Bruno Freitas
Bruno Freitas is a passionate and respected former federal government professional with over a quarter century of combined experience working in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. He has cultivated long standing relationships with Members of Congress, congressional staff, and federal agency leadership. Bruno leverages his experience to provide clients with detailed policy advice and tailored comprehensive advocacy strategies to achieve desired results.
Issue Expertise: appropriations, budget, economic development, energy, environment, financial services, infrastructure, and innovation policy
Additional Experience: Prior to joining Lewis-Burke, Bruno worked on Capitol Hill for 28 years, most recently serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Senator Elizabeth Warren. In that role for Senator Warren, he led and managed several policy teams and spearheaded the Senator’s state and local priorities. During his tenure he covered a wide array of federal policy areas including energy, environment, climate change, infrastructure, transportation, appropriations, budget, tax, economy, commerce, small business, defense, and financial services. Bruno was part of the Senator’s team that secured accomplishments in several critical legislative acts such as the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. He also managed numerous high profile federal projects and on behalf of the Senator obtained billions of dollars for critical infrastructure and economic development.
Vital Statistics: Bruno grew up in Massachusetts and attended Bridgewater State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science. In his spare time, he enjoys traveling, all things Boston sports, and cooking Sunday dinner for his wife and two daughters.
Mia Luckett
Mia Luckett delivers timely insight, detailed research, and federal agency and congressional updates to Lewis-Burke clients. Mia specializes in monitoring and analyzing agency and legislative activity related to the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Issue Expertise: Technology, Engineering Communities, Social Science, and Public- Private Partnerships.
Additional Information: Before joining Lewis-Burke Associates, Mia was a legal administrative assistant to a criminal defense and real estate attorney. Mia also interned with the district office of Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), where she gained an understanding of education policy and aided incarcerated constituents in utilizing government agencies. Mia was previously an Eben Tisdale Public Policy Fellow with the Fund for American Studies. As a fellow, she interned with lobbying firm Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas and worked with the Technology CEO council. During this time, Mia gained expertise in high-tech public policy, the latest innovations in science and technology, and conducted research on the effectiveness of bipartisanship.
Vital Statistics: Originally from the southern suburbs of Chicago, Mia graduated magna cum laude from Hampton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. While attending Hampton, Mia also joined Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and often does community service with other organization members. Mia is a self- proclaimed foodie and loves trying out a new recipe, or the latest and trendiest restaurants. In her free time Mia also enjoys traveling, reading, and working out.
Thomas Russell, Ph.D.
Dr. Thomas Russell is Senior Policy Advisor to Lewis-Burke. As a Senior Policy Advisor, Dr. Russell will serve as an independent, non-lobbying consultant to Lewis-Burke clients with interests in secure and non-secure National Security research and policy. Dr. Russell had a diverse 30-year government science and technology career, focused on leading complex multidisciplinary research organizations and executing broad multidiscipline research programs to meet future warfighter needs. He is a proven leader in directing basic, applied research and advanced technology development across the Department of Defense, including management of Department of Defense research collaborations with academia, industry and the international community. Dr. Russell’s Tri-Service career experience (16 years with the Navy, 6 years with the Air Force, and 8 years with the Army) makes him uniquely qualified. Dr. Russell provides strategic insights and analyses of relevant programs, policies, and regulations across the national security enterprise and offers profound experiences from both DOD science and technology as well as the Service (i.e. Navy, Army, Air Force) acquisition communities.
Issue Expertise: Identifying, developing, and demonstrating technology options that inform and enable effective and affordable capabilities for the Warfighter.
Additional Experience: Dr. Russell served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology; Director, Army Research Lab, Director; Air Force Office of Scientific Research; Executive Director, Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division; and Director, Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation Directorate, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division.
