Over 25 Years of Experience in State Government & Politics

When determining how to successfully engage with state and local government, two critical elements you must consider are: having a solid strategic plan; and gaining exposure to the appropriate decision-makers. If your organization can establish these essential underpinnings, your chances for success are greatly enhanced.

At Keswick Consulting, we have over 25 years of experience in state government and politics. We can offer you a roadmap that will allow you to navigate the often bewildering maze of government – and we can make sure the right people are hearing your message. We will provide you with strategic assistance with elected officials, their staffs and other senior Commonwealth appointees to further your goals and objectives.

Keswick Consulting brings uncommon passion, smarts and follow-through to the table. If your organization needs help clearing a governmental hurdle, or if you are looking to expand your customer base, we can provide you with the resources, contacts and energy necessary to achieve success.

Matt Keswick

President

Matt Keswick is the President of Keswick Consulting, a Boston-based government relations and business development firm dedicated to helping organizations achieve maximum results when pursuing public policy objectives.

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Success Stories

Read how we’ve helped our clients grow according to each of their individual needs.

Coventry

Challenge

Coventry, a global financial services firm as well as the leader and creator of the life settlement industry, sought to utilize the market’s potential and allow policy owners to transform unnecessary life insurance policies into valuable assets. Coventry is dedicated to increasing legislative regulation of the industry in order to gain and maintain consumer trust. Coventry contacted Keswick Consulting in order to develop a legislative and political strategy for a bill providing proactive regulation safeguarding the industry and its consumers.

Solution

Keswick Consulting worked closely with Coventry to develop effective legislation and set meetings with members of the legislature to promote and advance Coventry’s position. Keswick Consulting leveraged its relationships with decision-makers at the Division of Insurance, the Massachusetts House & Senate, and the Financial Services Committee, on the merits of this bill.

Results

Keswick Consulting successfully negotiated the legislation with the Insurance industry and the bill passed both the House and Senate. The Governor signed the bill into law. With the passage of the bill, policy owners’ property rights to their life insurance policies are protected, allowing them to obtain the market value for unnecessary and unaffordable policies. Consumers now maintain control of their own policies, and the sustainability of Coventry and the life settlement industry is secured allowing them to continue to grow and thrive.

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Crossroads for Kids, Inc

Challenge

Crossroads for Kids, Inc. is a Massachusetts youth and teen development program that serves under-resourced youth through a multi-year, multi-faceted approach to mentoring. Crossroads has proved to be life changing by empowering youth to be independent adults and engaged community members.

For years, Crossroads had worked to develop a powerful, enriching program that deeply impacted the lives of campers and their families. Like many similar programs, Crossroads relies on community and funding partners to facilitate its programs.  The problem?  Crossroads lacked meaningful relationships with elected and appointed officials on Beacon Hill, leaving it difficult for them to demonstrate the power of their program or to garner state funding.

Solution

Keswick Consulting worked with Crossroads to build a compelling narrative around the meaningful work they had accomplished throughout the years.  Their narrative demonstrated not only a crucial need for access to state funds, but also the benefit to families throughout Massachusetts. Utilizing experience and trust built over decades of working within state channels and a deep understanding of the budget-making process, Keswick Consulting sought out allies within its vast network to advocate on behalf of Crossroads youth.

Results

For the last several years, due to pro bono work, Keswick Consulting was able to secure vital funds for Crossroads programs as part of the State Budget. While the provision for Crossroads was vetoed by the Governor as inconsistent with other recommendations, Keswick Consulting’s outreach proved fruitful as the legislature reinstated Crossroad’s funding in the final Massachusetts budget.

Crossroads received its much needed state funding, and continues to serve at-risk Massachusetts youth with distinction. The program’s dedication to youth is unwavering, as is Keswick Consulting’s dedication to its clients.

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HUB Technical Services, LLC

Challenge

HUB Technical Services, LLC is a Boston-based IT services and hardware provider seeking to expand its market share throughout New England. A value-added reseller, HUB was selected as an approved IT vendor with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, but had yet to fully-realize its potential despite this advantageous position. Determined to expand its business footprint in Massachusetts state government, HUB engaged with Keswick Consulting to help make this important goal a reality.

Solution

On HUB’s behalf, Keswick Consulting researched sales opportunities, developed a marketing strategy to promote the HUB brand, advocated with key decision-makers, and fostered relationships with IT Directors and Chief Information Officers throughout the Commonwealth. Along the way, Keswick Consulting compiled a database of state and municipal technology executives and arranged one-on-one meetings with each individual to enhance HUB’s customer base.

