Bill Baer
Brookings Institution
Visiting Fellow, Governance Studies

The former assistant attorney general under President Obama is now advising various policymakers about how to steer a balanced approach to anti­trust during a period of major reform initiatives.

Hometown: South Milwaukee. Education: Lawrence University (BA); Stanford (JD). First job: Federal Trade Commission.

Steve DelBianco
NetChoice
President and CEO

DelBianco’s conservative tech-lobbying group quickly sprang into action last winter to run an advertising campaign against the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act—which would allow news organizations to negotiate fair terms jointly with social-media companies for access to their content—labeling it as a “power grab” by congressional Democrats.

Hometown: Pittsburgh. Lesson from his First job: “It’s true that luck is important, but I learned that the harder you work, the luckier you get.” Hidden talent: “Master builder of beach sand castles.”

Teddy Downey
The Capitol Forum
CEO and Executive Editor

In addition to running the Capitol Forum, a subscription-based website for those interested in antitrust enforcement, Downey—a former senior vice president at MF Global’s Washington Research Group—hosts a podcast that explores solutions to blooming monopolies.

Education: Columbia University. Worst career advice: “Don’t start a media company.” Favorite place to visit in DC: Tregaron Conservancy.

Mark Hansen
Kellogg Hansen Todd Figel & Frederick
Partner

Hansen has more than three decades of legal experience representing interests around the world and secured the largest judgment collected under US antitrust laws, a $1.3 billion tobacco settlement.

Education: Dartmouth; Harvard Law.

Mark Isakowitz
Google
Vice President, Government Affairs and Public Policy, US and Canada

Isakowitz, a former GOP Capitol Hill staffer, has worked against legislation that seeks to ban platforms from favoring their own services, saying it would make Google’s services less safe, private, and secure.

Hometown: Cleveland. First job: Plumber’s assistant. What his office walk-up song would be: “Forever Young” by Bob Dylan.

Jason Kint
Digital Content Next
CEO

Kint runs a trade association that represents multi-platform content companies—including the New York Times and ESPN—dealing with the industry’s trust, transparency, and accountability challenges.

Best career advice: “It’s not about me. Find a way to help the organization and the team be successful, and there will be new opportunities.” One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: José Andrés. Hidden talent: “Yard decorating for holidays.”

William Kovacic
George Washington University
Professor

Kovacic, a professor of law and policy, has advised many countries and international organizations on consumer issues and government contracts and has served as non-executive director of the UK’s Competition & Markets Authority.

Hometown: Uniondale, Pennsylvania. Education: Princeton; Columbia Law School.

Barry Lynn
Open Markets Institute
Executive Director

Lynn has fought corporate concentration and monopolies through multiple administrations and believes his vision is finally beginning to take hold in the Biden era.

Education: Columbia University.

Diana L. Moss
American Antitrust Institute
President

Moss’s work has highlighted the risks of massive digital-technology healthcare platforms to both medical professionals and patients, spurring a Department of Justice investigation.

Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico. First job: Server at a doughnut shop at age 14. Favorite DC restaurant: The Bombay Club.

John Schmidtlein
Williams & Connolly
Partner

As co-chair of the firm’s antitrust practice, Schmidtlein has represented pharmaceutical manufacturers, telecommunication companies, and food processors in a wide range of criminal and civil cases.

Hometown: Washington, DC. Education: Brown; Georgetown Law.

Jon Schweppe
American Principles Project
Director, Policy and Government Affairs

Schweppe, who runs policy at the right-leaning watchdog group, is a sharp critic of the biggest tech companies’ influence, accusing them of “double talk” to appease lawmakers.

Education: Augustana College. First job: Radio DJ at a small-town station in western Illinois. Lesson from that job: “Radio taught me how to adapt to challenges and make quick decisions.”

Matt Stoller
American Economic Liberties Project
Director, Research

Stoller’s book, Goliath: The 100-Year War Between Monopoly Power and Democracy, as well as his Substack have been widely read by activists and agency staffers involved in antitrust cases against Big Tech.

Education: Harvard.

Jonathan Yarowsky
WilmerHale
Partner and Co-Chair, Public Policy and Legislative Affairs Practice

Yarowsky is working with the Biden administration and the Judiciary and Commerce committees in both chambers on ending discriminatory pricing on small and midsize industry competitors and major players by reanimating enforcement of rarely enforced antitrust laws.

Education: University of Michigan; Cornell; UCLA Law. Lesson from his first job (in a Persian-rug store): “Let quality speak for itself—no hype needed.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Phillips Collection.

Greg Baer
Bank Policy Institute
President and CEO

Baer’s group is focused on the intersection between monetary, regulatory, and consumer policy, as well as the enforcement of sanctions leveled against Russia.

First job: Ride attendant at Carowinds Amusement Park in North Carolina. Lesson from that job: “Don’t try to date your coworkers.” Best career advice: “When you’re traveling, the rule on tipping is to hand anyone who speaks to you $1.”

James Ballentine
Ballentine Strategies
Founder and CEO

Ballentine leveraged his experience from the American Bankers Association to launch his own consulting firm, where he’s advising financial-services clients and small businesses.

Favorite DC restaurant: The Oceanaire. What his office walk-up song would be: “What’s Going On?” by Marvin Gaye. Hidden talent: “I play the bongos.”

Kenneth E. Bentsen Jr.
SIFMA
President and CEO

Bentsen frequently weighs in on new rules proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission, advocating on behalf of global capital markets for broker-dealers, investment banks, and asset managers.

Hometown: Houston. First job: Restaurant dishwasher. On his bucket list: Attending the Australian Open tennis tournament.

 

Tim Berry
JPMorgan Chase
Head of Global Government Relations

Berry, who spent time in government relations for Time Warner, took on an additional role last year as chairman of the Mid-Atlantic region for JPMorgan Chase, the $3.8 trillion–asset banking giant.

Hometown: Silver Spring. Education: Middlebury College.

Reginald Brown
Kirkland & Ellis
Partner, Litigation

Brown, who is also a board member at investment titan Blackstone, represents a large number of financial-industry businesses facing congressional-oversight investigations and also advises clients on regulatory policy.

Education: Yale; Harvard Law. First job: McDonald’s. Best career advice: “Lloyd Cutler told me when I was a young lawyer to ‘put on your jacket and go to lunch.’ It’s great advice in DC. Networks matter. Get to know as many interesting people as you can.”

Mike Calhoun
Center for Responsible Lending
President

As head of the influential consumer financial-services organization, Calhoun uses his expertise on housing and consumer finance to influence a bundle of regulations, including the payday-lending and qualified-mortgage rules.

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida. Education: Duke (undergrad); University of North Carolina (JD). Favorite place in DC to visit: National Arboretum.

Naomi Camper
American Bankers Association
Chief Policy Officer

Camper steers policy needs for the nation’s $24 trillion banking industry, which employs more than 2 million people at small, regional, and large banks.

Worst career advice: “To make a plan and stick with it.” Favorite DC restaurant: “Little Beast, especially since they started selling red-velvet cupcakes.” Favorite place in DC to visit: The old Capitol stones in Rock Creek Park.

Jake Chervinsky
Blockchain Association
Chief Policy Officer

After advocating for cryptocurrency firms during a period of turbulence, Chervinsky was heartened to see the House Financial Services Committee largely come to a consensus that stablecoin issuers won’t need to become insured depository institutions.

First job: Associate at Baker McKenzie. Lesson from that job: “Success requires thinking for yourself, even and especially when doing so is unpopular.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Tidal Basin.

Kate Childress
Bank Policy Institute
Executive Vice President and Head of Public Affairs

Childress has continued to expand her public-affairs team, delving into stablecoin legislation and exploring how to allow more people with minor criminal records to work in the banking industry.

First job: Movie-theater concessions. Lesson from that job: “It’s important to be punctual, efficient, and friendly.” Worst career advice: “Be patient.”

Nicole Elam
National Bankers Association
President and CEO

Representing 145-plus minority-owned banks, Elam advocates on myriad issues, including access to capital and federal deposit programs.

Education: DePauw; Capital Bible Seminary; Howard School of Law. First job: Burger King. Worst career advice: “ ‘All you need to do is work hard.’ You need more—you need skills and opportunities. You can’t control opportunities, but you can control your development. So invest in the skills you need to be great in your field.”

Kevin Fromer
Financial Services Forum
President and CEO

In representing the world’s largest banks, Fromer acts on behalf of the legislative and regulatory interests for institutions that collectively provide most of the lending, underwriting, and infrastructure for the US financial system.

Education: University of Virginia. Best career advice: “Think about what you envision doing five years later when considering an opportunity.” Favorite DC restaurant: Martin’s Tavern.

Tina Giorgio
ICBA Bancard
President and CEO

Giorgio advocates for a “balanced and flexible” regulatory approach for the nation’s nearly 5,000 community banks, which employ 700,000 Americans and are the only physical banking presence for one in three US counties.

Education: University of Maryland University College (BS); UMass Amherst (MBA). Favorite place in DC to visit: Kennedy Center. Hidden talent: “People say I’m a baby whisperer.”

Tiffany Haas
Financial Services Forum
Head of Government Affairs

Haas earned a promotion last year to handle legislative engagement for US global systemically important banks (GSIBs), often with a focus on climate-related financial risk.

Education: George Washington University; Marquette University Law School.

Bridget Hagan
Blackstone
Managing Director

Hagan moved from Mindset to Blackstone last year and now represents clients across the insurance sector. She has been heavily relied upon when it comes to market issues impacting institutional investors and asset managers.

Hometown: Alexandria. Education: Harvard; Georgetown Law. First job: Johnny’s Deli in Old Town.

Lindsey Johnson
Consumer Bankers Association
President and CEO

Johnson, who stepped into the role last year, has said her top priorities are helping banks navigate both a rise in new technologies and an increase in regulatory pressures.

Education: Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business.

Dennis Kelleher
Better Markets
Cofounder, President, and CEO

At a time when cryptocurrency regulation is being considered, Kelleher has stepped into the debate, warning that empowering the Commodity Futures Trading Commission with authority to regulate crypto would amount to a massive victory for crypto­currency lobbyists because the CFTC is chronically underfunded.

Best career advice: “Surround yourself with people smarter and more experienced than you, and learn from them.” Worst career advice: “The best way to get ahead in DC is to go along to get along.” What his office walk-up song would be: “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor.

Aaron Klein
Brookings Institution
Senior Fellow

Klein testified before the US Senate last year on reforming bank overdrafting policy and has promoted quicker payments to customers, leading senators Chris Van Hollen and Elizabeth Warren to quote him in their legislation.

Education: Dartmouth; Princeton. Favorite DC restaurant: Rasika. Hidden talent: “The ability to reference song lyrics in the course of normal conversation.”

Jane Larimer
Nacha
President and CEO

Larimer leads Nacha, which oversees the modern ACH Network—processing more than $70 trillion in annual electronic financial transactions, such as direct deposits—and pushes the payments industry in driving innovation, interoperability, and education.

Hometown: St. Petersburg, Florida. Favorite place in DC to visit: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Hidden talent: “Enthusiasm for adventures—hang-gliding in the Alps, bungee-jumping in New Zealand, hiking the Inca Trail in Peru.”

Walton Liles
Blue Ridge Law & Policy
Cofounder and Principal

A former senior counsel to the House Financial Services Committee, Liles has deep, systematic knowledge on capital markets and corporate-governance issues.

Education: University of Virginia; University of Alabama School of Law.

Drew Maloney
American Investment Council
President and CEO

In a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Maloney expressed growing bipartisan concern that SEC chair Gary Gensler moved too quickly on implementing regulations that could inhibit business and private investment. Maloney’s critique was echoed by a former SEC chair and 47 members of Congress.

Hometown: Weyers Cave, Virginia. First job: Sheep-and-poultry-farm worker. Lesson from that job: “Farming is hard work! Beyond normal feeding of poultry and livestock, you need to ensure that all equipment and fences are maintained. You don’t want to lose your flock of sheep to a hole in the fence.”

Doyle Mitchell
Industrial Bank
President and CEO

This local bank, a certified Minority Development Institution, was awarded $82 million from the Treasury Department to help underserved communities with loans, grants, and forbearance for small minority-owned businesses.

First job: Grass-cutting at age 12. Favorite DC restaurant: Ben’s Next Door. Hidden talent: Writing song lyrics.

Rob Nichols
American Bankers Association
President and CEO

Nichols teamed up with Better Markets’ Dennis Kelleher, in the wake of the FTX crash, to urge Congress to regulate the trillion-dollar cryptocurrency sector the same way it regulates the rest of the banking industry.

Hometown: Seattle. First job: Paperboy. Lesson from that job: “The early bird gets the worm.”

Michael Paese
Goldman Sachs
Global Co-Head, Office of Government Affairs

Paese has been at Goldman Sachs 14 years, and his relationships with all the legislative players has become crucial as the leading global investing company attempts to navigate what some observers see as a shifting power balance in worldwide finance.

Education: University of Notre Dame.

Brendan Reilly
Barclays
Managing Director and Head of Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy, Americas

Reilly helms the Washington-based investment-banking team as it navigates potential economic headwinds and debt-ceiling drama that could rattle investors.

Education: Wake Forest. Best career advice: “People spend a lot of time working in their lives, so try to pursue something about which you are passionate.” Hidden talent: Math.

Rebeca Romero Rainey
Independent Community Bankers of America
President and CEO

Romero Rainey was one of the strongest voices to come out against Saule Omarova, the Biden administration’s initial choice to run the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Omarova eventually withdrew herself from consideration.

Hometown: Taos, New Mexico. Education: Wellesley College; Pacific Coast School of Banking.

Jason Rosenberg
Block
Head of Corporate Affairs

A former top economic adviser to Senator Jon Tester, this JPMorgan alum wields immense influence in regulatory issues on Capitol Hill.

Education: Syracuse University. Best career advice: “Hire people smarter than you, and be clear on the strategy but flexible on the details.” What his office walk-up song would be: “How You Like Me Now” by the Heavy.

Dan Smith
Consumer Bankers Association
Executive Vice President and Head of Regulatory Affairs

Smith has stressed to lawmakers and media outlets that any new government rule­-making on banking and financial technology should ensure that consumers understand how their data is being used and protected.

Hometown: West Orange, New Jersey. Favorite DC restaurant: RPM Italian. Hidden talent: “I could throw a baseball over 90 miles per hour.”

Kristin Smith
Blockchain Association
CEO

The head of one of the largest cryptocurrency lobbying groups has acknowledged that it won’t be easy to rebuild the industry’s reputation in the wake of FTX’s high-profile failure and Sam Bankman-Fried’s arrest, but she has argued that the fiasco could provide momentum for a legislative fix.

Education: George Washington University; Georgetown; NYU Stern School of Business. First job: Staff assistant to Senator Conrad Burns.

Michael Thompson
Goldman Sachs
Managing Director and Head of US Government Affairs

Thompson is known for having robust bipartisan relationships on the finance committees in both chambers of Congress.

Education: University of Kansas; University of Maryland. First job: Intern in Senator Sam Brownback’s office. Best career advice: “Never hire someone who you don’t see being able to replace you someday.”

Alison Weiss
MassMutual
Head of Government Relations

Weiss has been an advocate for women who are vulnerable to outliving their savings, and she played an instrumental role in the passage of Secure 2.0, which increases access to financial-risk-­protection products.

Hometown: Springfield, Massachusetts. Favorite DC restaurant: “Rasika. But you can never go wrong with the Capital Grille.” What her office walk-up songs would be: “Lose Yourself” by Eminem, and “Ready for It?” by Taylor Smith.

Candida Wolff
Citigroup
Executive Vice President and Head of Global Government Affairs

Wolff acted as a liaison for the US government as the Russian war in Ukraine provoked unprecedented financial sanctions and Citigroup ultimately announced its exit from the Russian market.

Education: Mount Holyoke College; George Washington University Law School.

Mimi Alemayehou
Three Cairns Group
Senior Adviser

The former Mastercard executive signed on with the philanthropy-­minded investment firm this spring to help private clients navigate the intersection of emerging technologies, climate-related projects, and international development in emerging markets.

Education: West Texas A&M University; Tufts. Worst career advice: “Don’t quit your job—this is the best thing that could happen to you.” What her office walk-up song would be: “God’s Plan” by Drake.

Bruce Andrews
Intel
Corporate Vice President and Chief Government Affairs Officer

Andrews works closely with governments and organizations in the US and around the world on semiconductor policies, including helping secure passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, legislation he has called “the single most consequential industrial policy enacted in the U.S. since World War II.”

Education: Haverford College; Georgetown Law. Favorite DC restaurant: Rasika. On his bucket list: Visiting Cambodia and Vietnam.

 

Kate Bahn
Urban Institute
Director of Research, WorkRise

Bahn led an “Econ 101” briefing for Capitol Hill staff last year describing how the labor market is affected when markets are uncompetitive, an event that became the basis of a subsequent congressional hearing on the economic disparities in growth.

Hometown: Watertown, Massachusetts. Favorite place in DC to visit: “Banneker Pool because it’s a great slice of DC.” Hidden talent: “I’m great at remembering dates.”

Sirisha Bandla
Virgin Galactic
Vice President, Government Affairs

Bandla, only the second India-born woman to fly into space, promotes both the LauncherOne and SpaceShipTwo programs in her advocacy for commercial spaceflight.

Education: Purdue; George Washington University.

Ruchi Bhowmik
Netflix
Vice President, Public Policy

Bhowmik develops strategy for the leading entertainment streamer, forging relationships with lawmakers, regulators, and nongovernmental organizations in both the US and Canada.

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee. First job: Baskin-Robbins. Lesson from that job: “The importance of great customer service (and a great product!).”

Rachel Bissex
News Corp
Vice President, Federal Government Affairs

A former aide to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Bissex was recruited by the media behemoth to bolster its ongoing battle against some of the biggest tech companies.

Hometown: Scottsboro, Alabama. First job: Caterer’s assistant. What her office walk-up song would be: “Sunshine of Your Love” by Cream.

Joshua Bolten
Business Roundtable
CEO

Last summer, Bolten’s Business Roundtable endorsed the expansion of Pell Grant eligibility to modernize the workforce-development system, spurring bipartisan legislation introduced by senators Tim Kaine and Mike Braun.

Hometown: Washington, DC. Hidden talent: Played bass guitar in a band called the Compassionates, including while chief of staff for President George W. Bush.

Neil Bradley
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Executive Vice President, Chief Policy Officer, and Head of Strategic Advocacy

Bradley manages the chamber’s pro-business advocacy programs, including leading opposition to numerous Biden-administration regulatory proposals and business taxes.

First job: Staff for then-representative Tom Coburn of Oklahoma. Lesson from that job: “You can either be the person that always calls other people when you have a question or you can study and learn the topic yourself and be the person other people call.” Worst career advice: “The extra time you put in at the office would be better spent out expanding your social network.”

Heidi Brock
American Forest & Paper Association
President and CEO

A former manufacturing-association head, Brock has helped the $300 billion forest-and-paper industry work toward an extensive set of sustainability goals, with a focus on using renewable bioenergy.

First job: “Picking strawberries for the Klicker family farm in Walla Walla, Washington.” Favorite place in DC to visit: “The National Gallery of Art. Every visit provides a new experience.” On her bucket list: “Seeing the Abba Voyage virtual concert in London.”

 

Roxanne Brown
United Steelworkers
International Vice President at Large

When Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the United Steelworkers convention last summer, it was this key member of the AFL-CIO executive council who introduced her, lauding the Biden administration’s commitment to worker empowerment.

Hometown: White Plains, New York. On her bucket list: “A huge family trip to Ghana. I have a five-year-old who I want to have a deep-rooted understanding of self. Our family is Jamaican, but for so many Black and Brown people throughout the diaspora, our stories began in countries like Ghana.” What her office walk-up song would be: “Most days, it’s ‘6 Inch’ by Beyoncé.”

 

Dan Bryant
Walmart
Executive Vice President, Global Public Policy and Government Affairs

With stints at PepsiCo and the Department of Justice under his belt, Bryant helms government affairs for the world’s largest private employer, leveraging relationships in both the private and government sectors.

Education: American University; Oxford. First job: “At age seven, selling soda in Delaware’s Rockford Park from a Red Ryder wagon.” Favorite place in DC to visit: “The pop-up holiday bazaar south of the National Portrait Gallery in December, to eat the churros con chocolate.”

Ron Busby Sr.
U.S. Black Chambers
President and CEO

Busby partnered with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to try to increase understanding of the commercial opportunities in Africa and transform existing perceptions around the country’s trade-and-business climate.

First job: IBM. Favorite DC restaurant: Busboys and Poets. Hidden talent: “Dancing.”

Dawn Buth
National Collegiate Athletic Association
Director, Government Relations

The former professional tennis player leverages her ties on Capitol Hill and in the sports world to advocate on behalf of the NCAA as it earns greater scrutiny for its treatment of student athletes.

Hometown: Wichita, Kansas. Education: University of Florida (BA); George Washington University (MPA). Best career advice: “If you’re not failing, you’re not growing.”

Wayne Chopus
Insured Retirement Institute
President and CEO

Since taking over IRI in 2019, Chopus significantly enhanced the group’s advocacy, leading to the adoption of the SECURE Act, the most comprehensive federal retirement-security legislation in more than a decade.

Hometown: Southington, Connecticut. Best career advice: “Sometimes your career is a lattice, not always a ladder. Don’t ignore opportunities to grow and develop on all levels.” What his office walk-up song would be: “​​Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana.

Stephen Ciccone
Toyota
Group Vice President, Government Affairs

Toyota was a major player in the fight to defeat a proposed $4,500 subsidy for electric vehicles built only by unionized autoworkers, a provision strongly supported by the UAW, Detroit automakers, the Michigan congressional delegation, and the White House.

Hometown: Utica, New York. Lesson from his First job: “The newspaper doesn’t deliver itself. I had a morning route—which meant getting up while it was still dark no matter how cold or wet or how deep the snow.” Favorite DC restaurant: Tosca.

Suzanne Clark
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
President and CEO

As head of the world’s largest business organization, Clark helps entrepreneurs, business leaders, and CEOs of companies of every size, industry, and geography navigate complex public-policy questions as diverse as regulatory additions, inflation, and worker shortages.

First job: At a Hallmark store. “I worked there in high school through college.” Lesson from that job: “The importance of showing up early. Being on time is late.” Favorite DC restaurant: Equinox.

Gentry Collins
American Free Enterprise Chamber of Commerce
CEO

Collins, a former political director of the Republican National Committee, has worked to position the Free Enterprise Chamber as an alternative to the U.S. Chamber, which has gotten into the crosshairs of Republican lawmakers.

Education: Iowa State University.

Brian Conklin
SoftBank Group
Managing Partner and Head of Global Government Affairs

Conklin expressed support for a proposal to change the way the Commodity Futures Trading Commission deals with the trading of derivatives, as the digital-­asset market continues to advance.

Hometown: San Jose, California. Favorite DC restaurant: The Capital Grille. What his office walk-up song would be: “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses.

Judy Conti
National Employment Law Project
Director, Government Affairs

Conti worked to maximize the impact of the Department of Labor’s wage-and-hour-enforcement agenda and pushes to reform and modernize unemployment-­insurance programs throughout the country.

First job: “Scooping ice cream at the Jersey Shore.” Favorite DC restaurant: Rasika. One Washingtonian she’d invite to a dinner party: “Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, for her constant fighting for those who struggle in this country, but also because she is so much fun.”

Brian Crawford
Beer Institute
President and CEO

Before joining the Beer Institute at the end of 2022, Crawford worked government affairs for the American Hotel & Lodging Association and led the industry’s largest political-action committee.

Hometown: Rockville. First job: “Lawnmowing—and some baby­sitting—until I was old enough to become a lifeguard at our neighborhood pool.” What his office walk-up song would be: “Beer for My Horses” by Toby Keith and Willie Nelson.

Ashley Davis
West Front Strategies
Founding Partner

Davis was a leading voice in conversations around digital-asset regulation, helping inform policy and a push for greater controls.

First job: Working for Governor Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania. Best career advice: “To listen. Not always talk for the sake of talking. Listen to what others have to say and then determine what you want to say.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Kennedy Center.

Brian Dodge
Retail Industry Leaders Association
President

With more than a dozen years of experience in the retail trade, Dodge led opposition to the Biden administration’s push to raise the corporate tax rate to 28 percent.

Best career advice: “The best tool you have as a manager is the example you set.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Bishop’s Garden at Washington National Cathedral. On his bucket list: Rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon.

 

Zippy Duvall
American Farm Bureau Federation
President

Duvall marshaled nearly 5,000 messages to the Securities and Exchange Commission against a proposed rule that would require companies to report greenhouse-gas emissions in their supply chains, expressing confidence that the pressure campaign would force the SEC to rework it.

First job: Milking cows on the family farm in Georgia. Best career advice: “If you want to make a difference in this world, you need to step outside your fencerows.” Hidden talent: “I’m a cow whisperer. They come when I call, and they’re comfortable around me.”