Vital Statistics: Dr. Russell received a Ph.D.in chemistry, University of Delaware and a B.S. in chemistry, Muhlenberg College. Dr. Russell began his federal career as a research scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C. and at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, White Oak Laboratory, White Oak, MD. He is the recipient of a Navy Superior Civilian Service Award; the Army Distinguished Service Award; and the SES Presidential Rank Award, Meritorious Executive Service. Dr. Russell was selected to the Senior Executive Service in 2006 and retired from federal service as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Research and Technology and Army Chief Scientist in March 2020. In his spare time, Dr. Russell is an avid Cincinnati Bengals and Reds fan.
Rapid Deployment of COVID-19 Resources and Support for Small and Medium-Sized Firms
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic sparked large scale challenges for associations and societies who urgently needed to provide value to their members or risk losing financial stability.
As part of one membership-based organization’s strategy, Lewis-Burke rapidly developed and delivered a webinar early in the National Emergency to support the client’s ecosystem of more than 300 members and partners, primarily small businesses.
The webinar provided stakeholders with comprehensive information regarding federal guidance for grantees and contractors who do business with the federal government, as well as detailed information on small business loan programs, unemployment insurance, paid sick leave and other resources available to help mitigate the economic impacts of COVID-19.
The following week, an updated webinar was offered at the request of a federal agency organization that serves thousands of small- and medium-sized manufacturers across the country. Additional follow on webinars targeted specific subsets of the organization’s membership, including its top tier members and board of directors.
As a result of the webinars, small and large businesses and academic institutions were better prepared to access critical resources for weathering the outbreak and the client was seen as an essential partner of its members and the federal government.
Forging Meaningful Partnerships
Lewis-Burke has worked closely with a major research university on its partnership with other universities and a large corporation to build an Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Zone.
The project combines university-led advanced manufacturing research, community college-led workforce training, and industry-led factories to spur economic development, commercialization, and manufacturing innovation in a depressed rural region.
Lewis-Burke provided strategic advice to the group on federal funding opportunities and alignment of the Zone with emerging priorities. Lewis-Burke also arranged for key members of the university’s congressional delegation to be briefed on the partnership and secured the attendance of a member of Congress at the Zone’s groundbreaking.
In addition, Lewis-Burke helped facilitate a meeting of key representatives of the partnership with over 30 agency and White House officials. This meeting provided valuable contacts across the government as the Zone sought federal support.
Seeking Opportunities and Capitalizing
Lewis-Burke was aware of the development of a provision in the 2018 tax bill to create Opportunity Zones, or census tracts with high unemployment rates, to qualify for investments from up to $6 trillion in untapped capital gains.
Realizing the potential for universities, Lewis-Burke forged new connections with the program officers at the Department of Treasury and outside organizations to inform the development of comprehensive strategies for clients on or near qualifying census tracts to engage with their governors for designation.
When the Treasury Department announced the designated Opportunity Zones later in the year, regions near several client campuses received certification. As a result of this proactive action, many of Lewis-Burke’s clients remain on the front-end of significant regional investment opportunities and priority consideration for federal funding opportunities across agencies.
Bridget Krieger
Bridget Krieger is a trusted advocate on Capitol Hill and a champion for federal research agencies, most notably the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). With over 18 years representing the interests of research and higher education entities, Bridget works with clients to design and implement federal and congressional strategies that attain short-term wins while solidifying the foundation for long-term success.
Bridget covers a diverse range of issues and leads Lewis-Burke's agricultural portfolio, including navigating the highly political Farm Bill and agriculture appropriations processes. A dynamic strategist, Bridget has extensive experience and success in advocating for vital life science programming, natural disaster mitigation and response, raising the profile of chronically underfunded disciplines, and securing funding for large-scale projects through the federal budgeting and congressional appropriations processes.
Issue Areas: agriculture, appropriations, farm bill, basic life sciences, urban affairs, natural disasters
Additional Experience: Bridget gained government relations experience in the private and public arenas through appointments with former Congressman Dennis Moore of Kansas, Labour Party Headquarters in London, and at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA.
