Shawna Francis Watley is a Senior Policy Advisor for Holland & Knight's Government Section. Ms. Watley has over 14 years of public policy and political experience. She was the founder and president of the Francis Group LLC, which specialized in government relations consulting and advocacy. Her practice worked extensively on transportation issues.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight LLP, Ms. Watley held the position of Director of Congressional Affairs for the Democratic Leadership Council. In this role, she was responsible for the development of strategy, programming and implementation for the Congressional Affairs Department. During her tenure she designed the Meet the Freshman Series, the weekly Congressional newsletter, the organization's Congressional Agenda for the 21st Century, and the Global Economy Project. As the primary point of contact with Members of Congress, she has extensive relationships with moderate Democratic Senators and Representatives as well as senior staff. A former Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator J. Robert Kerrey, she has a keen understanding of the workings of Congress.