Reese Goldsmith

Head of Government Affairs

Reese Goldsmith is Head of Government Affairs at Ara Partners and is based in Washington, D.C. Reese oversees the firm’s government affairs strategy, policy monitoring, and outreach to key elected officials across portfolio companies.

Prior to joining Ara, Reese was a Senior Policy Advisor at Holland & Knight, LLP, a leading U.S. law and lobbying firm. At Holland & Knight, she helped secure over $1 billion in federal grants and loans through programs funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. Before joining Holland & Knight, Reese was an Associate and Policy Advisor in the Energy, Environment, and Resources Strategies Group at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, the number one U.S. lobbying firm by revenue. While at Brownstein, she also led advocacy for small business COVID-19 relief efforts to ensure the hardest-hit businesses could benefit from the $953 billion in Paycheck Protection Program loans. Prior to private practice, Reese worked across several federal agencies on energy and environmental law and policy. Reese completed clerkships at the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy and the U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division Law and Policy Section. Reese also contracted with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office.

Reese attended Virginia Tech and received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She received her Juris Doctor from the Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law in Washington, DC. In her spare time, Reese enjoys escaping to Virginia Hunt Country with her Labrador Retriever Lily, viewing exhibits at the Phillips Collection, and mentoring students through the D.C. Bar’s Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Section Law Fellows Program.

Colin St. Maxens

Senior Policy Advisor

Colin St. Maxens is a Senior Policy Advisor at Ara Partners, based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. He provides strategic guidance on trade and tax policy, ensuring Ara’s portfolio companies are positioned to succeed in a complex global landscape.

Prior to joining Ara, Colin spent over a decade in the U.S. Senate, working for the Senate Committee on Finance and serving as a key advisor to Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho. As a policy advisor to the Senate Finance Committee, he drafted and negotiated significant trade legislation, such as the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st-Century Trade and the suspension of Russia’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations status. He also represented the Senate Finance Committee in high-level trade negotiations, including World Trade Organization Ministerial Conferences, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forums, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, and the U.S-Kenya Strategic Investment Partnership.

Colin earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Pennsylvania. Outside of work, Colin enjoys playing golf, hiking, and fishing. He lives in Arlington, Virginia, with his wife, daughter and dog.

Erika Gerstenberger

Policy Counsel

Erika Gerstenberger is Policy Counsel at Ara Partners, based in Washington, D.C. She advises on regulatory and legislative developments to maximize opportunities for government incentives and minimize legal risk, including strategic guidance on how government actions may affect portfolio companies and how to engage policymakers to achieve positive outcomes for the firm and portfolio companies.

Before joining Ara, she served as an Attorney-Advisor in the U.S. EPA’s Office of General Counsel in the Air and Radiation Law Office, where she advised senior leadership on Clean Air Act regulatory development, drafted and defended complex rulemakings, and coordinated closely with DOJ in appellate litigation. Previously, as a Law Fellow at the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development, she managed a global strategic climate litigation portfolio, developed science-based legal strategies, organized high-level climate science trainings, and engaged with international treaty bodies and policymakers. In private practice, Erika represented clients in large-scale renewable energy siting and permitting at the boutique environmental law firm Young Sommer, LLC. She also clerked at the New York State Attorney General’s Office in the Environmental Protection Bureau, where she supported enforcement and advisory work on a wide range of environmental statutes.

Erika holds a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School, a Master of Science in Law and Public Policy from Northeastern University, and a dual-major Bachelor of Science in pre-law track programs from the State University of New York.

Outside of work, Erika enjoys traveling the globe, playing piano, visiting museums, and all manner of outdoor activities with her partner, daughter, and dog.

Kiran Garewal

Policy Associate, Government Affairs

Kiran Garewal is a Policy Associate on the Government Affairs team at Ara Partners. He assists with government relations and policy development on behalf of portfolio companies.

Before joining Ara, Kiran interned at Boundary Stone Partners, a climate-focused government affairs firm, where he supported domestic solar manufacturers in advocating for favorable implementation of federal legislation. He also spent two legislative sessions interning in the Georgia State Capitol, first for Holland & Knight, LLP, and most recently for House Democratic Whip Sam Park.

Kiran holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology. In his free time, he enjoys long walks and exploring the cuisine of Washington, DC.