A Note on the Loss of Our Friend, Mike Gibbons
By Wes Farno & The Ascent Strategic Team
The Ascent Strategic team is heartbroken to share that our friend and former client, Mike Gibbons, passed away at age 73 on Sunday evening while visiting his son Ryan in Norway. A self-made entrepreneur, devoted family man, and generous champion of conservative causes and community charities, Mike left a mark on Ohio and on all of us at Ascent Strategic that will not fade.
Everyone who ever met Mike knew he was born and raised in Parma, was a St. Ignatius Wildcat, and played football at Kenyon College. You probably also know his dad was a teacher and a wrestling coach. Mike loved to honor his dad by telling those stories. Mike started Brown Gibbons Lang & Co. in 1989 with a desk and a phone above a dentist’s office, building it into one of the nation’s most respected mid-market M&A firms. Mike’s success never eclipsed his roots or his catholic faith; he poured his energy and resources into philanthropy and, later, into public service. “Mike wasn’t a politician; he was a businessman” who believed leadership should be honest, direct, and accountable.
The Ascent team first met Mike at CPAC in 2017, and the connection over time became more than professional; it became personal. Personally, I met Mike at the Minster Oktoberfest in 2018, and that conversation ultimately changed the direction of my career for the better. It was through Mike Gibbons that I became a member of the Ascent Strategic team.
I wasn’t directly involved in the 2018 campaign, but had the honor of leading the charge in Ohio through the 2022 primary. Through those 18 months, Mike came to trust me, and I trusted him. A room in their home became mine, and Mike would always ask if it was better than a hotel – it was. I viewed Mike as a mentor; I could always count on him to answer and talk on long drives across Ohio, “How are you, Mike? Just Peachy was always the response. As I reflect on Mike, what sticks out most is how he treated our team and everyone with time, respect, and genuine warmth. He believed in people.
Mike Gibbons was a friend to our entire Ascent Strategic team. Mike, Andrew, Kory & Derek all interacted with him. Our design team and operations team worked with him in multiple capacities. The impact of his passing has impacted us all.
“Mike was one of the true good guys. Brilliant, thoughtful, self-made, and he never forgot his roots. He loved his family, church, Ohio, Cleveland, and Parma. He knew everyone, had a story for every mile, and would give you the shirt off his back.”
— Andrew Boucher
“I’ve met giants of industry and politics. Mike was successful yet humble, always the middle-class kid who remembered where he came from. Our last conversation was classic Mike: proud of his family and laughing about the Browns. I’m a better man for having known him.”
— Mike Biundo
Mike Gibbons was one of the kindest men I’ve known. He loved Ohio, our country, and above all, his wife Diane and their family. I’ll never forget our drives across the state, talking football, politics, and life. We’ve lost a good man and a true patriot. Rest in peace, Mike.
— Kory Wood
We are saddened by the passing of our friend, Mike Gibbons. Mike was more than a successful businessman and leader; he was a generous, down-to-earth person who cared deeply about the people around him. I will remember his humor, candor, and tireless dedication to his principles.
— Derek Dufresne
Mike’s death resonated across Ohio this week, not because he was once a candidate for the U.S. Senate or because he built an undeniably successful business; his passing hit heartstrings because everyone he met (and it was thousands of people) knew he believed in the inherent dignity of every person and in the power of kindness to change lives.
To Diane, their five children, and their grandchildren: you are in our prayers. We will miss Mike’s big smile, bear-hug greetings, straight talk, and boundless generosity.
If you have a memory of Mike, we invite you to reply to this newsletter and share it. Stories are how we keep the best of a person alive, and Mike gave us so many good ones.
A Call to Reject Political Violence – Enough is Enough
By Mike Biundo (Partner)
We are unfortunately repurposing this article I wrote in June because our country is once again mourning a loss caused by political violence. The pain of these tragedies compounds, and we cannot ignore the urgent need to address this growing crisis.
The recent assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, has shaken us. On September 10, 2025, during an event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Kirk was fatally shot in a politically motivated attack. The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was quickly arrested, but the incident highlights the escalating dangers faced by public figures in our polarized climate. Kirk, a prominent conservative voice who inspired countless young activists, became yet another victim in this wave of violence that threatens the very fabric of our republic. His death not only robs us of a passionate advocate but serves as a stark warning: if we don’t address the root causes of this hatred, more lives will be lost.
I’ve been in the political trenches for a long time—as a former state representative in New Hampshire and a consultant through eleven presidential campaigns, I’ve worked with great people in places like Minnesota. I’ve felt the heat of campaigns, the clash of ideas, and the grit of public service. Politics is a tough game, but it’s supposed to be fought with words, not weapons. The assassination of Charlie Kirk is the latest in a disturbing string of politically motivated attacks that are becoming far too common. We can’t let this become our new normal.
