Charlie Trefny

As Director of State Government Affairs, Charlie helps organizations navigate the Ohio General Assembly, state agencies, budgets, and regulatory processes. His approach combines firsthand knowledge of how decisions are made inside government with relationships across the public and private sectors, helping clients understand the landscape, identify opportunities, and build strategies around the people and processes that matter.

Before joining LNE Group, Charlie represented the Ohio Cannabis Coalition, working on behalf of more than 30 member companies in one of the state's fastest-evolving regulatory environments. The role required balancing diverse business interests, coordinating industry stakeholders, engaging policymakers and regulators, and translating complicated policy developments into practical strategies for coalition members.

Charlie previously served as Senior Legislative Aide to the Senate Majority Floor Leader and later to the House Majority Whip in the Ohio General Assembly. Those roles gave him firsthand experience with committee activity, legislative negotiations, state budgeting, stakeholder engagement, and the day-to-day mechanics of moving policy through the Statehouse.

That combination of public- and private-sector experience makes Charlie particularly effective when policy, regulation, and business interests intersect. He works with clients on legislative advocacy, agency engagement, operating and capital budgets, coalition strategy, and issues requiring coordination among state and local government.

Charlie earned a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Business from The Ohio State University. He is also active in the Columbus community, including service with an emerging-leaders nonprofit focused on sports and civic engagement. A Cleveland native, Charlie lives in Columbus with his wife, Lauren, and their dog, Oakley, and remains a loyal Cleveland sports fan and avid golfer.