We invite you to join us for an exclusive webinar featuring Friend of NACA, The Ferguson Group (TFG), a leading federal advocacy firm serving local governments across the country.
This timely session will provide county administrators with strategic insights on:
The current state of federal grants and NOFOs
Transportation reauthorization and its local implications
WRDA 2026: What’s ahead for water infrastructure
A “DC Download” covering the latest from Congress, federal agencies, and the White House
Whether you're planning projects, pursuing funding, or advocating for your community, this webinar will equip you with the latest intelligence and actionable takeaways.
DATE: November 13, 2025
TIME: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST
LOCATION: Virtual (Zoom). A recording will be provided. Live attendance is encouraged.
Speakers:
Zach Israel
Kristi More
Jennifer Imo
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Jennifer Imo, joined TFG in 2002 and serves as the Managing Partner of the firm's Advocacy Division. She is recognized for her leadership in representing local governments, with expertise in community and economic development, transportation, public works, criminal justice, and public safety. In addition to her work with individual municipalities, Jennifer serves as Federal Director of NATaT, advocating for over 10,000 towns and townships nationwide.
Jennifer delivers strategic consulting and federal advocacy services, guiding her clients in developing innovative solutions to local challenges and securing funding for priority projects. Through her effective strategies and strong relationships with congressional offices and federal agencies, she has helped clients obtain hundreds of millions of dollars in federal appropriations, authorizations, competitive grants, and cost savings over her nearly 24-year tenure at TFG.
Jennifer has cultivated strong, productive relationships between her clients, federal agencies, and White House staff across multiple administrations. She actively lobbies Congress on a wide range of legislative issues affecting local governments and collaborates closely with national organizations such as NACo, NLC, USCM, ICMA, GFOA, and others to shape impactful legislation. Her work with the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has included drafting and promoting legislation that supports fire departments nationwide. Jennifer is also a frequent speaker at conferences and webinars, where she focuses on helping communities navigate federal resources to advance local priorities and initiatives.
She earned her B.A. in Political Science and Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and her J.D. from Wake Forest University. She joined TFG in 2002 after working as a litigation associate at Moore and Van Allen, PLLC in Charlotte, NC. Jennifer lives in Alexandria, VA, with her husband, Kenneth, three daughters, and two dogs.
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Zach Israel, joined TFG in 2015 and serves as a Principal and Manager of Legislative Affairs. He specializes in helping local governments navigate the federal landscape to secure funding and shape policy outcomes across a wide range of issue areas, including transportation, water infrastructure, agriculture, homeland security, energy and environment, housing, and appropriations.
With over a decade of experience in federal legislative affairs, Zach has built a strong reputation for his strategic advocacy and deep understanding of Congressional processes. He works closely with local government staff and elected officials to ensure their communities benefit from federal programs and legislation that improve quality of life. Zach has successfully delivered funding and policy wins for clients by forging strong relationships with Congressional offices and federal agencies. Since 2021, Zach has helped secure more than $100 million in enacted congressionally directed spending requests for local government projects.
As Manager of Legislative Affairs, Zach leads TFG’s legislative tracking and analysis efforts, monitoring key developments in Congress such as the annual appropriations process, Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), surface transportation reauthorization, and National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) reauthorization, among others. He also edits TFG’s weekly Legislative Update, providing clients with timely insights and analysis on federal legislative activity impacting local governments, and contributes to TFG’s bi-weekly Transportation Notes and Infrastructure Funding Bulletin newsletters.
Before joining TFG, Zach worked in the Government Affairs department at the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), the oldest international organization devoted to investor protection. There, he conducted policy and legal research on federal and state financial regulation and educated Congressional staff on securities issues across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He also served as Field Director and Policy Research Associate on a Congressional campaign in his home state of New Jersey, and interned during college for several Members of Congress.
Zach received his B.A. in Political Studies from Bard College. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, Juliana, and their two sons.
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Kristi More, joined TFG in 2000 and serves as the Managing Partner of the firm's Grants Division. She specializes in helping local governments, special districts, and public agencies nationwide secure federal funding for critical infrastructure, public safety, water, transportation, economic development, and rural community projects.
With more than twenty-five years of experience, Kristi has built a national reputation for her expertise in the federal grants process—from early project positioning and strategic grant seeking to successful application development and post-award support. Under her leadership, TFG’s Grants Division has grown into one of the premier resources for communities pursuing federal, state, and foundation funding opportunities. Kristi and her team guide clients through every stage of the funding process, helping them secure hundreds of millions of dollars to advance local priorities.
Born and raised in a small, rural county in California rich in natural resources and federal lands, Kristi has a deep personal understanding of the challenges smaller communities face when addressing critical needs with limited resources. She has worked tirelessly to expand TFG’s grants services to rural and underserved areas, ensuring they are positioned for success in an increasingly competitive funding environment.
Kristi’s expertise spans a broad range of federal funding programs, including projects for 911 dispatch centers, library modernization, sewer and stormwater infrastructure, economic development initiatives, public safety and emergency response, regional transportation systems, water conservation, and drinking and wastewater treatment.
In addition to her work with local governments, Kristi leads TFG’s partnerships with the National Special Districts Association – the only national organization advocating for special districts across the United States – and the California Association of Counties – the voice of California counties at the state and federal levels – offering both groups and their members access to specialized grant consulting services.
Kristi received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of California at Davis. She is a frequent speaker on the federal grants process, funding strategies for infrastructure projects, and opportunities for rural and special district communities. Kristi also serves on TFG’s Management Committee.