Lakeisha Steele
Lakeisha Steele brings extensive experience in federal policy and coalition building to her role as Vice President of Federal Affairs and Partnerships at FairVote. Previously, Lakeisha served as Vice President of Policy at CASEL (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning), where she led efforts to advance federal and state policies that support the social and emotional development of students. Before that, she served as Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs at the U.S. Department of Education in the Biden-Harris Administration, serving as the Administration’s liaison to Congress on higher education policy.
Lakeisha spent eight years on Capitol Hill, most recently as Senior Education Policy Advisor on the U.S. House Committee on Education & Labor under Chairman Bobby Scott, where she helped shape landmark legislation including the American Rescue Plan Act, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021, the CARES Act, and the SUPPORT Act. She also advanced K12 and higher education priorities for Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin. Before her career in public policy, Lakeisha spent eight years in the legal industry conducting risk management for national law firms. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University and a Master of Public Administration from American University. She is a proud native of Kankakee, Illinois and the beautiful South Side of Chicago. She is guided by an unwavering belief that better representation leads to better policies and a stronger democracy.