Capitol Communications Group

Your voice in the rooms where decisions are made.

Capitol Communications Group is a full-service government and public affairs firm — professional, ethical, diligent representation at the State House and before municipal government, built on relationships that endure.

01 / Services

Policy strategy supported by disciplined public affairs.

We work at the intersection of public policy and public opinion, giving clients clear strategy and steady representation in high-stakes environments.

Government Relations

Access opens doors. Strategy wins outcomes.

Ensuring the most important doors in the state are always open to our clients, Capitol Communications Group builds a winning strategy around each engagement—combining deep knowledge of the legislative process, proactive communications, and thoroughly researched, cleanly drafted public policy that policymakers can enthusiastically support. We represent clients before legislative and executive branches at the state and municipal levels, as well as state agencies, boards, and commissions.

Relationships are the foundation of everything we do—not the kind that come and go with an election cycle, but those built over years, across administrations, and throughout state government. Our team has maintained strong working relationships across administrations and through changes in leadership at the state and municipal level. That continuity keeps a client’s priorities moving forward.

We bring a business background to every engagement, allowing us to understand client needs as an operator would, not just an advocate. We’re the steady hand in the room when things get complicated—the realist who tells everyone around the table what they need to hear, not just what they want to hear. We put every card on the table, stay in the fight through rough patches, and work toward resolution rather than walking away at the first sign of resistance.

For public- and private-sector clients alike, we maintain a constant presence at the State House, fiercely advocating to protect their interests and pushing back when political problems threaten hardworking men and women. Our professionals draw on deep public policy backgrounds to draft strong legislation and fully advance our clients’ interests.

What we do

  • Legislative and regulatory advocacy, state and municipal
  • Bill tracking, drafting, and coalition strategy
  • Executive branch and agency relations
  • Boards and commissions representation
  • Budget and appropriations advocacy

Public Affairs

Message Discipline for Policy Fights

Legislative success rarely happens in a vacuum; it is shaped by how an issue is framed before it ever reaches a hearing room or leadership’s office. We help clients build the public affairs case that supports their advocacy through message development, stakeholder positioning, and strategic communications timed to the legislative calendar.

This is not a standalone PR practice. It is a public affairs practice in service of the policy outcome, built by the same team running your government relations strategy.

What we do

  • Message development and issue framing
  • Stakeholder and coalition communications
  • Strategic positioning tied to legislative timelines

02 / About us

Bridging business and government.

Professional, ethical, and diligent representation for clients navigating consequential public decisions.

Capitol Communications Group is a full-service government and public affairs firm. We bridge the gap between the private and public sectors by combining unmatched business experience with political expertise and a deep understanding of the nuances of the political process. When business leaders and public officials are speaking different languages, we help create a productive path forward.

In a state where everyone knows each other, “what you know” is as important as “who you know.” Our relationships endure across administrations, leadership changes, and election cycles because we treat them as long-term investments, not transactions. That continuity is matched by a keen understanding of the legislative process and the knowledge that winning in the court of public opinion is often just as important as winning in the halls of government.

Strong policy and targeted communications matter as much as access to key lawmakers. Our statutory drafting skills and extensive legal and policy research experience allow us to craft practical solutions to complex public policy problems—bringing clients honest counsel, persistence, and relationships built over years rather than news cycles.

03 / Practice areas

Experience across the issues that move Rhode Island forward.

Just a sampling of our practice areas:

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Budget Allocations
  • Corporate & Regulatory Affairs
  • Economic Development
  • Education
  • Emerging Technology
  • Energy
  • Healthcare
  • Labor
  • Law Enforcement
  • Mental Health
  • Municipal Issues
  • Nonprofit Advocacy
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Procurement
  • Real Estate Development
  • Sports Wagering & Gaming
  • Technology
  • Workforce Development

04 / Team

Experienced advocates. Practical counsel.

Our team combines government affairs, legal, campaign, communications, and economic development experience.

Partner

Peter A. Baptista

Peter A. Baptista is the government affairs specialist that Fortune 500 companies, major nonprofits, health care organizations, trade associations, developers, and professional sports executives turn to when they need to drive an agenda in Rhode Island government. Baptista has a well-earned reputation as one of Rhode Island's most effective lobbyists, having navigated some of the most complex legislative fights in recent years.

