Lisa Kountoupes
With more than two decades of experience providing public policy and government affairs consulting services, Lisa Kountoupes is a recognized leader in Washington. She has provided strategic advice and lobbying expertise to major corporations, industry associations, and non-profit organizations.
vCard ContactNational Journal considers Ms. Kountoupes one of the preeminent insiders on how to make things happen in the halls of Congress and federal agencies. She has extensive experience in energy, the environment, technology, telecommunications, health care, trade, financial services, and budget matters. Prior to her work in the private sector she held a series of senior positions in federal government, in the Executive Branch and the United States Congress.
Ms. Kountoupes served as Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs for President Clinton. In this capacity she served as the President’s liaison to the House of Representatives and acted as a primary contact for Members of the House with the White House. She developed legislative strategies and organized efforts to garner votes for Administration priorities. Additionally, she was a key part of the efforts to ensure a smooth technological transition into the Year 2000. Ms. Kountoupes also worked to secure passage of significant legislative accomplishments of the Clinton Administration, including permanent normal trade relations with China and digital signatures.
Ms. Kountoupes spent three years as Assistant Director for Legislative Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) where she was part of the team that secured passage of the 1997 Balanced Budget Agreement. At OMB she worked extensively on entitlement reform (Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and welfare) and was closely involved with regulatory reform efforts and government-wide management issues. When she entered the Executive Branch in May 1994, she served as a Special Assistant in the Secretary’s office at the U.S. Department of Energy. At DOE Ms. Kountoupes was deeply involved in issues related to the electric utility industry, the nation’s nuclear weapons complex, and the nation’s research laboratories. She also worked on the Department’s budget and management matters.
Prior to her tenure in the Clinton Administration, Ms. Kountoupes served as a member of the staff of Chairman John D. Dingell of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee. In that position she worked on a number of energy and telecommunications matters; significantly, the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and the Clean Air Act of 1990.
Ms. Kountoupes graduated with honors and distinction from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.