Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies Adds Meagan Foster to its Government Affairs Team

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 4, 2024 – Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies today introduced Meagan Foster, a Capitol Hill policy expert with nearly two decades of combined public and private sector political experience, as the newest member of its fast-growing federal government affairs team. Foster — who spent the past four years serving as legislative director and deputy chief of staff for Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) — joins as a senior principal and will reside in Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies’ Washington, D.C., office.

Foster began her federal government career 15 years ago as a legislative assistant for Senator Mark Begich (D-Alaska) after working in the Alaska state legislature on health care, personal information protection, and rural issues. She then moved to the private sector, first as director of government affairs for the NTCA – Rural Broadband Association, and later as the vice president of government affairs for the USTelecom Association.

While at the NTCA, Foster was the principal government affairs contact for more than 50 bipartisan offices, developing relationships with members of Congress and their staff to advocate on behalf of nearly 900 small, rural telecommunications companies. With USTelecom, she engaged in lobbying efforts within the Senate Democratic Caucus, focusing on issues directly impacting the largest wireline broadband providers in the United States.

Foster returned to the Hill in 2017 to work as Senator Tom Udall’s (D-N.M.) senior policy adviser, spearheading his work on the Commerce Committee related to telecom, aviation, space, railroads, auto safety, and consumer protection. She joined then Congressman Welch’s staff in 2020 managing a portfolio of critical policy issues, including telecom, technology, foreign affairs, and financial services.

“Meagan brings a solid track record of building and leveraging important relationships with key federal government officials and agencies,” said Howard Schweitzer, CEO of Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies. “We are excited to bring another senior-level addition to the Democratic side of our lobbying team, and anticipate that Meagan and (fellow senior principal) Madison Smith will be a strong, bipartisan team as we continue to expand our technology client base. She’s a terrific addition and I’m thrilled to welcome her aboard.”

On Capitol Hill, Foster built effective networks of policy influencers for Democratic Senators Udall and Welch, preparing comprehensive briefing materials, and talking points on major policy issues that ranged from telecom and technology to transportation and small business relief at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, she regularly drafted bills on their behalf; led policy expert teams conducting in-depth research; and developed relationships with key government agencies, advocacy groups, and think tanks to support an array of policy objectives.

“I’m excited to be a part of Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an organization with an outstanding reputation — both on the Hill and throughout so many industries,” Foster said. “This is a great place for me to be and I’m looking forward to joining the federal team. Together we can help our clients, both large and small, build and expand their operations.”

Foster earned her B.A. in women’s studies at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

About Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies

Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, an affiliate of the international law firm Cozen O’Connor, is a bipartisan government relations practice representing clients before the federal government and in cities and states throughout the country. With offices throughout the country, the firm’s public strategies professionals offer a full complement of government affairs services, including legislative and executive branch advocacy, policy analysis, assistance with government procurement and funding programs, and crisis management. Its client base spans multiple industries, including health care, transportation, hospitality, education, construction, energy, real estate, entertainment, financial services, and insurance.

About Cozen O’Connor

Established in 1970, Cozen O’Connor has over 825 attorneys who help clients manage risk and make better business decisions. The firm counsels clients on their most sophisticated legal matters in all areas of the law, including litigation, corporate, and regulatory law. Representing a broad array of leading global corporations and middle market companies, Cozen O’Connor serves its clients’ needs through 32 offices across two continents.

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