ABOUT BB&A

HELPING OUR CLIENTS ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS - IT’S WHAT WE DO.

Benn Brocksome & Associates (BB&A) was founded in 2019 on the belief that hard work and building strong, trusting relationships are essential to successfully solving problems for our clients. We are an Idaho-based government relations, strategic communications, consulting and lobbying firm that focuses on the process, policies, politics, and people that make Idaho, Idaho.

BB&A team

BENN BROCKSOME | PRESIDENT & FOUNDER

AREAS OF EXPERTISE
PUBLIC POLICY | BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT | STRATEGIC PLANNING

  • As a fourth-generation Idahoan with over a decade of government affairs experience and success, Benn Brocksome understands Idaho. Benn works full-time as an advocate providing consulting, strategic advising, government relations, and lobbying services for a variety of companies, organizations, local governments, and associations. Benn has served in leadership and management roles for international corporations, on boards for local nonprofits, and previously served as a special assistant and policy advisor to former Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter.

    In addition to founding Benn Brocksome & Associates and leading a team of brilliant and hardworking associates, Benn also founded Idaho Sportsmen, co-founded Imagine Idaho Foundation, and co-founded the Idaho Behavioral Health Association.

    Benn enjoys his work, but he also has a passion for hunting and fishing throughout Idaho, live music, rodeos, and spending time with his wife Laural and daughter Fiona.

TODD DVORAK | SR. ASSOCIATE & DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS

AREAS OF EXPERTISE
MEDIA RELATIONS & STRATEGY | STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS | public affairs

  • Todd joined BB&A in 2024 to launch a communications and media relations practice, a line of service that distinguishes BB&A from many other government affairs firms in Idaho. For BB&A and its clients, Todd brings an extensive and wide-ranging background in the world of strategic communications and understanding of media and public affairs. 

    His professional career includes more than 20 years as a journalist, including leading the Idaho bureau of the Associated Press. He is a former communications director for the Office of Idaho Attorney General, and most recently worked for seven years for a large, multistate communications and public affairs firm where he helped public and private clients execute media strategies, developing communication strategies for ballot initiatives, directing crisis communications plans, managing internal and external communications, and overseeing social media. 

    We believe that achieving client goals is more than solving problems in the statehouse or city hall. Often there is a story to tell on a broader level, and Todd’s understanding of the media landscape and effective communication strategies can be an essential component to delivering wins on a broader scope for our clients. 

    A native of the Midwest, Todd immediately fell in love with Boise and the Rocky Mountain West when he and his wife, Meg, moved here in 2007. He enjoys spending his free time camping, hiking, skiing and flyfishing the waters here in Idaho and beyond.

Peyton Darst | SR. associate

AREAS OF EXPERTISE
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH | CRIMINAL JUSTICE | PUBLIC policy

  • Peyton Darst is a fourth-generation Idahoan who grew up in the Magic Valley. She graduated from Boise State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in business. Peyton’s interest in politics and public policy grew while working for the Ada County Elections Office, where she served as a co-trainer for poll workers and the elections team, and she played an essential role in helping coordinate precinct staffing during the pandemic.

    Peyton joined BB&A in late 2021 and worked her first session of the Idaho Legislature in 2022. She is skilled at whipping votes, tracking bills, and advocating for clients, and her tireless work ethic is unrivaled in the halls of the Idaho Capitol. Whether she’s taking the lead in developing policies or crafting more advanced and nuanced strategies, Peyton understands how to deliver wins for our clients. She also played an integral role in founding the Idaho Behavioral Health Association, a coalition of payers, providers, and patients committed to removing barriers to mental and behavioral care services for all Idahoans. Her passion for advocating behavioral health and criminal justice policy has become a signature strength for BB&A and our clients.

    Outside the statehouse and BB&A offices, Peyton enjoys weightlifting, listening to her vast collection of Taylor Swift albums, and is an avid reader. She also enjoys quality time with her husband, Landon, and their golden retriever, August (Augie).

MICHAEL MCGRANE, msn, rn | SENIOR ASSOCIATE

AREAS OF EXPERTISE
HEALTHCARE | PUBLIC POLICY

  • Michael McGrane, MSN, RN, has more than 40 years of experience in healthcare and healthcare administration, specifically in the spaces of critical care, emergency, trauma and transport nursing. He has been active in regional and national professional committees and boards, including serving as Legislative Advisor and lobbyist for the Idaho Nurses Association and Nurse Leaders of Idaho. He is also a regular contributor to RN Idaho, the publication of the Idaho Center for Nursing.

    Born and raised in Idaho, Mike has a deep love for the state and the independence and resilience of its people. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Utah, setting him up to work with his father as a public accountant in Idaho Falls. He later enrolled at Idaho State University where he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing, launching him on a health care track that set the course for the rest of his professional career.

    Mike then joined the Bannock Hospital team and helped build the Pocatello hospital’s Life Flight program, the first in Idaho to provide a critical care helicopter transport service. In 1986, Mike moved to Boise to start Life Flight at Saint Alphonsus. He also served the hospital as Director of Emergency Services and oversaw the start of the hospital’s Trauma Program in 1989. He was instrumental in starting the Idaho Trauma System Development Coalition and bringing together hospitals and providers to build Idaho’s statewide trauma system. After serving in trauma and emergency service leadership roles for hospitals in Washington, Mike returned to Boise to help start Air St. Luke’s, which today plays an essential role in bringing medical services within minutes to rural Idahoans.

    He retired from St. Luke’s in 2015, but as a way of giving back to his profession he has been representing nurses and dental hygienists as a lobbyist in the Idaho Legislature.

CODY PHELPS, MS | SENIOR ASSOCIATE

AREAS OF EXPERTISE
HEALTHCARE | STRATEGIC PLANNING | CONSULTING

  • Cody Phelps joined BB&A in 2025 and brings to our team more than a decade of experience working in the healthcare and health insurance industries. Most recently, Cody served as Director of Managed Care for Albertsons Company Inc., where he was responsible for leading the company’s health technology development efforts, which included implementing the pharmacy division’s electronic medical record platform. He was also responsible for collaborating with healthcare fintech organizations to begin the acceptance of supplemental benefits from health plans across more than 2,000 stores and evaluating strategic partnership opportunities. 

    His background in the health care and insurance space also includes working for regional and national health plans, including PacificSource and Oscar Health, where he oversaw clinical operations, analytics, and strategic planning functions.  

    A native of upstate New York, Cody earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Boise State University, and a master’s degree in health policy & informatics from Cornell University. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member at Boise State and the College of Western Idaho, teaching economics, statistics, business law, and principles of management courses.  

    Cody and his wife Stefanie, and their son Wesley, live in Caldwell and enjoy hiking, camping,and spending quality time as a family, which also includes their two dogs Mila and Bailey.

LAURAL BROCKSOME | HUMAN RESOURCES

HR & BENEFITS

  • Laural grew up in Boise, earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Boise State University and brings to our team more than 10 years of experience in human resources and personnel management in the public and private sectors. Her professional background covers the full scope of Human Resources Management, including talent acquisition, benefits, compensation, performance management, employee relations and engagement. Her professional background includes working forAlbertsons Companies Inc., the Ada County Highway District, Bodybuilding.com, and MWI Animal Health.

    At BB&A, Laural is our team’s point of contact for all of our Human Resource and benefit needs. In her free time, Laural enjoys spending time with her family, fishing and exploring all the outdoor activities Idaho has to offer.