Our Team
Our team of passionate and effective industry experts brings decades of experience to solve problems and tackle projects of all sizes.
Chris Gruwell
Chris Gruwell is the CEO of New Deal Advisers with a 20-year track record of successful advocacy in San Francisco. He has helped clients secure over $25 billion in government contracts, facilitated the entitlement of the Salesforce Tower and the Warriors' Chase Center, and tackled a range of local and state issues, including complex land use, procurement, new mobility, tech startups, hospitality, and labor.
Before his work in public affairs, Chris served as Finance Director for California Governor Gavin Newsom's successful 2004 mayoral campaign in San Francisco. He is a founding Trustee of the Laborers’ Community and Training Foundation and a member of LIUNA 261. Chris is also an Army veteran and served as a Veterans’ Affairs Commissioner for the City and County of San Francisco. He currently serves on the Board of the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation and was appointed to the California State Athletic Commission by Governor Newsom. He holds a degree from UCLA.
Laura Hilgart
Laura Hilgart is an effective advocate with experience serving a wide range of clients on both coasts. Before joining New Deal, she worked as a lobbyist for SF Platinum Advisors and at O’Neill and Associates – a public affairs, government relations, and crisis communications firm in Boston.
Previously, Laura worked at the French Consulate in Boston, Senator Kerry’s Office in Washington D.C., and the Associacion de Igualdad y Justicia in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is currently a member of the Urban Land Institute, the SF Bike Coalition, SPUR, Leadership San Francisco, the Alliance Francaise de San Francisco, and the Associate Board of Generation Citizen. Laura graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in International Relations.
Tom O’Connor
Tom O'Connor's career with the San Francisco Fire Department began in 1993, where he steadily ascended the ranks over nearly three decades of dedicated service. From his initial role as a firefighter, he transitioned to leadership positions, including Battalion Chief and Assistant Deputy Chief. In 2022, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Administration, overseeing critical divisions such as the Public Utilities Liaison Office and the Homeland Security Liaison Office for the City of San Francisco.
Tom's commitment to the welfare of his fellow firefighters and the community has been evident. He has been a member and served as President of the San Francisco Firefighters Union, co-founded the San Francisco Firefighters Cancer Prevention Foundation and is a member of the California Labor Federation. Tom earned a Master's Degree in Political Science from U.C. Davis.
Mark Gleason
Mark Gleason brings 40 years of experience as a trade unionist to New Deal Advisers. Prior to joining New Deal, Mark was the Principal Officer of the Teamsters Joint Council 7 representing 100,000 multi-craft workers across California and Northern Nevada, simultaneously serving as Principal Officer of the Teamsters Local 665.
He oversaw contract negotiations in the transportation, hospitality, logistics, and construction industries as well as expanding job opportunities for a diverse membership. Mark served as Chair of the Bay Area Automotive Group Health Plan, as Trustee to the The Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Trust, a multi-state retirement plan, and as a board member to numerous county and state public policy councils. Mark’s experience advocating for working women and men has given him a pragmatic approach to successfully execute complicated projects.
Peter Hutchinson
Peter Hutchinson works as New Deal’s Chief of Staff, coordinating the team’s efforts on various projects. Peter grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving to Washington, D.C. for school. There he earned a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Business Administration from American University. During his time in D.C., he worked for various organizations in a lobbying and research capacity including the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the Department of Education, and Thompson Coburn, LLP.
Kate Van Horne
Kate Van Horne works as NDA’s Business Operations Manager. Originally from Southern Oregon, Kate moved to San Francisco for college. At the University of San Francisco she earned a B.A. in International Studies. Kate has management experience in the food service industry and has worked as a research assistant in the human rights sector and the healthcare industry.