Tell us a bit about your professional background.
I graduated from American University in 2016 with a bachelor’s in international studies and economics. After graduating, I taught English in the Zhejiang Province of Lishui, China for a year. I taught over 500 middle school students a week. After I came back to D.C., I worked in customer service where I aided schools and families with applying to private schools. I also worked for a nonprofit donor management and fundraising platform.
Following that, I graduated with honors from American University Washington College of Law in 2023. During law school, I interned with Advocacy and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. I also taught high school students law as a part of the Marshall Brennan Project. I took on leadership positions as the Co-President of the LGBTQIA+ student group, Senior Features Editor for the Sustainable Development Law and Policy Brief, and Director of External Affairs for the Student Bar Association.
Last year, I moved from Law Clerk into a permanent role in Advocacy as an Assistant Chief Counsel.
What regulatory issues do you work on at Advocacy?
I work on intellectual property, communications, technology/AI, and government procurement.
What do you enjoy most about working on these issues?
I find it interesting that regulations in the fields of intellectual property, communications, technology/AI, and government procurement are often cutting-edge areas of science and technology. These small businesses are exciting and ambitious innovators that are shaping our future.
What do you enjoy most about working at the Office of Advocacy?
As an Assistant Chief Counsel, I enjoy speaking directly with small entities and bridging the gap between them and federal agencies. When small businesses can express how they might implement a proposed regulation and we take that to the federal agency, the regulation overall becomes clearer and workable. It’s hard for small entities to find the time to review the regulations coming out of the federal government, and being able to be a voice explaining those regulations and coming back to those regulators with suggestions makes a powerful impact on the regulations. In addition, I like explaining the landscape of regulations to small businesses and seeing the connections that can be made in their own work. Regulations are coming out a mile-a-minute and huge opportunities such as the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program funding are largely unknown to small entities.
If you could give one piece of advice to a small business owner concerned about regulations, what would it be?
Often agencies want to hear candid feedback that aims to improve the overall intent of the rule. You are the expert on estimating how much time and money it will take to implement a new rule and seeing how the rule will impact your business, and agencies want to hear directly from you when estimating the impact of proposed rules.