Government Affairs Director

Ami has over fifteen years of experience in Washington, D.C., working for and with Members of Congress, federal agencies, the Executive Branch, political campaigns, and non-profit organizations. Originally from Texas, she manages government affairs and strategic alliances in the nation’s Capital and across the country. As a lobbyist, Ami has experience helping small and non-traditional firms increase their profile on Capitol Hill and federal agencies. Prior to becoming a lobbyist, Ami served as Senior Policy Advisor for U.Group. There she supported the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Office of Small Business Programs and the Office of Industrial Policy (Acquisition & Sustainment). In this role, she advised leadership across the Department of Defense on issues facing small and non-traditional firms in the defense industrial and innovation base. She also led the development of the Department of Defense’s Small Business Strategy, mandated by Congress in Section 801 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2018, providing important expertise on small businesses’ role in the health of the defense industrial base. After earning her law degree, Ami joined the staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship, where she served for nearly a decade, where she began as a Professional Staff Member and ultimately ending as General Counsel. She advised Senators and staff, under Senators Mary Landrieu, Maria Cantwell, Ben Cardin, and Jeanne Shaheen, on a wide range of issues under the Committee’s legislative jurisdiction. She helped craft small business-related provisions in large, complex legislation related to health care reform, the federal rulemaking process and regulatory reform, immigration reform, and innovation. As the only Latina General Counsel for any of the standing U.S. Senate Committees during her tenure, Ami has been a vocal advocate for the Hispanic community and increasing opportunities for Latinos in Congress and federal service. Prior to the Senate, Ami practiced voting rights law for the National Campaign for Fair Elections, a division of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and worked on numerous political campaigns at the state and federal level. Ami brings significant experience both on and off the hill to the G2G team and provides leadership in federal legislative strategies.