Susan Fox
Walt Disney Company
Senior Vice President, Government Relations

Fox steers the entertainment giant’s policy needs at a time of significant internal turbulence as Bob Iger has returned to the post of CEO.

Education: Lafayette College; UVA School of Law.

Kim Glas
National Council of Textile Organizations
President and CEO

Widely respected in the industry, Glas stressed to policy-shapers the need for education and textile training to meet the global-sourcing shift that has driven production out of Asia to Honduras and the US.

Best career advice: “Always do your best and be grateful for the shoulders on which you stand.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Capitol Rotunda. One Washingtonian she’d invite to a dinner party: José Andrés.

Cedric Grant
Subject Matter
Government Relations

Congressman Hakeem Jeffries’s first chief of staff now lobbies for clients including UnitedHealth Group, Pfizer, Blackstone, and Goldman Sachs.

Education: Howard University; Columbia; Princeton Theological Seminary.

Caroline L. Harris
Capitol Tax Partners
Partner

After successfully leading the U.S. Chamber’s efforts to help secure the first major tax cut in 31 years, Harris moved on to consult for private clients looking to navigate the ever-changing landscape of tax law.

Education: University of Wisconsin–Madison; George Washington University Law School; Georgetown Law. Lesson from her First job: “1. Do not clean hot coffeepots with cold water. 2. Do not wear perfume to work in a bakery.” Best career advice: “Always hire people smarter than you.”

Mary Kay Henry
Service Employees International Union
International President

Since becoming the first woman elected to lead SEIU 13 years ago, Henry has established herself as one of the most creative and influential leaders shaping economic policy and national politics.

Hometown: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Education: Michigan State. First job: American Foreign Service, distributing food stamps to the needy.

Desiree Hoffman
UAW
Assistant Legislative Director

Hoffman lobbied on the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, and CHIPS and Science Act, and continues to advocate for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, known as PRO.

Hometown: Sunbury, Pennsylvania. Best career advice: “Work will always be there in the morning, so it’s best to hang it up and start fresh in the morning.” Hidden talent: “I make a tasty old fashioned (at least five different ways).”

Robert Holleyman
Crowell & Moring
Partner

Holleyman boasts a broad portfolio of international economic issues in places as far away as China and India, and deals with global digital-­economy issues and cross-border data regulations.

Hometown: New Orleans. Education: Trinity University; LSU Law.

Roy Houseman
United Steelworkers
Legislative Director

Houseman played a major role in the CHIPS Act and dove deep into trade negotiations, with an acute focus on the supply-chain issues that stifled commerce.

Education: University of Montana.

Selina Jackson
Procter & Gamble
Senior Vice President, Global Government Relations and Public Policy

The Kansas native was a crucial voice contending that US stimulus packages would be “part of the water that lifts all boats” during debates in 2020 and 2021 on how the country could reverse one of its sharpest economic slides in decades.

Education: University of Kansas; Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts; College of Europe.

Evan Jenkins
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs

After serving West Virginia in Congress and as the state’s chief justice, Jenkins is now using relationships forged on both sides of the aisle to advance the Chamber’s interests on Capitol Hill.

Hometown: Huntington, West Virginia. Education: University of Florida; Samford University (JD).

Jeff Joseph
BCW
President, Washington

Joseph departed the Software & Information Industry Association last summer to put his 30 years of trade-association experience into business growth and talent management at BCW, a multinational communications firm.

Education: Princeton University.

Everett Kelley
American Federation of Government Employees
National President

Kelley worked with lawmakers and the administration on passage of the VA Employee Fairness Act, which he believes, by repealing provisions that limit some collective-bargaining rights, will reduce turnover, increase staff levels, and improve overall care that veterans receive.

First job: Avondale Mills Textile Company. Lesson from that job: “The importance of strategy, perseverance, and hard work in achieving your goals.” Favorite DC restaurant: Georgia Brown’s.

Edward A. Kelly
International Association of Fire Fighters
General President

The new defense bill amends the Federal Employee Compensation Act to recognize when a fire fighter’s cancer-related disability or death was a result of his or her work—a change Kelly lobbied for and applauded as “righting a wrong.”

Hometown: Boston. Best career advice: “Don’t slide down a fire pole with wet clothes. It’s like jumping out a window.” What his office walk-up song would be: “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty.

Sean Kennedy
National Restaurant Association
Executive Vice President, Public Affairs

The former Obama-administration legislative aide is the association’s senior-most executive in the development of its multi-year strategy to be the voice of the restaurant-and-food-service industry.

Hometown: Wilmington, Delaware. First job: “I was a telephone collections agent for a bank, calling people who were three months behind on payments.” Lesson from that job: “When you’re trying to convince people to open their checkbooks, tone and nuance matter in how you make the ask.”

Tom Kuhn
Edison Electric Institute
President and CEO

Kuhn’s association represents all US investor-owned electric companies, which provide electricity for 235 million Americans and employ half a million workers.

Education: Yale; George Washington University; Stanford Graduate School of Business Senior Executive Program. First job: Naval officer.

Stephen Lamar
American Apparel & Footwear Association
President and CEO

Among the association’s current initiatives is one that could be transformational: replacing clothing’s scratchy, annoying, indecipherable care tags with a digital label based on a QR code.

Hometown: Wilmington, Delaware. First job: Peace Corps volunteer. Lesson from that job: “How to live without electricity or running water.”

Brett Loper
American Express
Executive Vice President, Government Affairs

Loper, who is used to handling fire from members of Congress, told Senator Elizabeth Warren, when she grilled executives about tracking gun purchases, that the company would continue allowing customers to buy firearms legally.

Hometown: Jackson, Mississippi. Education: Villanova; George Washington University.

Katherine Lugar
Hilton
Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs

After tenures atop the American Hotel & Lodging Association as well as the American Beverage Association, Lugar moved to this leading global hospitality company, where she’s leveraging her connections with lawmakers, environmental stakeholders, and mayors.

Hometown: Austin, Texas. Best career advice: “Don’t be afraid to take risks. I’m a huge believer that you cannot advance your career without taking risks.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Eastern Market.

Brittany Masalosalo
HP
Chief Public Policy Officer

Masalosalo, a leading tech-policy innovator, played a significant role in the CHIPS Act, crafting a strategy to emphasize the practical impact of the legislation on the economy, national security, and the supply chain.

Hometown: Denver. First job: “Scooping ice cream at Baskin­Robbins.” Best career advice: “To remember that work is more than just work—it impacts your family and loved ones as well. To the extent you can, pick a job that works for both you and your family. Balance is the key.”

Sean McGarvey
North America’s Building Trades Unions
President

Representing more than 3 million skilled craft workers, McGarvey worked with the Labor Department to administer apprenticeship programs that he says are crucial to the recent massive federal investments in infrastructure and high-tech manufacturing.

Education: National Labor College; Harvard Trade Union Program. First job: According to Irish America magazine, McGarvey apprenticed as a glazier, a person who fits glass into windows and doors.

Jim McGreevy
Coca-Cola
Vice President, Public Policy, Government Relations, and Political Engagement

McGreevy left the Beer Institute last spring for the multinational soft-drink company, where he steers its political-action committees. He is credited for helping the beer industry secure permanent relief from the federal excise tax.

Hometown: Union, New Jersey. First job: “Caddie at the local country club.” Lesson from that job: “Nothing beats getting to work early with a smile on your face.”

Bill Miller
American Gaming Association
President and CEO

Estimating that $500 billion is gambled unlawfully each year, Miller—the leading advocate for the $261 billion casino industry—has called on the FBI to crack down on offshore unregulated sports­books and casinos.

First job: Little-league umpire. Best career advice: “When I was working for Representative Connie Morella, she told me, ‘Attitude is altitude,’ and I think about it every day.” What his office walk-up song would be: “Can’t Stop” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Justin G. Nelson
National LGBT Chamber of Commerce
Coufounder and President

Nelson’s organization pushed corporations to use their K Street lobbying teams and drum up support for the Respect for Marriage Act, which President Biden signed into law in December.

Hometown: Casper, Wyoming. Favorite place in DC to visit: Georgetown waterfront. What his office walk-up song would be: “Beautiful Day” by U2.

Aric Newhouse
National Association of Manufacturers
Senior Vice President, Policy and Government Relations

Newhouse is responsible for development of the group’s policy agenda, which recently included contesting the EPA’s new clean-­water rules.

First job: “McDonald’s, literally flipping burgers.” Lesson from that job: “Work hard, be on time, and the customer is sometimes right. (There is a point where more bacon becomes too much bacon.)” Favorite DC restaurant: Centrolina.

Sean M. O’Brien
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
General President

A fourth-generation Teamster from the greater Boston area, O’Brien has advocated for a more assertive posture against employers such as UPS, endearing him to many of the group’s 1.2 million members.

Best career advice: “My father—‘Big Bill,’ as we called him—used to say, ‘If you don’t show up to work 30 minutes before your start time, you might as well not show up at all.’ ” Favorite DC restaurant: “Anywhere that serves a good steak.” What his office walk-up song would be: “Rain on Me” by Lady Gaga, featuring Ariana Grande.

Terry O’Sullivan
Laborers’ International Union of North America
General President

O’Sullivan has vocally praised a heap of federal legislation that he framed as beneficial to the labor union, including the infrastructure legislation, the American Rescue Plan, and stronger Davis-Bacon prevailing-wage rules for construction work.

Hometown: San Francisco. Education: American University.

Eli Peterson
TransUnion
Senior Vice President and Deputy General Counsel

TransUnion objected to a federal data-privacy law, with Peterson describing its lobbying as a way to make sure fraud-prevention functionality would continue to provide consumer protections.

Hometown: Worcester, Massachusetts. Education: Bucknell. Favorite DC restaurant: Tosca.

Paul Richman
Insured Retirement Institute
Chief Government and Political Affairs Officer

Richman has been a leading advocate for keeping the issue of retirement security on the forefront of the congressional agenda, evidenced by passage of the SECURE 2.0 Act, which would provide a slate of changes that could strengthen the retirement system.

Hometown: Brooklyn, New York. Education: Brooklyn College; Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University. One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: Joe Biden.

Charles H. Rivkin
Motion Picture Association
Chairman and CEO

The former US ambassador to France and Monaco uses his diplomatic touch to represent movie studios and streaming companies in their challenge to export visual content to other countries.

First job: “In 1988, I was hired after business school to run strategic planning for the Jim Henson Company, home of the Muppets. I later went on to become president and CEO.” Lesson from that job: “Jim Henson once said, ‘Media, if used properly, can be an enormous source of good in the world.’ ” Best career advice: “Always be willing to speak truth to power and encourage others to do the same.”

Chip Rogers
American Hotel & Lodging Association
President and CEO

Rogers promoted a “Responsible Stay” initiative to make meetings, events, and guest experiences more environmentally sustainable, by stressing waste reduction, water conservation, and responsible sourcing.

First job: Working on a farm. Lesson from that job: “There is no substitute for hard work. And chickens are very dumb animals, while the intelligence of a goat is underrated.” Best career advice: “Work as if there is no clock or calendar. If you hate Mondays and love Fridays, you should choose a different career.”

William Samuel
AFL-CIO
Director, Government Affairs

In addition to serving as chief lobbyist for the 12.5-million-member labor federation, Samuel chairs the AFL-CIO’s Legislative Committee, made up of representatives from the federation’s 55 affiliated unions.

Education: Oberlin College; George Washington University Law Center.

Lee Saunders
American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees
President

Saunders was among the collection of labor allies who praised the $25 million increase in funding for the National Labor Relations Board, a boost secured in the end-of-year omnibus package.

Best career advice: “Look for opportunities to learn and grow. No matter how far you get in your career, there are still things you don’t know and new skills you can hone.” Favorite place in DC to visit: The Ellipse. On his bucket list: “Taking a river cruise in Europe with my family.”

 

Greg Schultz
Greg Schultz LLC
Principal

Biden’s former campaign manager maintains the ear of top administration officials and serves as an effective intermediary between clients, outside allies, and the White House on a range of policy issues—from the global supply chain to law enforcement.

Hometown: North Royalton, Ohio. Education: Ohio State.

Matthew Shay
National Retail Federation
President and CEO

Shay worked with the Biden administration on a handful of measures to ease inflation, appearing at the White House last June when the President signed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act into law.

Education: Wittenberg University (BA); Ohio State (JD); Georgetown (MBA). Best career advice: “You can get outsmarted or outnumbered, but you can never get outworked.” Favorite place in DC to visit: “My oldest daughter and I have a tradition on her birthday to watch the sunrise from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Hard to beat that.”

Liz Shuler
AFL-CIO
President

Noting the decade since the National Labor Relations Board last received a funding increase from Congress, Shuler warned that the body would be hamstrung in enforcing workers’ rights to engage and organize.

Hometown: Gladstone, Oregon. Education: University of Oregon. First job: Union organizer for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 125, working on a campaign to organize clerical workers at PGE.

Lakecia Foster Stickney
Comcast
Executive Director

Stickney, who was director of policy and outreach for House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, now lobbies on behalf of the cable giant.

First job: Ice-cream scooper at Baskin-Robbins. Lesson from that job: “Don’t confuse titles with leadership.” Best career advice: “It’s always nice to be nice—because everyone is somebody and you never know if, when, or how you will see them again.”

Chris Swonger
Distilled Spirits Council of the United States
President and CEO

In addition to spearheading strategy for the spirits industry, Swonger leads Responsibility.org, which has amassed $250 million dollars to combat impaired driving and underage drinking around the country.

Hometown: Abilene, Texas. First job: Mowing lawns. Favorite place in the area to visit: George Washington’s Distillery at Mount Vernon.

Johnny C. Taylor Jr.
SHRM
President and CEO

Leading the largest human-resources association in the world, Taylor is a sought-after voice on all matters affecting work and was appointed chairman of the President’s Advisory Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities during the Trump administration.

Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Favorite DC restaurant: Rasika. One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: Jeff Bezos.

Darci Vetter
PepsiCo
Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy

Vetter spent most of the year working on climate policy for the Nature Conservancy before transitioning to a new role with the soft-drink giant, where she’ll cover a broader range of policy initiatives, including climate, regenerative agriculture, water resources, packaging, and nutrition.

Education: Drake University; Princeton.

Joe Wall
Goldman Sachs
Managing Director, Government Affairs

Wall helped coordinate the voices of thousands of small-business owners who called on Congress to reauthorize the Small Business Administration for the first time in more than two decades.

Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska. First job: Staff assistant at the National Republican Congressional Committee. One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: Elena Delle Donne.

Phillip J. Wallace​
Walmart​
Director, Federal Government Affairs

In addition to helming policy outreach for the biggest chain retailer, Wallace chairs a government-relations board that provides scholarships, internships, and programming for Black college students who hope to enter the advocacy field.

Hometown: Baton Rouge, Louisiana. First job: “First payroll job was McDonald’s.” Favorite DC restaurant: Ambar.

Ken Wingert
Zillow
Head of Federal Government Relations

As he maneuvered around the topsy-turvy housing market, Wingert issued an advisory document to the Federal Housing Finance Agency on the benefits of remote home appraisals.

First job: “My first ‘real job’ was at a family-owned home-improvement center in Avoca, Iowa.” Lesson from that job: “Having a command of facts and being precise matter. If a builder needed a specific product and a specific amount, we needed to provide it.” Favorite place in DC to visit: National Arboretum.

Roy L. Austin Jr.
Meta
Vice President, Civil Rights, and Deputy General Counsel

Austin has built a team to deal with civil-rights issues on the platform and has so far taken steps to remove sensitive advertising and has committed to studying Facebook’s impact on different racial groups.

Education: Yale; University of Chicago Law School. First job: Youth-care worker at a juvenile detention center in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. Lesson from that job: “That a person is more than their worst act.”

Yvette Badu-Nimako
National Urban League
Vice President, Policy, and Interim Executive Director

The former House Oversight Committee staffer now leads policy for the Urban League, where she strategizes on civil-rights, social­justice, and constitutional questions.

Education: Georgetown; Georgetown Law. Best career advice: “Find mentors and sponsors who support your career and who you would be proud to have advocate for you.” What her office walk-up song would be: “Freedom” by Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar.

Dorothy Brown
Georgetown Law
Professor

The author of The Whiteness of Wealth has done extensive research on how the current US tax system impoverishes Black Americans, and she has attracted media attention from CNN, MSNBC, and Bloomberg.

Hometown: New York City. Education: Fordham; Georgetown Law; NYU Law. Best career advice: “Always take a job that gives you more mobility than your last one.”

Kris Brown
Brady
President

Brown heralded a historic amount of funding for gun-violence prevention in last year’s budget agreement, including a 14-percent increase for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to police the firearm industry, which Brady—named for advocates Jim and Sarah Brady—lobbied for.

Favorite place in DC to visit: “National Portrait Gallery (indoors), Dumbarton Oaks (outdoors).” Favorite DC restaurant: Causa/Amazonia. What her office walk-up song would be: “Changes” by David Bowie.

Paul Butler
Georgetown University
Professor

Butler has been quoted frequently by media outlets—including 60 Minutes and NPR—in coverage of disputes about criminal law and social justice.

Education: Yale; Harvard Law. First job: Working at McDonald’s cleaning tables. Lesson from that job: “Working at McDonald’s cleaning tables sucks.”

Melanie L. Campbell
National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
President and CEO

Campbell applauded a new law that will end price-gouging of families when they call incarcerated loved ones, saying it “will make a real difference in the lives of those affected by mass incarceration.” Campbell had marshaled support among advocates pushing for this legislation.

Hometown: Mims, Florida. Education: Clark Atlanta University; Georgetown.

Sheryll D. Cashin
Georgetown Law
Professor

Cashin has been writing more regular commentary—including op-eds in Politico—on a variety of civil-rights questions, including the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the 14th Amendment and the pursuit of a colorblind society.

First job: A summer job in 1973 at the National Democratic Party of Alabama, “an independent party founded by my father, who ran for governor against George Wallace.” Best career advice: “That I should become a law professor because it would free me to write, think, and advocate for what I believed in.” One Washingtonian she’d invite to a dinner party: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Joi O. Chaney
J.O.I. Strategies
Founder and Principal

Chaney left the National Urban League to return to her consulting practice, where she develops strategies for organizations and companies seeking to achieve justice, opportunity, and inclusion for underserved communities.

Hometown: Orlando, Florida. Education: Howard University; Harvard Law.

David Cole
American Civil Liberties Union
National Legal Director

Cole has overseen a wide range of Supreme Court litigation, including cases extending privacy protection to cell-phone location data, striking down President Trump’s effort to add a citizenship question to the census, and advocating on behalf of Black Lives Matter protesters.

First job: Lifeguard. Best career advice: “Be in the moment, do the best you can at whatever you’re doing, and make sure you’re doing something you believe in.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Wilson Aquatic Center.

Holly Harris
Justice Action Network
Chairman of the Board

At the top of the country’s largest organization working to advance bipartisan criminal-justice reform, Harris pushed for an act that would eliminate the federal sentencing disparity between crack-­cocaine and powder-cocaine drug offenses.

First job: Television reporter for WKYT Channel 27 in Lexington, Kentucky. Worst career advice: “Keep your head down, your mouth shut, and try not to cause any trouble.” What her office walk-up song would be: “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi.

Damon Todd Hewitt
Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
President and Executive Director

With more than 20 years of civil-rights litigation experience, Hewitt coordinates the group’s strategy to advance racial justice for African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities through the legal system.

Hometown: New Orleans. Education: LSU; University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.

Kierra Johnson
National LGBTQ Task Force
Executive Director

As a bisexual Black woman, Johnson is one of the few out queer-­identified women of color at the helm of a national LGBTQ organization. The Task Force works to end discrimination in housing, healthcare, employment, and retirement.

Education: University of Colorado Boulder.

Debra S. Katz
Katz Banks Kumin
Partner

For almost 40 years, Katz has litigated cases involving employment discrimination, civil rights, and whistleblower protection, including for such high-profile clients as Dr. Rick Bright, a former Health and Human Services official who was removed from his position after raising concerns about the Trump administration’s preparation for the coronavirus pandemic.

Hometown: Woodmere, New York. First job: Tennis teacher. On her bucket list: “To learn to speak Spanish.”

 

Ron LeGrand
National Criminal Justice Association
Policy Director

An attorney and former congressional staffer, LeGrand advises on criminal-justice issues for a variety of groups including Americans for Prosperity and Human Rights Watch.

Hometown: Jersey City, New Jersey. Education: Boston College.

Janet Murguía
UnidosUS
President and CEO

As leader of the nation’s largest Latino civil-rights organization, Murguía has worked on a score of related issues.

Best career advice: “Be more concerned with using a compass than a watch.” What her office walk-up song would be: “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys. Hidden talent: “I’m a good poker player.”

Jim Pasco
National Fraternal Order of Police
Executive Director

Pasco worked closely with the White House and Department of Justice to help secure passage of the Public Safety Officer Support Act, which assists first responders who experience PTSD after traumatic events.

First job: Enlisted in the Army. Best career advice: “Don’t get too bogged down in the details of any issue—just make sure the outcome is consistent with your core beliefs and principles.” One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: “Wade Henderson—a true leader in the civil-rights movement for decades.”

Elizabeth Pyke
National Criminal Justice Association
Director, Government Affairs

Pyke provides strategic guidance to criminal-­justice agencies on a host of issues, including the effectiveness of sex-offender registries and the importance of sharing information across states.

Hometown: Bethesda. Best career advice: “You can do it all, just not all at once.” On her bucket list: “Ride the Bernina Express from Switzerland to Italy.”

 

David Safavian
American Conservative Union
General Counsel
ACU Foundation’s Nolan Center for Justice
Director

Safavian is a leading voice in criminal-justice reform on the conservative end of the spectrum. A key player in the formation of President Trump’s First Step Act, Safavian is now working with the GOP-controlled House on issues such as over-criminalization and fair-sentencing reforms.

Education: St. Louis University; Michigan State Detroit College of Law; Georgetown Law; Loyola University Maryland. Lesson from his first job (at a family business): “Own up to mistakes. It’s easier in the long run and earns respect.” Favorite DC restaurant: Capital Grille.

Hilary O. Shelton
NAACP
National Adviser, Governance and Policy

Advocating on behalf of the country’s oldest and most widely recognized civil-rights organization, Shelton holds considerable clout on issues including affirmative action, equal employment protection, and abolition of the death penalty.

Hometown: St. Louis. Education: Howard; Northeastern University; University of Missouri–St. Louis. On his bucket list: “To take my wife on a cruise from Morocco to each of the other countries throughout the Mediterranean Sea.”

 

Vincent Talucci
International Association of Chiefs of Police
Executive Director and CEO

Talucci provides guidance on issues confronting the policing profession around the globe and was tapped to lead a Homeland Security Advisory Council.

Education: Rutgers University–Camden; University of Washington Evans School of Public Policy and Governance.

Raul “Danny” Vargas
VARCom Solutions
President and Founder

Vargas launched a new nonprofit, the American Latino Veterans Association, aimed at assisting 1.5 million Latino veterans with workforce development and job placement and at publicizing Latino contributions since the Revolutionary War.

First job: “Selling hand-grated snow cones in the streets of Brooklyn at 12 years old.” What his office walk-up song would be: “My Way” by Frank Sinatra. Hidden talent: “Dancing salsa.”

Chuck Wexler
Police Executive Research Forum
Executive Director

Under Wexler’s leadership, PERF has developed and implemented national de-escalation training that aims to reduce the use of force by police officers, a tricky issue that law enforcement has struggled with.

Education: Boston University; MIT. Best career advice: “No good deed goes unpunished.” One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: Thomas Friedman of the New York Times.

Alexandra Adams
Natural Resources Defense Council
Senior Director of Federal Affairs

Colleagues trumpeted Adams as an integral player during negotiations on Capitol Hill over both the infrastructure bill and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Hometown: Palm Beach, Florida. Favorite places in DC to visit: 9:30 Club, National Museum of Natural History. Hidden talent: “Shocking tenacity.”

George David Banks
Bipartisan Policy Center
Fellow

Having worked on climate issues for nearly two decades, Banks believes the US won’t achieve net-zero emissions until after 2050, but he has worked with GOP leaders on trying to cobble together a long-term strategy.

Hometown: New Madrid, Missouri. Best career advice: “Never leave the field of battle—even when things are looking bad.” On his bucket list: “Writing a book on US geopolitics.”

 

Greg Bertelsen
Climate Leadership Council
CEO

Bertelsen works with federal lawmakers and leaders across the business, labor, and environmental communities to promote carbon dividends and policies at the emerging climate/trade nexus.

Hometown: Bethesda. Best career advice: “DC is a small town—be nice to everyone.” Hidden talent: “Eating the exact same thing for lunch every day—the Harvest Bowl from Sweetgreen—and never getting tired of it.”

Paul Bledsoe
Progressive Policy Institute
Strategic Adviser

Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Bledsoe wrote reports warning that the EU’s dependency on Russian gas represented huge geopolitical and climate risks, in part due to high methane-­leakage rates from Russia’s gas system.

