Quentin Fulks is a nationally respected political strategist with a distinguished record of leading some of the country’s most high-profile campaigns. He most recently served as Principal Deputy Campaign Manager for both the Biden–Harris and Harris–Walz 2024 presidential campaigns. Fulks rose to national prominence as the architect of Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock’s 2022 re-election victory in Georgia—one of the most closely watched and expensive Senate contests in U.S. history.

In 2018, Fulks served as Deputy Campaign Manager for J.B. Pritzker’s successful gubernatorial campaign, helping flip Illinois from red to blue, later becoming Senior Political Advisor to the Governor. Earlier in his career, he held key roles at major national political organizations in Washington, D.C., including the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), EMILY’s List, and Priorities USA, the leading Democratic Super PAC during the 2016 presidential election.

Fulks is one of the youngest resident fellows in the history of Harvard’s Institute of Politics, serving in Spring 2023, and later completed a fellowship at Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service in Spring 2025.

Fulks serves as Director of the Campaign Management Institute at American University. He is an alumnus of the university, having earned a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Political Science (SPA/MA ’15).

Laura Uttley leverages over 15 years’ experience in federal policy and advocacy as the Director of the Public Affairs and Advocacy Institute (PAAI) within the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies in the School of Public Affairs at American University. Prior to becoming the director in 2023, she served as the Institute’s Academic Director from 2021 to 2023 and as a professional mentor from 2014 to 2021. She also teaches Communication and Writing Methods for Advocacy (GOVT-524) and Changemakers: AI in Politics (SPA-375) at American University. 

Uttley is the Vice President of Policy and Government Relations and the Sara Shallenberger Brown Chair of Environmental Policy for the Woodwell Climate Research Center. Prior to joining Woodwell, Uttley was a Principal at Lewis-Burke Associates LLC, a bipartisan lobbying and consulting firm, where she led the defense and national security practice. Previously, she served in the offices of Congressman James Langevin, Senator Jack Reed, and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs.

Uttley’s broad policy expertise includes climate science and conservation, federal appropriations, defense and national security, biodefense, global health security, science and research infrastructure, higher education, and workforce development.

She is a Truman National Security Project Political Partner, a member of Women in Government Relations, and a founding member and Secretary of the Diversity in Government Relations Coalition. Uttley earned a Master of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from American University.