Colin Brainard
Colin Brainard

Colin Brainard, who did a four-year stint as Walmart’s top federal lobbyist, has joined Alpine Group’s tax practice.

As Walmart’s director of federal government affairs, Brainard led advocacy efforts on tax, health and benefits issues before Congress and the Administration.

He served as the retail giant’s liaison with the White House and Dept. of Health and Human Services on COVID-19 pandemic response related to vaccination, testing and mask distribution.

Brainard also was chief of staff to Kansas Republican Steve Watkins, and deputy chief of staff to Erik Paulsen (R-MN), and Lynn Jenkins (R-KS).

Alpine expects the incoming administration will trigger the “Super Bowl” of debates as Congress focuses on renewing the expiring credits that were passed into law during Trump’s first term. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 costs almost $5T, and impacted companies, sectors and individuals across the economy.

Keenan Austin Reed, said Brainard’s “deep understanding of tax policy and its legislative intricacies makes him uniquely positioned to guide Alpine’s clients through the high stakes discussions around tax reform, capturing details and staying ahead of legislative shifts.”

Public Policy Holding Company owns Alpine Group.