Education: Ohio State. First job: Choirboy. Best career advice: “Return every email and phone call the same day.”

Carol Browner
Covington
Senior of Counsel

Browner—the former EPA administrator under President Clinton who also was director of the White House Office of Energy Policy and Climate Change Policy in the Obama administration—has cultivated relationships with environmental groups and industry advocates to provide clients with tailored guidance on how to meet a collection of government rules and regulations.

Hometown: South Miami. Education: University of Florida (BA, JD).

Jad Daley
American Forests
President and CEO

Daley is leading the nation’s oldest conservation nonprofit into a new era of climate-forward reforestation, bringing together public and private partners to restore forested landscapes and advance climate equity.

Education: Brown; Vermont Law School. Favorite place in DC to visit: “The C&O Canal towpath for long marathon-­training runs.” On his bucket list: “A meeting in the Oval Office.”

 

David Doniger
Natural Resources Defense Council
Senior Strategic Director, Climate & Clean Energy Program

From his work helping formulate the Montreal Protocol to his service on the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Doniger’s résumé makes him one of the city’s foremost experts on the climate crisis.

Hometown: Rye, New York. First job: X-ray file clerk at United Hospital in Port Chester, New York. One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: Merrick Garland.

Ross Eisenberg
American Chemistry Council
Vice President, Federal Affairs

Eisenberg led the charge for ratification of the Kigali Amendment, an international agreement that seeks to gradually reduce the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons found in refrigerants.

Best career advice: “Our job isn’t to say no. It’s to find an acceptable way to get to yes.” Favorite DC restaurant: “Wawa. My Philly roots run deep.” Favorite place in DC to visit: “The National Air and Space Museum. I’ve got a ten-year-old who knows every nook and cranny of that place.”

Leslie Fields
Sierra Club
National Director, Policy Advocacy and Legal

Fields vowed to fight “tooth and nail” a deal negotiated between Senate leadership and Joe Manchin that would have approved a fracking gas pipeline from West Virginia to southern Virginia. Manchin withdrew his request last fall.

Education: Cornell; Georgetown Law.

Lisa Friedman
New York Times
Climate Reporter

Friedman’s reporting on domestic clean energy and climate legislation is heralded as groundbreaking by close climate observers and activists.

Education: Columbia; University of Maryland. First job: Editorial assistant at the North Jersey Herald & News.

Rich Gold
Holland & Knight
Partner and Leader, Public Policy & Regulation Group

Gold spent much of the past year lobbying for energy tax cuts for wind and solar, methane fees, and incentives for carbon capture in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Best career advice: “My dad was always the nicest to people he barely knew—the toll collector on the Jersey Turnpike, the guy who took us to our seats at the Mets game. When I asked him why, he said the true measure of a man is how he treats people who can do nothing for him.” On his bucket list: “Cage diving with great whites.”

 

Elizabeth Gore
Environmental Defense Fund
Senior Vice President, Political Affairs

Gore’s EDF pushed hard for the Growing Climate Solutions Act, which it sees as helping farmers become easier partners in a natural climate-solutions strategy.

Education: Swarthmore College. First job: Analyst for the House Budget Committee, chaired by then congressman Leon Panetta. Lesson from that job: “The importance of doing the small things well. Especially when you’re starting out, attention to detail builds others’ confidence in you and leads to expanded responsibility.”

Gene Karpinski
League of Conservation Voters
President

Through rallies and a $12 million advertising blitz in 2022, Karpinski built the League into a potent political force this midterm cycle, in his continued attempts to elevate climate issues to the forefront of voters’ minds.

Education: Brown; Georgetown Law. Lesson from his first job (as field director with Public Citizen’s Congress Watch): “Organizing and building political will is key to successful advocacy.” On his bucket list: “Playing basketball on the White House hoops court and visiting New Zealand.”

 

Josh Siegel
Politico
Energy and Climate Reporter

Between writing his Politico energy podcast and making regular media appearances, Siegel is a vital dispatcher of information on the nuts and bolts of the political and policy fights on Capitol Hill.

Hometown: Deerfield, Illinois. Best career advice: “Be endlessly curious.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Rock Creek Park.

Jason Walsh
BlueGreen Alliance
Executive Director

Walsh’s Alliance organized data to show that the Inflation Reduction Act would create more than 9 million jobs across the country over the next decade, including 5 million tied to clean-energy investments.

Hometown: New York City. First job: “Working in my mother’s childcare center.” Lesson from that job: “Be prepared for anything when changing a diaper.”

Dean Baker
Center for Economic and Policy Research
Cofounder and Senior Economist

Baker is a go-to resource for members of the media trying to make sense of how conscious policymaking decisions impact political narratives, and he’s often a pointed critic of how press coverage lacks nuance when analyzing economic data.

Education: Swarthmore College; University of Michigan.

ren Cass
American Compass
Founder and Executive Director

Cass’s group developed a conservative agenda for Republicans that “supplants blind faith in free markets” with worker-focused policies, beginning with an industrial agenda to compete with China.

Education: Williams College; Harvard Law. First job: Consultant at Bain & Company.

Frank Clemente
Americans for Tax Fairness
Executive Director

Clemente celebrated the 2023 omnibus bill for not extending Trump-passed corporate tax breaks—which he argued would not trickle down to workers—but has said that more needs to be done to prevent further tax breaks for the wealthy in favor of preserving retirement for the working class.

Hometown: Troy, New York. One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries. On his bucket list: “Helicopter skiing in Alaska.”

 

Tyler Cowen
George Mason University
Mercatus Center Chairman and Faculty Director

Roughly a quarter of the country’s economic growth since the 1960s came from better allocation of ability and expertise. That was the basis for Cowen’s book Talent, which outlines how to find diamonds in the rough pool of applicants who can bring immediate growth to companies.

First job: Chess teacher. Best career advice: “Keep on at it.” Hidden talent: “Sleep well every night.”

Steve H. Hanke
Johns Hopkins University
Professor of Applied Economics

Hanke coauthored A Literature Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Lockdowns on Covid-19 Mortality. The Johns Hopkins working paper—which found that lockdowns had negligible public-health effects measured by mortality—attracted considerable attention in the White House and Congress.

Hometown: Baltimore. First job: Professor at the Colorado School of Mines. Lesson from that job: “The importance of the five P’s: Prior preparation prevents poor performance.”

Adam Hersh
Economic Policy Institute
Senior Economist

Hersh’s analysis has provided job estimates for major pieces of legislation—including the infrastructure and inflation-reduction bills—and become a resource for the White House, members of Congress, and advocacy groups.

First job: Mowing lawns. Best career advice: “People remember how you make them feel more than what you say or do.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Library of Congress.

Douglas Holtz-Eakin
President

Holtz-Eakin—who believes extensive stimulus in the American Rescue Plan exacerbated inflation—asserts that permanent tax cuts would create a more favorable business environment for a full-fledged recovery, an action for which his group continues to advocate.

First job: Track worker, Monongahela Connecting Railroad. Best career advice: “You’re not ready to have a job. Go to graduate school.” On his bucket list: “Testifying before every committee in Congress (except Ethics!).”

 

Adam Kovacevich
Chamber of Progress
Founder and CEO

The Chamber of Progress has quickly become a significant voice in the progressive movement as well as for high-tech interests and industries. Kovacevich, a Google alum, is seen as an increasingly rare breed: a pro-business progressive in the mold of Bill Clinton.

Education: Harvard. First job: Communications director and legislative aide for Representative Cal Dooley.

Eli Lehrer
R Street Institute
President

Lehrer’s group—which has partnered with such ideologically diverse figures as George Soros and Charles Koch—has helped reshape GOP opposition to the Inflation Reduction Act’s climate provisions as simply bad policy that doesn’t address a legitimate problem.

Education: Cornell (BA); Johns Hopkins (MA). Favorite DC restaurant: “Centrolina. Although, TBH, I’m a fan of Golden Corral in Manassas as well, which is far better than it needs to be.” What his office walk-up song would be: “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me),” from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disney parks.

John Lettieri
Economic Innovation Group
President and CEO

Lettieri, a former GOP Hill staffer, is championed as one of the most effective bipartisan bridge builders on economic policy and as instrumental in crafting opportunity-zone legislation and ending noncompete agreements for workers.

Education: Wake Forest University.

Maya MacGuineas
Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget
President

MacGuineas has continued to sound the alarm about the threat of the nation’s rising debt, calling on lawmakers to implement pay-as-you-go practices for new spending and floating reforms to Social Security and Medicare.

Education: Northwestern; Harvard Kennedy School. Best career advice: “Be ready to take advantage of unforeseen opportunities.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Georgetown.

Susan K. Neely
American Council of Life Insurers
President and CEO

The former assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security served in various communication and government roles before her current job leading policy advocacy for the life-­insurance industry. She counts her biggest accomplishment as passage of major retirement-security legislation, known as SECURE 2.0.

Hometown: Iowa City, Iowa. Hidden talent: “I’m actually a very fine baker. I make a mean Dutch apple pie, strawberry trifle, and mint chocolate brownies.” What her office walk-up song would be: “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence + The Machine.

Lindsay Owens
Groundwork Collaborative
Executive Director

Earning accolades from the likes of Ralph Nader and Jon Stewart, Owens is known in media circles for her skills in communicating ways to better understand and rethink inflation and corporate profiteering.

Education: University of Pennsylvania; Stanford (PhD). Best career advice: “Treat the secretary the same as the CEO. I think this is good advice generally, but it was especially good when I worked as a staffer on the Hill.” On her bucket list: “I’d love to be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune.”

 

Sharon Parrott
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
President

Parrott, an expert often quoted in media outlets during negotiations on the omnibus bill to fund 2023 government operations, ultimately expressed a mixed view of the bill, heralding the money for child nutrition but lamenting the failure to extend the child tax credit.

Education: University of Michigan.

Adam S. Posen
Peterson Institute for International Economics
President

Thanks to his experience as a consultant to numerous government agencies during multiple presidential tenures, Posen is regularly solicited for his analysis on macro­economic policy and the international outlook.

First job: Intern at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Best career advice: “Better to withdraw from doing something than to do it badly.” On his bucket list: “Serving on a presidential commission for something useful.”

 

Brian Riedl
Manhattan Institute
Senior Fellow in Budget, Tax, and Economics

Riedl’s 128-page booklet, Spending, Taxes & Deficits: A Book of Charts, is packed with detailed graphics on spending, taxes, and deficits—from the Bush to Biden administrations—and is a valuable resource for wonks, lawmakers, and journalists alike.

First job: Dishwasher at a diner. On his bucket list: “Spending a baseball season flying to a new city every three days for the most interesting series at the time.” One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: “Bob Woodward. He has more secret information on the true stories of Washington politics than anyone else.”

 

Manny Rossman
Harbinger Strategies
Partner

Rossman assisted major corporations looking to navigate tax-policy proposals that could have significantly hiked business-tax rates, pressuring lawmakers to reject the increases in favor of more targeted taxes.

First job: Intern in the office of Congressman Bill Archer. Lesson from that job: “Advancement begins by exceeding expectations when completing the tasks to which you are assigned.” What his office walk-up song would be: “Beautiful Day” by U2.

Richard Rubin
Wall Street Journal
US Tax Policy Reporter

Rubin dove into the details on Congress’s pursuit of releasing Donald Trump’s tax returns, reporting on how the former President claimed negative income during his White House tenure.

Education: Duke University.

Charles Sauer
Market Institute
Founder and President

An economist by training, Sauer is comfortable on Capitol Hill discussing a range of economic policies, including dispensing intimate knowledge on how the fast-evolving healthcare market is being shaped by entrepreneurs and doctors.

Hometown: Leawood, Kansas. First job: Selling vacuum cleaners door to door. Lesson from that job: “I learned to listen to people, to talk to people, that people were individuals, and not to judge someone by how they dressed or how or where they lived. I also learned how to quickly pack up my sales material at gunpoint.”

Emily Seidel
Americans for Prosperity
President and CEO

Seidel’s fiscally conservative group has been a major force in getting center-right actors lined up behind marijuana legalization as well as keeping Republicans united against most spending bills in Congress.

Education: Middlebury College. On her bucket list: “Fly-­fishing in New Zealand.” Hidden talent: “I’m actually really good at piping grout.”

 

Heidi Shierholz
Economic Policy Institute
President

The former chief economist at the Department of Labor has countered conservative arguments that the American Recovery Act and Covid-19 relief had an immense impact on inflation, calling the issue a global phenomenon.

Hometown: Ames, Iowa. Education: Grinnell College; University of Michigan (PhD). Favorite DC restaurant: Supra.

William Spriggs
Howard University
Professor of Economics
AFL-CIO
Chief Economist

Spriggs, who works on trade and economic development for the AFL-CIO and serves as a board member for the National Bureau of Economic Research, is a trusted resource for media covering a wide range of economic issues.

First job: Salesclerk at Sears while in high school. Favorite DC restaurant: Ben’s Chili Bowl. Favorite place in DC to visit: The Yard at Howard University.

Jeff Stein
Washington Post
White House Economics Reporter

Stein was out front on coverage of the twisting but crucial negotiations between Senator Joe Manchin and the Biden administration over the Build Back Better plan, which was eventually shrunken down to suit the West Virginia senator’s demands.

First job: Ice-cream scooper. Best career advice: “My first editor at the Washington Post told me, ‘You’re going to kiss a lot of frogs in this job. Most of them won’t be princes.’ ” Favorite DC restaurant: Taco Bell.

Jim Wallis
Georgetown University
Inaugural Chair and Director, Center on Faith & Justice

The progressive theologian is often called on by faith and government leaders to frame economic issues through a biblical lens.

First job: Janitor at Detroit Edison. On his bucket list: “Going to the Final Four of the NCAA basketball tournament.” One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: “Sean Doolittle, a Nationals pitcher who is committed to social justice.”

 

David Wessel
Brookings Institution
Senior Fellow

Wessel, who directs Brookings’s Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, is frequently asked to weigh in on a host of issues, including interest-rate hikes, the origins of inflation, and reading the Consumer Price Index report.

First job: “Working at a lunch counter at a New Haven drugstore while in high school.” Best career advice: “Take risks.” Hidden talent: “I type fast.”

Jonathan Williams
American Legislative Exchange Council
Executive Vice President, Policy, and Chief Economist

Williams pushed for states to adopt new laws shielding US businesses from political boycotts, covering a wide array of employers including police departments and public universities.

Education: Northwood University. First job: Tax economist at the Tax Foundation.

Matthew Yglesias
Slow Boring
Founder and Editor

Yglesias continues to use his prolific Substack to plant center-left debate seeds, taking positions on issues both controversial (robust funding of the IRS) and important but mundane (improving job-skills training programs).

Hometown: New York City. Education: Harvard. First job: Writing fellow at the American Prospect.

John Bailey
American Enterprise Institute
Nonresident Senior Fellow
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Fellow

The former special assistant to the President for domestic policy now wears multiple hats, conducting analysis on how AI can be applied to education. A twice-weekly newsletter he publishes, summarizing the latest research on Covid and its impact on education, has been consumed by more than 40,000 education leaders, White House officials, and state Covid directors.

Hometown: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Favorite DC restaurant: L’Ardente. What his office walk-up song would be: “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” by Justin Timberlake.

Mario Beovides
NALEO Educational Fund
Director, Policy and Legislative Affairs

Beovides’s NALEO was one of a collection of groups that again pressured Congress to implement protections for DACA migrants, many of whom are students.

Education: University of Miami. Favorite DC restaurant: Unconventional Diner. Favorite place in DC to visit: 9:30 Club.

Kathleen deLaski
Education Design Lab
Founder and Board Chair

Her Education Design Lab partnered with a coalition of leading American companies to hire and advance 1 million Black Americans lacking four-year degrees into long-term job roles within a ten-year time frame.

First job: “Cancan dancer in a DC-area dinner theater.” Lesson from that job: “I loved the theater but am not cut out for the bohemian lifestyle.” Worst career advice: “A Harvard degree won’t help you in journalism—in fact, it will make people suspicious of your street skills.” (She got a master’s at Harvard.)

Max Eden
American Enterprise Institute
Research Fellow

Eden has been a leading conservative voice in the culture-war battleground of public schools, asserting that “virtue signaling” on issues such as transgender bathrooms “is no sign of virtue.”

Education: Yale. First job: Research assistant at AEI. Lesson from that job: “Scheduling is a lot harder than you might think.”

Denise Forte
Education Trust
President and CEO

With 20 years of Capitol Hill experience, Forte knows the levers to push to help advance her cause of assisting underserved students for an organization that’s been dubbed “the most important truth teller” in American public education.

Education: Duke University. Best career advice: “Make sure you always have a seat at the table.” Favorite place in DC to visit: National Museum of African American History & Culture.

Wayne A.I. Frederick
Howard University
President

The practicing cancer surgeon has made consistent appeals to the healthcare industry to place more emphasis on outreach to minorities to improve their wellness, and he landed a $40 million grant from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

Hometown: Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Education: Howard. Favorite DC restaurant: Cafe Milano.

Lindsay Fryer
Lodestone DC
President and Founding Principal

The former education-policy adviser for Senator Lamar Alexander, who was the top negotiator on the Every Student Succeeds Act, launched her own firm focusing on education and workforce policy.

Hometown: Plainsboro, New Jersey. Favorite DC restaurants: Rasika, Le Diplomate, Capital Grille. On her bucket list: “Visiting all 50 states. I’d also like to travel to all the Greek islands on a catamaran.”

 

Terry W. Hartle
American Council on Education
Senior Fellow

Since his early years as Senator Ted Kennedy’s top education adviser, Hartle has been a voice for college presidents and has wielded long-lasting Capitol Hill influence on nearly every major battle involving higher ed for the past 25 years.

Hometown: Westlake, Ohio. Best career advice: “To get a PhD.” What his office walk-up song would be: “Start Me Up” by the Rolling Stones.

Frederick M. Hess
American Enterprise Institute
Senior Fellow and Director, Education Policy Studies

An Education Freedom Institute study of scholars ranked Hess as tied for being the nation’s most academically influential think-tank education scholar.

Hometown: Fairfax. Education: Brandeis; Harvard. First job: High-school social-studies teacher in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Richard Kahlenberg
Progressive Policy Institute
Senior Fellow

Kahlenberg departed the Century Foundation to immerse himself in the fight against zoning laws that he sees as inhibiting housing and school integration through race and class.

Education: Harvard. First job: Legislative assistant to Senator Charles Robb.

Vic Klatt
Penn Hill Group
Principal

Klatt says his firm boasts more education-­related clients than any other in Washington, attesting to his long history of Capitol Hill relationships.

Hometown: Niles, Michigan. Best career advice: “In the Washington policy world, you should always remember that today’s opponents could be tomorrow’s friends.” Hidden talent: “Can sleep on demand.”

Stefan Lallinger
The Century Foundation
Senior Fellow and Director, Bridges Collaborative

With a tenacious focus on shrinking racial- and class-based achievement gaps, Lallinger worked on the Bridges Collaborative project, meant to promote school diversity across the country.

First job: “Sandwich artist.” Lesson from that job: “The value of a dollar—I made $6.25 an hour!” Best career advice: “Everyone has their own unique path—don’t try and copy someone else’s, just create your own.”

Lodriguez Murray
United Negro College Fund
Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Government Affairs

Murray’s organization was one of the lone forces pushing the administration to double student-debt relief for recipients of Pell Grants.

Hometown: Augusta, Georgia. One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: “Mayor Muriel Bowser. I have so many questions for her on how to run this city.” Hidden talent: “Listening. Nobody listens anymore.”

Julie Peller
Higher Learning Advocates
Executive Director

Peller, who has a long Capitol Hill résumé, helps students who have some college education but have yet to earn a degree, by expanding their access to resources such as broadband and public transit.

First job: “Barista at an independent coffee shop.” Best career advice: “Even if simply tasked to make copies, read what’s on the page. Always be curious about what you’re asked to do.” Favorite DC restaurant: Caruso’s Grocery.

Becky Pringle
National Education Association
President

Pringle has her hand in all matters related to public education. For example, when Covid-19 hit, federal lawmakers made free school meals universally available to children—a program that Pringle has argued should be permanent.

Hometown: Philadelphia. Education: University of Pittsburgh; Penn State.

Nina Rees
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
President and CEO

As enrollment in public education shifted during the pandemic, Rees continued her advocacy for high-quality public charter schools, which now serve 3.7 million students around the country.

Hometown: Washington, DC. Best career advice: “From Jim Pinkerton, a former White House speechwriter: ‘DC is filled with generalists; the way to build staying power is to go deep in a field that you care about and become a specialist.’ ” On her bucket list: “Attending the Cannes Film Festival—including the after parties!”

 

Richard V. Reeves
Brookings Institution
Senior Fellow, Economic Studies

Reeves’s book Of Boys and Men sparked an illuminating debate within the education community on his thesis that school districts should have boys do an extra year of pre-K and start kindergarten a year later than girls.

Hometown: Peterborough, England. Lesson from his first job (as a mental-health researcher): “The distribution of fortune and misfortune in society is staggeringly greater than I could possibly have imagined.” Favorite DC restaurant: “Rasika, especially when I’m missing London’s Indian cuisine.”

Jenny Rickard
Common App
President and CEO

The race and ethnicity questions on Rickard’s Common App for financial aid came up often during Supreme Court hearings on affirmative action, and the Office of Management and Budget announced it would expand and revise its collection data to better reflect the country’s diversity.

First job: “Cashier and cook at Happi House Teriyaki at the Stanford Shopping Center in California.” Best career advice: “Always trust your gut when making tough decisions. When I haven’t followed my gut, it’s often come back to haunt me.” On her bucket list: “Visiting the pyramids in Egypt. It’s been on my list since seventh grade.”

 

Laura Slover
CenterPoint Education Solutions
CEO

Slover is focused on driving educational improvements through reassessing K-12 curriculums, as generations of under-resourced students as well as students of color continue to lack options.

Education: Harvard. Favorite DC restaurants: “Le Diplomate for a festive lunch, Barcelona for evening drinks and charcuterie, Silver for breakfast.” On her bucket list: Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.

 

Karen A. Stout
Achieving the Dream
President and CEO

For the past eight years, Stout has guided a national network of community colleges that focuses on directly addressing inequitable outcomes for students.

Education: University of Delaware. First job: “I had two at the same time in high school: working the drive-through at a Burger King and officiating youth basketball.” Hidden talent: “I’ve been told by others that it is my ability to see things others can’t see in ordinary things and to synthesize and give voice to those new insights.”

Ben Wallerstein
Whiteboard Advisors
CEO and Cofounder

An active investor in venture projects geared toward education, Wallerstein is a frequently cited commentator on innovation in policy, with his ideas appearing in the Washington Post, USA Today, and EdSurge.

Hometown: Norwalk, Connecticut. Education: University of Richmond; Georgetown Law. First job: Aide in the office of David T. Kearns, former chairman and CEO of Xerox.

Randi Weingarten
American Federation of Teachers
President

The highly visible Weingarten fought against Republicans who moved to repeal mask mandates, and she argued that restrictions on teaching critical race theory could constrain educators’ ability to teach history.

First job: Babysitter. Best career advice: “Work hard. Be prepared. And you still need some lucky breaks.” On her bucket list: “Visiting every national park.”

 

Joanne Weiss
Weiss Associates
President

A former chief of staff at the Department of Education, Weiss has been working with education membership organizations to force the department to rethink its policies on how Covid-19 education dollars can be spent more intelligently.

Education: Princeton. Best career advice: “Don’t predetermine where you want to be ten years from now, because you’ll miss great opportunities that don’t lie along that path.” One Washingtonian she’d invite to a dinner party: Barack Obama.

Bryan Anderson
Southern Company
Executive Vice President and President, External Affairs

Anderson directs policy and public affairs for the country’s second-­largest utility company, which last year was named the second-best large employer in America by Forbes and topped the list of best employers in the energy industry.

Education: University of Georgia; Mercer University (JD).

Amy Andryszak
Interstate Natural Gas Association of America
President and CEO

Andryszak has led INGAA during a period when its members have vocally supported the EPA in pursuing federal methane regulations, as she’s also continued to advocate for permitted reform.

Education: Penn State. What her office walk-up song would be: “Run the World (Girls)” by Beyoncé. Hidden talent: “I am an excellent parallel-parker.”

Isaac Brown
38 North Solutions
Managing Partner

The former floor assistant to Democratic chief deputy House whip Jan Schakowsky, Brown held sway on Capitol Hill in advocating for energy credits alongside his colleague Katherine Hamilton.

Education: Clark University; Brown (master’s).

Neil Chatterjee
Hogan Lovells
Senior Adviser

The former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission understands Capitol Hill thinking as a former policy adviser to Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell.

Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky. Best career advice: “Be nice to people and life will work out just fine.” One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: Ryan Zimmerman.

Alex Flint
Alliance for Market Solutions
Executive Director

As energy security and the climate crisis have intersected in the past year, Flint has led crucial discussions among members of Congress, business leaders, and advocacy and grassroots organizations to help shape policy responses.

