ABOUT US
Deidra and Lowell founded, own and are the sole operators of Italian Cowboy, an Italian wine, cheese and specialty food store in Rockport, Texas. Before starting Italian Cowboy, they had long careers in the legal and policy arenas at the national level. Together, they have over 50 years experience in legal and regulatory affairs, policy development, enforcement, and compliance, including coalition building, stakeholder engagement, and achieving negotiated agreements and settlements, in the legislative, executive and judicial arenas at the local, state and national levels.
Deidra worked on policy and legislative development in Washington DC for over 20 years, where she authored federal legislation and worked on many federal initiatives. While working on Capitol Hill, she served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Connie Mack and U.S. Senator Jon Kyl. From 2004-2007 she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Congressional Affairs for Environment and Science at the U.S. Department of Energy. During this time, she advised Department leadership including the Secretary of Energy, advised the White House on energy policy issues, and interacted with Members of Congress. She was Director of Federal Government policy for a major trade association where she advised industry on regulatory issues and coordinated industry stakeholders on federal issues. She was also the Federal Affairs Director for a Fortune 200 company where she developed legislative and regulatory strategy She was Director of Federal Affairs for a conservation NGO where she worked on global policy including overfishing and wildlife trafficking and its connection to organization crime. She graduated cum laude from Catholic University School of Law and also holds a Master’s Degree in Hydrogeology from the University of South Florida. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College. She enjoys hanging out with her rescue pets, cooking and developing new recipes.
Lowel was an attorney for over 25 years, as a Partner, Senior Associate and Associate at several of the largest law firms in the country, as well as in-house at a Fortune 200 Company. He focused on civil and criminal enforcement defense, permitting and regulatory matters in the Environmental, Health and Safety arenas. During this time, he was a member of four state bars, as well as the bars of the U.S. Supreme Court, four Federal Courts of Appeals, five Federal District Courts and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. He co-authored the Wetlands Deskbook published by the bipartisan Environmental Law Institute, the definitive desk reference on the topic, and authored over two dozen published articles and spoke at over three dozen legal conference on environmental, health and safety matters. As a result of his expertise, he was called as an expert witness by the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technologies Subcommittee on Oversight. to address the NEPA process for mining activity wetland permits as compared to EPA’s watershed assessment for Bristol Bay, Alaska,
In the public service realm, Lowell served as a liaison to the Chair of, and later a member of, the Trade and Environmental Policy Advisory Committee (TEPAC), a federal advisory committee with members appointed by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the President. TEPAC provides the USTR with policy advice on issues involving trade and the environment and provides the President, Congress and the USTR with advisory opinions on whether and to what extent individual trade agreements promote the interests of the United States. He was also a member of the Transportation Research Board' s Environmental Issues in Transportation Law Committee and Transit and Intermodal Transportation Law Committee, The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, a private, nonprofit institution providing expertise in science and technology to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. It is jointly administered by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. Committee members serve by appointment.
Lowell Graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Minnesota Law School and Graduated With Distinction from the University of Virginia with B.A.s in Economics and in Foreign Affairs.
In the public service realm, Lowell served as a liaison to the Chair of, and later a member of, the Trade and Environmental Policy Advisory Committee (TEPAC), a federal advisory committee with members appointed by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the President. TEPAC provides the USTR with policy advice on issues involving trade and the environment and provides the President, Congress and the USTR with advisory opinions on whether and to what extent individual trade agreements promote the interests of the United States. He was also a member of the Transportation Research Board' s Environmental Issues in Transportation Law Committee and Transit and Intermodal Transportation Law Committee, The Transportation Research Board is a division of the National Research Council, a private, nonprofit institution providing expertise in science and technology to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. It is jointly administered by the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. Committee members serve by appointment.
Lowell Graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Minnesota Law School and Graduated With Distinction from the University of Virginia with B.A.s in Economics and in Foreign Affairs.