Our Team

The Carrara Nevada team works for you in Carson City on all our client issues. The team on the ground, led by Rocky Finseth, Jenny Reese and Connor Cain also includes  Ashley Cruz, and Samantha Sato.

Although not in Carson City on a daily basis, the rest of the Carrara Nevada team is consulted on a regular basis and is part of the strategic management team. Given the unique qualifications of each team member, this creates a winning combination for our clients.

Rocky Finseth

Rocky Finseth

President/CEO

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Rocky Finseth

President
Cell: (702) 785-8026

Rocky Finseth is the President and CEO of the Carrara Group, a government affairs and lobbying firm in Nevada. In existence for over two decades, the company provides lobbying expertise at a state and local level for all of its clients. Rocky leads the organization from a strategic and policy point of view. He regularly works alongside his talented team with most of the company’s clients, including helping to build the Nevada REALTORS into a political powerhouse in the state, and working to expand the political presence of our other array of clientele like the Hospital Corporation of America, the Nevada Bankers Association and PhRMA. His depth and breadth of policy experience in Nevada has been of huge assistance to many of our working partners – the Henderson Chamber of Commerce, Altria, Bank of America, the Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Amgen, GlaxoSmithKline, Greenwich Biopharmaceuticals, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, the Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada, the US Oncology Network, AIG, Assurant, Airbnb, RALI Nevada, the Nevada Land Title Association, Touro University, the Mechanical Contractors Association, and the Southern Nevada Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association. All in all, this diverse portfolio of clients ensures that Rocky and the rest of his team are involved in many of the most critical decisions made in Carson City and at the local level of government across the state.

In his time in Nevada, Rocky has grown the firm from a small boutique lobbying firm into one of the premiere firms in Carson City. His relationships with elected officials on both sides of the aisle provide our clients with access to key decisionmakers, and his strong advocacy for all of the firm’s clients sets he and his team apart from other firms in Nevada.

Prior to moving to Nevada, Rocky had a successful career at both the state and local levels of government in Hawaii, having served both the first Governor of Hawaiian ancestry and the first Chairman of the City and County of Honolulu of Polynesian ancestry as his chief of staff. He also spent some time in Washington, D.C., during the Clinton Administration serving as the Deputy Director for the State of Hawaii’s Washington D.C Office, where he worked on health care issues and international trade policy.

Rocky holds a degree in Political Science from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

Jenny Reese

Vice President

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Jenny Reese

Vice President
Cell: (775) 762-2966

Jenny Reese is a Vice President at Carrara Nevada, serving as one of the firm’s lead lobbyists at the state and local levels. Reese is well respected and is universally recognized for her integrity and honesty. Her knowledge of the players and her understanding of the issues and legislative process provides our firm’s clients with an additional layer of protection. She has been lobbying for the firm for over 15 years.

Reese came to the company in 2006 after serving one legislative session as a policy analyst for the Nevada Association of Counties (NACO), where she was actively involved in local government issues ranging from affordable housing to taxation. Prior to that, she lobbied for The McMullen Strategic Group, where she assisted a number of clients on behalf of the company’s principal during the 2003 legislative session.

Reese has served on several public and private groups, including Nevada Department of Transportation, Statewide Transportation Technical Advisory Committee, Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act Technical Advisory Committee, Public Lands Steering Group and the Washoe County Meth Community Response Working Group, to name a few. She also has served as Chair of the National Association of REALTORS® Government Affairs Directors Advisory Group.

Reese is a native Nevadan and a graduate of Bishop Manogue Catholic High School and the University of Nevada, Reno. She currently resides in Reno with her son, Bode.

Conor Cain

Connor Cain

Vice President

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Connor Cain

Vice President
Cell: (702) 994-8131

Connor Cain is a Vice President at Carrara Nevada, serving as one of the firm’s lead lobbyists at the state and local levels. He utilizes his legal and political background to represent and provide counsel to Carrara Nevada and its clients in legislative and other governmental arenas.

Connor has campaign and political experience, which is state of the art with respect to Nevada elections and their analysis. Connor's political experience has afforded him the ability to build strong relationships, which, combined with his reputation as a diligent worker have helped make him a very effective lobbyist. Notably, he has served as the industry point person on several complex pieces of proactive legislation, including an interchangeable biosimilar bill, a depository institution rate-parity bill and rate increases for pediatric and neonatal intensive care unit services. Connor is admitted to practice law in Nevada, focusing his practice on government affairs and has been named to the Super Lawyers Mountain States Rising Stars in consecutive years.