Associate

Joseph P. Baxter, Esq.

Before joining Capitol Communications Group, Joe spent nearly a decade working in various roles at the Rhode Island General Assembly, and clerked for Chief Justice Paul A. Suttell of the Rhode Island Supreme Court. He was deeply involved in drafting, tracking, and amending legislation, working directly with senators, staff, and stakeholders to advance priorities through the legislative process. An effective communicator and problem solver, Joe is a knowledgeable and capable navigator of government issues.

Partner

Zachary G. Darrow, Esq.

Zachary G. Darrow, Esq. serves as Chairman & CEO of DarrowEverett LLP and leads its Private Equity, Capital Markets & Securities Practice Group, drawing on two decades as a dealmaker in sophisticated transactions. He also brings extensive government affairs experience representing developers and entrepreneurs before state and local bodies across Rhode Island and Massachusetts, including advocacy to restore and improve Rhode Island’s Historic Tax Credit Program. A former Special Advisor to the Mayor of Providence, Zach combines corporate, real estate, and public-sector experience to help clients navigate complex matters.

Partner

Nicholas J. Hemond, Esq.

Nick Hemond works daily with legislative and executive leaders to ensure his clients' interests are powerfully communicated, understood, and advanced, drawing on 12 years of experience with clients ranging from the state's hospitals to national nonprofit organizations and many of Rhode Island's most significant economic development projects. A practicing attorney, he currently serves as Assistant City Solicitor in Central Falls and as outside counsel to several other local governments. A lifelong Rhode Islander, Nick earned his law degree from the Roger Williams University School of Law.

Partner

Peter A. Baptista

Peter A. Baptista is the government affairs specialist that Fortune 500 companies, major nonprofits, health care organizations, trade associations, developers, and professional sports executives turn to when they need to drive an agenda in Rhode Island government. Baptista has a well-earned reputation as one of Rhode Island's most effective lobbyists and has successfully navigated some of the most complex and contentious legislative fights in recent years, including the effort to bring professional soccer to Rhode Island and to secure long-overdue budget allocations for primary care doctors and multiple non-profits.

Before launching a public affairs practice in 2017, Baptista was among the state's most sought-after political campaign strategists. As a senior leader with the Rhode Island Democratic Party, Baptista has played a crucial role in helping elect Democratic candidates up and down the ballot, including then-Governor (and current U.S. Commerce Secretary) Gina Raimondo and then-Lt. Governor (and current Governor) Dan McKee. Baptista has also led regional advance operations for national Democrats, including Presidents Biden and Clinton.

Associate

Joseph P. Baxter, Esq.

Before joining Capitol Communications Group, Joe spent nearly a decade working in various roles at the Rhode Island General Assembly. Joe also clerked for Chief Justice Paul A. Suttell of the Rhode Island Supreme Court, adding valuable judicial insights and strong legal research and writing skills to his legislative experience.

He was deeply involved in drafting, tracking, and amending legislation, working directly with senators, staff, and stakeholders to navigate complex policy issues and advance priorities through the legislative process.

In addition to his policy and committee work, Joe actively participated in the political side of the Senate, successfully managing a reelection campaign for a member of Senate leadership and assisting with numerous other campaigns over the past decade.

Joe is an effective communicator and problem solver, which helps him advocate successfully for clients and their interests. Furthermore, Joe's experience in state government has made him a knowledgeable and capable navigator of government issues.

Partner

Zachary G. Darrow, Esq.

Zachary G. Darrow brings more than two decades of experience at the intersection of law, business, and government to his lobbying and government relations practice. A nationally recognized dealmaker, Zach has built his career on bringing together the public, private, and government sectors to attract and retain employers, catalyze investment, and drive economic growth in communities across Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and beyond.

Zach's practice is grounded in deep, hands-on experience guiding large-scale projects from concept through capitalization, entitlement, and completion. He has led complex public-private partnerships across multiple jurisdictions, assembling the financing structures, regulatory approvals, and stakeholder coalitions needed to move transformative projects forward. His transactional background spans mergers and acquisitions, private equity and securities, joint ventures and strategic partnerships, equity and debt financings, restructurings and workouts, and sophisticated real estate transactions — giving him an unusually comprehensive understanding of what it takes to get deals done at every level.

