On November 17 at 6:30 pm, CCPS Dialogues on Democracy brings you a conversation with Speaker Nancy Pelosi's former Chief of Staff John Lawrence and Speaker Kevin McCarthy's former Chief of Staff Dan Meyer.
November 17th, 2026
6:30 pm
School of International Service
Founders Room (T07)

Dan Meyer served as chief of staff to Kevin McCarthy from 2019 to 2023, during McCarthy’s time as House Republican minority leader and as House speaker. Before that, Meyer was assistant to the president for legislative affairs during the George W. Bush administration. He was previously chief of staff to Newt Gingrich, during Gingrich’s time as House Republican whip and as House speaker. Meyer also worked for the Duberstein Group, a lobbying firm, serving as vice president and later president. He is on the board of the Congressional Institute Inc. and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
John A. Lawrence spent 38 years as a senior congressional staff member, the last eight as chief of staff to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He has an A.B. from Oberlin College, and a Ph.D. in history from Berkeley, and since 2013, has been a visiting professor at the University of California’s Washington Center. He blogs on national politics and Congress at DOMEocracy, speaks widely on current political issues and trends, and has published in the New York Times, Politico Magazine and The Atlantic.
