JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Dawn Nicklas, a thirty-year capital veteran, has ventured to start her own lobbying firm after working for Burton-Liese for the last ten years.
Nicklas got her start working with Harry Gallagher and Bill Gamble tracking legislation in a time before computers were used to track legislation. When GovWatch emerged, Nicklas went to work at the Missouri House of Representatives, working for then-Rep. Katie Steele Danner, a Democrat from Kirksville who now serves as the Director of Professional Registration. Nicklas worked for then-freshman Rep. Steve Stoll, who now sits on the Public Service Commission and went on to join the Gov. Mel Carnahan’s office working on boards and commissions. After working in the governor’s office, Nicklas worked for then-Rep. Scott Lakin and then in the asst. majority floor leader’s office with Rep. Jim Foley. Term limits emerged and Nicklas worked one session for Rep. Sam Page before leaving to assist the creation of the Missouri Energy Development Association, the investor-owned utility association, where she worked for almost 3 years before joining Burton-Liese Government Relations as their first associate.
“I learned so much from all of them in different ways,” Nicklas said.
Rachael Herndon was the editor at The Missouri Times and also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. She joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer.
Rachael studied at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Brandon, and their two children.
