About
Shepherd Strategies

About Us  

Define. Drive. Deliver.

Shepherd Strategies was built on a simple idea: when businesses understand how to work with government—not around it—they unlock new growth potential. Our team helps companies tap into non-dilutive capital, public-sector programs, and strategic partnerships that drive innovation without giving up ownership.

This firm is about being intentional and providing data and consulting information – without lobbying. It’s about helping clients define what’s possible, drive their strategy, and deliver results that last by responding to policy and capitalizing on opportunities.  

We believe smart strategy and public investment can work hand in hand — and that the businesses who understand that will lead the next era of growth. 

What We Do 

White-Glove Strategy & Advisory 

Every engagement is tailored, deliberate, and concierge-level. No hand-offs. No junior staff running point. You work directly with senior strategists who manage messaging, positioning, and execution with meticulous control. 

Strategic Advisory Without Lobbying

We operate far beyond transactional government relations. Shepherd provides insight-driven advisory and strategy for complex environments:

• Message architecture 
• Reputation and narrative shaping
• Political risk analysis 

• Government engagement strategy 
• Crisis and rapid-response communications 
• Executive positioning and visibility 

Revenue From the World's Largest Buyer

The federal government is the largest purchaser of goods and services in the world. State governments collectively spend trillions more. Since 2024, our team has helped clients capture more than $2 billion in federal contracts and secure tariff relief for U.S. manufacturers.

Data-Led Decision Making 

We do not operate on vibes, gossip, or guesswork. Our guidance is driven by hard data, policy intelligence, and measurable indicators. Every recommendation is tied to research. Every outcome is clear and defensible. 

Clarity in a Political Environment

The current political climate is loud, reactive, and unpredictable. Shepherd exists to bring calm, structure, and rational strategy—ensuring clients can move confidently even when the environment is anything but. 

Powering Economic Growth

Shepherd turns policy awareness into measurable growth. We guide organizations through the full lifecycle of site selection and incentive strategy, capitalizing on funding available at the state, local, and federal levels. Our team has secured more than $1 billion in incentive funding and helped create over 3,500 jobs nationwide for companies relocating, expanding, or establishing new headquarters.

Bipartisan, Practical, Trusted

Shepherd maintains trusted relationships across the aisle. Our approach is fact-based, disciplined, and grounded in operational reality. We build strategies that win in red, blue, and everything in between. 

Capital Without Giving Up Equity

Grants, tax credits, and government loans can fund growth without giving up equity or control. Shepherd identifies non-dilutive capital across every level of government and manages the process from application to award. We believe informed strategy and public investment can work together, not by chance, but by design.

Elite Public Affairs Advisory for Leaders Who Operate at the Highest Level 

Our Team

William McGann, Ph.D

Chief Executive Officer  

As a corporate executive, Dr. William McGann has led teams of hundreds of employees and multiple new technologies to achieve profitability, efficiency, and success worldwide. He has worked in applied technologies across 63 countries, serving the global physical security and detection markets.   

Dr. McGann, Ph.D.,is a molecular physicist specializing in magnetic resonance and excited state dynamics. He holds 27 patents in ultrasensitive detection and conducted early work in optical magnetic resonance detection.   

He served as the Chief Executive Officer at Quantum Computing Inc, Chief Executive Officer at Implant Sciences,Chief Technology Officer for the Security, Detection, and Automation business at Leidos Corporation, the Chief Technology Officer at L3Harris Technologies, the Chief Technology Officer at General Electric Security, and the founder of Ion Track, which developed one of the first explosives trace detection technologies in the USA in the 1990s.   

Before retiring from running publicly traded companies, Dr. McGann served as CEO of Quantum Computing, Inc. (QUBT), where he led a team of passionate physicists and engineers to establish nanophotonic systems for quantum computing and quantum-entropy machines. During his tenure, the company secured millions of dollars in financing and created shareholder value by raising the stock price from less than $1 to over $20.

Jessica Beeson Tocco 

President

Jessica focuses on leading policy research initiatives and securing federal, state, and local non-dilutive capital for multinational corporations. She also advises startups and small to mid-sized enterprises on how to successfully engage with government, navigate regulatory environments, and access public-sector opportunities. 

As a trusted advisor to C-suite executives, she continues to lend her expertise through strategic counsel, policy analysis, and guest speaking engagements. With experience spanning multiple Presidential and Gubernatorial Administrations, Jessica brings a rare depth of institutional knowledge to her work. 

Jessica recently retired as Chief Executive Officer of A10 Associates, the nation’s largest woman-owned lobbying firm. Under her leadership, A10 became a truly bipartisan powerhouse, known for navigating complex political landscapes with precision, credibility, and results. The firm helped create more than 1,500 jobs nationwide through economic development initiatives and secured over $1 billion in combined state, federal, and local funding for its clients. Prior to A10, she worked at three top-tier lobbying firms, building a reputation for strategic insight, coalition-building, and policy execution. 

In a world of sheep and wolves, we are the shepherds
In a world of sheep and wolves, we are the shepherds

Client Referrals & Successes

In a world of sheep and wolves, we are the shepherds
In a world of sheep and wolves, we are the shepherds