Prior to joining Carrara Nevada, Connor was a lobbyist for The McMullen Strategic Group. He graduated from the George Mason University School of Law where he was a law clerk for the United States Senate Committee on Finance and the National Labor Relations Board. Connor was a field organizer for former United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s campaign for United States Senate and the Field Director for former Clark County Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani’s campaign for Mayor of Las Vegas. In addition to receiving his Juris Doctor from George Mason, Connor received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame.

In his free time, Connor teaches Legislative Policy as an adjunct professor at the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV. He also serves on the board of the Nevada Youth Network and volunteers with its after-school program. Connor enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife, three children, and dog, Chico.

Isabelle Beaumont-Frenette

Director of Communications

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Isabelle Beaumont-Frenette

Director of Communications and Public Advocacy
Cell: (702) ​743-5804

Isabelle Beaumont-Frenette is the Director of Communications for Carrara Nevada. She works on outreach and communication with all of our clients. Beaumont-Frenette also serves as a backup to Reese during the legislative session. She is versed in fundraising and event planning, and is able to provide assistance to all of our firm's clients in these fields. Beaumont-Frenette is the editor in chief of many of the firm’s end of session reports and communication pieces during the session itself to our client base. She has extensive governmental experience having served in the Canadian government for many years. Her attention to detail is unmatched within the firm.

Joe Brezny

Director of Political Operations

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Joe Brezny

Director of Director of Political Operations
Cell: (702) 526-8178

Joe Brezny is the Director of Political Operations for the firm. He works with a number of our clients on issue advocacy, voter registration and GOTV mobilization. He joined Carrara Nevada after serving several terms as the Executive Director of the Nevada GOP State Senate caucus, where he established important relationships with senators on both sides of the aisle. His depth of experience with the inner workings of the Legislature, its players and personalities has proven to be invaluable to our clients. He also served as Mitt Romney’s Nevada State Director during his 2008 run for President, winning a six-way primary by a 39-point margin. From 2014 to 2016, he established the campaign and served as the spokesperson for Question 2, the statewide retail marijuana ballot initiative. Question 2 passed with a 9.5-point margin. Since then, he has assisted marijuana companies in opening more than a dozen additional local and state jurisdictions for retail marijuana sales.

Ashley Cruz

Director of Strategic Planning and Initiatives

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Ashley Cruz

Director of Strategic Planning and Initiatives
Cell: (702) 861-8242

Ashley Cruz is the Director of Strategic Planning and Initiatives. Cruz assists with research and policy advocacy, while monitoring and tracking legislation and regulations for clients. Cruz travels up to Carson City to assist in lobbying efforts during the legislative sessions.

Prior to joining Carrara Nevada, Cruz fundraised for statewide candidates for Attorney General and Lt. Governor; served as a legislative assistant to the State Senate Minority Leader; and was an Event Coordinator for Toiyabe Golf Course. Ashley is a born and raised Native Nevadan who graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno where she earned her degree in Communications and Political Science.

Aodhan Downey

Director of Government Affairs

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Aodhan Downey

Director of Government Affairs
Cell: 775-870-6226

Aodhan Downey is a Government Affairs Director in Northern Nevada. He primarily works with REALTOR® associations in Northern Nevada but he also assists with campaign research, ballot initiatives, and legislative analysis.

Aodhan was raised in San Francisco before moving to Nevada in 2017. He is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Reno with bachelor's degrees in Political Science and Sociology. During his time at the University of Nevada, Reno, he served as the event coordinator and team captain of the school rugby club.

Serena Kasama

Director of Government Affairs

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Serena Kasama

Director of Government Affairs
Cell: 725-230-8788

Prior to joining Carrara Nevada, Serena Kasama had her Broker Salesperson license at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices of Nevada where she predominantly worked in residential sales. Serena Kasama also simultaneously worked on Heidi Kasama’s 2020 campaign for Assembly District 2. Before real estate and campaigning, Serena Kasama worked for two years as a legislative assistant for Congressman Joe Heck and she also worked in wealth management in San Francisco.