Vital Statistics: Born and raised in Kansas City, Bridget is a proud alum of Tulane University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a strong appreciation for good food and music. When not discussing the importance of agricultural research and extension, Bridget can be found watching her KC teams at home with her husband, son, and daughter.
Naomi Webber, Ph.D.
Dr. Naomi Webber advances client priorities in both fundamental and applied research, with a focus on engineering, physical sciences, and computer sciences, as well as innovation activities and international research collaboration. Naomi has a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry and extensive experience in research administration, strategic planning, science policy, and international relations, which enables her to support client activities in a broad range of areas.
Naomi has over 16 years of science policy experience including nine years at research funding agencies in the United Kingdom. During her time at the U.K. funding agencies, Naomi gained a broad range of experience including roles in grant proposal management, university relationship engagement, international affairs, and served as Chief of Staff. Naomi then moved to the United States to build international research collaborations between U.K. and U.S. research funding agencies. In that role, Naomi developed insight into a broad range of U.S. federal research agencies. For almost a decade, Naomi has provided a unique brand of nuanced, strategic advice to Lewis-Burke clients.
Issue Expertise: Engineering, physical sciences, computer sciences with a strong focus on basic research and the National Science Foundation (NSF), as well as international activities across federal agencies.
Additional Experience: Before joining Lewis-Burke, Naomi represented Research Councils U.K. (now U.K. Research and Innovation) at its U.S. office in the Washington, DC-based British Embassy. In that role, Naomi shared intelligence between the U.K. and U.S. on science and innovation policy and facilitated research collaboration between the U.K. Research Councils and U.S. funding agencies.
Vital Statistics: Naomi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Physics from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom (with a year of her studies spent at the University of Texas in Austin). Naomi also holds a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of East Anglia. Being British, Naomi enjoys a nice cup of tea.
Leland Cogliani, J.D.
Leland Cogliani leads Lewis-Burke’s energy practice, overseeing all Department of Energy (DOE) issues while also serving as Co-Chair of the Energy Sciences Coalition. With more than 15 years of experience advancing science and technology priorities for research institutions, Leland is a leading voice in the higher education and research advocacy community to advance basic and applied energy research and development programs. Leland also uses his substantive subject matter expertise in nuclear security and nonproliferation science and technology issues to grow the participation of institutions of higher education in addressing national security challenges. Leland is currently a board member of the Arms Control Association and is a frequent speaker at science and technology forums.
Leland works closely with congressional authorizing and appropriations committees and federal research agencies on behalf of academic institutions, scientific societies, and facility management organizations to create new research initiatives and programs, advance science infrastructure projects, and increase federal research funding.
Prior to joining Lewis-Burke, Leland was the lead Senate Appropriations Committee staff member, with budget and oversight responsibility for $17 billion in federal programs, including the DOE Office of Science, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), and DOE intelligence programs.
Issue Expertise: Appropriations, basic and applied energy research (DOE Office of Science; ARPA-E; renewable, energy efficiency, fossil, nuclear, and grid-related research), DOE national laboratories, nuclear security and nonproliferation (National Nuclear Security Administration), and budget issues.
Additional Experience: Prior to the Senate, Leland was a Senior Analyst in the Natural Resources and Environment Division at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) with oversight responsibilities over U.S. nuclear weapons and nuclear nonproliferation programs. He authored more than a dozen reports to Congress on science and national security issues, including life extension programs of nuclear warheads, the U.S. fusion program, and the International Atomic Energy Agency nuclear safeguards activities.
Vital Statistics: Leland earned his Bachelor of Arts in International Studies at Boston College and his Master of Arts in International Affairs at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. He received a Juris Doctor from Catholic University Columbus School of Law. Leland is a proud father of two daughters and enjoys traveling with his family around the country and the world seeking new adventures. Leland is a fourth-degree black belt in taekwondo and continues to train twice a week. Born in Rome, Italy, Leland is a native Italian speaker.