Liesl Hickey, Partner, Ascent Media

Liesl Hickey is a veteran political strategist who has worked at the highest levels of politics and issue advocacy.  She has directed large-scale campaign operations and high-profile public affairs efforts.  She has spent her political career crafting messages and strategies for Republicans on how to win in suburban areas, with a focus on women voters.  She is a partner at Ascent Media and Senior Advisor to Guidepost Strategies. 

From 2013-2014, Hickey was the Executive Director of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), where she oversaw a historic 13-seat pickup.  This Republican majority — the largest since 1928 — included a large number of members representing traditionally Democratic constituencies.  Hickey was previously Chief of Staff to then-Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL-11), where she helped author the “Suburban Agenda,” a first-time effort by national Republicans to craft a set of policies targeted at independent, suburban voters — a program that was instrumental to surviving the 2006 Democratic wave election. 

Hickey also was a Senior Director for Campaigns at Bono’s ONE Campaign where she oversaw a $40M national, presidential advocacy effort to fight global poverty and disease.  She was a fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics and a contributor to the Wall Street Journal’s “Think Tank.”  She also is a co-host of the podcast, House Talk with Ali and Liesl.
Hickey is a graduate of Southern Methodist University.  She lives in Washington, D.C., with her husband and three children.

Liesl spoke at the November 2019 Fundraising training session.