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Nicole Venable

Nicole Venable is Vice President at the government affairs firm of McAllister and Quinn.  Prior to this, she was Director for International Trade and Global Competitiveness in the Congressional and Public Affairs Office of the US Chamber of Commerce.  She is a twelve-year Capitol Hill veteran, with experience in the House and Senate, as well as in the Executive Branch and the private sector.  Prior to her current position, Ms. Venable served on Capitol Hill as Chief of Staff to Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-LA). In this capacity, Ms. Venable oversaw the administrative, political and legislative operations of this Congressional Office, with a focus on International Trade issues falling within the jurisdiction of the House Ways and Means Committee.

Prior to her time with Rep. Jefferson, Nicole Venable worked in the International Division of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) as Assistant Vice President for Economic and Multilateral Affairs in February 2002 and was responsible for formulating and advocating industry positions on a range of international health and trade policy issues. In particular, Ms. Venable advocated industry issues before multilateral institutions such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and World Health Organization (WHO). Promoted to Associate Vice President in 2004, Ms. Venable also coordinated the Divisions efforts regarding market access barriers and other price controls in developed countries.

From 1998 to 2002, Ms. Venable served as Senior Policy Advisor for Representative William J. Jefferson (D-LA) where she advised on matters before the House Ways and Means Committee, primarily in the areas of healthcare and international trade.

Ms. Venable was one of three Democratic staffers who negotiated the bipartisan legislation to grant the President fast track negotiating authority and led the successful effort for passage of H.R. 3005, the Bipartisan Trade Promotion Authority Act in December 2001.

In the 106th Congress, Ms. Venable led the African Trade and Investment Caucus efforts to develop and pass the H.R. 434, the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). Ms. Venable managed and directed the activities of the African Trade and Investment (ATIC) Caucus and the Congressional Caucus on Brazil. In addition, she participated in Congressional staff fact-finding missions to investigate US trade policy with Egypt, Chile, Botswana, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Cuba, Indonesia, Brazil, Switzerland and Costa Rica.

From 1996 to 1998, Ms. Venable worked with the Clinton Administration as a Congressional Affairs Specialist in the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).

From 1993 to 1996, Ms. Venable served as a Legislative Assistant to Virginia Senator Charles S. Robb. Before joining Robb's staff, Ms. Venable worked for Indiana Representative Lee Hamilton when he chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Ms. Venable graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from Spelman College in 1991 and finished Master’s work at Johns Hopkins University's Paul H. Nitze School of International Studies (SAIS) in 1993 studying International Economics and American Foreign Policy.