WASHINGTON D.C. – Forbes Tate Partners (FTP) is proud to announce the promotion of Andrew Freedman as a public affairs partner and the addition of Colin Tooze as a senior vice president in the state government relations practice.
“Andrew’s promotion is a testament to his deep expertise in growing issue areas like cannabis and tech that have made him an invaluable resource to our clients as we continue to expand our reach,” said Founding Partner Dan Tate. “We are thrilled to have Andrew continue to bring his expertise to our clients in this new role.”
Freedman made history in 2014 when he was appointed to serve as Colorado’s first cannabis czar after the state legalized adult-use cannabis and subsequently worked directly for dozens of state governments implementing cannabis legalization. In his tenure at FTP, Freedman has successfully established and led the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation (CPEAR), the leading coalition advocating in support of federal regulatory reform of cannabis. Freedman has received national recognition for his leadership. Most recently, Forbes Magazine named Freedman one of the five most influential voices in cannabis policy on a list also featuring Snoop Dogg, Charles Koch, and several U.S. senators and representatives.
Tooze joins FTP’s well-established state team with 15 years of in-house corporate experience managing government relations and public affairs efforts at Expedia, Uber, and the proptech startup Pacaso. As an early leader at Uber, Tooze led teams responsible for passing favorable ridesharing laws in 10 states. He spearheaded dozens of successful state, county, and local campaigns for Uber, including high-stakes legislative and regulatory campaigns in Washington, D.C., Miami, Boston, Los Angeles, Paris, and New York City.
“We view state government affairs as an area of focus and growth for our firm and a critical part of any corporate advocacy strategy,” shared Founding Partner Jeff Forbes. “That is why we brought in an insightful and effective state strategist like Colin who can help our clients understand the issues of the day in state capitols that are ultimately driving policy conversations nationwide.”
FTP has been highlighted as one of Bloomberg’s top performing lobbying firms and as one of PR News’ Agency Elite Top 100 agencies, recognizing the leading public relations practices in the country.
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About Forbes Tate Partners:
Forbes Tate Partners is a bipartisan, full-service public affairs consultancy specializing in government relations, grassroots advocacy, strategic communications, fundraising, and business development. The firm’s primary areas of specialty are the development and implementation of bipartisan lobbying and advocacy strategies related to tax, health care, natural resource management, trade, energy, telecommunications, outdoor recreation, appropriations, and agriculture. Jeff Forbes and Dan Tate, Jr. founded the firm in 2012.