About The Firm

Prest Public Strategies, LLC is a government relations and lobbying firm based out of Cleveland, OH with offices locally here in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland as well as in Youngstown, OH. Prest Strategies provides consulting in vast array of areas including government relations, advocacy, public policy and lobbying services at the local, state and federal levels. The firm was founded by Mahoning Valley native Josh Prest, who has 12 + years of experience working in both state and federal government. He spent one year working for the Ohio Treasurer’s Office before moving onto work for now retired US Senator Rob Portman as District Representative and District Director in NE Ohio. The firm has a consistent presence in the Ohio Statehouse and in Washington DC in the Capitol. Over the firm’s first two years, we have secured millions in state and federal funding for our clients.

Leadership

Josh Prest is the Founder and Principal of Prest Public Strategies, a full-service government relations firm based out of Cleveland, OH with offices in the Tremont neighborhood in Cleveland and in Youngstown, OH. He started the firm in January 2023 after spending eight years with former United States Senator Rob Portman as part of his state team in Ohio. He served as District Representative, covering Northeast Ohio for seven and a half years and then as District Director for Northeast Ohio, running the Cleveland office before Senator Portman retired in January 2023.

In his various roles with Senator Portman, he was responsible for 20 counties across Northeast Ohio which included the cities of Cleveland, Youngstown, Akron, Canton and Mansfield. He attended meetings on behalf of Senator Portman for various legislative and constituent matters as well as served as an aide to Senator Portman during his time in Ohio meeting with constituents.

In addition to owning and operating his firm, Prest Public Strategies, he is the current Executive Director of the Eastern Ohio Military Affairs Commission, an organization focused on advocacy and community relations for the Youngstown Air Reserve Station in Vienna, OH and Camp James A. Garfield Ohio National Guard Training Facility, located in Ravenna, OH. There he is responsible for the day to day operations of EOMAC and representing both installations in Columbus, OH and Washington, DC.

Josh started his career as a Regional Representative in the Ohio Treasurer’s office in 2013 before moving onto Senator Portman’s office in 2015. He is a native of Youngstown, Ohio where he remains engaged with alumni programs at his alma mater, Youngstown State University, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He is a longtime member and Past President of the Rotary Club of Youngstown and serves on the board of directors at OH WOW! The Roger and Gloria Jones Children’s Center for Science and Technology. He currently resides in Ohio City in Cleveland, Ohio.

Josh Prest

Founder and Principal of Public Prest Strategies

Meet the Team

  • Kristy Ramey

    Kristy Ramey

    ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT

    Kristy is an Associate Consultant with Prest Public Strategies. She started her career as a Caseworker with Senator George Voinovich handling constituent issues with various agencies such IRS, Department of Education, and the Department of Homeland Security. Kristy then spent the next 11+ years as a Military/Veterans Affairs Caseworker and Grants Coordinator for Senator Rob Portman. Following her time with the United States Senate, Kristy served as the Director of Development and eventually the Executive Director of Clean Fuels Ohio, a nonprofit focused on advancing alternative fuels, sustainability and mobility solutions.

    An Ohio native, Kristy earned her Bachelors degree in Political Science from The Ohio State University and her Masters in Public Administration from Franklin University. She currently resides in Columbus, OH.

  • Dawn Baker

    ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT

    Dawn joined Prest Public Strategies in February 2025 after building extensive experience at the federal level working for the US House of Representatives. Dawn served in the district offices of both Congressman Bill Johnson and Congressman Michael Rulli. Starting as a field representative with Congressman Johnson, she was responsible for community engagement operations in multiple counties before being named Director of Outreach, overseeing operations in all of the district’s 11 counties. Upon Congressman Rulli’s election to office, she joined his district team as his Director of Constituent Services, supervising the office’s entire casework portfolio. Dawn is an enthusiastic advocate for Ohio’s businesses, communities, and individuals.