AUGUSTA – Kay Rand, Gov. Angus King’s chief of staff for eight years, and Larry Benoit, who served as chief of staff to Gov. John Baldacci while he was a U.S. representative and in high-ranking capacities to U.S. Sens. George Mitchell and Edmund Muskie, have joined forces to form BSSN Resources, a new consulting subsidiary of Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson.

Rand and Benoit will assist clients in finding solutions to regulatory, legislative and political issues.

Clients of BSSN Resources will include municipalities, state and local governmental agencies, private businesses and corporations, nonprofit organizations, political action groups and candidates who need to interact with the state or federal government or with the general public. The consulting group will be supported by Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson, one of northern New England’s largest law firms.

Benoit will begin serving clients April 1 and Rand is expected to join within a month.

Before her alliance with King, for two years Rand represented members of the business community in government affairs with a focus on real estate development, environmental permitting and general economic development.

During Gov. John McKernan’s administration, Rand served as deputy commissioner in the Office of Comprehensive Land Use Planning. Rand also has served as a lobbyist representing the Maine Municipal Association and Maine municipalities before the Maine Legislature and state administrative agencies and was a liaison with Maine’s congressional delegation on municipal matters.

Benoit recently concluded a 30-year career in congressional service. He began with U.S. Rep. Peter Kyros and also served as senior field representative to Muskie, chief field representative to Mitchell and chief of staff for Baldacci.

In 1994, Benoit was elected sergeant at arms of the U.S. Senate, making him responsible for a $105 million budget and more than 880 employees. In that position, he also served as a member of the U.S. Capitol Police and was responsible for security of the Senate.

Benoit’s extensive campaign experience includes managing Mitchell’s political operations, including his successful election campaigns in 1982 and 1988. He also supervised John Baldacci’s political operations and oversaw his re-election campaigns in 1996, 1998 and 2000.

Most recently, Benoit headed Gov. Baldacci’s transition into the Blaine House, coordinating all activities leading up to the inauguration, selection of Cabinet appointees and postinaugural activities, including preparation of the new biennial budget.