation he began his professional career as Chief of Staff and Campaign Manager advising Mayoral Candidate Rochelle Robinson to victory against an incumbent Mayor in Douglasville, Georgia.

Keenan served as a Legislative Assistant and trusted advisor to Congressman Al Green (TX-09), staffing him on both the House Financial Services and Homeland Security Committees. His portfolio also included providing recommendations on DoD, small business, transportation, healthcare, telecommunications, science, foreign affairs, and education. He was also able to obtain CDBG-DR language into the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which secured over $5 Billion for Houston’s disaster recovery initiatives under Hurricane Harvey.

Keenan’s private sector experience extends to government affairs consulting, most recently for Ian Reid, LLC. Prior to this, Keenan was a consultant with the Florida based law firm, GrayRobinson, where he served as a key advisor to the Managing Partner. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Keenan created a weekly newsletter providing political and regulatory insight to assist the firm’s shareholders and their clients. His experience also includes advising and representing local municipalities and counties in Florida to trade associations and fortune 500 companies.

Keenan currently serves as the International Director & Chairman of the Government Affairs Committee for Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and is their designated liaison to the White House and Congress. He also serves as Vice President of the Syracuse Football Club and Chair-Elect on the Alumni Advisory Council at his high school alma mater, The McCallie School.

Rontel currently serves as the Managing Partner of Batie and Associates, where he advises numerous clients on issues pertaining to financial services, taxes, judiciary, housing, transportation, tech, education and agriculture issues.

His career in politics began in Tallahassee, Florida, where he served as an Aide and Speechwriter to State Representative Alan Williams from 2010-2012. During his tenure in the Florida Legislature, Rontel also developed and executed the first-ever Florida Caucus of Black State Legislators annual Emerging Leaders Summit.

In the fall of 2012, Rontel moved to Washington, D.C. to serve as a Program Director at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), where he led seven of their congressional leadership programs and managed relationships with over 70 congressional offices. He also served as the Chair of the Emerging Leaders Series at the CBCF Annual Legislative Conference for three consecutive years and was a featured speaker at their 2015 gala dinner.

After CBCF, Rontel worked as a Legislative Assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives where he acquired a substantial amount of expertise in financial services, veteran’s affairs, tax, housing and higher education policy. While on Capitol Hill, he also helped author legislation on payday lending, veteran health care and higher education funding.

Rontel most recently served as Senior Vice President at Crossroads strategies, where he worked with dozens of corporations, associations and non-profit entities to execute their political strategies and achieve their goals. Here, he successfully advocated for 8-figure appropriations and led advocacy campaigns that led to the passage of multiple client-centered bills. He also helped clients develop and execute corporate and PAC giving strategies.

Rontel currently serves on the Corporate Advisory Council of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and is recognized as one of DC’s top lobbyists by multiple outlets. Rontel earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Florida A&M University and his Master’s in Legislative Affairs from The George Washington University.