Cristy
Gallagher, State Policy Consultant
AT POTOMAC CURRENTS
Cristy is a State Policy Consultant for Potomac Currents and a tremendous
resource on federal-state relations -- having served as the Washington
Representative for two Governors. In this capacity, she helped to
navigate the committee and policy processes of the National Governors
Association (NGA) and stay in close contact with members of the
state’s Congressional delegation. She also comes with close
relationships to many of her former colleagues in the Hall of States
as well as representatives from the regional state associations
and the Democratic Governors Association (DGA). Her background and
knowledge of state government and policy, combined with her skill
at lobbying Congress and the federal government, are invaluable
to her clients and their abilities to propose and impact state and
federal public policy.
BEFORE POTOMAC CURRENTS
Cristy has spent over a decade working in Washington DC on health,
human services, and education policy. After receiving her Masters
in Public Affairs from the University of Texas’ LBJ School
of Public Affairs, Cristy moved to DC to work at the Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS). During her combined three years
at HHS, she worked in Secretary Donna Shalala’s office and
the Office of Legislation on issues ranging from welfare reform
to Medicaid. Her greatest accomplishments were helping shepherd
the reauthorization of Head Start and the Violence Against Women
Act.
Cristy left the federal government in 2001 to become the Director
of the State of Missouri’s Washington Office, where she: coordinated
all federal issues, including health care, education, homeland security
and tax issues; communicated the state’s federal policy and
funding priorities to the state’s Congressional delegation
and the federal departments; and served as the lead staff liaison
to the NGA, Southern Governors Association, Midwestern Governors
Association and DGA. After four years serving the State of Missouri,
Cristy fulfilled a similar role for the State of New Jersey. During
her time in the Hall of States, Cristy also held several leadership
positions on several key NGA panels such as the 2003 Medicaid Task
Force, the 2005 Governors Medicaid Working Group and the NGA’s
Health and Human Services Committee.
Both prior to and after the birth of her second child, Cristy worked
in the Health Policy Program of the New America Foundation –
serving as a Congressional Liaison and authoring the paper, “From
New England to the Golden Gate Bridge: A Look at the Creative Coverage
Expansions at the State and Local Levels.”
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