COURTNEY SNOWDEN, a Director at The Raben Group, puts a wealth of grassroots organizing, electoral, and policy experience to work for her clients. An accomplished political strategist, Ms. Snowden works with the firm’s corporate and non-profit clients to help them identify and reach their policy goals through direct lobbying, strategic planning and coalition building, and by developing and implementing effective legislative and public relations message campaigns.

Prior to joining The Raben Group, Ms. Snowden served as the senior lobbyist for the National PTA, directing their advocacy efforts on a variety of legislative issues including budget and appropriations, vouchers, and No Child Left Behind. In addition to serving as the face of PTA on Capitol Hill, in the White House and before the relevant federal agencies, Courtney led an effort to mobilize PTA’s six million members and effectively prepare them to serve as competent citizen activists on behalf of “every child, with one voice.” During her tenure at National PTA, she chaired the National Coalition for Public Education (NCPE), a coalition comprised of more than fifty education, civic, civil rights and religious organizations devoted to defeating state and federal efforts to create publicly funded private school voucher programs and tuition tax credits.

Before working for National PTA, Ms. Snowden served as the first Federal Policy Manager for the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), where she developed proactive strategies to raise awareness among members of Congress and the public on the detrimental impact of bullying and harassment based on sexual orientation and gender identity in our nations' schools. Courtney was also instrumental in the effort to retain a hate crimes prevention program in the legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act also known as No Child Left Behind. This program - funded under the Safe and Drug Free Schools Program - provides resources to educate our nation’s young people about the importance of respecting diversity and preventing hate-based harassment and violence.

Ms. Snowden began her career in the office of Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), where she was responsible for advising the Congresswoman on an array of legislative issues including small business, labor and Native American and women's issues. Immediately following her congressional service, Courtney worked in the political department of the Human Rights Campaign, the largest gay and lesbian civil rights organization in the United States.

In the realm of electoral politics, Courtney directed minority outreach efforts during the final two weeks in John Cranley’s 2006 bid to unseat incumbent Rep. Steve Chabot in Ohio’s 1st Congressional District. In 2004, Courtney served as the Director of Communications and Detroit Field Operations for the “No On 2” Campaign, the organized effort to defeat the anti-gay marriage initiative in Michigan. She also lent her expertise to the Karen Thurman for Congress campaign in 2002 and to the Tammy Baldwin for Congress campaign in 2000.

Ms. Snowden earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin. A highlight of her undergraduate career was her candidacy for the Beloit City Council. Although the youngest candidate in the nine person field, Courtney garnered broad community support and was only five percent shy of winning a council seat.

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