That deal-making experience extends across a wide range of industries, including renewable energy, commercial real estate, hospitality, health care, media and entertainment, commercial lending and structured finance, technology and software, and the retail and service sectors. His multi-jurisdictional and national reach allows him to bring best practices and creative solutions to Rhode Island and Massachusetts engagements while leveraging relationships and insights developed on a broader stage.

Zach has extensive government affairs experience representing commercial developers, entrepreneurs, and business interests before state and local bodies throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts. As a former Special Advisor to the Mayor of Providence, he counseled city officials on landmark legislation involving the development and regulation of the Providence "Knowledge District" and advised the Mayor's office during negotiations with major tax-exempt institutions as part of a plan to help restore the city to fiscal stability.

At the state level, Zach has represented many businesses on economic development issues before the Rhode Island General Assembly. In that capacity, among other legislative efforts, he authored legislation to restore and improve the State Historic Tax Credit Program and crafted legislation creating a program to return abandoned credits to use for current projects. He also has more than 20 years of experience representing real estate developers and businesses before agencies, municipalities and served as Special Counsel to the City of Fall River, MA on commercial real estate and economic development matters, including the creation of enterprise zones and a citywide solar program.

Zach currently serves as Chairman & CEO of DarrowEverett LLP, where he leads the firm's Private Equity, Capital Markets & Securities Practice Group. He was previously a partner with a highly regarded Boston-based law firm. His professional experience also includes serving as a business executive for a portfolio company of a significant New York City-based hedge fund and for a Fortune 100 health care company, as well as founding and leading a regional real estate investment and development firm. This blend of legal, executive, and entrepreneurial experience informs a practical, results-driven approach to government relations — one rooted in an understanding of what businesses, investors, and public officials each need to move a project from vision to reality.

Partner

Nicholas J. Hemond, Esq.

The key to successful issue campaigns is a clear and powerful message that connects with decision-makers and the public. His experience in proactive messaging, political coalition building, public relations, public policy, and grassroots organization enables Nick Hemond to assist clients in crafting and executing an integrated strategy incorporating all these essential elements. Nick works daily with legislative and executive leaders to ensure his client's interests are powerfully and effectively communicated, understood, and advanced. He has worked with a broad array of clients, from our state's hospitals to national non-profit organizations, and on many of the state's most significant economic development projects over the past 12 years.

Nick Hemond began working in politics while still a student at Providence College and has been involved in the various layers of Rhode Island politics ever since. He has served as an advisor and campaign consultant for nearly two dozen candidates in Rhode Island, including many that continue to serve in the hall levels of state and local government. Nick also led the research and communications departments for the Democratic nominee for governor of Rhode Island in 2010. As a practicing attorney, Nick has extensive experience in municipal and state legal matters, including issues related to development, zoning, permitting, licensing, and economic development. Nick has guided some of the state's largest economic development projects through the various layers of municipal and state approvals. Over the last decade, he has worked for numerous clients to secure tens of millions of dollars in government incentives, leading to hundreds of millions of dollars in development in Rhode Island. He currently serves as the Assistant City Solicitor in Central Falls, a position he has held for over a decade, and as outside counsel to several other local governments.

A lifelong Rhode Islander, Nick attended Providence College, where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science with a concentration in Political Communication and Mass Media and a certificate in Business Studies. After Providence College, Nick obtained a law degree from the Roger Williams University School of Law.

In 2011, the Mayor of the City of Providence appointed Mr. Hemond to the Providence School Board, the entity responsible for overseeing the operations of the state's largest school system. He was elected to serve as the President of the Providence School Board and held that position until he stepped down at the end of 2021 when he moved from the City. While on the Board, Mr. Hemond led the district's efforts to obtain increases in funding from state leaders, including modifications to the funding formula and additional funding to assist the District in educating its increasing number of English language learners. Mr. Hemond helped the District navigate the state-led takeover of Providence Schools in the final years of his tenure and worked closely with state officials to set up a new school district governance structure that remains in place today.

Start a conversation

Bring us the issue that needs a clear path forward.

For a confidential conversation about your government relations or public affairs needs, contact Capitol Communications Group.