Meet OGC Staff
Office of the General Counsel
Senior Staff & Phone Numbers
Immediate Office | ||
Title | Name | Phone |
General Counsel | Lisa Brown | 202-401-6000 |
Principal Deputy General Counsel | Vacant | 202-401-6000 |
Chief of Staff | Rachel Homer | 202-401-6000 |
Deputy General Counsel | Hilary Malawer | 202-401-6000 |
Deputy General Counsel | Toby Merrill | 202-401-6000 |
Deputy General Counsel | Philip H. Rosenfelt | 202-401-6000 |
Executive Officer | Liza Araujo | 202-401-6000 |
Senior Counsel | John Bailey | 202-401-6000 |
Senior Counsel | Laura Booth | 202-401-6000 |
Senior Counsel | Will Desmond | 202-401-6000 |
Senior Counsel | Jessa Mirtle | 202-401-6000 |
Senior Counsel | Ron Petracca | 202-401-6000 |
Senior Counsel | Matthew Robinson | 202-401-6000 |
Senior Counsel | Genevieve Torres | 202-401-6000 |
Senior Counsel | Ariel Warner | 202-401-6000 |
Senior Counsel | Rob Wexler | 202-401-6000 |
Senior Counsel for Information & Technology | Bucky Methfessel | 202-401-6000 |
Special Counsel | Kevin Slupe | 202-401-6000 |
Confidential Assistant | Jennifer Rodriguez | 202-401-6000 |
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 Counsel | Christine (Chris) Barlow | 202-401-8292 |
Deputy Assistant General Counsel | Rebecca Liu | 202-401-8292 |
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 Counsel | Vanessa Santos | 202-401-8316 |
Deputy Assistant General Counsel | Francisco Lopez | 202-401-8316 |
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 Counsel | Brian Siegel | 202-401-8302 |
Deputy Assistant General Counsel | Donna Mangold | 202-401-8302 |
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 Counsel | Jill Siegelbaum | 202-401-6700 |
Deputy Assistant General Counsel | Lydia Makande | 202-401-6700 |
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 Official | Marcella Goodridge | 202-401-8309 |
Deputy Assistant General Counsel & Alternate Designated Agency Ethics Official | Kristina Spencer | 202-401-8309 |
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 Counsel | Paul Riddle | 202-401-8313 |
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 Counsel | Katia Kroutil | 202-401-8300 |
Deputy Assistant General Counsel | Amanda Amann | 202-401-8300 |
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).