STAFFER

STAFFER guest Bruce Mehlman, founder of Mehlman Consulting, has been on Washingtonian Magazine’s list of 500 Most Influential People for three years running. Prior to founding his own firm, Bruce served as counsel at the NRCC, General Counsel and Policy Director for the House Republican Conference, Policy Counsel at Cisco, and Assistant Secretary of Technology Policy at the U.S. Department of Commerce.  Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

Carlos Monje has worked in government for some of the biggest names in DC, including Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Pete Buttigieg, over the course of his nearly 25-year career. In this episode, he shares stories about his experience working in the Senate, on presidential campaigns, at the White House and Department of Transportation, and now leading JP Morgan’s Policy Center. Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

Nicole Isaac has worked for the US State Department, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the House of Representatives, the Senate, the Vice President's office, and the President’s office, where she served as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs during the Obama Administration. She has worked in external relations for the biggest technologies companies, including Meta, Google, LinkedIn, and now, as Vice President of Global Public Policy at Cisco. And, she has even founded her own nonprofit and works with many more. She talks about it all this episode. Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

Keenan Austin Reed is known as one of the most impactful government relations experts in Washington D.C. — and with good reason. She spent over a decade in local politics, on Capitol Hill, and on the campaign trail; co-founded and now chairs the Black Women’s Congressional Alliance; and rose through the ranks at the Alpine Group and is set to be CEO in 2025. This STAFFER guest's insights on leadership, mentorship, and advocacy are a must-listen.   Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

STAFFER guest Greta Lundeberg spent more than 13 years working as a foreign policy expert in the Senate, State Department, and the White House, where she served as Senior Director for Legislative Affairs for the National Security Council and Special Assistant to the President. Following her time in government, she spent ten years at Boeing and is now Head of Government & Policy Advocacy, Americas for Ericsson.   Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

This guest was named one of Washington DC’s most influential people four years in a row, and for good reason. Learn more about Sean Kennedy – the National Restaurant Association’s EVP of Public Affairs – and his experience in government from congressional intern to Senate Chief of Staff to the White House. Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

Sally Susman is a world-class communicator, an author of "Breaking Through: Communicating to Open Minds, Move Hearts, and Change the World", and – of course – a former staffer. Tune in to this episode to hear lessons she learned and stories she lived during her journey from a Senate mail room to the U.S. Department of Commerce to some of the country's biggest brands -- American Express, Estée Lauder, and Pfizer. Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

When Kermitt Brooks left corporate law to join the New York State Office of the Attorney General, he intended to stay for only a few years. Instead, he continued to work in government for over a decade, serving in the Attorney General's Office and the New York State Insurance Department. Kermitt has gone on to apply his expertise at some of the largest insurance companies including MetLife, Equitable, and currently Guardian Life. Hear what Kermitt loved about serving as a staffer, how he manages teams, and so much more. Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

This episode features Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski, who has seen how government functions from all angles – as an advocate, a staffer, and now as an elected official. She has worked in the labor movement, as a staffer for Gov. Pritzker, and as Chief of Staff of the Office of Management and Budget in the Biden White House. In 2022, she saw a new opportunity to support her community – and ran to represent the 13th District of Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives. Now, she is applying all she’s learned from those experiences and many more as a freshman Member of Congress. Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

Sandra Douglass Morgan is a trailblazer through and through. On today’s episode, she talks about the many roles she’s held – from Chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board to President of the Las Vegas Raiders and everything in between. Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

This episode's guest is Josh Earnest, one of the few staffers to go the distance from early on the Obama campaign through both terms in the White House. Josh worked in politics and government from Florida to Iowa to New York City to Washington – and has applied lessons learned there to his job at White House Press Secretary and today, as EVP of Communications and Advertising for United. Learn all about his extraordinary pathway, his take on what makes a great staffer, and more. Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

A series of conversations in memory of Dan Turton, a former White House and House of Representatives staffer who died too young, made a lasting difference, and touched many lives. Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

As a little girl, Jocelyn Frye wanted to be a lawyer. That she did – and so much more. Today, Jocelyn leads the National Partnership for Women and Families. On this episode, she shares insights about her journey from attorney to advocate to White House staffer, and back to advocate. Along the way, she describes what it was like to work so closely with the First Lady Michelle Obama, how she views the ongoing work for justice and equality, and so much more. Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

President Biden’s first two years in office resulted in several landmark laws: the American Rescue Plan Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS & Science Act, and more. During that time, this episode's guest, Louisa Terrell, served as Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. In this episode, hear Louisa discuss her journey to the West Wing and how she helped the President achieve historic wins under incredibly challenging circumstances.Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

Mike Harney knows the federal government like few others. Prior to his position as Senior Vice President and Head of Public Affairs at Clear, he held a range of impressive positions as a staffer. Hear about the joys and challenges of each position on this episode of STAFFER.Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

On this episode of STAFFER, Steve Haro dives into his experiences throughout his over two decades in government and politics. He has served as Chief of Staff to two senators, worked in the U.S. Department of Commerce during the Obama Administration, and now works at TelevisaUnivision. He talks about what makes a good staffer, how he finds the private sector after life in government, and more.Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

Patrice Willoughby started her career in the office of the late Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, where she learned to lead with grace and so much more. Learn more about her experiences in Congress, the Executive Branch, the private sector, and now at the NAACP. All that and more on this episode of STAFFER. Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

In this episode, Greg Butler, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Eversource Energy, talks about his time as a staffer in the NYS Assembly and U.S. Department of Justice, and what lessons he’s taken with him in the decades since then.  Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

Janno Lieber is a New Yorker through and through. He worked in the mayor's office during Ed Koch’s administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the private sector (where he oversaw major projects including Port Authority Bus Terminal and the new World Trade Center), and now at the MTA, where he serves as the Chair and CEO to largest public transportation network in North America. Hear about his experiences as a staffer and so much more on this episode of STAFFER.Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn

To say that Patrick Gaspard has had an impressive career as an activist is an understatement. Listen to this week's episode of STAFFER to hear more on his experiences: fighting against South African apartheid as a teenager; working in several presidential campaigns, including for Jesse Jackson, Howard Dean, and Barack Obama; running politics and policy for labor giant SEIU 1199; working in the Obama White House and DNC; serving as U.S. Ambassador to South Africa; and today, as the CEO of Center for American Progress Action Fund.Follow STAFFER on Twitter • Facebook • Instagram Follow STAFFER on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, & LinkedIn