Kara Marchione
Kara Marchione has nearly 25 years of experience in education, social services, and domestic policy. Marchione is currently the Deputy Director for Policy and Finance at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation where she oversees domestic policy work, including early learning, k-12 education, postsecondary education, data infrastructure and governance, pathways, and economic mobility. Prior to joining the Gates Foundation, Marchione had a long career in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. She most recently served as a Senior Advisor for the Senate Appropriations Committee under Chair Patty Murray (D-WA). She also served for six years as the Education Policy Director for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. While there she worked on many reauthorizations, bills, and budget reconciliation and led a team covering early childhood, child welfare, K12, higher education, national service, and the workforce for Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and the Democratic Caucus. In addition, Marchione spent seven years in the personal office of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and as a Policy Adviser for the Senate HELP Committee. Marchione was also a Senior Education Policy Advisor for the House Committee on Education and Labor under Chair George Miller (D-CA), and Legislative Director for Representative Dave Loebsack (D-IA). Marchione also worked for the Penn Hill Group, an education and workforce consulting firm. She currently lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two children.