As well positioned Democrat, Independent and Republican lobbyists we have consistently delivered for our clients in difficult situations under challenging circumstances. Our political connections and tenacious style have proven time and again to meet our client’s expectations. Together we have proven access to the Governor’s office, Joint Budget Committee members and legislative leadership on both sides of the aisle, as well as executives in various State Departments. The firm employs three full-time lobbyists, a Policy Associate / a Policy consultant and an office manager, all of whom allow our team to provide unparalleled resources to serve our clients’ needs. We invite you to meet the team at Aponté & Busam Public Affairs:
Ruth Aponté
Founder; Owner & President
The founding partner of the firm, Ruth has been lobbying in Colorado for nearly 30 years and is well regarded as one of the premier budget lobbyists in the state. Her work has resulted in millions of dollars annually being directed to client needs. Ruth has exceptional legislative communication skills and extensive coalition building experience. She has gained the trust and respect of members from both sides of the aisle and consistently secures bipartisan sponsorship and support for client legislation. She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Northern Colorado and a Master of Political Science and Policy from the University of Colorado at Denver.
To reach Ruth email her at raponte@aponte-busam.com
Edie Busam
Principal
Edie has over 37 years in lobbying, health care administration including hospice administration, reimbursement contracting, auto industry regulations and medical device manufacturing. Edie was successful passing prosthetic parity legislation for the Colorado Coalition for Working Amputees, the first in the country. She has worked on difficult health insurance legislation, auto industry issues, reasonable licensure legislation and decreasing burdensome regulations. Edie specializes in the areas of health care, nonprofit organizations, and business. She holds degrees in Political Science from Bowling Green State University and Nursing from Miami University of Ohio.
To reach Edie email her at ebusam@aponte-busam.com
Emily Biniki
Senior Government Affairs Associate
Emily has been a part of the Aponte & Busam team since 2019. Prior to joining the firm, she worked as a health policy analyst and reporter covering Colorado and neighboring states. She also spent 4 sessions working for a variety of legislators as an aide. Her policy expertise is in health care, disability rights, and various nonprofits and business issues. Some of her most recent successes include codifying Olmstead protections into law, and broadening regulations for remuneration exempt parking for individual with disabilities. She holds degrees in Politics and Policy Making from the University of California, Santa Cruz as well as a Master of Public Policy from the University of Denver.
To reach Emily email her at ebiniki@aponte-busam.com
Iris Hentze
Senior Government Affairs Associate
Iris brings nearly a decade of diverse public policy experience to the Aponte & Busam team, including government, nonprofit and campaign experience. Prior to joining Aponte & Busam, she worked at the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (HCPF), the state agency that administers Colorado’s Medicaid Program. Prior to her work with HCPF, Iris worked as a nonpartisan policy analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) focusing on employment and labor policy. Iris has a bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from Colorado State University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Colorado, Denver.
To reach Iris email her at ihentze@aponte-busam.com
Austin Fearn
Government Affairs Associate
Austin’s political career started working and volunteering on municipal campaigns in Littleton and Centennial. He previously worked as a Senior Legislative Aide for Rep. David Ortiz and as his campaign manager for his successful 2022 reelection. Austin has a degree in mathematics and economics from CSU Fort Collins where he was very active in student government and chairing other student led boards, managing their budget and regular board business. With his strong budget and campaign skills, he leads the firms budget tracking and elections engagement.
To reach Austin email him at afearn@aponte-busam.com
Mahamoud Ahmed
Government Affairs Associate
Mahamoud Ahmed is a public affairs professional with four years of experience in Colorado politics, including serving as a senior legislative aide to Senator Rhonda Fields and working on several state-level campaigns. He holds a degree in Political Science from Colorado State University and is deeply engaged in the East African and immigrant communities. Mahamoud is currently participating in a civic engagement leadership course alongside prominent African American leaders, with a focus on empowering youth to participate in the political process. Fluent in English and Somali, he brings strong political insight and a deep commitment to equity and community-driven policy.
To reach Mahamoud email him at mahmed@aponte-busam.com
Cindy Link
Administrative Director
Cindy brings over 33 years of detail, organization, and management experience to the firm. Her role is to support the team includes schedule coordination, customer billing and contracting, event planning and overall operations management. Throughout her career, Cindy has placed a strong emphasis on customer service and thorough communication. She is very involved with her community as a member of the Woodglen Square Homeowners Association and has taken on the responsibility of her father’s caregiver. Cindy is a native Coloradoan hailing from the San Luis Valley who is fluent in Spanish. She and her son Adam live in Thornton, Colorado.
To reach Cindy email her at clink@aponte-busam.com
