Marguerite Rose Jimenez is a Vice President at The States Project - a national organization dedicated to building power and improving lives through state legislatures. She previously served as a presidential appointee in the Obama Administration working on paid leave and diversity and inclusion as a White House Fellow and on commercial diplomacy as Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Over the past 15+ years she has also staffed congressional delegations to Cuba, worked in public health and human rights advocacy, done political organizing, been involved in presidential campaigns, worked in philanthropy, and taught public policy at American and Georgetown universities. She has a BA in music, an MA in foreign policy, and a PhD in Government. After nearly 20 years elsewhere, she is thrilled that she and her family get to call Missoula, MT home