ST. LOUIS — Former Illinois Congressman John Shimkus has joined KBS Group as a principal.
“With his record of public service and accomplishment and respect from both sides of the aisle in Washington, John is a tremendous addition to our team,” said former U.S. Senator Kit Bond, who founded the government affairs and business development firm more than a decade ago.
The firm also announced it had changed its name from Kit Bond Strategies to KBS Group in a press release Monday.
Shimkus, 63, represented Illinois’ 15th district from 1997-2021. A Republican, he decided not to seek re-election to the office this past cycle. Shimkus is an Army veteran and former senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
“Shaping public policy is my passion,” Shimkus said. “As a member of the House for 24 years, I look forward to helping our clients understand and navigate the process in our nation’s capital.”
Former U.S. Congressman Kenny Hulshof, who serves as chairman of KBS Group, said: “I served with John in Congress and am thrilled to be working with my good friend again. John’s decades of experience in successfully navigating Washington and his wealth of knowledge on diverse issues, from energy to defense, will be highly valuable to our clients.”
Matt Roney, KBS Group’s CEO, said: “During his long tenure in Congress, John was a key figure driving policy in a number of areas. The congressman will be an important resource to current and future clients and our entire team.”
KBS Group has offices in Kansas City, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