Education: University of New Mexico; George Washington University. First job: “One summer laying brick.” Lesson from that job: “I needed to go to college.”

Jason Grumet
American Clean Power Association
CEO

After helming the Bipartisan Policy Center and convening diverse interests around energy policy, Grumet departed the group in January to run this multi-technology trade association.

Education: Brown; Harvard (JD).

Katherine Hamilton
38 North Solutions
Chair

Hamilton’s firm worked on a slew of the energy credits ultimately included in the Inflation Reduction Act, such as the energy-storage tax credit and the microgrid credit, as well as the $27 billion national “green bank” that will help distribute funding for solar to states.

Education: Cornell. First job: “Utility-service representative designing power grids.” Best career advice: “To trust my instincts. Not all of my job decisions have been based on a strictly logical process, but all of them felt right.”

Aliya Haq
Breakthrough Energy
Vice President, US Policy and Advocacy

A Natural Resources Defense Council alum, Haq steers Breakthrough Energy’s strategies and coalitions to create more demand for clean-technology deployment.

Education: Cornell (undergrad); Yale (grad school). Best career advice: “If you don’t want to be a lawyer, then don’t go to law school.” Favorite DC restaurant: “A tie between Thip Kao in Columbia Heights and Yechon in Annandale.”

Karen Harbert
American Gas Association
President and CEO

Harbert has encouraged changes to regulations and infrastructure improvements needed to support the resilience of gas systems while moving toward a lower-carbon future.

Education: Rice University. First job: Assistant to then co-chair of the Republican National Committee Maureen Reagan. Lesson from that job: “Never put your boss’s father [President Reagan] on hold.”

Abigail Ross Hopper
Solar Energy Industries Association
President and CEO

Hopper lobbied the Biden administration to end tariffs imposed on solar equipment, arguing that they’ve proved ineffective and will hamper domestic solar development. Last June, the President declared a 24-month tariff exemption for solar panels from four Southeast Asia nations.

Education: Dartmouth; University of Maryland Carey School of Law. First job: Lifeguard. Lesson from that job: “Any job is made much better by coworkers you enjoy.”

Ryan Jackson
National Mining Association
Senior Vice President, Government and Political Affairs

Jackson was heralded by peers for his dogged work on incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act that could strengthen the US supply chain for critical minerals.

First job: “Working at my grandfather’s hardware store in Oklahoma City, where I was able to help with errands and cleaning up.” One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: David Rubenstein. Hidden talent: “I used to play piano often. It’s been many years since I’ve played, but each year I think I’m going to get back into it. Maybe I’ll finally do that in 2023.”

Karen Knutson
Chevron
Vice President and General Manager, Government Affairs

The Alaska native has worked on energy issues for 30 years, serving four US senators. She now manages federal and international affairs for Chevron, as well as the company’s political contributions.

Education: University of Alaska; Wake Forest (JD). First job: “Working in a bait store/market in Ketchikan.” Best career advice: “ ‘Be courageous,’ from Senator Lisa Murkowski. And her dad told me to never lose the stars in my eyes about DC—if I do, then it’s time to go home. Thirty years later, I’m still here.”

John F. Kotek
Nuclear Energy Institute
Senior Vice President, Policy Development and Public Affairs

Kotek celebrated the importance of funding for nuclear energy in the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides incentives both to keep existing reactors operating and to construct the next generation of nuclear plants.

Hometown: Wayland, Massachusetts. First job: Nuclear-research-and-development program manager at the Department of Energy. Lesson from that job: “If someone tells you they don’t trust anyone, it’s probably a sign they can’t be trusted.”

Marco Margheri
Eni
Head of US Relations
Eni New Energy
Chairman

Margheri is known for being immersed in most energy-policy discussions around the globe, with a focus on Eni’s decarbonization and energy-security goals.

Hometown: Milan, Italy. Lesson from his First job: “Never separate your passions from your work.” Favorite DC restaurants: Cafe Milano, Supra.

Beverly K. Marshall
Nuclear Energy Institute
Vice President, Governmental Affairs

Marshall leads government affairs and strategic planning on behalf of the nuclear industry, which is in a political and public-relations competition with renewable fuels.

Hometown: Bozeman, Montana. First job: “Working for my father on our family ranch.” Best career advice: “Work hard and look for opportunity in chaos.”

Jim Matheson
National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
CEO

The former Utah congressman led advocacy on two electricity programs: direct-pay tax incentives for electric cooperatives and public power entities as well as the creation of a $9.7 billion energy-­technology fund for electric co-ops.

Hometown: Salt Lake City. Best career advice: “On any topic, there is someone else who knows more about it than you, so surround yourself with capable people and embrace the opportunity to learn from others.” Favorite DC restaurant: Rasika.

Phil Musser
NextEra Energy
Vice President and Head of Federal Government Affairs

Standing at the intersection of communications, politics, government, and business, Musser’s network has wide-reaching tentacles on behalf of a company attempting to accelerate the green-energy economy.

Education: Kenyon College. First job: Special assistant for the Republican National Committee. Lessons from that job: “All politics is personal, be a straight shooter, and treat others with respect, regardless of perspectives.”

Tyler O’Connor
Crowell & Moring
Partner, Energy and Government Affairs

The former energy counsel for House Energy and Commerce chairman Frank Pallone, O’Connor joined the lobbying fray after working extensively on the energy provisions in the Democrats’ climate and social-spending bill.

First job: Law clerk, US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Lesson from that job: “Attention to detail is paramount.” Best career advice: “Share credit when things go well and take the blame when they don’t.”

Rich Powell
ClearPath
CEO

Powell has promoted a potentially game-changing technology called NET Power, which cleanly taps fossil fuels to produce electricity and capture its carbon, operating with no emissions.

Hometown: Scranton, Pennsylvania. First job: McKinsey & Company, in the Energy and Sustainability practices. Best career advice: “Begin with the end in mind.”

Larry Puccio
Larry Puccio LLC
Principal

Puccio, former chief of staff to Senator Joe Manchin, leveraged his connections to the West Virginia Democrat by successfully advocating for new laws that contain billions of dollars for facilities powered by natural gas and carbon-capture technology.

Hometown: Fairmont, West Virginia. Education: Fairmont State University.

Heather Reams
Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions
President

Leading a clean-energy group with close ties to congressional Republicans, Reams has a knack for bringing conservative voices to the table to work out solutions by meeting members where they are politically.

Education: University of Washington. First job: Worked at a surf shop in Virginia Beach. Lesson from that job: “Don’t just show up to work. Do a great job and you will be rewarded.”

Louis Renjel
Duke Energy
Executive Vice President, External Affairs and Communications

Renjel was among the top utility executives to visit the White House last winter when President Biden convened industry leaders to talk about his goal of achieving a zero-carbon electricity grid by 2035.

Education: Randolph-Macon College; Johns Hopkins; Duke. Lesson from his first job (as legislative clerk with the House Energy and Commerce Committee): “If you have the courage to take on complex issues, clarity on what you’re solving for, ability to work with teams, and desire to hear diverse perspectives, anything can be accomplished.” Favorite DC restaurants: “Three-way tie: Millie’s, Cafe Milano, and Nobu.”

Todd Snitchler
Electric Power Supply Association
President and CEO

Snitchler was able to minimize the negative impact on power generators in the Inflation Reduction Act and held the first-ever EPSA Competitive Power Summit, bringing together more than 150 industry leaders and employees.

Hometown: Binghamton, New York. First job: Gas-station attendant. Lesson from that job: “Do the small things well and you will be trusted to do the bigger things.”

Mary Streett
BP
Senior Vice President, Americas, Communications and External Affairs

A former deputy general counsel in the Department of Commerce, Streett is now atop a team pushing for the regulation of methane emissions and campaigning for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Education: University of Tulsa; University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law.

Sam Thernstrom
Energy Innovation Reform Project
Founder and CEO

A former aide to New York governor George Pataki and onetime assistant to Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas, Thernstrom now looks for ways to attract Republican support for advanced energy technology and practices.

Education: Harvard. First job: Shelving books in the public library at age 15. Lesson from that job: “The books don’t shelve themselves—put in the time and do it right.”

Jamie Wall
ExxonMobil
Vice President, Head of Washington Office

Wall jumped from SIFMA, which represents the securities industry, to the country’s largest energy company after the departure of lobbyist Keith McCoy.

Education: University of Kansas. Lesson from her first job (constituent services for then governor Matt Blunt of Missouri): “You don’t know nearly as much as you think you do. About anything.” Best career advice: “A combination of (1) always be trustworthy and (2) you are your own best advocate. It’s balancing these two important principles that I believe has helped me be successful.”

Karen Wayland
GridWise Alliance
CEO

Wayland sees the tens of billions dedicated to transportation electrification in the infrastructure bill as a crucial reason the electrical grid should be upgraded and modernized.

First job: “Selling statistical-process-control software. It was horrible.” Lesson from that job: “It’s as important to learn what you don’t want to do as it is to learn what you love to do.” Hidden talent: “Making a gourmet meal out of whatever unrelated items are left over in the fridge.”

Dena Wiggins
Natural Gas Supply Association
President and CEO

Wiggins continues to advocate for placing a price on carbon in order to drive down emissions and reach net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions by 2050.

Hometown: Hobbsville, North Carolina. Lesson from her first job (in a department store): “Don’t be late!” What her office walk-up song would be: “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen.

Brian Wolff
Edison Electric Institute
Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President, Public Policy and External Affairs

Through countless meetings on Capitol Hill, Wolff led the electric-­power industry’s efforts to pass the clean-energy tax package included in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Hometown: Hot Springs, Arkansas. Best career advice: “From former House speaker Nancy Pelosi: ‘Fail to plan, plan to fail.’ ” What his office walk-up song would be: “About Damn Time” by Lizzo.

Heather Zichal
JPMorgan Chase
Global Head of Sustainability

Before departing the American Clean Power Association last year for JPMorgan, Zichal was instrumental in getting $369 billion into the Inflation Reduction Act for energy deployment and climate-­change mitigation.

Hometown: Elkader, Iowa. Education: Rutgers.

Michael Abramowitz
Freedom House
President

As president of a nonprofit originally founded in 1941 by, among others, Eleanor Roosevelt, Abramowitz has spent the past six years trying to reverse the trend of authoritarianism—but believes time and history usually foil dictators.

Education: Harvard. Favorite place in DC to visit: Rock Creek Park. What his office walk-up song would be: “No Surrender” by Bruce Springsteen.

Andrew Albertson
Foreign Policy for America
Executive Director

At a time when isolationism has picked up support in some quarters of US politics, Albertson has built a national network of heavy hitters working to reassert the value of “principled American engagement in the world.”

Education: Taylor University; Georgetown (master’s).

Emma Belcher
Ploughshares Fund
President

Belcher convenes meetings of global weapons powerbrokers—including the US’s assistant secretary for the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance—to stress the importance of controlling weaponry around the world as tensions among global powers mount.

Hometown: Melbourne, Australia. First job: Public-affairs officer at the Embassy of Australia in DC. Best career advice she received: “To get some government experience early on in my career.”

Jeremy Ben-Ami
J Street
President

The head of the pro-Israel advocacy group called on the rival American Israel Public Affairs Committee to pull back on its political spending in the future, contending that its heavy investment in partisan politics wasn’t productive during the 2022 midterm election cycle.

Education: Princeton; NYU Law. Favorite place in DC to visit: Lincoln Memorial steps. On his bucket list: Traveling to Antarctica.

 

Bill Bishop
Sinocism
Author and Publisher

Bishop’s Substack on news from inside China boasts 140,000 subscribers and is widely read by policymakers, especially regarding how China handled the uproar over Covid-19 restrictions.

First job: Pizza delivery. Lesson from that job: “People don’t like cold pizza delivered.” Best career advice: “The path is never straight.”

Hal Brands
Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
Professor of Global Affairs

Brands’s book The Twilight Struggle raised alarm over the ability of the United States to win the next “great-power rivalry” with global powers China and Russia.

Hometown: Austin, Texas. Lesson from his First job: “Get one that doesn’t require operating heavy machinery outdoors in Texas in the summer. My first regular job was cutting up junk tires.” Best career advice: “A mentor told me that when something becomes comfortable, you’re no longer pushing yourself.”

Rosa Brooks
Georgetown Law
Professor and Associate Dean

In addition to her twice-weekly podcast with foreign-policy heavyweights, Brooks cofounded the Leadership Council for Women in National Security, which received an award last June from Foreign Policy for America.

Education: Harvard. First job: “Assistant to the janitors at my high school.” Lesson from that job: “For a student who was heading off to Harvard, it was an important reminder that there are smart, interesting, creative, and hardworking people everywhere, including in jobs that are considered by outsiders to be ‘unskilled.’ ”

Eliot A. Cohen
Center for Strategic & International Studies
Arleigh A. Burke Chair in Strategy

A highly regarded scholar and expert on foreign policy and national security, Cohen has acute insight into US military officials and argued last fall that they shouldn’t negotiate with Russia on its war in Ukraine.

Hometown: Boston. Education: Harvard (BA, PhD).

Elbridge Colby
American Global Strategies
Senior Adviser
Marathon Initiative
Cofounder and Principal

The increasing fears over war between China and Taiwan have brought more attention to Colby’s call for a fundamental reorientation of American foreign and defense policy around China and Asia, even as there’s continuous focus on Europe and the Middle East.

First job: Special assistant in the Department of State. Best career advice: “Do something that you really like thinking about all the time.” What his office walk-up song would be: “Take On Me” by A-Ha (Kygo remix).

Kate Donald
Center for American Progress
Senior Director, Accountability and International Policy

After leading the Center for Economic and Social Rights, where she developed a blueprint for a rights-based global economy, Donald was tapped by the influential progressive group to advance its research and advocacy around democratic accountability. A former United Nations staffer, she has urged the Biden administration to strengthen its ties to Africa.

Education: University of Oxford; London School of Economics and Political Science.

Cathy Feingold
AFL-CIO
Director, International Department

As the US and Britain met to strengthen trade ties, Feingold pushed for giving workers a voice in shaping international trade policies, to shift away from free trade that results in “brutal global competition.”

First job: Waitress. Lesson from that job: “Patience and not getting upset over spilled coffee.” What her office walk-up song would be: “9 to 5” by Dolly Parton.

Michèle Flournoy
WestExec Advisors
Cofounder and Managing Partner

Flournoy, a former candidate to run the Pentagon, has made the case that China will consider taking Taiwan by force sometime within the next five years, because of the belief that its chances will diminish as US capabilities grow.

Hometown: Los Angeles. Education: Harvard; University of Oxford.

Todd Harrison
Metrea
Managing Director

Harrison left the Center for Strategic & International Studies for Metrea last year to help it develop long-term plans to address both threats and opportunities in national security, including constructing a Defense-­budget dashboard tool that makes spending trends more transparent.

Lesson from his first job (as a strategy consultant at DiamondCluster International): “If you dig deep into a client’s data, you can start to see things they can’t see and understand their problems better than they do—but only if you go deep into the data.” Favorite DC restaurant: DC Slices food truck. One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: Janet Yellen.

Tonija Hope
Howard University’s Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center
Director

Having won numerous awards for her advocacy on internationalizing HBCUs and connecting Howard to embassies in Washington, Hope is recognized as a leader in global education.

Education: Macalester College; George Washington University; Howard. First job: “Working the concession stand at Jelleff Boys & Girls Club.” What her office walk-up song would be: “Joy and Pain” by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock.

Emily Horne
Allegro Public Affairs
Founder and CEO
WestExec
Senior Adviser

Horne departed her role as a spokesperson for President Biden’s National Security Council to pursue her own foreign-policy consultancy. She provides clients with strategic advice on decisions with global implications.

Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan. Education: George Washington University (BA, master’s).

David Ignatius
Washington Post
Foreign Affairs Columnist

Ignatius remains one of the most richly sourced reporters around the globe, and his twice-a-week column resonates within the highest ranks of the Biden administration.

Hometown: Washington, DC. Education: Harvard; King’s College, Cambridge.

Frederick W. Kagan
American Enterprise Institute
Senior Fellow and Director, Critical Threats Project

As Ukraine pleaded with the West for more weaponry, Kagan, a former professor of military history, underscored how NATO hasn’t planned to fight a long-term, highly intensive artillery war.

Education: Yale (BA, PhD).

Atul Keshap
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
President, U.S.–India Business Council

An architect of improving relations between the United States and India, Keshap, a former ambassador, is working to boost bilateral trade to $500 billion—up from about $100 billion annually—and to optimize the supply chain that was stressed both during the pandemic and due to tension from China.

First job: Foreign Service officer. Lesson from that job: “If America doesn’t lead, either nobody else will or, worse, our enemies will.” Favorite place in DC to visit: The painting “The Adoration of the Magi” at the National Gallery of Art.

Howard Kohr
American Israel Public Affairs Committee
CEO

As the top executive of AIPAC for 27 years, Kohr has maintained its stature as one of the nation’s most influential lobbying groups, with strong ties to leaders in both parties.

Hometown: Cleveland. Education: Kenyon College.

Elisa Massimino
Georgetown Law
Visiting Professor and Executive Director, Human Rights Institute

The former Human Rights First president is pressing the Biden administration to deliver on its promise to put human rights at the center of American foreign policy, on matters such as closing Guantánamo and holding human-rights abusers accountable.

First job: Cashier at Long John Silver’s in Dallas at age 15. Lesson from that job: “A warm welcome and fried hushpuppies can make anybody’s day better.” What her office walk-up song would be: “Make America Great Again” by Pussy Riot.

Evan Medeiros
Asia Group
Senior Adviser

Medeiros was a participant in the first delegation from the Center for Strategic & International Studies to visit Taiwan since Covid-19, to build stronger relations and promote democratic values for an open society.

Hometown: Providence, Rhode Island. Education: Bates College; University of Cambridge; London School of Economics. Hidden talent: “I can quiet crying babies.”

A. Wess Mitchell
United States Institute of Peace
Senior Adviser

The former assistant secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia and co-chair of the NATO Reflection Group is seen to be in the pool of candidates to become a future Secretary of State.

Education: Texas Tech University; Georgetown (grad school). Best career advice: “Set clear priorities and not try to multitask. You only have limited time—it’s better to focus on the one or two big things you want to accomplish, even if that means some smaller things fall through the cracks.” On his bucket list: “Relearning the game of golf.”

 

W. Gyude Moore
Center for Global Development
Senior Policy Fellow

Heralded as extraordinarily respected and influential on US-Africa policy, Moore—a previous minister of public works in Liberia—focuses his efforts on African state-building, governance, and development policy.

Hometown: Cape Palmas, Liberia. First job: “Working as a study-class teacher for grade-schoolers.” Lesson from that job: “My boss always talked about ‘stick-to-itiveness.’ I guess that’s what I learned.”

Gissou Nia
Atlantic Council
Strategic Litigation Project Director

Nia has been a leading voice and a fierce behind-the-scenes advocate for democracy supporters launching protests in Iran.

First job: In the Hague, where she worked on war-crimes and crimes-against-humanity trials at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Court.

Robert O’Brien
American Global Strategies
Cofounder and Chairman

The former national-security adviser believes the biggest audience in the Russian-Ukrainian war outside of Kyiv is Chinese chairman Xi Jinping, because of his interest in mirroring Vladimir Putin’s actions in Taiwan.

Education: UCLA; UC Berkeley School of Law. Best career advice: “As a lawyer, your role is to be a peacemaker.” On his bucket list: “Two weeks in Ireland.”

 

Trita Parsi
Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft
Cofounder and Executive Vice President

An expert on Iranian politics and the Middle East, Parsi has been a strong advocate for diplomatic engagement between the US and Iran and has advised various governments on foreign policy as former president of the National Iranian American Council.

Education: Uppsala University (Sweden); Stockholm School of Economics; Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies.

Chris Purdy
Human Rights First
Director, Veterans for American Ideals and Outreach

Purdy lobbied for the Afghan Adjustment Act, which would provide a pathway to legal residency for tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees into the US and expand eligibility for special immigrant visas.

First job: Teacher. Worst career advice: “Helping others doesn’t pay the bills.” Hidden talent: “I bake amazing bread.”

Josh Rogin
Washington Post
Columnist

Rogin is known for his insightful analysis and well-sourced reporting on war and some of the most pressing foreign-policy issues of our time. He has been lauded for his ability to provide in-depth coverage of complex topics and for his expertise in international affairs.

Education: George Washington University; Sophia University.

Dennis Ross
Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Counselor and Distinguished Fellow

The former Middle East envoy has been a leading expert on Middle Eastern politics for decades and has spoken frequently about the Russian war’s broader geopolitical impact.

First job: Analyst in the Pentagon. On his bucket list: “Going to a Game 7 of the NBA championship.” Hidden talent: “Sports analyst.”

 

Douglas Rutzen
International Center for Not-for-Profit Law
President and CEO

Rutzen has been tapped by the Biden administration to help organize its 2023 Summit for Democracy and has also been designated the nongovernmental lead on how to safeguard civil-society and human-rights defenders around the world.

First job: Dishwasher and short-order cook. Lesson from that job: “If you start preparing once the storm—i.e., dinner rush—arrives, it’s too late.” Best career advice: “The law can be used as a shield to protect rights or as a sword to undercut them. Wield the shield.”

Robert Satloff
Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Executive Director

A longtime expert on Arab and Islamic politics, Satloff has written and spoken about how Arab countries don’t trust the US commitment to Ukraine due to a history of withdrawal from problematic areas in the Middle East.

Hometown: Providence, Rhode Island. First job: “I have had the same job, with increasing levels of responsibility, for almost 38 years—at the Washington Institute.” Best career advice: “Better to be a big fish in a little pond than a little fish in a big pond.”

Kori Schake
American Enterprise Institute
Senior Fellow and Director, Foreign and Defense Policy Studies

As the political parties become more polarized, Schake contends that the US military needs to do more to correct the public perception that the armed forces are a political body.

Education: Stanford; University of Maryland. Best career advice: “From Colin Powell: Choose your jobs by choosing your bosses.” Hidden talent: “Patience.”

Vikram J. Singh
United States Institute of Peace
Senior Adviser, Asia Center

The former deputy assistant secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia often provides media analysis of how Russia’s gradual nuclear escalation could impact India and Pakistan.

Education: UC Berkeley; Columbia. First job: Crate & Barrel stockroom. Lesson from that job: “Nothing happens without the hardworking people behind the scenes.”

Robert Stryk
Stryk Global Diplomacy
Chairman

Founded in 2001, Stryk’s company assists foreign states, businesses, and individuals with global advice and diplomacy on business opportunities and navigating thorny high-risk situations.

First job: Intern for Senator John McCain.

Yasmine Taeb
Center for International Policy
Emeritus Senior Fellow
Taeb Strategies
President

Taeb leads the Demilitarize Our Communities Coalition, which successfully lobbied President Biden on the executive order on policing, calling to demilitarize the police. She also led US strategy and organized the progressive movement’s response to the Gaza crisis.

Hometown: Tehran, Iran. Education: University of Florida; Georgetown; Penn State Dickinson School of Law. Worst career advice: “To accept the highest-paying job regardless of your life’s calling.”

Shibley Telhami
Brookings Institution
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Center for Middle East Policy

At the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Telhami published a poll showing that a large bipartisan majority of Americans opposed sending US troops into the conflict, even if it persists.

Education: Queens College of the City University of New York (BA); Graduate Theological Union (MA); UC Berkeley (PhD).

William F. Wechsler
Atlantic Council
Senior Director, Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs

Wechsler has held several senior positions in the US government, including deputy assistant secretary of Defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict. He launched the Atlantic Council’s N7 Initiative to broaden the Abraham Accords, the peace agreement among Israel, Bahrain, and the UAE.

Education: Cornell; Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs (master’s).

Danielle Brian
Project on Government Oversight
Executive Director/President

For three decades, Brian has led efforts to advance reforms across all three branches of government, testifying before Congress more than 40 times.

First job: “Piercing ears at Piercing Pagoda.” Lesson from that job: “Bosses are often wrong.” Worst career advice: “It’s important to change employers for career progression.”

Kelly Burton
National Democratic Redistricting Committee
Member, Board of Directors

A New York Times study showing the US House map as the fairest in 40 years is a testament to the work of Burton and her team, who fought GOP gerrymandering pushes across the country.

Hometown: Las Vegas. Education: University of Arizona; Harvard.

Virginia Canter
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
Chief Ethics Counsel

The onetime White House counsel flagged former President Trump’s failure to disclose eight loans while in office as an example of why current financial-reporting rules are too lax.

Hometown: Pittsburgh. Education: University of Baltimore. Hidden talent: “Drawing and painting.”

Lee Drutman
Fix Our House
Co-Founder

A senior fellow at New America, Drutman founded the organization Fix Our House last year to advance proportional representation in the House of Representatives.
First job: Reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Lesson from that job: “Newspapers were a dying industry.” Favorite DC restaurant: The Dabney.

