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Your Success
Meet Our Team: Navigating Change, Creating Solutions
Managing Partner
Mark Cardenas
Mark Cardenas is the Managing Partner at Westwood Public Affairs and brings over a decade of expertise in government relations, public affairs, and campaign strategy to achieve impactful results for clients. Following eight years’ decorated service in the U.S. Army including one combat tour in Iraq, Mark was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives where he worked across party lines to enact legislation benefiting veterans, small businesses, and Arizona residents.
Today, Mark leverages his deep understanding of complex labor/construction issues and his extensive network to assist Fortune 500 companies in working with their construction stakeholders to increase productivity, handle jobsite issues, and keep projects on schedule. In addition, he represents multiple clients throughout the Southwestern United States at the federal, state, and municipal levels of government. He assists businesses and nonprofits at all levels of government, crafting strategies and narratives that consistently deliver policy victories for his clients.
Government Relations Associate
Cesar Corral
Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Cesar is on track to graduate in Spring 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in political science from Arizona State University.
Cesar has a diverse background with experience in public service, the political process, and consulting. He began his government relations career with Westwood Public Affairs on Statehood Day 2024, following seven years of service in the Arizona State Legislature. During this time, he spent five years in the State Senate as Chief Page and two years as Deputy Sergeant at Arms at Legislative Council, where he managed sensitive and confidential legislative tasks.
At Westwood Public Affairs, Cesar has advocated complex policy issues and successfully passed legislation affecting Arizonans at both the state and local levels as a Government Relations Associate. Here, he has honed his lobbying skills.
On a personal note, Cesar considers himself a “Swiss army knife” No task is too big or too small. He stays busy with various personal and work-related projects and believes in using any means necessary to get the job done. His hobbies include sports, chess, graphic art, and learning new things. Cesar enjoys a good round of golf and reading about the history and intricacies of the legislative process and the effects of government. He also loves spending time with his family in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, and enjoys the outdoors in cool weather while cheering on the Los Angeles Lakers through ups and downs.
Government Relations Associate
Tanya Lewis
Tanya Lewis is the former Chairwoman of the Yavapai- Apache Nation, serving from September 2022 through October 2025. Born and raised in Clarkdale, Arizona, Lewis is widely recognized as a strategic, results-driven tribal leader with deep experience navigating complex federal, state, and regional policy environments. During her tenure as Chairwoman, Lewis providedvdecisive executive leadership over the Nation’s governmental, economic, and intergovernmental affairs. She successfully led the resolution of a multi-decade administrative land exchange, adding nearly 3,200 acres to the Yavapai-Apache Nation—one of the most significant land acquisitions in the Nation’s modern history. This achievement required sustained coordination with federal agencies, state officials, local governments, and regional stakeholders throughout the Verde Valley, underscoring her ability to build consensus and advance complex initiatives across jurisdictions.
In 2024, Lewis spearheaded the drafting and advancement of legislation for the Yavapai-Apache Nation Federal Indian Water Rights Settlement, bringing momentum to negotiations that had spanned more than 50 years. Her leadership in this process demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of federal Indian law, water policy, intergovernmental negotiations, and congressional engagement, with a focus on protecting tribal sovereignty, natural resources, and long-term economic sustainability. Prior to serving as Chairwoman, Lewis was Vice Chairwoman of the Yavapai-Apache Nation from 2019 to 2022, including throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In that role, she helped guide the Nation through unprecedented public health and economic challenges, overseeing strategic decision-making related to emergency response, economic stabilization, and the allocation of CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Her work during this period strengthened governmental capacity and laid the groundwork for post-pandemic recovery and resilience.
Lewis brings extensive expertise in community and economic development, Indian education, Indian gaming, and federal–tribal consultation. She is highly regarded by federal and state agencies for her policy insight, collaborative leadership style, and effective advocacy on behalf of tribal governments. Throughout her career, she has been a trusted participant in national and regional organizations, including the Inter Tribal Association of Arizona, Arizona Indian Gaming Association, National Congress of American Indians, and National Indian Gaming Association. Now, as former Chairwoman, Lewis continues to contribute her experience and perspective to broader policy conversations impacting Indian Country and the federal government. Her leadership reflects a proven commitment to public service, sound governance, and the advancement of tribal sovereignty within the federal system.
Lewis is a devoted wife and mother. Her family is actively involved in professional Indian rodeo and remains deeply connected to their cultural traditions and ancestral ceremonies—values that continue to inform her leadership and public service.
