Ballard Partners’ 13th & Park welcomes current and former chiefs of staff
Chiefs of staff play a crucial role in helping elected officials, agency heads, and other high-level leaders to navigate complex political, organizational, and policy matters. Over the last few years, Ballard Partners’ popular digital program, 13th & Park, has featured several current and former chiefs of staff who have discussed their careers with host Adam Goodman. Let’s learn more about each of these professionals.
Stephanie Haridopolos
Stephanie Haridopolos brings extensive experience as a board-certified physician to the Office of the Surgeon General of the United States. In her capacity as the chief of staff since 2025, she focuses on providing leadership aimed at creating a healthier nation. She discussed her responsibilities, which include promoting the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, on a January episode of 13th & Park.
Previously, Haridopolos served as the board chair of Florida Healthy Kids, a nonprofit through which she played a key role in expanding healthcare access for children in the Sunshine State. In 2024, she was named a Florida Outstanding Woman in Public Health.
Haridopolos’ passion for public health was sparked when, as a 4-year-old, she was treated for a serious congenital heart condition. The experience has influenced her patient-centered approach to medicine.
Brian Ballard
Before he became the founding president of Ballard Partners, Brian Ballard was the chief of staff for Florida governor Bob Martinez. His responsibilities in the governor’s office included guiding multiple landmark environmental policies, including one that ended offshore drilling in southeast Florida. His accomplishments resulted in recognition from The American Lawyer as one of the best attorneys in Energy, Environmental, and Natural Resources Law.
Later, Brian Ballard transitioned to the private sector, establishing Ballard Partners, which he has expanded from a single office in Tallahassee, Florida, into one of the world’s foremost public affairs firms. Working from offices in Washington, DC, Tallahassee, and elsewhere, he guides the firm in providing unsurpassed advocacy to leading organizations.
Brian Ballard detailed his career path on a November episode of 13th & Park. Some of the topics covered during his conversation with Goodman included his decades-long relationship with President Donald Trump and how Ballard was responsible for introducing Trump’s current chief of staff, Susie Wiles, to the president.
Lai Mohammed
As the manager partner of Ballard Partners’ offices in Abuja and Lagos, Nigeria, Lai Mohammed is carving out a presence for the firm in West Africa. Mohammed comes to this position after having previously served as chief of staff to Nigerian president Bola Tinubu. In a June 2023 episode of 13th & Park, he explained how, as the largest nation in Africa, Nigeria will play a major role in reshaping the world.
Mohammed has been a key figure in Nigeria’s fourth republic since its inception in 1999. Along with his responsibilities as the president’s chief of staff, he has served as the national spokesperson for the opposition and as Nigeria’s first two-term minister of information and culture.
Lucas Moskowitz
Lucas Moskowitz serves as the general counsel at Robinhood Markets, Inc. Before he joined the financial services company, he was the chief of staff at the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Working under Chairman Jay Clayton, he spent more than two years supporting the agency’s mission.
Moskowitz rose to chief of staff after holding several counsel positions at the SEC, including a position as a senior counsel in the Division of Enforcement. During his time in government, he has also served as a counsel to the Financial Services Committee in the US House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs in the US Senate.
As general counsel at Robinhood, Moskowitz oversees legal and government affairs matters. On a May 2023 episode of 13th & Park, he discussed how his company has transformed the financial services industry.