Norman Eisen
Brookings Institution
Senior Fellow, Governance Studies

Eisen continues to be one of the leading national analysts on the threat posed by former President Trump, writing widely shared reports about the criminal investigations centering on the classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago and interference in the 2020 election in Georgia.

Hometown: Hollywood, California. First job: Assistant director at the Anti-Defamation League. Lesson from that job: “When you’re scared, rush ahead.”

Lisa Gilbert
Public Citizen
Executive Vice President

Gilbert has thrown her support behind a push by Democratic senators for an executive order requiring federal contractors to disclose their political spending after being awarded a federal-­government contract.

Hometown: Glen Rock, New Jersey. Education: Colgate University. On her bucket list: “DC nerd answer: Watching the July 4 fireworks from the Capitol balcony.”

 

Jeff Hauser
Revolving Door Project
Executive Director

The project released a white paper exploring the root of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s attacks on the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It found that several of the Chamber’s executives had advised corporations that have been singled out by the CFPB for predatory behavior.

First job: Camp counselor. Lesson from that job: “Always count how many kids are with you!” Best career advice: “Ask as many questions as possible because you don’t know what you don’t know.”

Eric H. Holder Jr.
Covington
Senior Counsel

The former attorney general and chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee continues to campaign for broader federal voting laws, including placing drop-off-ballot locations and drive-through polling places across the country.

Best career advice: “Learn when to be patient. Act when impatience is appropriate.” Favorite DC restaurant: RPM Italian. What his office walk-up song would be: “Return of the Mack” by Mark Morrison.

Gary Lawkowski
Institute for Free Speech
Senior Fellow
Dhillon Law Group
Counsel

Previously a counselor to three FEC commissioners, Lawkowski is a prominent political and election-law attorney advocating for election integrity. He testified before the Committee on House Administration, Subcommittee on Elections, in a hearing about “A Growing Threat: How Disinformation Damages American Democracy.”

Education: University of Virginia.

Libby Liu
Whistleblower Aid
CEO

Liu leads this nonprofit legal organization, which supports public officials and private employees who seek to expose wrongdoing in government and corporations, including Twitter’s former chief security officer in his Senate testimony against his former company.

Hometown: San Francisco. Best career advice: “Never believe your own press releases.” Hidden talent: Mixology.

Tiffany Muller
End Citizens United
President

Muller has built ECU into a leading pro-democracy organization, surpassing 1 million donors in October 2022 and raising $200 million for its electoral campaigns over the past seven years.

First job: “Making doughnuts at the gas station in my small rural hometown of Cleveland, Missouri.” Best career advice: “Find a core group of friends and peers you can count on.” Hidden talent: “Speed-reading.”

Norman Ornstein
American Enterprise Institute
Senior Fellow Emeritus

A Washington institution for more than four decades, Ornstein regularly weighs in on best practices in everything from criminal justice to mental-health reform.

Hometown: Minneapolis. First job: “At 13, I manned the shoe desk for a bowling alley.” On his bucket list: “Being a clue in the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle.”

 

Trevor Potter
Campaign Legal Center
Founder and President

Potter filed an ethics complaint with the Federal Election Commission against former President Trump, arguing that he broke the law when he transferred money to his super-PAC before officially becoming a candidate.

Worst career advice: “Don’t accept an appointment as FEC commissioner, because it is a dead end—no one cares about election law.” One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: Senator Shel-don Whitehouse. What his office walk-up song would be: “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.

Molly Reynolds
Brookings Institution
Senior Fellow, Governance Studies

Reynolds is a top resource for reporters covering Congress’s thorniest conflicts, with her insights published by such outlets as the CBC, Bloomberg Tax, the Guardian, and Politifact.

First job: Babysitting. Lesson from that job: “Snacks can solve a lot of problems.” Favorite DC restaurant: Honeymoon Chicken in Petworth.

Rob Richie
FairVote
President and CEO

A staunch proponent of ranked-choice voting, Richie considers 2022 to be a smashing success, given that eight more states, counties, and cities adopted the electoral mechanism last year.

Education: Haverford College. Best career advice: “Don’t let jobs come to you. Find a place or a calling that’s right for you and make it happen—whether that means starting at an existing organization as a volunteer or starting a new one yourself.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.

Aaron Scherb
Common Cause
Senior Director, Legislative Affairs

Scherb was critical of the House GOP’s changes to the Office of Congressional Ethics, saying the revisions on hiring would handcuff its ability to function. He’s a leading voice in the media on areas of corruption and potential ethical troubles on Capitol Hill.

Hometown: South Bend, Indiana. Education: Haverford College; Johns Hopkins. First job: “Delivering newspapers for the South Bend Tribune.”

Jacqueline Simon
American Federation of Government Employees
Public Policy Director

As federal agencies came up with return-to-office plans for employees last year, Simon was the voice for 283,000 AFGE members, many of whose appetite for flexible telework remains high.

Hometown: Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Education: American University. Best career advice: “The more left your politics, the more important it is to be absolutely certain of your facts.”

Max Stier
Partnership for Public Service
President and CEO

The group launched a pilot student-internship program that gave young people a taste of government service at the departments of Commerce and Transportation, with expectations to expand the number of participating agencies over the next year.

Education: Yale; Stanford.

Dan Tangherlini
Emerson Collective
Managing Director, Special Projects

With career stints at the Office of Management and Budget, Treasury, and the General Services Administration, Tangherlini is now on the Partnership for Public Service board, where he connects people and advises CEO Max Stier.

Hometown: Auburn, Massachusetts. First job: “Dishwasher at a sum­mer camp.” Lesson from that job: “Any job can be done with skill.”

Joshua Tauberer
GovTrack.us
Founder and President

Tauberer’s website provides congressional information to just about as many people as the Library of Congress’s Congress.gov, and he is seen as an effective advocate for opening up congressional information, more of which is becoming available.

Education: Princeton; University of Pennsylvania. Hometown: Plainview, New York.

Jane Adams
Johnson & Johnson
Vice President, Federal Government Affairs and Canada

Adams’s primary legislative priority has been mitigating the impact of the pharmaceutical price controls mandated by last August’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which fundamentally altered how drugs are priced and reimbursed by Medicare.

Lesson from her First job: “Define yourself before anyone else does it for you.” Best career advice: “ ‘As a woman in Washington, you can either be liked or respected, but you can’t be both. Choose respect every time.’ It was the best advice at the time, but decades later, I believe we can achieve both.” Favorite place in DC to visit: National Zoo.

Shwetika Baijal
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
Senior Director, Campaigns

Baijal led the implementation of the group’s 2022 electoral strategy, overseeing a record-breaking $50 million program to place abortion access and reproductive rights at the center of voters’ minds.

Hometown: Walnut Creek, California. Best career advice: “If you want to do policy, work on a campaign, because if you can handle campaigns, you will understand how policies get passed.” Hidden talent: “I’m a great dancer, especially if you put on some Sean Paul.”

Georges C. Benjamin
American Public Health Association
Executive Director

Benjamin sounded the alarm on the monkeypox outbreak, warning that it could become another major health disaster, and pressured President Biden to declare a public emergency to more quickly free up funding for containment.

Hometown: Chicago. Education: Illinois Institute of Technology. Best career advice: “Always think about the things you don’t like to do and then don’t do them.”

Brian Blase
Paragon Health Institute
President

Blase joined a coalition of groups at the end of 2022 to urge Congress not to raise Medicare spending in its year-end budget allocation, asserting that doing so could make inflation worse, all while starting a congressional education program that consists of monthly briefings with Paragon experts.

Hometown: Dallas, Pennsylvania. First job: Burger King cook. Best career advice: “Become an expert in something and not just a generalist.”

Sheila P. Burke
Baker Donelson
Strategic Adviser

With 19 years on Capitol Hill, Burke specializes in issues surrounding Medicare, Medicaid, and children’s healthcare programs, advising clients on the ever-changing landscape of tweaks and reforms to the labyrinth of policies.

Hometown: San Francisco. First job: Staff nurse. Lesson from that job: “The importance of a mentor.”

Stuart Butler
Brookings Institution
Senior Fellow, Economic Studies

Butler cowrote a paper connecting the improvement of health outcomes—from aging to asthma—to the quality of housing one can attain, pointing to new funding in the CARES Act available to align the two.

Hometown: Shrewsbury, England. Education: St. Andrews University (Scotland). Best career advice: “Emigrate to the US.”

Michael Cannon
Cato Institute
Director, Health Policy Studies

Cannon has urged federal lawmakers to eliminate the tax exclusion for employer-sponsored health insurance, identifying it as a key driver of pushing healthcare costs higher in the US.

Education: University of Virginia; George Mason. Best career advice: “Whatever you would do if you didn’t have to worry about money, make that your career.” On his bucket list: “Space travel.”

 

Liz Clark
IHRSA
CEO and President

The first female leader of the global fitness association has coupled aggressive advocacy with constant communication to revitalize the group and its Washington presence.

Education: University of Dayton; George Mason (grad school). First job: “Cleaning hotel rooms, groundskeeper, and helping my mom as a prep cook at our small family business in Montana, at age nine.” Best career advice: “Work like you make $100 per hour even if you only make $10.”

Michaeleen Crowell
S-3 Group
Principal

The former chief of staff to Senator Bernie Sanders has warned fellow lobbyists that it will be harder for healthcare companies to make their case with Sanders atop the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Sanders is a longtime critic of the power such companies wield, especially in their control over drug prices.

Hometown: Lowell, Massachusetts. Education: Boston University.

Marjorie Dannenfelser
Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America
President

Dannenfelser has argued that Republicans’ decision to avoid confronting aggressive Democratic messaging on abortion hurt their cause during the 2022 midterm elections.

Lesson from her first job (at the Heritage Foundation): “Find the job that isn’t getting done by anyone else and do it.” Worst career advice: “Don’t take that job or you will never get hired by anyone in your political-party affiliation again.” What her office walk-up song would be: “The Best Is Yet to Come” by Frank Sinatra.

Chester (Chip) Davis Jr.
Healthcare Distribution Alliance
President and CEO

After the announcement that the federal government would halt mass purchases of Covid vaccines, Davis noted that pricing the medicine would become a new issue for insurers and healthcare distributors that had not been involved in the decision-making process.

First job: Cutting lawns. Best career advice: “When I was a junior associate attorney, a senior partner in the firm told me, ‘If you agree with me all the time, on every single issue, you are of no value to me whatsoever.’ ” Favorite place in DC to visit: The World War II Memorial.

Dan Diamond
Washington Post
National Health Reporter

Since winning the George Polk Award for investigating political interference in the pandemic response, Diamond has exposed how political infighting hampered the initial Covid-19 reaction and highlighted the mixed messaging coming from the Biden administration.

Best career advice: “Know when to bet on yourself.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Politics and Prose flagship store. On his bucket list: “Playing a reporter in a Marvel movie.”

 

Christine Eibner
RAND Corporation
Senior Economist

Eibner’s expertise was solicited by advocates and policy-shapers to dissect the new slate of healthcare funding in the Democrats’ social-spending legislation.

Education: College of William & Mary; University of Maryland.

Brett Ewer
CrossFit
Head of Government Relations

Ewer advocated on behalf of 20,000 small, independent gyms for Covid relief and pushed for allowing funds in health savings accounts to be put toward fitness expenses.

Hometown: Norfolk, Massachusetts. Education: Colby College. Hidden talent: “I’m a mean whistler.”

Matthew Eyles
America’s Health Insurance Plans
President and CEO

Eyles celebrated the increased enrollment in the Medicare Advantage program—reaching 30 million in early 2023—as a testament to its effectiveness in providing for patients with chronic illnesses as well as seniors.

First job: Construction assistant. Lesson from that job: “I’m not particularly handy.” Hidden talent: “Shooting basketball three-pointers.”

David Gaugh
Association for Accessible Medicines
Interim CEO

Gaugh was promoted from his previous role as executive vice president for sciences and regulatory affairs after the drug-industry group fired CEO Dan Leonard for failing to stop Democrats from pushing through drug-price reforms.

Education: University of Wyoming School of Pharmacy.

Lawrence Gostin
Professor of Global Health Law

Gostin, who believes Covid-19 developed naturally but doesn’t rule out the lab-leak theory, has urged aggressive transparency around National Institutes of Health documents addressing the pandemic.

Education: Duke. First job: Legal director, National Association of Mental Health, United Kingdom. Hidden talent: “I play the drums.”

Scott Gottlieb
American Enterprise Institute
Senior Fellow

The former FDA head and author of a book outlining why “Covid-19 crushed us,” Gottlieb has posited that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would greatly improve its functionality if it was smaller.

Hometown: East Brunswick, New Jersey. Education: Wesleyan University; Mount Sinai School of Medicine. First job: Healthcare analyst at Alex. Brown & Sons in Baltimore.

Aron Griffin
America’s Health Insurance Plans
Senior Vice President, Federal Affairs

Representing the nation’s health-insurance companies, Griffin oversees the drafting of testimony to government officials and strategizes on how to confront policies that the association believes could spark higher premiums.

Education: University of Maryland.

Cookab Hashemi
INOVIO Pharmaceuticals
Director, Government Engagement

The longtime Capitol Hill and Clinton White House alum now works for the research-and-development firm attempting to invent new DNA medicines and vaccines.

Hometown: Fayetteville, North Carolina. First job: Staff assistant at the Democratic Governors Association. Favorite place in DC to visit: “The National Zoo with my kids, especially at the holidays. ZooLights gets better and better every year.”

Sudafi Henry
theGROUP
Partner

The former aide to Joe Biden now acts as a key liaison on Capitol Hill to healthcare clients on issues surrounding cost, access, and development.

Hometown: Los Angeles. Education: University of Maryland; George Washington University Law School.

G. William Hoagland
Bipartisan Policy Center
Senior Vice President

Hoagland led a task force co-chaired by two former Agriculture secretaries to prioritize “food as medicine” in the farm bill.

First job: Pennsylvania Health Research Institute. Lesson from that job: “The importance of data in developing policy.” One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Stacey Hughes
American Hospital Association
Executive Vice President, Government Relations and Public Policy

Hughes was critical of a Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services federal payment increase, describing it as “insufficient” given the cost hikes facing hospitals due to equipment, labor, and supply-­chain issues.

Education: Florida State University. Best career advice: “Open every door and walk through it before making a rash judgment on a job opportunity.” What her office walk-up song would be: “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie.

Chris Jennings
Jennings Policy Strategies
Founder and President

Jennings helped develop the rationale, policy, and strategy behind the Medicare prescription-drug cost-containment and coverage provisions that were included in the Inflation Reduction Act. He played a similar role in successfully securing an extension of Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that have contributed to record enrollment increases.

First job: Paperboy. Lesson from that job: “Good and timely service is noticed and appreciated.” Hidden talent: Playing the trumpet.

Charles N. (Chip) Kahn III
Federation of American Hospitals
President and CEO

In representing the investor-owned hospital community, Kahn is praised by colleagues for his ability to see around corners on both the policy and the politics of healthcare.

Hometown: New Orleans. First job: “Managing Newt Gingrich’s first congressional campaign.” Lesson from that job: “Anything is possible in politics, but it is frequently difficult to overcome political fundamentals.”

Genevieve M. Kenney
Urban Institute
Vice President, Health Policy, and Senior Fellow

Kenney is guiding a project focused on health equity while also assessing Medicaid policies aimed at improving postpartum outcomes for women.

Education: University of Michigan.

Jay Khosla
Humana
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs

Khosla has helped build out Humana’s care services, with the company becoming the largest home health provider and developing the widest senior-oriented primary-care clinical network.

First job: Policy counsel for former Senate majority leader Bill Frist. Lesson from that job: “What you don’t know is much more important than what you know.” Best career advice: “You are only as good as your word, so use them carefully.”

James Klein
American Benefits Council
President

Klein joined other healthcare groups to lobby Congress to protect access to affordable Covid-era telehealth rules, which were ultimately extended in the end-of-year $1.7 trillion omnibus

Hometown: Buffalo, New York. Lesson from his first job (working in his dad’s printing business): “If you’re the boss’s kid, don’t act like it.” Best and Worst career advice: “Leave some good ideas and opportunities for your successor to pursue.”

Mary Landrieu
Van Ness Feldman
Senior Policy Adviser

Landrieu, the former senator from Louisiana, leverages her strong bipartisan congressional relationships to lobby on a variety of issues, including increased funding on adoption services.

Hometown: New Orleans. Education: Louisiana State University.

Courtney Lawrence
Cigna
Vice President, Government Affairs

Lawrence works on a variety of issues for the healthcare giant, including accessibility of integrated health benefits and changes around pharmaceutical drug pricing.

Education: University of Georgia.

Nancy LeaMond
AARP
Executive Vice President

LeaMond warned lawmakers that regular funding cuts to the Social Security Administration has resulted in longer wait times, overwhelmed field offices, and all-time-high disability processing times.

Lesson from her first job (at the US Department of Health, Education and Welfare): “Always be aware of organizational dynamics.” Favorite places in DC to visit: The Capitol and Jefferson Memorial. Hidden talent: “Sometimes not so hidden, but I’m a good whistler.”

David Leonhardt
New York Times
Senior Writer, “The Morning”

Leonhardt’s writings on the science and decisions made around the coronavirus pandemic often spark umbrage and outrage from critics, in part due to the enormous reach of his newsletter and Twitter following.

Hometown: New York City. Education: Yale University.

John Lepore
Moderna
Senior Vice President, Government Engagement

As waning immunity and viral variants made global populations continually vulnerable to the coronavirus, Lepore worked diplomatic relationships to facilitate the sale and donation of shots, a strategy referred to as “vaccine diplomacy.”

Education: Johns Hopkins; Georgetown; Boston College. Favorite DC restaurant: La Piquette. Hidden talent: “Saturday pan-cake chef.”

Jeanne Mancini
March for Life Education & Defense Fund
President

Despite the reversal of Roe v. Wade, Mancini has underscored that the antiabortion movement should remain vigilant and aggressive in its quest to build what she deems “a culture of life.”

Education: James Madison University; Catholic University (Pontifical Pope John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family).

David Mitchell
Patients for Affordable Drugs Now
President and Founder

Mitchell has been a key force compiling patients’ stories to campaign for lower drug costs, and he became an integral player in forcing the prescription-drug provision into the Inflation Reduction Act.

Hometown: Detroit. First job: “Working as a clerk in a drugstore for 70 cents an hour when I was 14.” On his bucket list: “To watch one of my four kids get married and to become a grandfather.”

 

Farzad Mostashari
Aledade
Cofounder and CEO

As his startup partners with physicians, specialty clinics, and federally qualified health centers to facilitate policy ideas, Mostashari has argued that fee-for-service healthcare incentives “are perverse” because “no one is in charge.”

Education: Harvard; Yale School of Medicine.

Elizabeth Nash
Guttmacher Institute
Principal Policy Associate, State Issues

Following the fall of Roe, Nash was among the abortion-rights leaders attempting to craft a new road map for how to efficiently provide women with abortion medication.

Education: William & Mary (BA); George Washington University (MPP). Lesson from her First job: “Both criticism and praise are important, but take them with a grain of salt. It’s up to you to use them to grow and improve.” What her office walk-up song would be: “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” by Daft Punk.

Anand Parekh
Bipartisan Policy Center
Chief Medical Adviser

Working with a bipartisan task force and steering committee, Parekh led the development and dissemination of Public Health Forward, a five-year vision for how the US government could achieve a healthier America.

Hometown: Detroit. On his bucket list: “Going to all four Grand Slam tennis tournaments.” Hidden talent: “Playing Pachelbel’s Canon in D on the piano.”

 

Mark Parkinson
American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living
President and CEO

Parkinson’s group was successful in reversing a $1.2 billion payment cut to nursing homes in the 2023 federal budget after generating 6,920 comments from its members.

Hometown: Wichita, Kansas. First job: “Between undergrad and law school, I worked on the Hill as a legislative assistant for former congressman Bill Green.” Lesson from that job: “Washington is run by staffers who are in their twenties and thirties and sometimes are more powerful than their bosses.”

Kavita Patel
Mary’s Center
Physician

The former Obama-administration policy official who played a key hand in designing healthcare legislation now serves as a primary-care doctor in Washington. Her analysis—including warnings about federal Covid money drying up—is regularly sought out by the media.

Hometown: San Antonio. First job: “Piercing ears at a jewelry store.” Worst career advice: “Don’t challenge authority too much. It doesn’t look good for a young woman of color.”

Richard Pollack
American Hospital Association
President and CEO

Pollack trumpeted the continuity of the 340B drug-pricing program as a way for hospitals to expand access to comprehensive health services, including access to prescriptions as drug prices have continued to rise. The AHA had battled for the program in court as it faced legal challenges.

Hometown: Brooklyn. First job: Legislative assistant to Congressman David Obey of Wisconsin. Best career advice: “Always surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.”

Monica Popp
Marshall & Popp
Partner

With experience on both the House and Senate sides of Congress, as well as in the office of former Florida governor Jeb Bush, Popp specializes in health policy for an assortment of clients.

Hometown: Shreveport, Louisiana. First job: High-school math teacher. Lesson from that job: “You can say the same thing to a group of people and it can be interpreted very differently by each person.”

Lori Reilly
PhRMA
Chief Operating Officer

Reilly helped launch a program with a group of universities designed to close access gaps to clinical trials in underserved communities.

First job: Selling shoes at Richman Gordman, a chain in the Midwest. Favorite DC restaurant: Fiola Mare. Hidden talent: “Floral design.”

Elena Rios
National Hispanic Medical Association
President and CEO

Rios represents 50,000 Hispanic physicians across the US and directs education and research on the most cutting-edge healthcare developments and questions.

Hometown: Los Angeles. Education: Stanford; UCLA.

Matt Salo
Salo Health Strategies
Founder and CEO

The former executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors is now providing strategic advice to a broad variety of healthcare stakeholders seeking federal-policy guidance.

First job: Busboy at Chesapeake Bay Seafood House. Lesson from that job: “Even the worst jobs need to be done, and if a job needs to be done, it should be done well.” Hidden talent: “I hold a multi-year streak of consecutive wins against all competition in Whac-A-Mole, the popular boardwalk/carnival game.”

Nina Owcharenko Schaefer
Heritage Foundation
Director, Center for Health and Welfare Policy

A former congressional staffer, Schaefer has helped foster policy ideas on issues including Medicaid coverage and the response to Covid, championing patient choice and robust competition.

First job: “US Senate, answering phones and opening mail.” Best career advice: “Don’t wait for the perfect job. Take a job and work hard.” Favorite place in DC to visit: The Victims of Communism Museum.

Melissa Schulman
CVS Health
Senior Vice President, Government and Public Affairs

As telehealth visits spiked throughout the pandemic, Schulman lobbied the government to allow Medicare beneficiaries to access healthcare from any location by removing the “originating site” requirement that limits patient access based on where they live.

Education: Michigan State. On her bucket list: “Watching the Capitals win their second Stanley Cup live in person.” Hidden talent: Needlepoint.

 

JC Scott
Pharmaceutical Care Management Association
President and CEO

As Congress looked at how pharmacy-benefit managers impact rising drug costs, Scott warned that finger-pointing at PBMs would undermine confidence in the private system.

Hometown: Pensacola, Florida. Best career advice: “Don’t be a jerk.” On his bucket list: Hiking to Machu Picchu.

 

Stephanie Silverman
Venn Strategies
Founder and CEO

Silverman helps clients navigate complex and often thorny new regulations, including an executive order from the Biden administration aimed at thwarting corporate consolidation, including among healthcare companies.

Best career advice: “Smart and hard-working women need to stop worrying that people will find out they aren’t good enough, and start believing they are.” Favorite place in DC to visit: “The US Capitol—it still inspires awe after all these years.” Hidden talents: “Ms. Pac-Man and any word or spelling game.”

Bill Sweeney
AARP
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs

Sweeney spent much of his time last year advocating for the Inflation Reduction Act provision that allows Medicare to negotiate prescription-drug prices, the culmination of a 20-year effort against entrenched opposition.

Hometown: Detroit. First job: “I worked at my local McDonald’s in high school.” Lesson from that job: “So many people are working unbelievably hard and barely able to make ends meet.”

Brad Tallamy
Merck
Executive Director, Policy and Government Relations

Tallamy has conveyed to lawmakers how disruptive a pandemic can be to pharmaceutical companies’ ability to manufacture and distribute drugs, stressing that about 70 percent of active pharmaceutical ingredients are made overseas.

Education: Loyola University Maryland. First job: Intern at NBC.

Hemi Tewarson
National Academy of State Health Policy
Executive Director

Tewarson joined the National Academy of State Health Policy from Duke-Margolis Center, where she built out Covid-19 policies on containment, testing, and vaccine distribution.

Education: University of Pennsylvania; George Washington University. Lesson from her First job: “Never leave a young child unattended—even for a moment. You never know what can happen. While I was babysitting, the child stuck a key in an outlet.” Favorite DC restaurant: Rasika.

Grace-Marie Turner
Galen Institute
Founder and President

Turner testified twice before Congress to make the case for enhanced consumer choices in healthcare, particularly advocating for those on public programs being able to tap into private-coverage networks.

Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico. Best career advice: “The first place to look for a job is inside yourself, to find what you love to do. That is the best path to success and fulfillment.” Hidden talent: “I play the piano.”

Stephen J. Ubl
PhRMA
President and CEO

Ubl lobbied against the drug-pricing fixes in the Inflation Reduction Act and said the resulting changes would allow the government unchecked authority to set the prices of medicines, leading to fewer new treatments for cancer patients. He was successful at killing a measure that would have forced companies to offer rebates if prices outpaced inflation.

Hometown: Minneapolis. Best career advice: “Dive into the substance of your work. Relationships will always be important in Washington, but it’s more important to have credibility based on expertise.” On his bucket list: “Going to a Minnesota Vikings Super Bowl.”

 

Jennifer Walton
Pfizer
Senior Vice President, US Policy and Government Relations

Walton has navigated the evolving treatments for variants of the coronavirus as well as new prescription-drug provisions on behalf of the $200 billion–plus company.

Hometown: Beloit, Kansas. First job: Staff assistant for former senator Pat Roberts of Kansas. Best career advice: “Be open to all opportunities that come your way, and don’t discount experiences that seem out of your wheelhouse.”

Mark Wilson
American Health Policy Institute
President and CEO
HR Policy Association
Vice President, Health and Employment Policy, and Chief Economist

Wilson advises human-resource officers on the constant healthcare-policy changes that impact the country’s largest employers, including best practices and implementation mechanisms.

First job: “Fuel-oil survey at the Census Bureau.” Lesson from that job: “How important energy independence is to the US.” What his office walk-up song would be: “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin.

Eleanor Acer
Human Rights First
Director, Refugee Protection Program

Acer issued a searing critique of the Biden administration’s dramatic restrictions on asylum entrants, calling it a “humanitarian disgrace” and likening it to former President Trump’s immigration strategy.

Education: Brown; Fordham School of Law.

Lora Adams
Immigration Policy Consultant

Adams has been at the forefront of campaigns to secure Temporary Protected Status for refugees from a variety of countries so they can get work permits as well as protection from deportation.

Hometown: Little Rock, Arkansas. First job: Starbucks barista, then shift manager. Lesson from those jobs: “People are more important than business.”

Nazanin Ash
Welcome.US
CEO

Welcome.US was launched in the aftermath of the US military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Ash has become a crucial liaison among corporations, service organizations, and the government, all looking to resettle those escaping crises in countries around the world.

First job: “Peer counselor in a runaway-and-homeless-youth shelter.” Lesson from that job: “You can assume nothing about someone’s background and experiences. Yet these factors are critical to how they perceive and move in the world.” Favorite DC restaurant: Yellow.

Ronnate Asirwatham
Network
Government Relations Director

Originally from Sri Lanka, Asirwatham now works Capitol Hill on an assortment of immigration-policy problems, including asylum, refugees, unaccompanied minors, and Dreamers.

First job: Journalist at Reuters. Lessons from that job: “One: No one is too ‘small’ to have influence. Two: Cultivate relationships with people in the times you need them the least and they’ll be there for you in the long term.” Hidden talent: “I make fantastic cocktails.”

Vanessa Cárdenas
America’s Voice
Executive Director

The new leader of this progressive immigration-advocacy group, who took over from Frank Sharry last fall, Cárdenas has ties to administration officials from her previous work as National Coalitions Director for Joe Biden’s presidential campaign.

Education: George Mason University. Best career advice: “My mom gave me the best advice to survive in this city of overachievers. The closest translation would be ‘Don’t waste time in jealousy—instead, focus on improving yourself.’ ” Favorite place in DC to visit: “The Watergate steps. I love to sit there and watch the sunset.”

Carlos Gutierrez
TheDream.US
Cofounder

As chairman of Republicans for Immigration Reform, Gutierrez remains a significant voice at the table during any bipartisan negotiation around changes to immigration law.

Favorite DC restaurant: Cafe Milano. Favorite place in DC to visit: The White House. On his bucket list: Visiting his ancestors’ birthplace in Spain.

 

Thomas Homan
Homeland Strategic Consulting
Founder and President

Homan, who’s been described as father of the hard-line Trump­administration policy to separate migrant parents who illegally cross the border from their children, now advises private clients.

First job: Lifeguard. Best career advice: “Never forget where you came from. Never forget where you started. Don’t forget those below you, and reach back to give them a helping hand.” What his office walk-up song would be: “God Bless America.”

Angela Kelley
American Immigration Lawyers Association
Chief Adviser, Policy and Partnerships

The former counselor to Homeland Security director Alejandro Mayorkas lauded the Biden administration for creating new spots to admit asylum-seekers but said its accompanying eligibility restrictions had a striking resemblance to “objectionable” past policies.

Hometown: Charlottesville. Favorite place in DC to visit: “The MLK memorial. I read every single quote every time I visit.” On her bucket list: “To visit Tarija, Bolivia, where my grandmother was born.”

 

Patrice Lawrence
UndocuBlack
Executive Director

Despite Lawrence’s vigorous push to get lawmakers to cut funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s border patrol, the omnibus package delivered an increase to both agencies in 2023.

Hometown: Kingston, Jamaica. First job: Data entry at First­Caribbean International Bank. Worst career advice: “That I should hide my weaknesses. Acknowledging all of me has given me more advantages.”

Jose Magaña-Salgado
Masa Group
Principal and Founder

Magaña-Salgado has issued guidance for colleges and universities to prepare for a post-DACA environment, suggesting the creation of opportunities that would be open to students without work authorization.

Education: Arizona State University; Baylor Law School.

Doris Meissner
Migration Policy Institute
Senior Fellow and Director, US Immigration Policy Program

Meissner has helped prepare organizations for the stressful and chaotic end of Title 42, which allowed the past two administrations to quickly expel migrants and block those seeking asylum.

Hometown: Mequon, Wisconsin. Education: University of Wisconsin. First job: “Checking the baskets of belongings for swimmers at my local public swimming pool.”

Arturo Sarukhan
Sarukhan + Associates
Founder and President

A former Mexican ambassador to the United States, Sarukhan writes a biweekly column in Mexico City’s El Universal newspaper, underscoring his influence on the other side of the US border.

Education: El Colegio de México (BA); Johns Hopkins SAIS (MA). First job: Executive assistant at the Ford Foundation Bilateral Commission on the Future of United States-Mexican Relations. Best career advice: “Never be afraid to say no.”

Todd Schulte
FWD.us
President and Executive Director

Schulte has expressed cautious optimism about the bipartisan framework being written by senators Kyrsten Sinema and Thom Tillis that would provide a pathway to citizenship for approximately 2 million Dreamers, accompanied by new investments in border security. He is pressuring others to get on board.

Hometown: St. Louis. First job: Selling toner cartridges. Best career advice: “Don’t tell other people their politics.”

Gina Adams
FedEx
Corporate Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs

Adams helped coordinate the federal government’s Operation Fly Formula during the baby-formula shortage, delivering hundreds of thousands of pounds from Ramstein, Germany, to Dulles airport.

First job: DC Summer Youth Employment Program intern at age 14. Best career advice: “Listen much more than you talk, don’t make enemies by accident, show grace always, and understand you won’t be there forever.” On her bucket list: “Performing with the cast of Hamilton.”

 

Stephen Alterman
Cargo Airline Association
President

Now in his 41st year as president of the association, Alterman continues to steer the industry’s work before the Transportation Security Administration, and he received the Aero Club of Washington’s Donald D. Engen Trophy for aviation excellence.

Hometown: Duck, North Carolina. Education: Brown; Boston University School of Law. What his office walk-up song would be: “Still Crazy After All These Years” by Paul Simon.

Mark Begich
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck
Strategic Consulting Adviser

The former Alaska senator has helped clients navigate details of the infrastructure legislation, including how to stand up new climate-­related initiatives and how to find the point person for rules and grant requests.

Hometown: Anchorage, Alaska. First job: Started his own small business as a teenager—an 18-and-under club called the Motherlode.

 

Ed Bolen
National Business Aviation Association
President and CEO

Having testified before Congress and the Federal Aviation Administration, Bolen is a leading voice for an industry on the precipice of significant change due to the development of autonomous aircraft.

Hometown: Salina, Kansas. Best career advice: “All business is based on relationships. Whatever business you are in, build long-term relationships.” On his bucket list: “Getting a ride in an F-18 as it lands on an aircraft carrier.”

 

Christine Burgeson
Airlines for America
Senior Vice President, Global Government Affairs

The former George W. Bush–administration legislative assistant collaborates with the airlines, the labor industry, and lawmakers to advocate for consumer and shipping aviation priorities.

Education: University of Mississippi. First job: “Working in the gift shop at a small local pharmacy at age 14.” What her office walk-up song would be: “Oh Happy Day.”

Nicholas E. Calio
Airlines for America
President and CEO

As representative for the major airlines, Calio has appeared at the White House to discuss sustainable aviation fuel and holds considerable sway on Capitol Hill on a variety of issues.

Education: Ohio Wesleyan University; Case Western Reserve School of Law. Best career advice: “Always put yourself in the other person’s shoes.” On his bucket list: “Being fluent in Italian.”

 

Art Cameron
Raytheon Technologies
Vice President, Government Operations

After more than a decade with Boeing, Cameron departed the company for Raytheon, the research-and-technology conglomerate developing new advances for aviation, space, and the military.

Education: American University. First job: Intern for the House Transportation Committee. Best career advice: “Always volunteer for extra work.”

Mèlika Carroll
Sonder
Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs

A former policy adviser to Senator Brian Schatz, Carroll has helped this next-generation hospitality company create its environmental, social, and governance reporting system to prepare for new government-­compliance guidance.

Education: University of Ottawa; College of Europe. First job: Communications assistant for Minister Kim Campbell’s campaign to become party leader and prime minister of Canada.

Theresa Fariello
United Airlines
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs

Fariello worked closely with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to secure nearly $50 million from the Federal Aviation Administration for a new 14-gate commuter concourse at Dulles airport, a key United hub.

Hometown: Rhinebeck, New York. Education: George Washington University; George Mason; Georgetown. First job: “I cleaned rooms at a health resort.”

Garrick Francis
Alliance for Automotive Innovation
Vice President, Federal Affairs

Francis delivered testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee about the significance of semiconductor chips in keeping the auto industry a bedrock of innovation in US manufacturing.

Lesson from his first job (as a printer’s assistant): “The printed word is beautiful, powerful, and everlasting.” Best career advice: “From my mother, Florence Irving Francis: ‘Start out every day with the determination to improve upon the day before.’ ” Favorite place in DC to visit: “Any rooftop where I can see the whole city.”

Ian Jefferies
Association of American Railroads
President and CEO

Jefferies raised questions with lawmakers on Capitol Hill about whether the Surface Transportation Board had the legal authority to adopt a new system used to dispute the rates that railroads charge.

Hometown: Lexington, Kentucky. First job: Dishwasher. Lesson from that job: “Show up on time, know your job, and do it well.” Hidden talent: “A remarkable ability to remember the most trivial and unimportant information.”

Kathryn D. Karol
Caterpillar
Senior Vice President, Global Government and Corporate Affairs

With prior stints at Amgen and Eli Lilly, Karol is wielding more than two decades of public-affairs experience at the world’s largest construction-equipment manufacturer.

Best career advice: “Talent will get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.” Favorite DC restaurant: Le Diplomate. What her office walk-up song would be: “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie.

Laura Lane
UPS
Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer

Lane began rolling out the ways the 115-year-old company would achieve its commitment to be carbon-neutral by 2050, including an e-bike delivery system that commenced in Hamburg, Germany.

First job: Waitress at Bob Evans. Worst career advice: “Cut your hair and try to blend in with the other men—to which I said, ‘Hell, no!’ ” What her office walk-up song would be: “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys.

Timothy P. Lynch
Morgan Lewis
Senior Director

At this litigation and corporate firm, Lynch detailed, in a memo consumed by policy-shapers, some of the regulatory and commercial concerns regarding the government’s significant investment in electric vehicles—including the requirements to access the new infusion of funding through grants and government procurement contracts.

Education: University of Maryland. Best career advice: “If you work on the Hill, don’t leave before five years, because you won’t cultivate the contacts that will be important later, but don’t stay beyond ten, because the outside world won’t think you’ll ever leave.” Favorite place in DC to visit: National Museum of American History.

Ziad Ojakli
Boeing
Executive Vice President, Government Operations

Ojakli works on aerospace and defense regulation, trade and tax policy, and research-and-development issues on behalf of the multi­national aircraft company.

Education: Georgetown. First job: Legislative assistant to Senator Dan Coats of Indiana.

Bill Shuster
Squire Patton Boggs
Senior Policy Adviser

The former Pennsylvania congressman and Transportation and Infrastructure committee chairman was tapped to help revitalize a campaign to create a national infrastructure bank that would help fund projects with loans from private investors.

Hometown: McKeesport, Pennsylvania. Education: Dickinson College; American University.

Chris Spear
American Trucking Association
President and CEO

Spear has significantly increased the visibility of the trucking association, appearing at the White House last spring when President Biden unveiled the administration’s trucking action plan.

Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska. First job: Kubota assembly plant. Lesson from that job: “I’d rather build a world for tractors than build them.”

Jim Tymon
American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials
Executive Director

Tymon was a key player during bipartisan infrastructure negotiations, lobbying for climate-change provisions to improve road-system reliability plus the creation of a formula-based bridge and electric-­vehicle program.

First job: Youth-soccer referee. Favorite place in DC to visit: “Running on the National Mall. It’s an amazing way to take in the quintessential views of Washington.” On his bucket list: To visit all 50 states.

 

Omar Vargas
General Motors
Vice President, Global Public Policy

Vargas joined the auto giant to help it realize its long-term goal of “zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion” with a hand in Washington.

Hometown: Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. Education: Seton Hall University; American University School of International Service and Washington College of Law. First job: Italian-deli clerk.

Cherie Wilson
Delta
Vice President, Government Affairs–Sustainability

Over the past year, Wilson has advocated with industry and supply-chain partners to advance the nascent sustainable-­aviation-fuel market as well as adopt other breakthrough clean fuels and technologies.

Education: University of Pennsylvania (undergrad); Duke (grad). First job: Germantown Vet Clinic in Maryland. Lesson from that job: “Patience and compassion—when dealing with people and their pets—are important virtues.”

Heather Wingate
Delta
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs

Wingate has lobbied on a flurry of issues facing the turbulent airline industry, including removing the federal Covid-19 testing requirements for inbound US travelers and lifting the federal mask mandate on planes.

Hometown: Lawrence, Kansas. What her office walk-up song would be: “Beautiful Day” by U2. Hidden talent: “My chocolate-­chip cookies get good reviews.”

Donald Ayer
Campaign Legal Center
Senior Adviser

The former deputy attorney general under President George H.W. Bush has argued that the Justice Department should prosecute Donald Trump for being the central actor behind the January 6 riot. Ayer, who’s argued 19 times before the Supreme Court, is closely tracked by legal pros.

Lesson from his first job (as clerk to Judge Malcolm Wilkey of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit): “One smart person who treats others with respect can have a large impact on the thinking of those who may initially disagree with him or her.” Best career advice: “View everything you’re doing as the main event, not just preparation for something later.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Lincoln Memorial.

Andrew P. Bakaj

Charles J. Cooper
Cooper & Kirk
Founding Partner and Chairman

With more than 40 years of legal experience, Cooper has argued nine cases before the Supreme Court and scores of appeals in federal and state supreme courts.

Hometown: Dayton, Ohio. Education: University of Alabama.

Fatima Goss Graves
National Women’s Law Center
President and CEO

Graves was front and center in the confirmation efforts of Supreme Court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, leveraging that work to further public understanding of the importance of the high court in a post-Dobbs landscape.

Education: UCLA; Yale Law. First job: “Tower Records. I stacked CDs and cassette tapes.” Washingtonians she’d invite to a dinner party: “Ashley Hatch, Aubrey Kingsbury, and Trinity Rodman from the Washington Spirit are just a few of the women’s soccer players I’d love to have at a dinner party.”

C. Boyden Gray
Boyden Gray & Associates
Founding Partner

Gray is a leader in the conservative legal movement, cofounding the Committee for Justice and serving as White House counsel under George H.W. Bush.

Hometown: Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Education: Harvard; University of North Carolina Law School.

Deepak Gupta
Gupta Wessler
Founding Principal

Gupta’s two-decade legal career has focused on high-stakes cases before the Supreme Court, all 13 federal circuits, and numerous trial courts, and has involved issues around wrongdoing by government or corporations.

Best career advice: “Not to pick some goal and reverse-engineer backwards from that. It’s much better—and more fulfilling—to do whatever is in front of you with as much enthusiasm, passion, and dedication as you can muster.” Favorite DC restaurant: Tail Up Goat. Hidden talent: “Making people think that something—a proposal, a suggestion, a legal theory—was really their idea.”

Neal Katyal
Hogan Lovells
Partner

Katyal, a former acting solicitor general who served as a pro bono special prosecutor in the George Floyd case, is reportedly one of the highest-paid attorneys in the country.

Education: Dartmouth; Yale Law. First job: Factory assembly-line worker. Lesson from that job: “To treat everyone with respect, to learn some Spanish, and how grateful I would be to not have a job where I would be physically drained and exhausted at the end of every shift.”

David Laufman
Wiggin and Dana
Partner

Laufman represented Capitol Police officers Aquilino Gonell and Harry Dunn in their testimony before the January 6th Select Committee investigating the attack on the US Capitol.

Hometown: Houston. Favorite place in DC to visit: Albert Einstein sculpture. On his bucket list: “Climbing another mountain.”

 

Joshua Matz
Kaplan Hecker & Fink
Partner

Over the past year, Matz successfully defended the congressional maps of both Pennsylvania and Wisconsin at the Supreme Court and also filed a lawsuit challenging Florida’s so-called “don’t say gay” law.

Hometown: Suffern, New York. Best career advice: “Never trust career advice from someone unless they invest in understanding who you are, where you’re coming from, and where you hope to go.” What his office walk-up song would be: “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor.

Don McGahn
Jones Day
Practice Leader, Government Regulation

McGahn, who worked closely with Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell to place more than 100 conservatives on federal courts during the Trump era, continues to advise the Senate GOP on judicial strategy.

Hometown: Atlantic City, New Jersey. Education: Notre Dame; Widener University; Georgetown.

Benjamin Wittes
Lawfare
Editor in Chief

The author of multiple books and a Substack, the prolific Wittes offers regular analysis of the most consequential legal questions, including the special counsel investigating President Biden and international responses to Russia’s war with Ukraine.

Hometown: Boston. Education: Oberlin College.

Mark S. Zaid
Mark S. Zaid, P.C.
Founding Partner

Zaid helped represent members of the Capitol Police force who were overrun during the January 6 riot.

Hometown: Jericho, New York. Favorite place in DC to visit: International Spy Museum. Hidden talent: Pole-vaulting.

Sergio Aguirre
WestExec Advisors
Cofounder and Managing Partner

Aguierre leads a bipartisan team of 52 to work with preeminent clients on defense, foreign-policy, cybersecurity, data-privacy, and communications needs.

Education: Georgia Tech. First job: Associate producer at Fox Sports. Best career advice: “Pick the boss, not the job.”

Dmitri Alperovitch
Silverado Policy Accelerator
Cofounder and Chairman

Alperovitch’s think tank delivered a 40-page research report that broke down detailed data on Russian trade imports to determine how Vladimir Putin is working around Western sanctions and controls.

Education: Georgia Tech. First job: Founded a cybersecurity startup with his dad while in high school.

Ginny Badanes
Microsoft
Senior Director, Democracy Forward

Microsoft’s $100 million technology assistance to Ukraine is allowing the government’s agencies to continue using Microsoft Cloud through 2023. Badanes led the internal task force whose mission is to ensure the company’s assistance to the war-torn country through cyber-support, the cloud, software licensing, and humanitarian relief.

First job: “In high school, I worked in a psychology lab.” Lesson from that job: “The lab had a federal grant, and it blew my mind how much paperwork was involved in ensuring they kept their funding.” Favorite area restaurant: Taco Bamba in Falls Church.

Jenna Ben-Yehuda
Truman National Security Project
President and CEO

Ben-Yehuda, whose interest in foreign policy was molded by her Jewish upbringing, was tapped by President Biden to serve on the Board of Visitors to the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Favorite place in DC to visit: “The Phillips Collection’s Rothko room feels like a sacred space to me.” On her bucket list: “Attending a presidential inauguration.” Hidden talent: “I love art—mixed media, watercolor, sculpture. Art time helps me focus and maintain my creativity. I often travel with a miniature watercolor set and a set of Micron pens.”

 

Thomas P. Bossert
Trinity Cyber
President

The Homeland Security adviser to President Trump and deputy Homeland Security adviser to President George W. Bush now provides his network-security-services expertise to governments and private companies.

Hometown: Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Education: University of Pittsburgh; George Washington University Law School.

Nitin Chadda
WestExec Advisors
Cofounder and Managing Partner

A former strategic adviser to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter, Chadda has an acute focus on how to integrate emerging technology into US defense systems and the national-security ecosystem around the world.

First job: Speechwriter for then Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Best career advice: “Define the role you take—don’t let the assigned duties limit you.” Favorite DC restaurant: Elizabeth’s Gone Raw.

Carrie Cordero
Center for a New American Security
Senior Fellow and General Counsel

Cordero argued that the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine together demonstrated the need to reform biodefense efforts within the Department of Homeland Security. Late last year, the Biden administration began to implement a new biodefense strategy and DHS reorganized its Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, as lawmakers push for further changes.

Hometown: Cleveland. Favorite place in DC to visit: “Nats Park. There are few things better than a day watching baseball.” Hidden talent: “I make really good potato latkes for Hanukkah.”

Rajesh De
Mayer Brown
Partner

De leads the firm’s cybersecurity and data-privacy practice, representing a number of major tech companies including Meta, eBay, and StubHub.

Education: Harvard; Harvard Law. Best career advice: “Go where the action is.” Favorite place in DC to visit: “The Jefferson Memorial, where I proposed to my wife.”

Sue Gordon
SecurityScorecard
Independent Director

With more than three decades of experience in major government agencies, Gordon now directs a number of companies leading the effort to modernize the Defense Department.

First job: Intelligence officer for the CIA. Best career advice: “Never let anyone think your performance is dependent on circumstance.” Favorite DC restaurant: Cafe Milano.

Stephen J. Hadley
Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel
Principal

As head of an international consulting firm founded with Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates, Hadley is heralded as a strategic thinker with an abundance of contacts and intelligence from across the globe.

Hometown: South Euclid, Ohio. Education: Cornell; Yale Law. First job: Naval officer.

Rebeccah L. Heinrichs
Hudson Institute
Senior Fellow and Director, Keystone Defense Initiative

Holding a focus on deterrence, Heinrichs serves as a commissioner on the bipartisan Strategic Posture Commission, created as part of the 2022 National Defense Authorization package.

Hometown: Fredericktown, Ohio. Best career advice: “To not over-plan, and to not put off the highest personal-life priorities for the sake of an idea of a career.” Hidden talent: “We have five children, a full hosting schedule, and many other duties, so I think I’ve gotten exceptionally talented at planning and logistics.”

Fiona Hill
Brookings Institution
Senior Fellow

Having been far ahead of the curve predicting Vladimir Putin’s ruthlessness and determination to follow through on threats, Hill is a shrewd and prescient voice on the war in Ukraine and other gathering threats to the US and its allies.

Hometown: Bishop Auckland, England. Best career advice: “Think of your career as a long arc and every position as a steppingstone to learning something new.” Favorite places in DC to visit: C&O Canal and Potomac River.

Bruce Hoffman
Georgetown University Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
Professor and Director, Center for Jewish Civilization

Hoffman has raised the question of how the US will prioritize countering both domestic and international threats, all while the country is coordinating a long-term strategy that transcends fleeting ideology.

Best career advice: “Lead by example.” Favorite DC restaurant: Aracosia. Hidden talent: “Field-hockey goalkeeper.”

Seamus Hughes
George Washington University
Deputy Director, Program on Extremism

The New York Times research journalist and Capitol Hill staffer now provides outside expertise to policymakers on the threat of terrorism in the US and around the world.

Hometown: Hyattsville. One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: Cardinal Wilton Gregory. On his bucket list: “I’d like to travel to at least half the countries in the world.”

 

Seth G. Jones
Center for Strategic & International Studies
Senior Vice President and Director, International Security Program

Jones made the case to policymakers that if the United States could ramp up and sustain military assistance to Ukraine over the long term, Putin could eventually be defeated—an unthinkable outcome at the start of the invasion.

What his office walk-up song would be: “All Star” by Smash Mouth. On his bucket list: A visit to Antarctica. Hidden talent: “Beatboxing.”

