Holly DeShields

Holly Deshields is one of Texas’s most respected and influential advocates. A leader known for turning complex challenges into collaborative, results-driven solutions. As Senior Vice President and Director of the Texas Government Relations team at McGuireWoods Consulting, she leads one of the state’s top-performing lobbying practices, representing clients across industries including education, health care, energy, economic development, and manufacturing.

“Holly brings clarity and collaboration to everything she does,” one nominator shared. “She’s a connector. Someone who builds relationships, bridges divides, and delivers meaningful results.” Under her leadership, McGuireWoods Consulting’s Texas team has passed landmark legislation improving public infrastructure, expanding education access, protecting businesses, and growing Texas’s entertainment and technology industries.

Before joining McGuireWoods in 2012, Holly served more than a decade as Chief of Staff to Senator Mike Jackson, where she built a deep understanding of the legislative process and forged lasting relationships across both chambers. Her leadership style, equal parts strategy, empathy, and effectiveness, continues to shape the next generation of Texas advocates.

As one of this year’s Top Hired Gun Lobbyists of the Year, Holly DeShields exemplifies the collaboration, influence, and integrity that define Texas’s most accomplished professionals in public affairs.