Consider the tragedy in Minnesota, where State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, were gunned down, and State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were wounded. Governor Walz called it “politically motivated.” The suspect, Vance Boelter, had a hit list of Democratic officials. This wasn’t just a crime but a chilling reminder of how far things have gone.
And it’s not just Minnesota. In Pennsylvania, Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were forced to flee their burning home in April 2025 after an arsonist, Cody Balmer, torched it, targeting Shapiro over a twisted grievance tied to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Last year, Donald Trump narrowly escaped two assassination attempts—one in July 2024 at a Pennsylvania rally, where a bullet came within inches of killing him, claiming a bystander’s life instead, and another in September at his Florida golf course, thwarted by the Secret Service. No one is safe.
Rewind to 2017. Steve Scalise, a friend to many in Congress, was nearly killed when a gunman opened fire on a Republican baseball practice in Virginia. Only the Capitol Police saved the day, but Scalise’s recovery was grueling. That same year, Rand Paul was attacked by a neighbor in Kentucky, left with broken ribs. The attacker’s anti-Trump, anti-GOP rants pointed to politics as the trigger.
Just this June, our client, Kat Cammack, faced a barrage of death threats and threats of violence after speaking out about her struggle to get care during a life-threatening ectopic pregnancy. Her office was evacuated due to credible threats against herself, her unborn child, her family, and her staff from pro-abortion activists.
These incidents are not isolated. They are symptoms of a deeper sickness. A 2023 poll revealed that 23% of Americans believe violence might be necessary to “save” the country, up from 15% two years earlier. FBI data underscores this trend: the U.S. Capitol Police reported 9,474 concerning statements or direct threats against members of Congress in 2024 alone. The toxic mix of heated rhetoric, social media pile-ons, 24-hour cable news shouting matches, and echo chambers turns disagreements into battle lines.
I’ve spent decades in this arena, from New Hampshire’s State House to campaign war rooms. I get it—sharp words win votes, spicy takes get clicks. But we’re playing with fire. Republicans, Democrats, pundits—we all need to dial it back. We don’t have to agree; in fact, we shouldn’t always agree. But we must keep it civil. I’ll call out the extremists on my side first and hold the megaphones—media, social platforms, cable news—accountable when they fan the flames.
Our country is hurting, and the losses of Charlie Kirk, Melissa Hortman, her husband, and others cut deep. This is our chance to come together—Republicans, Democrats, all of us—to reject violence and address this crisis. I urge leaders on both sides of the aisle to tone down their rhetoric and commit to civil discourse that prioritizes ideas over incitement. The media must join this effort by focusing on facts and promoting unity rather than division. We owe it to the victims and ourselves to say enough is enough. We’ll battle in the arena of ideas, not with weapons that destroy lives. We’ve done it before. We can do it again.
Additional Notes from our Team on Political Violence and the Loss of Charlie Kirk:
Politics is always going to cause people to be angry. Anger is a good driver for those on both sides of an issue to get involved and fight for what they believe in. What we are seeing more and more often, though, in this country isn’t anger. It’s blatant violence. It’s hate. It’s a desire to eliminate a political foe rather than engage and learn from them. We can disagree. We can yell. We can fight for the values we believe in and against those we disagree with, which is at the core of being an American. However, we can’t let hate become the new normal.
The sad and scary thing is that I don’t see many paths out of where we are, nor do most people I’ve talked to on both sides of the aisle in the past week. When we reach the stage where we are dehumanizing others and — regardless of the rational — we are convincing ourselves that political violence is an acceptable or even deserved solution, we are truthfully in a dark period in our country.
If we are to break out of this cycle of hate, we must do better to get out of our silos, personally recognize the difference between anger and violence, and engage with those we disagree with to learn from them just as much as we hope they learn from us. This responsibility doesn’t just fall on the backs of our political leaders, but on that of every American if we actually want to make a difference.
— Derek Dufresne (Partner)
Over the past week, since the shocking news of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, I have witnessed just about every reaction imaginable. Some have responded with grief, some with anger, some with fear, and, shockingly, some with celebration.
As someone who feels deeply, I have absorbed the weight of those emotions and watched them ripple across both sides of the aisle. At times, the divide in our nation feels impossibly wide. But I still believe we must believe that it is not too wide to bridge.
Violence is never the answer. We cannot allow hatred or extremism to harden our hearts. We must reject the temptation to see our neighbors as enemies. At our core, each of us shares the same humanity: we love, we grieve, we hope, and we hurt.
Evil cannot win unless we allow it to. We must not allow it. Disagree, debate, and fight passionately for your beliefs, but put down the weapons and put down the fists. America is stronger when we rise above violence and stand firm in both conviction and compassion.
— Amanda Biundo (VP of Creative & Marketing)
