Lee Hughes, Partner
Lee began his career at the State Capitol in 1986 as a bill reader and data clerk, learning the legislative process from the inside. In 1989 he joined State Senator Pierre Howard’s campaign for Lieutenant Governor, handling a wide range of duties and traveling the state with the candidate. After the candidate emerged victorious from a field of 15 candidates, Lee was named to the Lt. Governor’s staff where he helped to manage the day-to-day operation of the Senate as well as coordinating his environmental legislation.
In 1993, Lee left the Capitol and Atlanta to become Regional Public Affairs Manager for what is now Georgia-Pacific Corporation. Lee handled local and state government affairs in as many as 8 eastern states, including Georgia, Alabama and the Carolinas and the Virginias. Working in the state and local government affairs arenas, Lee successfully focused on tax relief and tax incentive initiatives, employment law and environmental policy. He has served in several leadership positions in his professional life including as President of the Georgia Pulp and Paper Association, Vice President of the Georgia Industry Association and on the Board of Directors for The Georgia Chamber of Commerce. He is a 1998 graduate of Leadership Georgia, and was named to Georgia Trend Magazine’s prestigious 40 Under 40 list in the Year 2000.
After almost ten years with the company, Lee left Georgia-Pacific in 2003 to create Hughes Public Affairs. After 20 years of working with state and local governments in various roles, Lee maintains his reputation as a resourceful, effective and trustworthy individual that is extremely familiar with the process.
A native of Savannah, Georgia, Lee earned a Bachelor’s Degree in History at Furman University, graduating in 1986. In recent years he has continued his education through programs like Leadership Georgia, SpeechWorks and the Savannah Chamber of Commerce Political Institute. Lee lives on the Isle of Hope, near Savannah, with his wife Amy and their three sons, Jennings, William and Harrison.
Amy Haywood Hughes, Partner
In July 0f 2007, Amy and Lee Hughes joined together to form the partnership of Hughes Public Affairs combining their joint interests in sound governmental policy and their 37 years of experience working with Georgia government.
Georgia Trend magazine named Amy as one of Georgia’s 40 Under 40 Best and Brightest Georgians in 2007. Amy was named one of Savannah’s 40 Under 40 by the Business Report and Journal and she participated in both Leadership Georgia and Leadership Savannah. Amy is active in a number of national, state and local professional organizations including the Georgia Chamber of Commerce Legislative Affairs Council, and the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Council.
Amy is involved in a number of community groups. Amy serves as the Chairperson of Smoke-free Savannah and led the 2010 efforts to pass the Savannah Smoke-free Air Ordinance and the 2012 Chatham County Smoke-free Air Ordinance. She is a founding board member and previous president of Susan G. Komen for the Cure Coastal Georgia Affiliate raising funds for breast cancer screening, research, treatment and education. She also serves on the Board of Chatham-Savannah Citizen Advocacy after serving as a citizen advocate for 8 years. Amy served as Vice President – Marketing for the Coastal Empire Boy Scouts of America Board, an Alumni Board member of the University of Georgia Honors Program, and as a board member of the Savannah Harbor Foundation. She served on the Bethesda Home for Boys Board of Governors and as President of the Rape Crisis Center Board of Directors. Amy represented Rotary on a Group Study Team to Poland and The Ukraine visiting businesses and health care facilities. She traveled as an Ambassador to the former Soviet Republic of Georgia on a similar Good Will initiative.
Prior to joining Hughes Public Affairs, Amy served as Vice President of Government Affairs for Memorial Health where she had worked for eight years. Amy served as the voice of Memorial Health to local, state and federal elected officials providing them with information to make informed decisions about legislative and regulatory health care issues. She also started a comprehensive arts initiative called Gallery One to fill the walls and the halls of the hospital with colorful, multicultural works of art.
Prior to joining the Memorial Health team, Amy served as the Vice President of Existing Industry and Government Affairs for the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce. At the Chamber, she handled legislative advocacy for the business community and served as Executive Director of the Savannah Area Manufacturers Council. She was also a former statewide Chairperson of Georgians for Manufacturing. Before moving to Savannah in 1994, Amy worked for a number of years at the State Capitol as a lobbyist, a reporter and Assistant Press Secretary to Lt. Governor Pierre Howard.
Amy graduated Magna Cum Laude with Honors from the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Georgia with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. She earned her MBA from Mercer University and graduated with a 4.0 GPA.
Amy and her husband Lee reside on Isle of Hope with their three sons Jennings, William and Harrison. When not attending her sons’ sporting events, Amy enjoys writing, gardening, and baking pies, cakes and cookies.