Vanessa is the founder and CEO of Evolved Agenda, LLC. She is a native of Columbia, SC, but has called the National Capital Region home for nearly 20 years. She also currently serves as the Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus Institute. In this role, she is responsible for leading the organization in fulfilling its mission of "educating today's voters and training tomorrow's leaders." In both roles, Vanessa believes her job is to inform, inspire, ignite and impact the future of leadership.
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Vanessa is a mentor, public speaker and contributing author to Lessons from Successful African American Lawyers, a book of wisdom and aspiration to the next generation of lawyers. She is member of the National Bar Association, National Council of Negro Women and Higher Heights. She serves on the board of the League of Minority Voters, and Woman Warrior, a non-profit devoted to healing sexually-abused and assaulted women through yoga.
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Throughout her professional experiences, Vanessa has amassed a network of high profile, change agents that all call her an accomplished, and trusted advisor.
With over 20 years of legislative and international relations experience, Vanessa has served on the staff of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee and Congressman Alcee Hastings. She has also worked with the South Carolina and Texas legislatures and the Harris County Public Defender Office in Houston, TX.
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Vanessa also served as senior adviser and speechwriter to the President of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly (OSCEPA). She is the first African American woman ever to hold this position. In that role, she traveled extensively throughout Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East engaging in active public diplomacy and encouraging free and fair elections as an international election monitor in developing democracies, including Ukraine, during its "Orange Revolution," Russia, Belarus, and Azerbaijan. Continuing her interest in international relations, Vanessa is also the Congressional Black Caucus Institute's representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
Education:
Columbia College; Bachelor of Arts, Public Affairs
Southern University Law Center; Juris Doctor and Public Law Certificate
University of Houston Law Center; LL.M, in International Law
Harvard University Kennedy School Executive Education; Non-Profit/Public Leadership
Fordham University Law School; Fashion Law