(Washington, D.C. / February 6, 2014) The law firm of Baker Donelson has named Sheila P. Burke chair of the Firm's Government Relations & Public Policy Group.
Ms. Burke, a senior advisor in Baker Donelson's Washington, D.C. office, previously served as Chief of Staff to Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole. Ms. Burke spent 19 years on Capitol Hill, and early in her career was a member of the staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance responsible for legislation relating to Medicare, Medicaid and other health programs, ultimately becoming Deputy Staff Director of the Committee. She went on to serve as Deputy Chief of Staff to Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole and then his Chief of Staff for 10 years. In 1995, she was elected as Secretary of the Senate, the chief administrative officer of the United States Senate. She also served as a member of the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPac).
As Chair of the Firm's Government Relations & Public Policy group, Ms. Burke will oversee 19 professionals across Baker Donelson's 19 offices.
"Today in Washington, shaping and advancing public policy is a demanding undertaking. It requires real substance, multiple skills and hands on experience—all of which I find at Baker Donelson. I look forward to leading our very able team," said Ms. Burke.
In addition to her policy and government experience, Ms. Burke continues as a faculty member at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and remains a faculty research fellow at the Malcolm Weiner Center for Social Policy at Harvard.
She is a member of the board of directors of the Bipartisan Policy Center and of The Chubb Corporation and is also a member of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, the National Council of the Institute of Medicine, the Board of Visitors of Georgetown University's School of Nursing and Health Studies, as well as a member of the Board of Regents of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.