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Senior Staff & Phone Numbers


Office of the General Counsel
Senior Staff & Phone Numbers

Immediate Office
TitleNamePhone
General CounselLisa Brown202-401-6000
Principal Deputy General CounselVacant202-401-6000
Chief of StaffRachel Homer202-401-6000
Deputy General CounselHilary Malawer202-401-6000
Deputy General CounselToby Merrill202-401-6000
Deputy General CounselPhilip H. Rosenfelt202-401-6000
Executive OfficerLiza Araujo202-401-6000
Senior CounselJohn Bailey202-401-6000
Senior CounselLaura Booth202-401-6000
Senior CounselWill Desmond202-401-6000
Senior CounselJessa Mirtle202-401-6000
Senior CounselRon Petracca202-401-6000
Senior CounselMatthew Robinson202-401-6000
Senior CounselGenevieve Torres202-401-6000
Senior CounselAriel Warner202-401-6000
Senior CounselRob Wexler202-401-6000
Senior Counsel for Information & TechnologyBucky Methfessel202-401-6000
Special CounselKevin Slupe202-401-6000
Confidential AssistantJennifer Rodriguez202-401-6000

 

Program Service

Division of Early, Elementary, Secondary, Adult, and Vocational Education (DESAVE)

The Division of Early, Elementary, Secondary, Adult, and Vocational Education (DESAVE) provides legal advice for pre-school, elementary, and secondary education programs (including most of the programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended), career and technical education programs, and adult education programs (including those authorized under the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act and the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act).

Acting Assistant General CounselChristine (Chris) Barlow202-401-8292
Deputy Assistant General CounselRebecca Liu202-401-8292

Division of Educational Equity (DEE)

The Division of Educational Equity (DEE) provides legal assistance to the Secretary in connection with the civil rights enforcement activities of the Department pertaining to race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and age discrimination. It also provides legal assistance in connection with the administration of formula and discretionary grant programs intended to ensure and support equal opportunities for infants, toddlers, children, and adults with disabilities, such as those authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. DEE also provides legal assistance in connection with the Magnet Schools Assistance Program, the Randolph-Sheppard Act, and the SOAR Act programs, including the DC Opportunity Scholarships Program.

Assistant General CounselVanessa Santos202-401-8316
Deputy Assistant General CounselFrancisco Lopez202-401-8316

 

Postsecondary and Departmental Law Service

Division of Postsecondary Education (DPE)

The Division of Postsecondary Education (DPE) provides legal services related to the Department's postsecondary education programs, including student financial aid programs, such as the Direct Student Loan, Pell Grant, and Federal Family Education Loan programs, as well as grant programs that provide support to institutions of higher education and students.

Assistant General CounselBrian Siegel202-401-8302
Deputy Assistant General CounselDonna Mangold202-401-8302

Division of Business and Administrative Law (DBAL)

The Division of Business and Administrative Law (DBAL) provides legal services concerning business management and administrative activities throughout the Department, including contracts, procurement, employment, labor relations, appropriations, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, intellectual property, the Freedom of Information Act, the Privacy Act, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the Federal Records Act and the Federal Tort Claims Act.

Assistant General CounselJill Siegelbaum 202-401-6700
Deputy Assistant General CounselLydia Makande202-401-6700

 

Ethics, Legislative Counsel and Regulatory Services

Ethics Division

The Ethics Division is responsible for managing and implementing the Department's ethics program, including providing ethics counseling for current and past Department employees; conducting ethics training; reviewing and certifying employees' financial disclosure reports; advising on public-private partnerships, gifts to the Department, the Hatch Act and lobbying limitations; and serving as liaison with the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) and the Office of White House Counsel on ethics matters. It also serves as ethics counsel to the Department's advisory boards and committees, the National Council on Disability, and the National Assessment Governing Board.

Assistant General Counsel & Designated Agency Ethics OfficialMarcella Goodridge202-401-8309
Deputy Assistant General Counsel & Alternate Designated Agency Ethics OfficialKristina Spencer202-401-8309

Division of Legislative Counsel (DLC)

The Division of Legislative Counsel (DLC) drafts the Department's legislation and related documents, reviews all education-related legislation pending in Congress, and acts as the Department's liaison to the Office of Management and Budget with respect to the clearance of legislative matters. 

Assistant General CounselPaul Riddle202-401-8313

Division of Regulatory Services (DRS)

The Division of Regulatory Services (DRS) advises on matters of administrative law, and manages the development and clearance of regulations and documents related to the discretionary grant programs (e.g., priorities, application notices) that are published in the Federal Register. DRS also serves as the liaison to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) with respect to the clearance of regulations and guidance documents.

Assistant General CounselKatia Kroutil202-401-8300
Deputy Assistant General CounselAmanda Amann202-401-8300

 

Note: This page contains information regarding the Office of the General Counsel senior staff. When fully staffed, the Office of the General Counsel has approximately 130 total employees (including both part-time and full-time employees).

Office of the General Counsel (OGC)
Page Last Reviewed:
January 14, 2025