Serena Kasama grew up in Las Vegas and graduated from Faith Lutheran High School. She would go on to graduate from the University of San Francisco where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Finance with a Minor in Economics.

Kelly Knight

Assistant to the President

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Kelly Knight

Assistant to the President
Cell: (702) 219-7712

Kelly Knight is the newest member to join the Carrara Nevada team. Kelly is a CPA who graduated from Lehigh University. Kelly has a wealth of experience in the business world having seen successful stints at both Altria, a client of Carrara Nevada, where she served as a financial analyst, and at PWC in New York City. Kelly is an accomplished photographer in her own right where she has owned and operated a portrait photography studio in Summerlin, Kelly Knight Photography, for over 15 years. 

Kelly has a strong background in mental health awareness. She has done extensive volunteer work over the last 8 years with non-profit organizations in Nevada including Nevada Youth Network and Adam’s Place where she is a peer support facilitator teaching children how to cope with trauma and loss. She and her daughter began their own nonprofit, ACE Aware, in 2019 to provide training to various industries including education, health care, social workers, etc. on how to support people who have experienced childhood trauma. Kelly still serves as the organization’s President. 

Kelly serves as a Special Assistant to the President of Carrara Nevada. She is the mother of two extraordinary children, Peyton and Robert.

jake

Jake Matthews

Deputy Director of Strategic Planning and Initiatives

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Jake Matthews

Deputy Director of Strategic Planning and Initiatives
Cell: (775) 484-0379‬

Jake Matthews assists with research and policy advocacy, while monitoring and tracking legislation for clients. His extensive background in Nevada politics provides him with invaluable knowledge of the state’s political and legislative landscape.
Prior to joining Carrara, Jake worked as the Political Director for the Nevada Assembly Democratic Caucus where he established strong relationships with legislators and community partners, while helping secure a legislative supermajority for the 2023 session. Before that, he served as a legislative assistant during the 2021 session and worked as an organizer on the 2016 and 2020 statewide coordinated campaigns. He also spent several years living and working abroad as an English teacher and at an NGO youth center. Jake graduated from the University of California, San Diego where he earned his degree in International Relations and Political Science.

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Gayle Nadeau

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Gayle Nadeau

Administrative Assistant
Cell: 775-301-9095

Gayle Nadeau serves as an Administrative Assistant for Carrara Nevada. In that position, Gayle fills a variety of roles for the principals of the firm relying on her years of experience working at the Nevada Legislature and at the Incline Village General Improvement District (IVGID). Prior to joining Carrara Nevada, Gayle enjoyed an illustrious career within the Legislative Counsel Bureau (LCB) where she served as a Research Policy Assistant in the Research Division. In that capacity, Gayle had relationships with a multitude of legislators, and as a staff person to the Public Lands Committee. Gayle travelled the state attending Public Lands Committee meetings, and spending one-on-one time with legislators on the Committee.

Gayle grew up in Crescent City, California, and she attended the University of Nevada Reno, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with a minor in art.

Samantha Sato

Samantha Sato

Director of Legislative Affairs and Operation

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Samantha Sato

Director of Legislative Affairs and Operations
Cell: (702) 994-8304

Samantha Sato is the Director of Legislative Affairs and Operations for Carrara Nevada. She assists with research, analysis and advocacy for public policy, legislative, and political issues while monitoring state and local regulations. Samantha oversees the team of legislative externs in Carson City.

Prior to joining Carrara, Sato had the opportunity to be a part of the Vegas Golden Knights organization, in their historic inaugural season. Samantha holds a bachelor’s degree in Business, Management from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Peyton Barsel

Joe Locatelli

Director of Government Affairs

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Joe Locatelli

Director of Government Affairs
Cell: (702) 569-2704

Joe Locatelli is a legislative team specialist based in Southern Nevada, specializing in private property and tax policy. His diverse background in public policy and political management provides our clients with critical insight and analysis in issue development and strategic planning. Locatelli has served on the staff of numerous elected officials in Nevada, including former Lieutenant Governor Lorraine Hunt and former Congressman Jim Gibbons. Locatelli is also a proud military veteran having served time in the United States Marine Corp. He is a graduate of the University of Hawaii and has a master’s degree from Harvard University.

Carrara Nevada is a proud member of the
National Association of State Lobbyists (NASL)

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