EXPERIENCED
LEADERSHIP
Paul A. Hanley
Managing Director
Paul A. Hanley, Managing Director of Beyond Your Base, a consulting group of Wight & Company, has been involved with hundreds of successful tax-related ballot measures over the past 30 years on behalf of municipalities, counties, school districts, community colleges and special districts throughout the nation.
With a strong commitment to meeting both the needs of his clients and their respective taxpayers, Mr. Hanley has been extremely successful in helping to generate strong voter support for bond ballot measures and other tax-related referenda.
Mr. Hanley coordinates a team of seasoned writers, graphic designers, voter database specialists and public opinion research professionals who are uniquely experienced in helping public entities implement comprehensive public information programs. Among Mr. Hanley’s areas of expertise include:
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Community Outreach Programs
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Voter Analytics
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Public Opinion Research
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Community Task Force Facilitation
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Pre-Referendum Training
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Campaign Management​
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Mr. Hanley is a frequent speaker on public policy and election strategy at local, state and national conferences.
Mr. Hanley holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and master’s degree from the University of Colorado Denver.
Skylar White
Senior Associate
Skylar White, a Senior Associate, leads data and voter analytics, and digital/community outreach efforts for Beyond Your Base. He also spearheads internal growth initiatives and is involved in the day-to-day management of pre-referendum engagements and campaigns.
In addition to government consulting positions with Deloitte and Accenture, Skylar previously founded and managed a polling firm that harnessed big data from Google searches and social media to predict elections more accurately than traditional polling methods, and to study public opinion on behalf of government, industry, and political clients.
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Skylar holds an M.S. in Business Information and Analytics from the University of Denver and a B.A. in Politics from Washington and Lee University.
Kim LaPat
Senior Writer/Editor
With more than 20 years of writing and editing experience, Kim supports Beyond Your Base clients in developing key messaging and communications pieces at various phases of the pre-referendum planning effort. She has been involved in crafting communication materials on behalf of school districts, special districts and municipalities in a variety of states.
Kim has a bachelor’s degree in English with a secondary education emphasis. Prior to joining BYB, she served as a staff editor for Wight & Company as well as a freelancer writer/editor focused on developing educational textbooks, middle school workbooks, and materials for early learning centers. She was also previously a high school educator.
Warren Howell
Senior Graphic Designer
Warren Howell, Senior Graphic Designer with Beyond Your Base, has more than 30 years of design experience, including expertise with print, web, digital, video, and photography.
Warren oversees art direction and graphic design for BYB’s highest profile engagements. He has experience working on both pre-referendum programs and campaigns on behalf of municipalities, counties, school districts, community colleges, park and recreation districts, fire districts, library districts, and other public entities.
Since 2014, Warren has been involved with more than 75 successful referenda, totaling billions of dollars in funding to address capital improvements and operating needs.
Brad Paulsen
Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer
Wight & Company
Brad Paulsen played a lead role in the creation of Beyond Your Base and provides oversight in connection with business development, staffing and the firm’s overall service offering.
Brad has special expertise in the PK-12 education market and often participates in the early planning stages of pre-referendum engagements on behalf of BYB’s largest school district clients.
As a member and past President of his local board of education, Brad brings a unique insight into the delicate balance between student learning, capital programs, fiscal responsibility, and the importance of engaging the community. He has helped numerous districts achieve referendum success.