The Women’s Congressional Staff Association is proud to announce a new series entitled “Dinner & Dialogue,” a forum for accomplished women in D.C. to share their experience, best practices, and engage in an open conversation with Congressional staffers. The dinner will bring together one mentor with 9 members of WCSA, with each attendee paying a registration fee of $5 and the cost of their own dinner. Registration for the first dinner will be on a first come, first serve basis. Please note this event is for Members Only.

*BIO: Laura Burton Capps has spent 15 years developing strategic communications and issue advocacy campaigns for the nation’s highest profile public officials, including President Bill Clinton, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Senator John Kerry’s presidential campaign, as well as leading academic and non-profit organizations.  Capps has built a reputation as a respected advocate for environmental and climate issues through her most recent roles as Senior Vice President for Government Affairs and Communications for the Ocean Conservancy and as communications director for the Alliance for Climate Protection, the non-profit founded and chaired by Vice President Al Gore.

Capps spent four years in President Clinton’s West Wing, working first with George Stephanopoulos and then as a presidential speechwriter.  She continued her political work as Iowa communications director for Senator John Kerry’s primary campaign. During the general election, she directed the Kerry campaign’s communications in Western battleground states, including Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington.  In early 2005, Capps joined the office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy as communications director. For three years, she served as his primary spokesperson on national issues and developed strategic plans and earned media efforts to effectively communicate on issues ranging from immigration, to Supreme Court confirmation process for Justices John Roberts and Sam Alito, as well as Iraqi refugee assistance, stem cell research, and bankruptcy legislation.

If registration is closed and you’re interested in attending, please e-mail womenscsa@gmail.comto be added to the waitlist. Please title your email "Dinner & Dialogue - Waitlist." The series will run throughout the year. Once the program gets underway, we may limit registration by those who’ve already participated, in order to include new registrants.