MARCH 26, 2026 (WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Cornerstone Government Affairs, an employee-owned, bipartisan government affairs firm, announced today the expansion of its Energy and Environment practice group with the addition of the Honorable Leslie Beyer, former Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Widely regarded as one of the most influential Republican voices on energy policy, Beyer will offer unparalleled expertise to clients navigating rapid change across the energy landscape.
Beyer, who begins as a Senior Consultant on April 1, was appointed to serve as Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management at the U.S. Department of the Interior by President Trump. In this role, she oversaw 245 million acres of federal surface lands, 700 million acres of federal mineral interests and the 1.7 billion acre Outer Continental Shelf. She led the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE).
“I’m genuinely excited to join Cornerstone at such a consequential moment for American energy,” said Beyer. “Over the course of my career, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside many of Cornerstone’s leaders, and their integrity, bipartisan instincts and command of the policy landscape have always set them apart. Cornerstone is a firm that clients trust when the stakes are highest, and I look forward to contributing to that legacy.“
Prior to her time at the U.S. Department of the Interior, Beyer served on the boards of Patterson-UTI Energy and Veriten, an energy markets research and investing firm, as well as the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Energy Department Advisory Board.
Beyer spent over a decade as CEO of Energy Workforce & Technology Council (EWTC), where she transformed the trade association into a nationally recognized industry voice of the energy services sector. Her notable achievements included developing workforce programs that trained over 500 Foreign and Civil Service Officers, expanding operations into Latin America and the Middle East, and executing a strategic merger with the Association of Energy Services Companies. Beyer also served on the U.S.-Mexico Energy Business Council led by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR).
Earlier in her career, Beyer held policy and public affairs roles with two Presidential campaigns, the White House Executive Office of the President and the U.S. State Department. She also directed energy advocacy for the National Association of Manufacturers.
Beyer currently serves on the Board of Forum Energy Technologies, Inc.
Cornerstone’s Energy and Environment practice group has more than 30 professionals, with decades of first-hand experience maneuvering the complexities of the energy marketplace and the risks imposed by market and regulatory forces. The group provides clients with a deep understanding of regulatory and geopolitical trends, and potential impacts on energy markets.
“Leslie is one of Washington’s most sought-after leaders in the energy space, and I’m thrilled to welcome her to Cornerstone,” said Cornerstone’s Chief Executive Officer Geoff Gonella. “It’s no secret that the energy sector is becoming an increasingly complex and competitive space with a lot of opportunity for the U.S., and Leslie’s vast expertise at the highest levels of energy governance and policy will be a great benefit to a full spectrum of Cornerstone’s clients.”
To learn more about Cornerstone’s Energy and Environment practice group, click here.