ABOUT THE TRAINING
A good communications team is a secret weapon for good casework. This training will cover using the Congressional communications toolkit to help teams reach constituents, set expectations for casework, coordinate effectively with DC, and build a reputation of professionalism.
SPEAKER
Zack Brown is a Washington, DC-based communicator who specializes in politics, government, and technology. As an alumnus of The Graduate School of Political Management at the George Washington University, Brown worked in the halls of the United States House of Representatives for nearly six years. Brown’s career in Congress started with an internship in the Office of Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-26). Most recently, Brown served as Congressman Don Young’s (AK-AL) communications director until the Congressman’s passing in 2022. Throughout his congressional career and beyond, Brown has advocated for improving access to constituent services, and continues to consult with congressional offices on both sides of the aisle on strategies for improving the constituent experience. Following a transition to the private sector, Brown has maintained involvement in Alaska politics. In late-October 2022, he appeared in an across-the-aisle campaign ad for Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola (AK-AL), who successfully won election to Don Young’s former seat in the House. In his free time, Brown authors THE DELEGATION, a newsletter focused on the legislative activities of Alaska’s three Members of Congress. He lives in DC’s U-Street Corridor and can usually be found at brunch on weekends.
Katherine Long is the Casework Programs Senior Fellow for POPVOX Foundation. She has decades of experience as a public servant and an advocate for citizen involvement in government. She had the honor of serving for 15 years in Senator Leahy’s Vermont office, resolving over 4,000 complex cases and speaking with thousands of Vermonters about their experiences with government. As Casework Manager, she led the successful closure of his casework operation after 48 years in office. Her casework portfolio focused on military and veterans affairs, housing, and taxes. She also worked extensively to repatriate American citizens during crisis situations around the world and to relocate our allies from Afghanistan.
Prior to joining Senator Leahy's staff, Katherine was the Director of Public Policy for the Vermont Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations (VANPO), a Training Fellow with the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest (now Bolder Advocacy), and adjunct faculty at St. Michael’s College, developing and conducting training for nonprofit leaders in advocacy strategies and lobbying rules. She has experience in mental health, energy efficiency, and agriculture, and is proud to have served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger, speaking Zarma and occasional French.
Katherine has a master of public administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, a bachelor of arts in anthropology from Cornell University, and she studied and conducted fieldwork in Nepal with the University of Wisconsin.
Moderator
Anne Meeker is a civic process and democratic engagement nerd, and a former House district staffer. She was a founding member of the POPVOX Foundation team as Director of Special Initiatives and now serves as Deputy Director. She previously served as Director of Constituent Services for Congressman Seth Moulton, where she worked to use data and technology to deliver smarter casework services to residents of the MA06. Anne holds a bachelor's degree in Anthropology from the University of Oxford (St. Hugh's College), and an MSc in History from the London School of Economics, where she wrote her thesis on presidential memoir. She is also a proud native Clevelander, and will take any opportunity to cheerlead for the 'Land.
Additional Resources