 

Beverly Kirk
Leadership Council for Women in National Security
Board Secretary

In addition to a new role as a Washington program director at Syracuse’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, Kirk will continue her work to attain gender parity for women in national-­security and foreign-­policy discussions. She’s helped produce a database of women ready to serve at government’s highest levels, regardless of the party in power.

Hometown: Burkesville, Kentucky. Best career advice: “Set high goals and go after what you want, even if you’re worried about failing. That way, you’re less likely to have regrets.” What her office walk-up song would be: “Don’t Disturb This Groove” by the System.

Christopher Krebs
Krebs Stamos Group
Founding Partner

At a security conference last summer, Krebs said a likely Chinese attack on Taiwan meant that organizations should take more steps to make their digital infrastructure and supply chain resilient both physically and virtually.

Hometown: Atlanta. Education: UVA; George Mason University.

Jane Lee
Rebellion Defense
Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs

In addition to her work at Rebellion, Lee helped found and lead the Software in Defense Coalition to represent nearly 30 startups and businesses with a national-security focus.

Hometown: Los Angeles. Education: Stanford. Best career advice: “Focus is the most important word in the English language.”

James Andrew Lewis
Center for Strategic & International Studies
Senior Vice President and Director, Strategic Technologies Program

As a senior adviser for four UN Groups of Governmental Experts on Information Security, Lewis—whose work on building stability in cyberspace is considered foundational in this field—is often consulted by Congress.

Hometown: Delmar, New York. First job: Research/editorial assistant at the journal Armed Forces and Society at the University of Chicago. Lesson from that job: “Over-deliver.”

Michael Morell
Beacon Global Strategies
Senior Counselor

The CIA veteran, who advises on international policy and homeland security, rallied political support for continued US military assistance to Ukraine as skepticism began to fester among right-wing voices and some progressives.

Hometown: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Education: University of Akron; Georgetown.

Michael O’Hanlon
Brookings Institution
Senior Fellow

From his regular appearances on networks such as C-SPAN and CNBC, this author is one of the most ubiquitous analysts on foreign-policy flash points, from the Chinese spy balloon to the war in Ukraine.

Hometown: Canandaigua, New York. First job: Farmhand on a dairy farm in the New York’s Finger Lakes region. On his bucket list: “Travelwise, Scotland and Ireland and Croatia. And to get back to Africa, where I was a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1980s.”

 

Lindsay Rodman
Wilson Center
Global Fellow

A Marine who deployed to Afghanistan, Rodman now focuses much of her work on helping women succeed in the male-dominated national-security realm.

Hometown: New York City. First job: “Selling souvenirs at the New York Yankees Clubhouse store.” Favorite place in the area to visit: The Pentagon.

Paul Scharre
Center for a New American Security
Vice President and Director of Studies

A former Defense Department official, Scharre has played a leading role in formulating policy around unmanned and autonomous systems and emerging weapons technology.

Education: Washington University in St. Louis; King’s College London. First job: Special-operations reconnaissance-team leader in the Army’s 3rd Ranger Battalion.

Matthew Steckman
Anduril Industries
Chief Revenue Officer

Anduril has developed autonomous surveillance towers being used at the Southwest border, technology that alerts agents to approaching migrants who are now trying to avoid them.

Education: Georgetown. Best career advice: “Seek consensus, develop conviction, perform, repeat.”

Caitlin Talmadge
Brookings Institution
Nonresident Senior Fellow

Talmadge briefed more than 100 congressional staffers on Asian security and nuclear deterrence, drawing from research she produced for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

First job: Research assistant at the Center for Strategic & International Studies. Lesson from that job: “Good mentors change lives.” Hidden talent: “Power-napping under my desk.”

Caroline Tess
National Security Action
Executive Director

As executive director at this network of foreign-policy leaders, established by Jake Sullivan and Ben Rhodes, Tess plays a key behind-the-scenes role in ensuring that nongovernmental players who seek to push for a progressive global agenda have a voice at the table.

Education: UC Berkeley; Georgetown. First job: Military legislative assistant for Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey.

Olivia Troye
Troye Group
Founder

The former adviser to Vice President Mike Pence is a prominent critic of former President Donald Trump’s foreign-policy posture and a backer of a new political-action committee designed to lift the voices of Generation Z.

Education: University of Pennsylvania. First job: Chuck E. Cheese. Lesson from that job: “Sometimes having the spotlight on you isn’t glamorous.”

Melanne Verveer
Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace & Security
Executive Director

A former ambassador for global women’s issues, Verveer works to keep women’s rights on the front burner amid the multi­farious conflicts that dominate security conversations.

Hometown: Ranshaw, Pennsylvania. First job: “Teaching Russian to high-school students and English to Russian exchange visitors.” What her office walk-up song would be: “Don’t Stop” by Fleetwood Mac.

Josh Ackil
Franklin Square Group
Cofounder

Having fostered relationships in both the White House and the legislative branch, Ackil represents multinational innovators managing the disruptive forces of technology regulation.

First job: Assistant to the chief of staff for then House Democratic leader Richard Gephardt of Missouri.

Meredith Attwell Baker
CTIA
President and CEO

A former Comcast NBCUniversal executive, Baker now represents the wireless-communications industry, which includes AT&T and Intel.

Hometown: Houston. First job: Vaccinating dogs in Ecuador. What her office walk-up song would be: “Good as Hell” by Lizzo.

Michael Beckerman
TikTok
Vice President and Head of Public Policy, Americas

As irritation built in Washington over the Chinese-owned viral-video app, Beckerman embarked on a media tour to calm the fears of policy­makers, characterizing TikTok’s data collection as “all very minor.”

Education: George Washington University. First job: Legislative correspondent/aide for Congressman Fred Upton of Michigan.

Shirley Bloomfield
NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association
CEO

As a player in the effort to include $65 billion for broadband deployment in the Infrastructure Act, Bloomfield has spent the past year readying the industry, agencies, policymakers, suppliers, and workers for these historic investments. She’s also part of the White House Talent Pipeline Challenge, aimed at developing the future broadband workforce.

On her bucket list:/ Thanks to a fourth- grade play I was in, I have long been fascinated with Pompeii and have yet to make my way there.” One Washingtonian she’d invite to a dinner party: “Sally Quinn. Oh, the stories she could tell!” What her office walk-up song would be: “Takin’ Care of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive.

Catherine Bohigian
Charter Communications
Executive Vice President, Government Affairs

The company introduced lower-cost broadband service to qualifying households across its 41-state service area, leveraging a Federal Communications Commission program to provide low-cost or free connectivity to lower-income households.

Hometown: Dallas. First job: Restaurant hostess at age 15. Best career advice: “Work to understand the other side’s perspective.”

 

April Boyd
Spotify
Vice President, Global Government Affairs and Public Policy

Since signing on last fall, Boyd has increased the music streaming company’s engagement with policymakers in Washington while fighting for a more level playing field for developers.

Hometown: Sidney, Iowa. First job: Intern in the White House press office. What her office walk-up song would be: “ ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ by U2. On Spotify, of course.”

John Branscome
Meta
Director, Public Policy

As scrutiny of Facebook’s practices mounts, Branscome, a former top congressional staffer, has intensely lobbied policymakers on issues including misinformation and algorithmic bias.

Education: Virginia Tech. First job: In the Virginia governor’s office as a special assistant on environmental/natural resources. Favorite DC restaurants: “Comet Ping Pong and Buck’s Fishing & Camping—neighborhood go-to’s.”

Kara Calvert
Coinbase
Head of US Policy

Calvert has come out in support of a pair of bills that would decisively hand the Commodities Futures Trading Commission more power to oversee real-time trading on crypto exchanges. While the legislation hasn’t passed, it has gained key backers in the Senate.

Hometown: Riverton, Wyoming. Worst career advice: “ ‘Sharpen your elbows—you won’t survive by being nice.’ In my experience, sharp elbows don’t help move an issue or a relationship forward. Being honest and open does.” Hidden talent: “I studied ballet for 13 years and can still perform a pretty solid pirouette.”

Jeff Campbell
Cisco Systems
Senior Vice President and Chief Government Strategy Officer

Campbell advocated for policies that improve digitization in rural communities, facilitate the future of wireless technologies and 5G, and reduce barriers to digital trade.

Education: Yale; Georgetown Law. Best career advice: “Focus on the two or three most important things you’re working on and be great at them. Everything else won’t matter much in the long run.” Favorite place in the area to visit: “Reagan National Airport to watch the planes take off.”

Mac Campbell
Capitol Counsel
Partner

Fox Corporation tapped the former Democratic deputy staff director for the Senate Finance Committee to lobby on issues related to copyright, media ownership, antitrust, and liability protection.

Hometown: Harrison, Arkansas. First job: Picking blueberries. Best career advice: “One of my college professors, Dianne Blair, explained to me that there were these things called internships on Capitol Hill and I should get one.”

Jay Carney
Airbnb
Global Head of Policy and Communications

The former Time magazine journalist and White House press secretary jumped from Amazon to Airbnb, leveraging decades of relationships in politics and media.

Education: Yale. First job: Reporter for the Miami Herald.

Maura Colleton Corbett
Glen Echo Group
Founder and CEO

Corbett helps companies translate their new technologies and innovations to policymakers and the press, to advance their interests on net neutrality, music licensing, and wi-fi.

Hometown: South Orange, New Jersey. First job: “Babysitting my six younger siblings.” Lesson from that job: “Don’t have seven kids.”

Antigone Davis
Meta
Global Head of Safety

As concerns about child safety on Facebook mushroomed, Davis, responding to a report on CBS News, issued a statement saying that the site had improved its age-verification technology and doesn’t allow content promoting self-harm or eating disorders.

Education: Barnard; University of Chicago Law School.

Kathryn de Wit
Pew Charitable Trusts
Project Director, Broadband Access Initiative

De Wit has been a key intermediary among states, local communities, and the federal government to help forge consensus around new standards in federal broadband policy and to help states implement it.

Education: Penn State (undergrad); University of Pittsburgh (master’s). Favorite place in DC to visit: “It’s actually one of my running routes: Lincoln Park down East Capitol Street to the Capitol, down the Mall and back.” Hidden talent: “Improvising dinner from an ‘empty’ fridge or pantry.”

Jeff Farrah
Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association
Executive Director

Farrah’s appointment as the group’s first executive director is testament to the industry’s increased presence on Capitol Hill as the advancement of driverless-car technology earns more scrutiny.

Hometown: Torrance, California. First job: Pizza delivery. Best career advice: “It’s nice to be nice, and it doesn’t cost you a thing.”

Sara Fischer
Axios
Media Reporter

Fischer’s string of news scoops, about cryptocurrency companies and global conglomerates, earned her an on-air role as a media analyst for CNN.

Hometown: Watchung, New Jersey. Best career advice: “The quickest shortcut to success is to take no shortcuts.” Hidden talent: “Solitaire expert.”

Claudia Flores
Bitwise Industries
Senior External Affairs Manager

The former strategist at the Center for American Progress now runs tech policy for Bitwise, with an emphasis on ensuring that people from historically marginalized communities are able to enter the technology workforce.

Hometown: San Jose, California. First job: Community-health advocate. Lesson from that job: “Done is better than perfect. Be willing to do both the easy and hard work, and get the task done.”

Ed Gillespie
AT&T
Senior Executive Vice President, External and Legislative Affairs

Gillespie has led AT&T’s work with federal and state policymakers to improve broadband access and adoption, including engaging in public/private partnerships around the country and developing digital-literacy workshops.

Best career advice: “You’ll regret the things you didn’t say or do more than the things you said or did.” On his bucket list: Going on a safari. Hidden talent: Keeping confidences.

David Goodfriend
Goodfriend Group
President and Founder

Goodfriend represented the Communication Workers of America’s NewsGuild in its Federal Communications Commission proceedings, arguing against the purchase of Tenga by Standard General, saying the mega-media deal would corrode democracy.

Hometown: Madison, Wisconsin. First job: Busboy at Rocky Rococo’s Pizza. What his office walk-up song would be: “Underdog” by Alicia Keys.

Lauren Culbertson Grieco
Twitter
Head of Government Affairs, US and Canada

Grieco—who’s often called upon by lawmakers to answer for the social-media giant—was part of high-level meetings with the Biden White House regarding Covid-vaccine misinformation on various platforms. Leaked internal files from Twitter later revealed that members of Biden’s team were “very angry” with the company’s lack of action.

First job: Press assistant for then senator Johnny Isakson’s reelection campaign in Georgia. Lesson from that job: “There are two kinds of people in the world: friends and future friends.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Hains Point driving range.

Sacha Haworth
Tech Oversight Project
Executive Director

Haworth has framed the battle against Big Tech as a “David vs. Goliath fight” that will determine the future of internet safety. Last year, she marshaled a television advertising campaign supporting antitrust reform.

Hometown: Deephaven, Minnesota. Education: Skidmore College; Georgetown (master’s in public policy). First job: “Waitress. I think everyone should wait tables. It’s the great equalizer.”

Fred Humphries
Microsoft
Corporate Vice President, US Government Affairs

Humphries hosted California representative Barbara Lee, a leading congressional voice on global security, during a summit with African leaders to push for expanding connectivity and the digital economy in the world’s second-most populous continent.

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee. First job: Director of voter outreach for the Tennessee Democratic Party. Best career advice: “You never stop learning and power is knowledge, so make sure you stay intellectually curious.”

Brian Huseman
Amazon
Vice President, Public Policy

Huseman shepherded final approval for the second phase of HQ2 in Arlington and was the company’s point person for lobbying lawmakers on federal antitrust legislation.

Hometown: Anadarko, Oklahoma. First job: “Walmart in my hometown. I stocked shelves, was a cashier, and worked in the electronics department.” On his bucket list: Visiting the pyramids in Egypt.

 

Stewart Jeffries
Jeffries Strategies
President

The former House Judiciary Committee staffer and chief counsel at Google went into private practice last summer before being swiftly tapped by Meta, Facebook’s parent company, to lobby on a host of issues, including privacy, security, online advertising, and platform transparency. Jeffries has strong ties to Hill Republicans, who are targeting the inner workings of the social-media company with their new majority.

Favorite DC restaurant: Sushi Nakazawa. Favorite place in DC to visit: “The Summer House on the Capitol grounds. It’s designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and has fantastic views of the Capitol and the Mall.” Hidden talent: “I enjoy hand-tool woodworking. ”

Bruce Johnson
Boeing
Director, Federal Legislative Affairs

A veteran of the House Financial Services Committee, Johnson transitioned from Brex to Boeing last summer to help the aerospace giant navigate the next multibillion-dollar era in airline and defense-industry innovation.

First job: Air Force intelligence officer. Lesson from that job: “The most effective leaders are those who demonstrate mutual respect regardless of rank and who foster a culture of the same.” Favorite DC restaurant: “Taqueria Habanero’s 14th Street location for easily the best tacos in DC.”

Joel Kaplan
Meta
Vice President, Global Public Policy

Kaplan, who joined Facebook in 2011, was described by Wired magazine as holding authority “as sprawling as the company’s reach,” commanding one of the most prolific lobbying forces in the city.

Hometown: Weston, Massachusetts. Education: Harvard. First job: Marine Corps artillery officer.

Karen Kornbluh
German Marshall Fund
Managing Director, Digital Innovation & Democracy Initiative

A former adviser to President Obama, Kornbluh stresses technology’s central role in global events, believing that too many groups have been able to spread misinformation on social media for too long.

Best career advice: “From Barack Obama: ‘Shut out the noise.’ ” Favorite DC restaurant: 2 Amys. What her office walk-up song would be: “Good Morning” from Singin’ in the Rain.

Curtis LeGeyt
National Association of Broadcasters
President and CEO

In his first year as CEO, LeGeyt led a campaign against new performance fees on local radio stations and made progress toward a reduction in regulatory-fee increases on broadcasters, gathering more than 250 members of Congress to cosponsor a resolution.

Best career advice: “Be yourself. Especially when stepping into a new leadership role, don’t try to emulate your predecessor. Authenticity goes a long way.” On his bucket list: The running of the bulls in Pamplona. One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: “Dan Snyder. Just to see the room’s reaction.”

 

Chris Lewis
Public Knowledge
President and CEO

Lewis advocated for a federal privacy law to ensure consistent compliance and protection of consumer rights, despite some tech companies’ promises to impose their own standards. Congress continues to evaluate proposals to regulate the tech industry.

First job: Sales associate at Staples. Lesson from that job: “Know the technical details and capabilities of the product. It’s true for tech policy, too. You can’t spin, lobby, or influence your way around the science and facts of how something works—or doesn’t work.” Hidden talent: “Game of Thrones trivia.”

Luther Lowe
Yelp
Senior Vice President, Public Policy

Lowe has forged alliances with both progressives and conservatives on Big Tech issues and has established himself as a premier antagonist of Yelp’s rival, Google.

Hometown: Fort Smith, Arkansas. First job: Chuck E. Cheese. Favorite DC restaurant: “Currently, Donsak in Woodley Park.”

Tom Manatos
Block
Head of Federal Affairs

Block joined the Financial Technology Association last spring, with Manatos underlining his goal of working with other fintech companies to advocate for modernized financial policies and regulations.

Education: Cornell; Johns Hopkins (master’s). Best career advice: “Show up 30 minutes earlier than the rest of the interns and stay 30 minutes later than the rest of them and you’ll be known as the ‘hardest-working intern we’ve ever had.’ ” Hidden talent: “I’m a weather nerd.”

Kevin Martin
Meta
Head of US Public Policy

The former FCC chairman who oversees Facebook’s free-access program has been attempting to improve relations with skeptical lawmakers on Capitol Hill who see the company as a fountain of problems.

Hometown: Charlotte, North Carolina. Education: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Duke; Harvard Law.

Tara McGowan
Good Information
CEO and Founder

As more news outlets have erected harder paywalls, McGowan took to the online pages of Poynter to ask media organizations to drop such barriers on election stories in order to provide voters with accurate information about the world.

First job: Broadcast associate at 60 Minutes. Best career advice: “If you’re not pissing someone off, you’re probably not being effective, either.” What her office walk-up song would be: “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys.

Bruce Mehlman
Mehlman Consulting
Founder

With more than two decades of experience in public policy, Mehlman is a sought-after speaker on both trends in technology and reading the political winds that often are obstacles to legislative change.

Education: Princeton; University of Virginia School of Law. Lesson from his first job (as a lawyer): “Be the first person to arrive in the office and the last to leave.” Hidden talent: “Homemade lattes.”

Lulu Cheng Meservey
Activision Blizzard
Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs

The former Substacker helped the company prepare for an acquisition by Microsoft by securing regulatory approvals from around the globe. She also spearheaded an effort to help 100,000 veterans find high-paying jobs in different sectors.

Hometown: Toronto. First job: Caricature artist at a fair. Best career advice: “Never take a job for which you are qualified. You won’t grow. I’ve taken that advice to heart—I haven’t been qualified for any job I’ve taken, at least not on day one.”

Jason Oxman
Information Technology Industry Council
President and CEO

With more than 25 years of experience as a leader in technology advocacy, Oxman runs this association representing the world’s most innovative companies—at a time when they’re preparing for volatile shifts in economic and human behavior.

First job: News anchor for a CNN radio affiliate. Favorite place in DC to visit: Library of Congress. One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: “The last time I sat next to a real celebrity at a dinner party—The Rock, at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner—I spilled my red wine all over his shirt, so I probably shouldn’t be dining with celebrities. But if I could, I’d invite NPR’s Nina Totenberg.”

Christopher Padilla
IBM
Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs

The former assistant secretary of Commerce has been an integral force in helping secure more congressional support for 5G telecommunications networks, a crucial customer base for IBM.

Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri. First job: Soccer referee at the YMCA. Lesson from that job: “Know the rules better than others, but be impartial and discreet.”

Michael Petricone
Consumer Technology Association
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs

It’s been part of Petricone’s job to explain to policymakers and stakeholders how small businesses fear that antitrust legislation that’s meant to regulate Big Tech could end up weakening services they rely on to promote and expand their own businesses.

Hometown: Litchfield, Connecticut. Best career advice: “Be friends with the person, not just the position.” What his office walk-up song would be: “Don’t Worry About the Government” by Talking Heads.

Chip Pickering
INCOMPAS
CEO

Pickering highlighted to policymakers and stakeholders the actions taken by a swath of its streaming and internet members—including Amazon and Netflix—to punish Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Hometown: Laurel, Mississippi. First job: “Working on my family’s dairy and catfish farm.” One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: “Alan Davidson [an assistant secretary of Commerce] so we can talk about how to connect every American and deliver on the promise of Internet for All.”

Stanley Pierre-Louis
Entertainment Software Association
President and CEO

Pierre-Louis has attempted to reframe perceptions around video games, unveiling data showing that 215 million Americans play these games, with attitudes toward them growing more positive during the pandemic.

Lesson from his first job: “When you work for a judge, you learn the importance of being a good listener, being fair in your assessments, being clear in what you say, and being trustworthy in what you do.” Favorite DC restaurant: Blue Duck Tavern. On his bucket list: The Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

 

Neil Potts
Meta
Vice President, Trust and Safety Policy

A former intelligence officer in the Marine Corps, Potts now leads a team that guides Facebook’s strategy related to safety, security, extremism, and human rights as content moderation gains more scrutiny from Capitol Hill.

Hometown: Somerset, New Jersey. Education: US Naval Academy; University of Virginia School of Law. What his office walk-up song would be: “The World Is Yours” by Nas.

Michael Powell
NCTA–The Internet and Television Association
President and CEO

The former FCC chairman warned Congress that the government’s multibillion-dollar effort to achieve universal broadband could backfire if the money is sent to towns and cities where broadband already exists.

Hometown: “As an Army brat, I would say my hometown was the back of a station wagon moving from place to place. I was born in Birmingham, Alabama.” First job: “Armored cavalry officer in the US Army.” Lesson from that job: “You can’t ask people to do anything they don’t believe you aren’t willing to do yourself.”

Brett Quick
Crypto Council for Innovation
Head of Government Affairs

As the story of Sam Bankman-Fried unraveled, Quick was quoted frequently in the media, cautioning that it wasn’t reflective of the broader industry. The comment was meant to calm lawmakers rattled by the collapse of FTX and the sinking value of crypto over the past year.

Hometown: Daphne, Alabama. Best career advice: “Be nice to your interns—you could be working for them someday, and we all remember who was kind to us when we were just starting out.” Hidden talent: “An ability to recall the release year of nearly any song in my lifetime.”

Brian Quintenz
Andreesen Horowitz
Advisory Partner

The former Commodity Futures Trading Commission member now leads Andreesen’s cryptocurrency lobbying efforts, at a time when the digital currency is experiencing long-term doubts from lawmakers, regulators, and even some of its customer base.

First job: Assistant treasurer for John Kasich’s 2000 presidential campaign. Lesson from that job: “The details matter—how you do the small things shows how you’ll handle the big things.” Hidden talent: “Optimism.”

Joshua Rogin
Computer & Communications Industry Association
Vice President, Federal Affairs

After a 20-year career on Capitol Hill, Rogin joined the association to lobby the administration and agencies on competition, digital trade, and internet policy.

Education: University of Michigan.

Matthew Schruers
Computer & Communications Industries Association
President

Taking over the role from longtime CCIA leader Ed Black, Schruers has been at the center of countless antitrust battles, and most recently he’s overseen the group’s ad campaign about how Senate legislation could “break your Prime,” referring to Amazon’s shopping service.

Education: Duke; University of Virginia School of Law. Best career advice: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” Favorite place in DC to visit: National Arboretum.

Gary Shapiro
Consumer Technology Association
President and CEO

Shapiro’s group exerts maximum influence at its annual conference in Las Vegas, where hundreds of policy leaders see thousands of products showcased by technology companies. Shapiro uses these in-person demonstrations to make lawmakers think twice about implementing policies that he believes would choke innovation.

Hometown: Wantagh, New York. Education: SUNY Binghamton; Georgetown Law. What his office walk-up song would be: “I Like to Move It” by will.i.am.

Edward “Smitty” Smith
DLA Piper
Partner

The former FCC official now chairs the firm’s regulatory-and-government-affairs practice. His experience in telecommunications has made him a leading adviser on issues before the FCC, the DOJ, and Congress.

Education: Brown; Harvard Law. Best career advice: “The best career—and perhaps life—advice I ever received was to treat every person with kindness and respect, regardless of rank or station. The person who is your intern today could be your boss or client tomorrow.” Hidden talent: “I make a mean sweet-­potato pie.”

Cindy Southworth
Meta
Women’s Safety Policy Manager and Head of Women’s Safety

Southworth disagreed with the conclusions of a Center for Countering Digital Hate report that tagged Meta for creating an environment “where abuse and harmful content is allowed to thrive,” but she also announced stronger protections for female public figures on Meta’s platforms.

Education: Penn State; University of New England. Lesson from her First job: “It was at a local nonprofit working to end gender-based abuse, and I learned how powerful it is when the entire community comes together to make the world safer.”

Jonathan Spalter
USTelecom
CEO

Spalter supplied support for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, particularly the $42 billion designed to bring broadband connectivity to underserved parts of the country.

