Marcia Hale, President
mlhale@bafuture.org

Marcia Hale joins Building America’s Future after serving as a Managing Director for McKenna, Long and Aldridge, an international law firm in Washington, DC.  Prior, Ms. Hale advised several organizations including the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  During the Clinton administration, Ms. Hale served as Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House, a position she held for four years. In this capacity, she was responsible for coordinating policy initiatives and political outreach involving state and local elected officials.  Ms. Hale began her Washington, DC experience as a Legislative Assistant to US Representative Butler Derrick of South Carolina and several years later was named the Washington office Director for Governor  Dick Riley (D-SC). She has also held senior level positions in government and national campaigns, as well as working at both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee (DSCC).

Kerry O'Hare, Vice President, Director of Policy
kerry@bafuture.org

Ms. O’Hare brings nearly 25 years of expertise in policy development and implementation, management, Congressional, state and local governmental relations, coalition building and issue advocacy. She most recently served as Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), where she provided executive leadership to an agency with more than 2,500 employees and an annual budget of $40 million.  Prior to working for the FHWA, Ms. O’Hare served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).  While at DOT, O’Hare was part of a select team that implemented the Secretary’s National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America’s Transportation Network.  This team worked to educate state and local leaders as well as the business community in targeted states about how to develop public-private partnerships and innovative ways to address traffic congestion.  Prior, Ms. O’Hare served as Deputy Director in the Office of Federal Affairs for Governor George Pataki (R-NY), Legislative Director for Congressman Peter King (R-NY), and Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Alfonse D’Amato (R-NY).

Sean O’Shea, Vice President and Counsel
sean@bafuture.org

Mr. O’Shea brings more than ten years of experience in the public and private sector working on infrastructure issues.  Prior to joining Building America’s Future, O’Shea was as an attorney at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP representing clients with civil and criminal matters and counseling clients on transportation and infrastructure policy matters.  From 2004 until 2007, Mr. O’Shea served as Projects Director and Legislative Assistant for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) where he advised Senator Clinton on the domestic federal appropriations bills that fund the entire U.S. government; all surface transportation policy including ports, rail, and transit; aviation transportation policy; the Northern Ireland peace process; homeland security funding; and the ongoing health and rebuilding needs of New York City following the attacks of September 11, 2001.  Mr. O’Shea served as the primary advisor to Senator Clinton during the reauthorization of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA-LU) which governs federal spending for the nation’s surface transportation and which included the creation of the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission which presented a report on how to reform and reinvigorate U.S. policy for transportation.  Mr. O’Shea previously served as a vice president at government relations firm, Cassidy & Associates, advising clients working with the federal government.  During the Clinton Administration Mr. O’Shea served in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs as senior advisor to the cabinet secretary, coordinating between the White House and executive branch cabinet, subcabinet and agency heads.  Mr. O’Shea is a native of Chicago, Illinois and received a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from DePaul University and a Juris Doctor Cum Laude from American University Washington College of Law.  Mr. O’Shea is licensed to practice law in the State of Illinois and the District of Columbia.

Laura Braden, Press Secretary
lbraden@mercuryllc.com

Ms.Braden serves as Vice President of Mercury Public Affairs and has extensive experience in public affairs and strategic communications. From 2006-2008, she served as Deputy Communications Director for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, where she executed earned media and surrogate programs on issues like energy, climate change, infrastructure, economic growth and agriculture.  She previously served as Deputy Director of Operations and Planning for John McCain for President 2008 and the Director of Events for Governor Schwarzenegger’s 2006 re-election campaign.  From 2003-2006, Ms. Braden was a Senior Account Manager for the Washington, DC based public affairs firm DCI Group. She directed strategic communication campaigns for pharmaceutical, political, energy and education clients, and supervised state grassroots and communications consultants to supplement national earned media campaigns.  

Lindsay Ellenbogen, Communications Advisor

Lindsay Ellenbogen serves as Deputy Director and Public Relations Manager for Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Washington, D.C. office. For nearly a decade, Ellenbogen held senior communication roles for Members in both Houses of Congress, including Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR). She is an adjunct professor at Fordham University, in New York City, where she is currently on leave.