LISTEN OVER LUNCH: The Midterms – Trends and Predictions

Director, Regulatory Counsel

Alisha Sears is Director and Regulatory Counsel in the Residential Policy and Strategic Industry Engagement Department at the Mortgage Bankers Association. Sears covers legal issues, trends in litigation, and regulatory compliance matters, and staffs the Legal Issues and Regulatory Compliance Committee and the Regulatory Compliance Subcommittee. Prior to joining the MBA, Sears was with the Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS). Sears is a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, the American Bar Association’s Banking Law Committee, and Women in Housing and Finance.

Partner, Thorn Run Partners

Paul Bock is a partner at Thorn Run Partners with more than 30 years of experience in politics and public policy, spanning campaigns, Capitol Hill, and government relations. Over the course of his career, he has developed a deep understanding of Washington and built an extensive network that enables clients to design and execute strategic public policy initiatives effectively. Prior to joining Thorn Run Partners, Bock was a partner at Holland & Knight, where he advised corporations, trade associations, nonprofits, and foreign governments across a broad range of policy areas. He served as the firm’s lead Senate Democrat, counseling clients on navigating the Senate Democratic Caucus and advancing their legislative priorities. Earlier in his career, Bock served as vice president at Capitol Hill Strategies LLC, where he provided legal counsel and political consulting, developing and implementing legislative strategies for corporate and governmental clients. He brings more than a decade of direct lobbying experience across health care, financial services, transportation, and international trade. Before entering the private sector, Bock served for over 12 years as Chief of Staff to Herb Kohl. In this role, he was deeply involved in all aspects of the legislative process, with particular focus on the Senate Appropriations and Judiciary Committees. He also played a key role in fostering collaboration among Senate staff, hosting a weekly meeting of Democratic chiefs of staff and Senate leadership, and co-founding the Bipartisan Chiefs of Staff Association. Additionally, he helped establish a network of current and former Democratic chiefs of staff that continues to convene on Capitol Hill. In 2008, Bock was one of only six Senate staff members selected to serve as a liaison between the Obama–Biden transition team and the United States Senate.

Vice President of Legislative Affairs, Mortgage Bankers Association

George Rogers is a strategic government affairs executive with 25 years of federal and state experience. With deep policy expertise, great government contacts, and expert procedural skills, Rogers specializes in outmaneuvering the opposition. He joined MBA in 2023 after being a multiclient lobbyist for a decade, including work for MBA from 2016-23. Prior to his corporate work, Rogers spent nearly fourteen years in key leadership roles in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, including serving as a senior Policy Advisor and Counsel to the Speaker of the House and to the Minority Leader. He also served as General Counsel of the Committee on Rules, as Oversight and Investigations Counsel for the Government Reform Committee, and as Legislative Counsel to the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Prior to DC, Rogers was the Deputy Chief Counsel for the Indiana State Senate leadership. Before that he was an attorney in private practice. Rogers is a 6th degree blackbelt and has a passion for scuba diving.