Lauri Hennessey

Lauri Hennessey began her career in the newsroom at KIRO radio twenty years ago. In the years after that, she worked as a press secretary in Washington, D.C. for two Northwest Members of Congress, ran a large public affairs office for a Northwest federal land management agency, and worked as a special assistant for the regional head of the Environmental Protection Agency. As the Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in Oregon and Washington, Lauri worked closely on issues involving forestry, salmon, growth management, tourism, and much more. She supervised a large staff, and was directly responsible for Congressional relations, and was the lead spokesperson for the agency in the Northwest. She was also loaned to the office that implemented the Northwest Forest Plan, then President Clinton's attempt to end long-running debates over Northwest forests, and worked with the White House on message development, organized press conferences, and worked with local governments. At the EPA, Lauri worked with the Regional Administrator, and worked closely with the public on his behalf. Today, Lauri works primarily with non-profit organizations (including the Greater Seattle YMCA, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Camp Fire USA's Central Puget Sound Council) government agencies (including the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and the City of Seattle) and grassroots campaigns. She has contacts across the Oregon and Washington news media. She is an adept writer, and has been published regionally and nationally. For the last decade, she has written an award-winning monthly column (on children's issues) for the Ballard News Tribune, the Highline Times, the West Seattle Herald, and the Vashon Beachcomber. Lauri is married, has three children, and lives on Vashon Island. She is an active member of the community, serving on the Chamber, Parks, Allied Arts, Youth and Familiy Services, and PTSA Boards over the last severa years. She also is a singer and has performed in a variety of groups and musicals on Vashon. Her favorite volunteer hobbies are running her daughter's Camp Fire group and coaching her softball team.