Daniel A. Sharp
Dan Sharp is a creative and unstoppable public affairs and land use strategist with thirty
years of experience in the private and public sectors at the local, state, and national levels.
Dan serves as CEO of Ironsight, a national, boutique strategy firm. In addition, he serves
Of Counsel with Filippi Law and as a Venture Partner with Sputnik ATX, an Austin-based
venture capital firm. Prior to entering the private sector, Dan served as a senior advisor in
the California State Legislature, and as Chief of Staff to then-Congressman Doug Ose.
In recent years, Dan has led dozens of Fortune 500, publicly traded companies, large
organizations, and political candidates to victory in campaigns that were often viewed as
unwinnable, earning more than 20 industry awards along the way.
In 2013, Dan crafted and implemented the successful public affairs strategy for Kaiser
Permanente’s government designation as the Level II Trauma Center between San
Francisco and Sacramento; flipping a 1-4 vote to a 5-0 vote in favor of one of the nation’s
largest healthcare systems.
Over eight years, he helped win 12 industry awards for building and growing the
communications program for the fastest-growing city in the nation, creating social and
print news briefs and engagement programs that bested the major newspaper as residents’
primary information source in annual polling.
He developed the winning public affairs campaign to achieve Waste Connections’ goal of
a 900-acre landfill expansion, earning support of the State of California’s San Francisco
Bay Conservation and Development Commission; then securing a state assembly member
to carry a legislative correction to finalize expansion, and marshaling statewide local
government support, leading to gubernatorial approval.
Dan has directed agency-level public affairs campaigns for transportation contracts
totaling more than $100 million; beaten back large development bans; managed land use
projects for some of the nation’s largest developers, landowners, and even McDonald’s. He
has taken candidates polling in the single digits to wide victories on election day, earning
a reputation for unexpected wins in underdog and low-budget campaigns.
In a return to work at the national and international level, in 2020 Dan worked with the
majority party in Trinidad and Tobago to maintain its control of Parliament, and is acting
as Chief Strategist for a seed round funded startup focused on incorporating better data in
political and public affairs campaigns.
Prior to forming an agency in 2004, Dan served as Chief of Staff to United States
Congressman Doug Ose, managing offices in California, Washington D.C., and the
Subcommittee for Energy Policy, Natural Resources, and Regulatory Affairs. He created
organizational management and communications programs adopted by the caucus for use
in district offices nationwide.
Dan is married to Amy D. Springer Sharp, who was elected to the Solano County Board
of Education in 2016. They live in Vacaville and have two grown sons.