A New Leader for a Transformational Time

The Hon. Jane L. Campbell, Fourth President of the USCHS

The United States Capitol Historical Society’s Board of Trustees has unanimously approved the appointment of the Honorable Jane L. Campbell as the organization’s fourth president and CEO. “As a career public servant with a passion for history, her leadership will help the Society fulfill its civic education role as the intersection of Congress’ history and its future in this transformational time” noted Board of Trustees Chairman Donald G. Carlson. “I am honored to lead the USCHS at this key time” Ms. Campbell remarked. “We learn so much by understanding our history. Surely we can find the example of our ‘better angels’ to guide us.” By presenting our country’s history through the lens of the Congress and the Capitol, the Society serves as a constant reminder of who we are as Americans. Ms. Campbell, the first and to date only woman to serve as Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, comes to the Society with significant experience in the United States Congress. She served Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana as Chief of Staff From 2009-13, leading efforts to recover from both Hurricane Katrina and the Gulf oil spill and serving as the Senator’s principal advisor on health care. She then served as Staff Director for the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, where she directed policy to support small businesses’ access to capital, federal contracting opportunities, business counseling, and engagement in international trade. Later, as Senior Advisor to Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington, Ms. Campbell led the committee’s work on access to capital and women’s entrepreneurship. Campbell’s Senate work consistently involved building bipartisan policy partnerships. Following her work in the Senate, Ms. Campbell led the Washington Office of the National Development Council (NDC). There she combined her first-hand knowledge of how local governments invest in under-served communities with NDC’s financial expertise to influence federal public policy that impacts low-income housing, social infrastructure development and small business lending. Ms. Campbell is also the immediate past president of Women Impacting Public Policy (WIPP), a coalition of women business organizations advocating for federal policy to support women entrepreneurs. Ms. Campbell is now a Senior Advisor at both Public Private Strategies and the International Economic Development Council, the country’s largest organization of economic development professionals. She advises communities, foundations, and non-profits on Opportunity Zone investment strategy and works on federal policy for distressed communities. Ms. Campbell currently serves on the Boards of the Lincoln Land Policy Institute, the Faith and Politics Institute, and the Association for Enterprise Opportunities. She is also on the Steering Committee for the National Democratic Institute’s effort to support women Mayors around the globe. Through NDI she served as election monitor for the Tunisian election following the Arab Spring. Ms. Campbell’s public service career also includes serving five years as county commissioner for Ohio’s largest county, six terms in the Ohio House of Representatives and a term on the Regional Transit Authority Board. Her public service focused on economic development, fiscal stability, child welfare, and health and human services policy. She established Ohio’s first Brownfield Loan program and carried the legislation to finance both Cleveland sports stadiums. After successfully implementing welfare reform, Governing Magazine honored Campbell as 2000 Public Official of the Year. Campbell also served as President of the National Conference of State Legislators. Ms. Campbell is the proud mother of two accomplished daughters, Dr. Jessica Merrill of Little Rock, Arkansas and Catherine Campbell-Morrison, a Yale divinity student.

A New Leader for a Transformational Time

United States Capitol Historical Society

Become a Member Today!

Support Civic Education in 2025

Join Today!