Political consultant Andrea G. Bottner, founder of Bottner Strategies, LLC, is an expert in women’s issues and has earned the respect and admiration of some of Washington’s most influential policy makers. Bottner Strategies, LLC, works with advocacy groups, political organizations and private clients to offer a broad range of services, including strategic political planning, message creation and coalition building, among others. Currently, she is a senior advisor to Urban Swirski & Associates, as well as RightNOW Women.
Prior to creating Bottner Strategies, Bottner served at the U.S. Department of State as Director for the Office of International Women’s Issues. Hers was a powerful voice that helped shape foreign policy related to the political, economic, and social advancement of women worldwide. She has addressed more than a dozen delegations on women’s rights in the Middle East, South America, and various European countries. She has also had numerous speaking engagements at international organizations such as the Dead Sea Institute in Amman, Jordan, the International Center for Democratic Transition in Budapest, Hungary, the U.S.-Chile Government Joint Committee meeting in Santiago, Chile, and U.S. Embassies in Saudi Arabia, Bolivia, and Poland.
Prior to her work at the State Department, Bottner served at the U.S. Department of Justice as Principal Deputy Director and later, as Acting Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, where she managed a budget of $400 million and a large staff of attorneys, grant specialists, and policy experts. In this capacity, she visited shelters, law enforcement agencies, and advocacy organizations across the country, assessing and addressing violence against women. As a result of her experience, she spearheaded a $15 million Presidential Initiative that established victim assistance centers in fifteen communities across the United States.
Additionally, Bottner served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Republican National Committee Co-Chairman Ann Wagner, specializing in the Committee’s national women’s outreach expansion strategy. She began her career on Capitol Hill, serving two members of the United States House of Representatives, focusing on criminal justice issues and social welfare policies.
Bottner received her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Delaware and her Juris Doctor degree cum laude, from the University of Baltimore Law School. She lives with her husband and two children in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and is active in her community and church.