Results

HUB Technical is now a leading value-added reseller in Massachusetts state government. In addition, they provide technology infrastructure and services for over 150 municipalities and school districts – HUB is widely recognized as one of the most dependable and knowledgeable IT partners in New England. Seven years after the extremely productive alliance between Keswick Consulting and HUB was established, the relationship continues to prosper and endure to this day.

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Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce

Challenge

The Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce is a nonprofit business advocacy and economic development organization. They had recently merged with a neighboring Chamber, increasing their membership to over 650 businesses and 6,800 employees in the region. This merger necessitated expansion from within the organization to meet the needs of the community. The Chamber wanted to maintain and grow membership by increasing program activity and visibility in conjunction with their geographic expansion.

Solution

The Chamber asked Keswick Consulting to create and implement a strategy that would increase their involvement both at the municipal and state levels. This strategy included the development of a Public Policy Committee and an expansion of infrastructure within the Chamber. The Committee became responsible for holding monthly member meetings with relevant state leaders as guest speakers, as well as quarterly Public Policy Forums open to the public. The Committee has taken stances on political issues affecting the businesses it represents and has asserted these views at its annual Beacon Hill Day, where business owners meet and speak with their legislators at the State House.

Results

With the help of Keswick Consulting, the Nashoba Valley Chamber of Commerce has dramatically increased their activity and visibility at the municipal and state levels. They have secured guest speakers such as gubernatorial candidates Charlie Baker and Martha Coakley, candidate for Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey, and State Auditor Suzanne Bump to name a few. They recently held their second annual Beacon Hill Day which is integral in conveying the needs of business owners in the region. Through these avenues, the Chamber has continued to expand, better serve and better inform its members about issues that affect business owners and economic development in their community.

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Sattler College

Challenge

Finny Kuruvilla, MD, was passionate about his vision to open a private liberal arts school in Massachusetts. He envisioned Sattler College as an institution to promote academic excellence and critical thinking while simultaneously encouraging students to tackle some of the great problems today under a lens of an education grounded in the historic Christian faith. A talented medical doctor and investor, Dr. Kuruvilla had laid the groundwork for a comprehensive curriculum and beautiful campus overlooking the Boston Harbor. The concept was radical. Dr Kuruvilla’s school had no traditional campus and would offer a first-class education for only $9,000 each year. The problem? The Commonwealth of Massachusetts had not offered degree-granting authority to a new institution in over two decades.

Solution

Keswick Consulting created and implemented a strategy to provide Sattler College with a roadmap towards obtaining degree granting authority. Keswick Consulting leveraged its relationships with education stakeholders at the Executive Office of Education, Governor’s Office and Massachusetts Board of Higher Education to give Dr. Kuruvilla an opportunity to share his vision and credentials.

Results

In December 2016, the Board of Higher Education approved Sattler College to award a Bachelor of Science in: Business, Computer Science, and Human Biology and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Biblical and Religious Studies.

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Clients

Matt Keswick

President

Matt Keswick is the President of Keswick Consulting, a Boston-based government relations and business development firm dedicated to helping organizations achieve maximum results when pursuing public policy objectives.

Prior to founding Keswick Consulting, Matt worked for three Massachusetts Governors, where he held several high-ranking personnel and policy positions. As Deputy Chief Secretary, he was responsible for overseeing more than 2,500 political appointments to several hundred boards and commissions, including many regulatory authorities. As a result, Matt forged many strong business and political relationships that endure to this day.

In his capacity as Assistant Chief of Staff, Matt was designated as a key administration liaison to the federal government, which included oversight of the Commonwealth’s Office of Federal Relations in Washington, DC; he also served as designee to the National Governors Association and the New England Governors Conference / Eastern Canadian Premiers.

Since departing state service, Matt has been active with dozens of political and philanthropic causes, including the Michael J. Fox Foundation, a cause close to his heart. His fundraising prowess has translated into millions of dollars raised for the various fundraising committees on which he has served.

Matt is a member of the Board of Diesel Direct and the Michael J. Fox Public Policy Council. He previously served as a member of the Board of Trustees at Cardinal Spellman High School, the Board of Trustees at Bridgewater State University and the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority. Matt is an alumnus of Boston College where he is an active with their alumni association. He and his wife, Christy, reside in Milton with their son, Anderson, and their dog, Zola.