2013 Spring Reception Honorees
Outstanding Members of Congress
Senator Mary Landrieu
Mary L. Landrieu has been fighting and winning for Louisiana since she was first elected to the Louisiana state legislature at the age of 23. After serving eight years as a state representative and two terms as State Treasurer, in 1996 she became the first woman from Louisiana elected to a full term in the U.S. Senate. Senator Landrieu is currently the Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security and a member of the Energy and Natural Resources, and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees. The nonpartisan Congress.org has ranked Senator Landrieu as the tenth most effective legislator in the Senate.
Senator Landrieu has been the leading voice in Washington for the Gulf Coast recovery effort. In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the failures of the federal levee system, she secured billions in recovery dollars and has worked extensively to jumpstart recovery projects. She is committed to reforming the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure the nation’s disaster response arm is speedy and effective the next time a disaster strikes the United States, be it natural or manmade.
In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon disaster, Senator Landrieu introduced the RESTORE the Gulf Coast Act, which is a bipartisan, regional approach to address the immense economic and environmental damage to America's working coast. The RESTORE Act will, for the first time, direct 80 percent of the Clean Water Act penalties paid by BP directly to the Gulf Coast. This represents the largest single investment in environmental restoration in our nation's history. Senator Landrieu helped build a strong, bipartisan, hard-working coalition of Congress members to pass the RESTORE Act through Congress with overwhelming support. This historic legislation was signed into law on July 6, 2012, as part of a two-year transportation bill.
As chair of the Small Business Committee, she is leading efforts to ensure all small businesses have access to capital and contracts, superior health insurance at a low cost and the resources needed to help boost our economy and guarantee America’s competiveness in the global marketplace.
As one of the chairs on the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Landrieu is a strong and effective voice for Louisiana. The Senate appointed Sen. Landrieu chair of the Appropriations Committee's important Subcommittee on Homeland Security. This subcommittee is responsible for drafting legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security's 20 offices and seven sub-agencies. The Appropriations Committee is considered the most powerful panel on Capitol Hill. From this seat, she fights for Louisiana’s jobs and economic interests and the funding the state needs to rebuild from the 2005 and 2008 hurricanes.
Senator Landrieu, a member of the Energy Committee, coauthored the landmark Domenici-Landrieu Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, which was signed into law in 2006. The bill expanded oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico by more than 8 million acres and shares the revenues with Louisiana to restore and protect the eroding wetlands along the Gulf Coast
Born and raised in New Orleans, Senator Landrieu is married to Frank Snellings of Monroe, La., and has two children.
Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Cathy McMorris Rodgers is proof that what we were taught as children is true today. In America, with a positive attitude, hard work, and dedication, we can rise from humble beginnings to important positions of leadership. Cathy was born to a farming family with deep roots in Eastern Washington. The early members of the McMorris family settled as pioneers in Walla Walla in 1853. Growing up, Cathy worked on the family orchard side by side with her parents and younger brother. Cathy was the first in her family to attend and graduate from college. She worked her way through Pensacola Christian College in Florida and later earned her Executive MBA from the University of Washington. She served five terms as a citizen legislator in Olympia eventually being elected to minority leader. When the legislature was not in session, Cathy worked in her parents' small business, Peachcrest Fruit Basket, near Kettle Falls, Washington.
In 2004 Cathy was elected to Congress where she now serves in her fourth term representing Washington's Fifth Congressional District. Cathy's responsibilities have changed significantly over the years but she has remained true to her roots. She believes in the promise of America. In Congress, Cathy promotes policies to give wider opportunities to families and small businesses. She works to keep taxes and spending down, strongly supports our troops and veterans, and works to improve access to quality, affordable health care. As a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, she is well-positioned to advance this agenda. In 2008, Cathy was elected to serve in the House Republican Leadership, where she held the office of Vice Chair of the Conference for the next four years. In November 2012, Cathy was elected to serve as Chairman of the Conference, the fourth-highest-ranking position among House Republicans. She is the highest-ranking Republican woman in Congress.
Cathy is a Republican who finds opportunities to work across party lines. She is the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Military Family Caucus with Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA). She served on the House Armed Services Committee for three terms. Her bill with Rep. Diane DeGette, The Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act, passed the House in the 112th Congress. She is married to Brian Rodgers, a retired 26 year active-duty Navy Commander; they have two children: Cole and Grace.
WGR Distinguished Member
Treasurer Angel Riley
Angel Riley is Senior Manager, Federal and State Government Relations & PAC Affairs at Lockheed Martin. Angel has over fourteen years of experience in managing the political affairs programs of associations and corporations. She has worked at Deloitte, Food Marketing Institute (FMI), Freddie Mac, and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA). Angel began her career at the Federal Election Commission (FEC) where she moved up the ranks to becoming a Senior Campaign Finance Analyst. This gives Angel the unique experience of being an innovative PAC fundraiser and knowing how to stay within the limits of campaign finance law.
Angel is the treasurer of the professional society of Women in Government Relations (WGR); a member of the alumni council of her Alma Mata; and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Angel has a Bachelor's of Arts in International Studies from West Virginia Wesleyan College and and Masters of Public Administration from Southeastern University. She and her husband, Eugene, reside in District Heights Maryland.