Oliver Spurgeon III*

Senior Government Relations Director

Oliver leverages his experience on Capitol Hill, appearing before the District of Columbia government, and within advocacy organizations to provide bipartisan lobbying services, legislative strategy, and advice on policy matters.

Oliver Spurgeon III Portrait

Oliver serves as a guiding hand in Washington for some of the world’s largest companies and shapes policy on behalf of foreign governments, impactful nonprofit organizations, hospitals and health clinics, and colleges and universities. His strong ties to Republican and Democratic policymakers in both Chambers of Congress and his background as a legislative staffer for a leading Member of Congress, private consultant, and lobbyist for several national trade associations give Oliver deep insight into the political workings of Capitol Hill.

As a member of the Government Relations practice, Oliver represents clients on a range of issues before the U.S. Congress, Executive Branch agencies, and the government of the District of Columbia, including transportation, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement, Health and Human Services appropriations, drug pricing, tax, trade, and education policy. Oliver regularly engages the Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Education and Labor, Judiciary, HELP, and Commerce Committees, and he brings valuable knowledge of immigration, artificial intelligence, and antitrust issues to the Government Relations group, having worked for Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04).

In addition to his close ties to Georgia’s Congressional delegation, Oliver collaborates with senior policymakers in Washington to support a stronger safety net for working families, promote sensible tech policy, and provide access to the halls of power for grassroots advocates. 

*Oliver is not a member of the legal practice.

Previous Work

Prior to joining ArentFox Schiff, Oliver was the Deputy Director of Federal Affairs at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). At NACHC, Oliver advised the C-suite, board of directors, and 11,000 health centers on strategy, policy analysis, and advocacy issues to help secure $7.9 billion in federal funding that reached 28 million people. In addition, Oliver fostered relationships with elected officials and administrators while partnering with key stakeholders to align strategic messaging, advocacy, and crisis communication on evolving state and federal policy developments from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Federal Drug Administration, and Health Resources and Services Administration.

Before joining NACHC, Oliver was the Manager of Government Affairs at the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). In that role, he also supported the C-suite and board of directors in executing an $18 million budget to serve 50,000 members, evaluated federal and state health care regulations and legislation, and led NRPA in finding solutions to reduce hunger and improve health.

Prior to his association lobbying experiences, Oliver served for five years on the Washington, DC, staff of Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), where he covered health policy, tax, education, and other issues. He spent two years in the Congressman’s Atlanta-area office, where he was the liaison to municipal governments, colleges and universities, the business community, and other stakeholders. 

Life Beyond the Law

In his spare time, Oliver remains active in nonprofit and political causes dedicated to expanding access, opportunity, and economic advancement for residents of the District of Columbia. He sits on the Board of Directors of the United Planning Organization (UPO) as the Ward 8A-05 representative.

Perspectives