Bill Ruch
Technology Based Economic Development Practice
Bill Ruch is the Chair of Lewis-Burke’s Technology-Based Economic Development (TBED) Practice, which provides strategic support to clients on commercializing research from lab to market, launching new entrepreneurial assistance programming, forging public-private partnerships, shaping innovation policy, and pursuing regional economic development opportunities. In addition to these efforts, Bill’s diverse portfolio covers federal interests across the research and development spectrum, including serving as one of the firm’s top experts in federal social and behavioral science and domestic security efforts. Bill leverages over a decade of experience supporting clients as they seek to pursue and advance opportunities throughout the federal research, innovation, tax, appropriations, and workforce spaces.
Through the TBED Practice, Bill meets clients where they are in their commercialization/ecosystem-building journey through actionable intelligence on future federal direction, support for the development of sensible federal policies and programs, and direct connections with key decisionmakers. These efforts have led to success for our clients in extraordinarily competitive programs and numerous policy wins.
Bill's day-to-day can include providing in-depth analysis on federal trends, targeted advocacy on Capitol Hill and at federal agencies, and coalition building with relevant stakeholders to bolster messaging.
Issue Expertise: Appropriations, economic development, technology transfer, social and behavioral sciences, criminal justice, homeland security, National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Commerce, Department of Treasury, and STEM education.
Additional Experience: Prior to joining Lewis-Burke, Bill accrued valuable state and local government experience at the Michigan House of Representatives and was involved in various political campaigns.
Vital Statistics: Bill is a proud land-grant graduate, having attended Michigan State University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Pre-Law. Outside of work, Bill enjoys distance running and American League baseball.
Otto Katt
Talent and Workforce Development Practice
As a former educator, Otto Katt brings a passion to his workforce and education policy and advocacy work in his Workforce Practice Group Chair role. In addition to those areas, he brings experience in immigration, economic development, research, and tax policy on behalf of Lewis-Burke clients. Otto provides strategic guidance on legislative, administrative, and regulatory issues at the Department of Education (ED) and Department of Labor (DOL), in addition to other federal agencies. He leverages his professional knowledge and expertise, gained while working in the K-12 space and at the state and federal policy level, to provide timely insight and support to a wide range of clients, including institutions and systems of higher education, associations, foundations, and coalitions on key education and workforce policy issues including federal student financial aid, workforce development legislation, ed R&D, the evolving higher education landscape, and the “business” of higher education.
Before joining Lewis-Burke, Otto served as the Education Advisor for Representative Phil Roe, a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee. While there, he proposed and developed education and workforce development policies for the congressman. He also staffed and advised the congressman at Education and Workforce Committee meetings and district events and engaged various interest groups, stakeholder groups, and agencies regarding pertinent legislation.
Issue Expertise: K-12 and STEM education policy, higher education policy, workforce development policy, federal research policy, student financial aid, accreditation, “business” of higher education.
Additional Experience: Otto has worked in education as a teacher, administrator, and policy analyst in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. These experiences include serving as a Teach For America Corps member.
Vital Statistics: Otto received his B.A. in History from The College of New Jersey and his Masters in International Studies: Latin America from the University of Connecticut. He grew up in New Jersey, runs the occasional marathon, and enjoys exploring far Southeast DC with his family.
Amanda Bruno
Amanda is a trusted specialist in education, economic development, and workforce policy across Congress and within the Departments of Education, Commerce, and Labor, as well as the National Science Foundation. She has years of experience in navigating the legislative processes to authorize and fund federal programs related to education and scientific research funding, sustainable economic development, and access to education and workforce training. Amanda leverages her relationships on Capitol Hill to create tailored strategies to advance client federal policy and research goals by building on mutual areas of overlap between client strengths and congressional priorities. In addition to her committed work on behalf of Lewis-Burke clients, Amanda drives research community initiatives through her leadership on STEM education policy and participation in the firm’s Technology Based Economic Development and Workforce practice groups.
Issue areas: education, workforce, economic development, immigration, and advanced wireless policy.
Additional Experience: Prior to joining Lewis-Burke, Amanda served as a Government Affairs Associate in The Ohio State University’s Office of Federal Relations in Washington, D.C., where she handled a portfolio that included higher education issues and administrative functions.
Vital Statistics: A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Amanda graduated summa cum laude from Miami University with bachelor’s degrees in political science and international studies and has a master’s in public policy from George Mason University. Her dedication to the pursuit of nuanced and ethical advocacy was recognized by the Byrce Harlow Foundation through her inauguration into their fellowship program’s 2022-2023 class. As a lover of history, Amanda spends her days off taking in D.C.’s historical sights and museums. She enjoys traveling, reading, and cheering on Ohio’s professional and collegiate sports teams.