Hometown: New York City. First job: “I cleaned carpets when I was in high school for my brothers’ carpet-cleaning business.” One Washingtonian he’d invite to a dinner party: Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden.

Gerry Stegmaier
Reed Smith
Partner

With expertise in corporate governance and consumer protection, Stegmaier has said that holding tech executives personally accountable for company behavior has become a staple of the Biden administration, but he’s s cautioned that the approach may discourage transparency and accountability in database security breaches.

First job: Washington Star paper carrier. Lesson from that job: “A little hustle goes a long, long way.” Favorite DC restaurant: BLT Steak.

Jennifer Stout
Snap
Vice President, Global Public Policy

When a group urged the Justice Department to investigate Snapchat for its role in the fentanyl crisis, it was Stout who was tasked with explaining to lawmakers how the social-media app uses technology to identify and remove dealers.

Education: James Madison University (BA); George Washington (MA). Favorite DC restaurant: Zaytinya. On her bucket list: Visiting all the US national parks.

 

Kara Swisher
Vox Media
Podcast Host

As a host of two of the most influential business podcasts—Pivot, which she cohosts with Scott Galloway, and On With Kara Swisher—she holds the ears of politicians, lobbyists, and journalists focused on tech issues in the US and across the pond.

Hometown: Princeton, New Jersey. Education: Georgetown; Columbia.

Alexandra Veitch
YouTube
Lead, Public Policy, Americas and Emerging Markets

Having already testified before Congress in 2021 on how algorithms curate and push content to users, Veitch enjoys a profile that’s expected to grow on the Hill as a Republican House confronts moderation issues.

Hometown: Cincinnati. First job: Speechwriter for former Maryland senator Barbara Mikulski. Lesson from that job: “One of Senator Mikulski’s operating principles was ‘Just move it.’ I try not to get dissuaded by complexity or difficulty, and instead look for a simple, discrete action I can take to move forward.”

C. Stewart Verdery Jr.
Monument Advocacy
CEO and Founder

Representing some of the world’s best-known corporate brands, Verdery is a regular guest on CNN and Fox News to provide analysis on the political implications of technology and security policy.

First job: Little-league umpire in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Favorite DC meal out: “A hot dog and a cold beer at Nationals Park.” On his bucket list: “Visit all 50 states. North Dakota is the last one for me.”

 

Usman Ahmed
PayPal
Head of Global Public Affairs and Strategic Research

Ahmed put forward evidence, to both businesses and lawmakers, on the benefits to small businesses that embrace digital trading on a global scale, including tripling online sales and quadrupling sales across borders. The research has helped change some policymakers’ frame of mind, to now think about how trade can help small businesses in underserved communities.

Hometown: Silver Spring. First job: “Car washer at a gas station owned by a family member.” Lesson from that job: “Don’t buy a gas station.”

Elissa Alben
Pfizer
Vice President and Head of Global Trade Policy and International Government Relations

Alben has more than two decades of experience executing international-trade-and-investment strategies as well as enforcing evolving domestic-­trade rulings.

First job: “Answering the tips line at a local television station in upstate New York.” Lesson from that job: “Everyone has a story to tell.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Dumbarton Oaks.

Bill Behrens
Kraft Heinz
Vice President and Global Head of Government Affairs

A veteran of General Electric and the George W. Bush administration, Behrens has a reputation for building grassroots coalitions on issues that cross numerous sectors, such as finance, consumer packaged goods, and technology.

Education: Messiah University; American University.

Ed Brzytwa
Consumer Technology Association
Vice President, International Trade

A former US trade representative, Brzytwa is heralded by colleagues as a leader on World Trade Organization issues relating to digital trade and tariff relief.

Hometown: Lakewood, Ohio. First job: Softball scorer for Lakewood Recreation. Worst career advice: “That my classics degree would not help my career.”

Kimberley Claman
Liberty Mutual Insurance
Vice President and Head of International Policy

After nearly a decade at Citibank, Claman moved to Liberty Mutual to handle the myriad regulatory and trade issues facing financial-­services firms.

Education: George Washington University. Best advice: “Pay it forward. The network you develop is key not just to creating your own success but to supporting the success of others.” Favorite DC restaurant: Et Voila!

Nasim Fussell
Lot Sixteen
Senior Vice President

Fussell worked to ensure transparent implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which attempts to prevent American entities from conducting business that funds forced labor of ethnic minorities.

Hometown: Ann Arbor, Michigan. Education: University of Michigan (BA); University of Baltimore School of Law (JD); George Washington University Law School (LLM). Hidden talent: Ballroom dancing.

Blake Harden
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Vice President, International Trade

Harden has led RILA’s efforts to address the impact of tariffs on goods as inflation remains high. She has also spearheaded industry and interagency coordination on the implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.

Hometown: Farmington, Michigan. Education: Michigan State; University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. Favorite place in DC to visit: “Capital One Arena—go, Caps!”

Austen Jensen
Retail Industry Leaders Association
Executive Vice President, Government Affairs

In addition to handling financial-­services issues with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Jensen expanded his role to include environmental and sustainability issues, and he advocates for favorable trade, tax, and competition policies.

Education: Arizona State University. First job: Congressional intern.

John Murphy
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Senior Vice President, International Policy

Murphy has led the charge on a host of trade issues, including the massive competitiveness legislation that took final form in the CHIPS Act, as well as helping companies negotiate sanctions imposed on Russia in the wake of its war in Ukraine.

Hometown: Atlanta. Lesson from his first job (as a lecturer in economics at a university in Czechoslovakia): “It takes three hours of preparation for one hour of performance.” Favorite place in DC to visit: Nats Park.

Alex Perkins
Mehlman Consulting
Principal

A foremost expert on trade, customs, and supply-chain issues, Perkins is best known for steering the strategy for the auto company formerly known as Fiat Chrysler through the complexities of the United States-Mexico-Canada free-trade agreement.

First job: “In seventh grade, my best friend, my younger brother, and I started a snow-removal business.” Lesson from that job: “Try not to overcomplicate it. In retrospect, the two-page terms-and-conditions document we drafted may have been overkill.” What his office walk-up song would be: “Sabotage” by the Beastie Boys.

Michael Pillsbury
Heritage Foundation
Senior Fellow

Considered a leading authority on China, Pillsbury regularly provides commentary on the economic tussles with the superpower on Fox News and Newsmax.

Education: Stanford; Columbia.

Kelly Ann Shaw
Hogan Lovells
Partner

Shaw successfully represented Interpipe and the Ukrainian steel industry in its lobbying of lawmakers and the Biden administration to lift Section 232 tariffs on imports of Ukrainian steel following Russia’s invasion.

Hometown: Seattle. First job: Ski instructor. Lesson from that job: “When kids get tired, you can usually bribe them with gummy worms to keep going.”

Lori Wallach
American Economic Liberties Project
Director, Rethink Trade Program

Wallach’s work has focused on domestic supply-chain and industrial policy, mainly trying to ensure that big spending packages in Congress aren’t undermined by misleading trade rules, such as the expansive list of countries treated as “American” under the “Buy America” pact.

Hometown: Wausau, Wisconsin. Education: Wellesley College; Harvard Law. Best career advice: “Keep your eyes and mind open as you work towards your goals, because there may be a turn off the path you think you should be on that is where you actually should be heading.”

Michael Wessel
Wessel Group
President and Owner

A former aide to Missouri congressman Dick Gephardt who was once appointed by Congress to serve on the U.S. Trade Deficit Review Commission, Wessel now operates as an authoritative outside advocate on behalf of labor interests.

First job: Delivering newspapers. Lesson from that job: “Being on time is critical.” What his office walk-up song would be: “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” by the Rolling Stones.

Jessica Ring Amunson
Jenner & Block
Partner

Amunson represented one of the plaintiffs in a Supreme Court case, emanating out of North Carolina, that tackled how much power state legislatures should have over gerrymandering, the practice used to redraw congressional maps.

Education: Georgetown (BA and MA); Harvard Law (JD). Worst career advice: “In a rejection letter I got when I graduated high school and sent out blind résumés seeking a job as a writer, one media organization told me: ‘Set your sights a little lower.’ ” Favorite DC restaurant: “Old Ebbitt Grill, particularly at the holidays.”

Jessica Anderson
Heritage Action
Executive Director

Anderson oversaw the group’s two-year midterm-election strategy to promote “model election laws” in battleground states looking to impose strict restrictions on voting, including limits on mail-in voting and the number of early-voting days.

Hometown: Naples, Florida. Lesson from her first job (working on a GOP campaign): “Even if you’re just making copies, be smart enough to know where the paper should go, what’s on it, and why it matters.” One Washingtonian she’d invite to a dinner party: Supreme Court justice Amy Coney Barrett.

Ian Bassin
Protect Democracy
Cofounder and Executive Director

Bassin’s group was considered an important player in keeping the guardrails around the integrity of the 2020 election and is now prioritizing improved protections ahead of the 2024 campaign.

Education: Wesleyan University; Yale Law. Best career advice: “Don’t do a job because of where it will get you—do a job if you love what it is, and where it takes you will be where you will want to be.” Favorite DC restaurant: Tabard Inn.

Sarah Brannon
American Civil Liberties Union
Managing Attorney, Voting Rights Project

Brannon successfully pushed the White House to do more to expand voter access, including providing registration services at all naturalization ceremonies for new citizens and incorporating registration into federal student aid administered by the Education Department.

Education: St. Mary’s College of Maryland; University of Maryland Carey School of Law.

Marc Elias
Elias Law Group
Founding Partner
Democracy Docket
Founder

Since its launch in 2021, Elias’s law firm has become the central hub of the Democratic Party’s legal strategy, boasting 80 lawyers and 51 support staff dedicated to pursuing legal strategies to help the party win. His Democracy Docket website and newsletter analyzes the latest in voting rights and election law.

Hometown: Suffern, New York. Education: Hamilton College (BA); Duke (MA, JD). Best career advice: “Work on a case that goes to trial as soon as you can. It makes the rest of the legal profession make so much more sense.”

Shannon Hiller
Bridging Divides Initiative at Princeton University
Executive Director

Hiller has gained significant national media attention for her studies and efforts to monitor and prepare for election-related violence and to combat fears that these incidents are becoming normalized.

Hometown: Blacksburg, Virginia. Lesson from her First job: “As a youth-soccer referee, you learn all types of life skills—how to confidently use your best judgment, how to manage conflict when emotions are high. I’m a huge proponent of sports as a place to practice and learn all these skills.” On her bucket list: Easter service at Washington National Cathedral.

 

María Teresa Kumar
Voto Latino
President and CEO

The Colombian American civil-rights activist is dedicated to mobilizing one of the fastest-growing racial and ethnic groups in the country, with a special emphasis on lower-propensity voters in the battlegrounds of Arizona and Nevada.

Hometown: Sonoma, California. Worst career advice: “To wait my turn.” On her bucket list: “Like everyone in Washington, I really do need to write that book.”

 

Leonard Leo
CRC Advisors
Chairman

Leo’s reach inside an assembly of big-money groups is sprawling. He continues to advise the Federalist Society and the Concord Fund (also known as the Judicial Crisis Network), as he did through the 2022 midterms.

Education: Cornell University.

Cleta Mitchell
Conservative Partnership Institute
Senior Legal Fellow

Mitchell founded CPI’s controversial “Election Integrity Network,” hosting ten summits throughout the country in 2022, training thousands of citizens to become involved in the electoral process. Critics contend that the group undermines voter accessibility.

Hometown: Oklahoma City. Favorite DC restaurant: Chef Geoff’s. What her office walk-up song would be: “This Is the Day the Lord Has Made.”

Jonathan Rauch
Brookings Institution
Senior Fellow, Governance Studies

Rauch argued in a white paper that America faces a “truth crisis” and that information warfare manipulates dangerous falsehoods inside political movements, threatening the country’s shared compact of knowledge.

Hometown: Phoenix. Education: Yale. First job: Reporter at the Winston-­Salem Journal in North Carolina.

Jason Snead
Honest Elections Project
Executive Director

Snead’s group submitted a flurry of filings urging the Supreme Court to weigh in on how much power state legislatures have over federal elections, culminating in a crucial case on North Carolina gerrymandering.

Education: Bowling Green State University; George Mason.

Virginia Kase Solomón
League of Women Voters
CEO

Solomón, who previously worked on behalf of immigrant rights, continues to exert outside pressure on President Biden and lawmakers to prioritize expanded voting rights, especially as Republican-controlled legislatures pursue further restrictions.

Favorite DC restaurant: Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar. On her bucket list: “Not a bucket list, but a dream of mine is to attend the White House Correspondents’ Dinner—a.k.a. Nerd Prom.” What her office walk-up song would be: “Good as Hell” by Lizzo.

 

Hans von Spakovsky
Heritage Foundation
Manager, Election Law Reform Initiative

The senior legal fellow has staunchly opposed the trend toward ranked-choice voting, calling it chaotic and leading to victors who aren’t the first choice of a majority of voters. Ranked choice has gained steam in some political circles as a way to decrease partisanship.

Hometown: Huntsville, Alabama. Education: MIT; Vanderbilt Law School. What his office walk-up song would be: “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty.

Abramowitz, Michael
Acer, Eleanor
Ackil, Josh
Adams, Alexandra
Adams, Gina
Adams, Jane
Adams, Lora
Aguirre, Sergio
Ahmed, Usman
Alben, Elissa
Albertson, Andrew
Alemayehou, Mimi
Alperovitch, Dmitri
Alterman, Stephen
Amunson, Jessica Ring
Anderson, Bryan
Anderson, Jessica
Andrews, Bruce
Andryszak, Amy
Ash, Nazanin
Asirwatham, Ronnate
Austin Jr., Roy L.
Ayer, Donald
Badanes, Ginny
Badu-Nimako, Yvette
Baer, Bill
Baer, Greg
Bahn, Kate
Baijal, Shwetika
Bailey, John
Bakaj, Andrew P.
Baker, Dean
Baker, Meredith Attwell
Ballentine, James
Bandla, Sirisha
Banks, George David
Bassin, Ian
Beckerman, Michael
Begich, Mark
Behrens, Bill
Belcher, Emma
Ben-Ami, Jeremy
Benjamin, Georges C.
Bentsen Jr., Kenneth E.
Ben-Yehuda, Jenna
Beovides, Mario
Berry, Tim
Bertelsen, Greg
Bhowmik, Ruchi
Bishop, Bill
Bissex, Rachel
Blase, Brian
Bledsoe, Paul
Bloomfield, Shirley
Bohigian, Catherine
Bolen, Ed
Bolten, Joshua
Bossert, Thomas P.
Boyd, April
Bradley, Neil
Brands, Hal
Brannon, Sarah
Branscome, John
Brian, Danielle
Brock, Heidi
Brooks, Rosa
Brown, Dorothy
Brown, Isaac
Brown, Kris
Brown, Reginald
Brown, Roxanne
Browner, Carol
Bryant, Dan
Brzytwa, Ed
Burgeson, Christine
Burke, Sheila P.
Burton, Kelly
Busby Sr., Ron
Buth, Dawn
Butler, Paul
Butler, Stuart
Calhoun, Mike
Calio, Nicholas E.
Calvert, Kara
Cameron, Art
Campbell, Jeff
Campbell, Mac
Campbell, Melanie L.
Camper, Naomi
Cannon, Michael
Canter, Virginia
Cárdenas, Vanessa
Carney, Jay
Carroll, Mèlika
Cashin, Sheryll D.
Cass, Oren
Chadda, Nitin
Chaney, Joi O.
Chatterjee, Neil
Chervinsky, Jake
Childress, Kate
Chopus, Wayne
Ciccone, Stephen
Claman, Kimberley
Clark, Liz
Clark, Suzanne
Clemente, Frank
Cohen, Eliot A.
Colby, Elbridge
Cole, David
Collins, Gentry
Conklin, Brian
Conti, Judy
Cooper, Charles J.
Corbett, Maura Colleton
Cordero, Carrie
Cowen, Tyler
Crawford, Brian
Crowell, Michaeleen
Daley, Jad
Dannenfelser, Marjorie
Davis, Antigone
Davis, Ashley
Davis Jr., Chester (Chip)
De, Rajesh
deLaski, Kathleen
DelBianco, Steve
de Wit, Kathryn
Diamond, Dan
Dodge, Brian
Donald, Kate
Doniger, David
Downey, Teddy
Drutman, Lee
Duvall, Zippy
Eden, Max
Eibner, Christine
Eisen, Norman
Eisenberg, Ross
Elam, Nicole
Elias, Marc
Ewer, Brett
Eyles, Matthew
Fariello, Theresa
Farrah, Jeff
Feingold, Cathy
Fields, Leslie
Fischer, Sara
Flint, Alex
Flores, Claudia
Flournoy, Michèle
Forte, Denise
Fox, Susan
Francis, Garrick
Frederick, Wayne A.I.
Friedman, Lisa
Fromer, Kevin
Fryer, Lindsay
Fussell, Nasim
Gaugh, David
Gilbert, Lisa
Gillespie, Ed
Giorgio, Tina
Glas, Kim
Gold, Rich

Goodfriend, David
Gordon, Sue
Gore, Elizabeth
Goss Graves, Fatima
Gostin, Lawrence
Gottlieb, Scott
Grant, Cedric
Gray, C. Boyden
Grieco, Lauren Culbertson
Griffin, Aron
Grumet, Jason
Gupta, Deepak
Gutierrez, Carlos
Haas, Tiffany
Hadley, Stephen J.
Hagan, Bridget
Hamilton, Katherine
Hanke, Steve H.
Hansen, Mark
Haq, Aliya
Harbert, Karen
Harden, Blake
Harris, Caroline L.
Harris, Holly
Harrison, Todd
Hartle, Terry W.
Hashemi, Cookab
Hauser, Jeff
Haworth, Sacha
Heinrichs, Rebeccah L.
Henry, Mary Kay
Henry, Sudafi
Hersh, Adam
Hess, Frederick M.
Hewitt, Damon Todd
Hill, Fiona
Hiller, Shannon
Hoagland, G. William
Hoffman, Bruce
Hoffman, Desiree
Holder Jr., Eric H.
Holleyman, Robert
Holtz-Eakin, Douglas
Homan, Thomas
Hope, Tonija
Hopper, Abigail Ross
Horne, Emily
Houseman, Roy
Hughes, Seamus
Hughes, Stacey
Humphries, Fred
Huseman, Brian
Ignatius, David
Isakowitz, Mark
Jackson, Ryan
Jackson, Selina
Jefferies, Ian
Jeffries, Stewart
Jenkins, Evan
Jennings, Chris
Jensen, Austen
Johnson, Bruce
Johnson, Kierra
Johnson, Lindsey
Jones, Seth G.
Joseph, Jeff
Kagan, Frederick W.
Kahlenberg, Richard
Kahn III, Charles N. (Chip)
Kaplan, Joel
Karol, Kathryn D.
Karpinski, Gene
Katyal, Neal
Katz, Debra S.
Kelleher, Dennis
Kelley, Angela
Kelley, Everett
Kelly, Edward A.
Kennedy, Sean
Kenney, Genevieve M.
Keshap, Atul
Khosla, Jay
Kint, Jason
Kirk, Beverly
Klatt, Vic
Klein, Aaron
Klein, James
Knutson, Karen
Kohr, Howard
Kornbluh, Karen
Kotek, John F.
Kovacevich, Adam
Kovacic, William
Krebs, Christopher
Kuhn, Tom
Kumar, María Teresa
Lallinger, Stefan
Lamar, Stephen
Landrieu, Mary
Lane, Laura
Larimer, Jane
Laufman, David
Lawkowski, Gary
Lawrence, Courtney
Lawrence, Patrice
LeaMond, Nancy
Lee, Jane
LeGeyt, Curtis
LeGrand, Ron
Lehrer, Eli
Leo, Leonard
Leonhardt, David
Lepore, John
Lettieri, John
Lewis, Chris
Lewis, James Andrew
Liles, Walton
Liu, Libby
Loper, Brett
Lowe, Luther
Lugar, Katherine
Lynch, Timothy P.
Lynn, Barry
MacGuineas, Maya
Magaña-Salgado, Jose
Maloney, Drew
Manatos, Tom
Mancini, Jeanne
Margheri, Marco
Marshall, Beverly K.
Martin, Kevin
Masalosalo, Brittany
Massimino, Elisa
Matheson, Jim
Matz, Joshua
McGahn, Don
McGarvey, Sean
McGowan, Tara
McGreevy, Jim
Medeiros, Evan
Mehlman, Bruce
Meissner, Doris
Meservey, Lulu Cheng
Miller, Bill
Mitchell, A. Wess
Mitchell, Cleta
Mitchell, David
Mitchell, Doyle
Moore, W. Gyude
Morell, Michael
Moss, Diana L.
Mostashari, Farzad
Muller, Tiffany
Murguía, Janet
Murphy, John
Murray, Lodriguez
Musser, Phil
Nash, Elizabeth
Neely, Susan K.
Nelson, Justin G.
Newhouse, Aric
Nia, Gissou
Nichols, Rob
O’Brien, Robert
O’Brien, Sean M.

O’Connor, Tyler
O’Hanlon, Michael
Ojakli, Ziad
Ornstein, Norman
O’Sullivan, Terry
Owens, Lindsay
Oxman, Jason
Padilla, Christopher
Paese, Michael
Parekh, Anand
Parkinson, Mark
Parrott, Sharon
Parsi, Trita
Pasco, Jim
Patel, Kavita
Peller, Julie
Perkins, Alex
Peterson, Eli
Petricone, Michael
Pickering, Chip
Pierre-Louis, Stanley
Pillsbury, Michael
Pollack, Richard
Popp, Monica
Posen, Adam S.
Potter, Trevor
Potts, Neil
Powell, Michael
Powell, Rich
Pringle, Becky
Puccio, Larry
Purdy, Chris
Pyke, Elizabeth
Quick, Brett
Quintenz, Brian
Rauch, Jonathan
Reams, Heather
Rees, Nina
Reeves, Richard V.
Reilly, Brendan
Reilly, Lori
Renjel, Louis
Reynolds, Molly
Richie, Rob
Richman, Paul
Rickard, Jenny
Riedl, Brian
Rios, Elena
Rivkin, Charles H.
Rodman, Lindsay
Rogers, Chip
Rogin, Josh
Rogin, Joshua
Romero Rainey, Rebeca
Rosenberg, Jason
Ross, Dennis
Rossman, Manny
Rubin, Richard
Rutzen, Douglas
Safavian, David
Salo, Matt
Samuel, William
Sarukhan, Arturo
Satloff, Robert
Sauer, Charles
Saunders, Lee
Schaefer, Nina Owcharenko
Schake, Kori
Scharre, Paul
Scherb, Aaron
Schmidtlein, John
Schruers, Matthew
Schulman, Melissa
Schulte, Todd
Schultz, Greg
Schweppe, Jon
Scott, JC
Seidel, Emily
Shapiro, Gary
Shaw, Kelly Ann
Shay, Matthew
Shelton, Hilary O.
Shierholz, Heidi
Shuler, Liz
Shuster, Bill
Siegel, Josh
Silverman, Stephanie
Simon, Jacqueline
Singh, Vikram J.
Slover, Laura
Smith, Dan
Smith, Edward “Smitty”
Smith, Kristin
Snead, Jason
Snitchler, Todd
Solomón, Virginia Kase
Southworth, Cindy
Spalter, Jonathan
Spear, Chris
Spriggs, William
Steckman, Matthew
Stegmaier, Gerry
Stein, Jeff
Stickney, Lakecia Foster
Stier, Max
Stoller, Matt
Stout, Jennifer
Stout, Karen A.
Streett, Mary
Stryk, Robert
Sweeney, Bill
Swisher, Kara
Swonger, Chris
Taeb, Yasmine
Tallamy, Brad
Talmadge, Caitlin
Talucci, Vincent
Tangherlini, Dan
Tauberer, Joshua
Taylor Jr., Johnny C.
Telhami, Shibley
Tess, Caroline
Tewarson, Hemi
Thernstrom, Sam
Thompson, Michael
Troye, Olivia
Turner, Grace-Marie
Tymon, Jim
Ubl, Stephen J.
Vargas, Omar
Vargas, Raul “Danny”
Veitch, Alexandra
Verdery Jr., C. Stewart
Verveer, Melanne
Vetter, Darci
von Spakovsky, Hans
Wall, Jamie
Wall, Joe
Wallace, Phillip J.
Wallach, Lori
Wallerstein, Ben
Wallis, Jim
Walsh, Jason
Walton, Jennifer
Wayland, Karen
Wechsler, William F.
Weingarten, Randi
Weiss, Alison
Weiss, Joanne
Wessel, David
Wessel, Michael
Wexler, Chuck
Wiggins, Dena
Williams, Jonathan
Wilson, Cherie
Wilson, Mark
Wingate, Heather
Wingert, Ken
Wittes, Benjamin
Wolff, Brian
Wolff, Candida
Yarowsky, Jonathan
Yglesias, Matthew
Zaid, Mark S.
Zichal, Heather