Laura Morgan-Kessler brings 20 years of experience advocating for public agency clients on a wide range of issues including water quality and infrastructure, economic development, homeland security, public safety, natural resources, and the environment. She provides them with timely and strategic intelligence on congressional and federal agency actions and helps develop and implement federal advocacy strategies.
Laura is known for developing partnerships with clients, and her dedication to – and passion for – their issues has proven to be an effective combination for success. She maintains strong working relationships with Members of Congress and their staff, congressional committees, and federal agencies including the Bureau of Reclamation, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Transportation. She also works closely with regional and national organizations such as the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities, the National Association of Counties, and the Association of California Water Agencies.
One of Laura’s proudest professional accomplishments is the work she did on behalf of several of her local government clients to lead the successful effort to remove the residual risk provision from the National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization bill. The residual risk mandate would have been costly to residents and businesses, thwarted economic development, and discouraged local investment in flood control measures. With the absence of specific policy at the National Association of Counties, the National Leagues of Cities, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Laura worked to combat this provision and won a floor amendment in the House and a procedural victory in the Senate to strike the provision from the final bill.
Previously, Laura worked on Capitol Hill as a legislative staff member for Senator Dianne Feinstein. During her tenure with the Senator, she focused her efforts on issues of importance to Californians such as transportation, water, energy, and the environment. She also supported the Senator’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee portfolio.
Laura serves on the Board of Directors for Women in Government Relations, the premier, nonpartisan professional society for over 1,200 government relations professionals. She is also Girl Scout Troop Leader.
Laura graduated from Wake Forest University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a minor in sociology.