Paul Hanley has successfully guided hundreds of tax-related ballot measures over the past 33 years, working with school districts, municipalities, counties, community colleges, park districts, fire districts, and other special districts nationwide.

 

With a deep commitment to serving both clients and taxpayers, he has helped secure strong voter support for bond measures, sales tax proposals, and other tax-related referenda, initiatives that have generated billions of dollars in funding.

 

Paul leveraged decades of public engagement experience to establish Beyond Your Base, where he coordinates a team of seasoned writers, graphic designers, voter data specialists, and public opinion research professionals, each highly experienced in developing and implementing comprehensive public information programs for public entities.  

 

His areas of expertise include:

• Voter Analytics

• Public Opinion Research

• Community Outreach Programs

• Community Task Force Facilitation

• Pre-Referendum Training

 

He is a frequent speaker on public policy and election strategy at local, state, and national conferences.

 

Paul holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and master’s degree from the University of Colorado Denver.

Skylar White helps manage pre-referendum engagements and campaigns, with a special focus on voter analytics, public opinion research, digital advertising, and social media.

Before joining Beyond Your Base, he held government consulting positions with Deloitte and Accenture. He also founded and managed a polling firm that leveraged big data from Google searches and social media to predict elections with greater accuracy than traditional polling methods, providing insights for government, industry, and political clients.

 

Skylar holds an M.S. in Business Information and Analytics from the University of Denver and a B.A. in Politics from Washington and Lee University.

With more than 30 years of writing and editing experience, Kim LaPat oversees new content development, editing, and final proofing of all printed and digital communications developed for Beyond Your Base’s clients. Kim is involved in all phases of the pre-referendum process, helping ensure all content in accurate, clear, and effective.

 

Kim has extensive experience developing direct mail, website content, social media posts, and other pre-referendum tools on behalf of school districts, special districts, municipalities, and other public entities.

 

Before joining BYB, she was a staff editor at Wight & Company, helping to craft and refine proposals, articles, and other materials. She also co-authored a leadership book and has edited and developed content for educational textbooks, middle school workbooks, and early learning centers. Earlier in her career, Kim was a high school educator.

 

She has a bachelor’s degree in English with a secondary education emphasis.

Warren Howell leads art direction and graphic design for Beyond Your Base, creating impactful and cohesive materials for the firm’s clients. He works on both pre-referendum programs and campaigns for municipalities, counties, school districts, community colleges, and special districts.

 

With more than 30 years of design experience, Warren specializes in print, online, and digital content as well as web design, videography, and photography.

 

He has contributed to more than 85 successful referenda, helping secure billions of dollars in funding for capital improvements and operating needs.

 

Warren has a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and Visual Communications.

Melody Lawrence plays a key role in Beyond Your Base’s corporate communications and marketing efforts, as well as in developing and executing impactful social media strategies for BYB’s clients. A natural storyteller and innovative thinker, she excels at finding fresh and engaging ways to connect BYB’s clients with their constituents.

 

Melody has a B.A. in Communications from the University of Illinois Chicago. 

Alicia Hutchens has over 20 years of experience in graphic design, web development, and integrated marketing communications. She excels in brand identity development, infographics, and website structure and interface design. 

 

Alicia collaborates with BYB clients to deliver highly customized, high-quality design solutions. Working with school districts, park districts, and other public entities, she brings clients' visions and brand identities to life while effectively engaging their constituents.

 

She holds a Bachelor of Humanities and Arts in Communication Design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Brad Paulsen played a lead role in founding Beyond Your Base and provides strategic oversight for the group’s vision, strategy, development, and service offerings for public sector clients.

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With over 33 years of dedicated experience in the PK-12 education market, Brad regularly collaborates with the BYB team, helping connect long-term facility planning strategies with the early stages of pre-referendum engagements.  

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As a 12-year member and past president of his local board of education, Brad offers unique insight into the delicate balance between student learning, long-range planning, fiscal responsibility, and community engagement. Throughout his career, he has helped numerous districts achieve referendum success.

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Brad holds a B.S. in Architectural Studies and dual master's degrees in Architecture (Management emphasis) and Finance (Real Estate and Urban Economics emphasis) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.