BGR GROUP WELCOMES LABRIAH LEE HOLT TO BIPARTISAN ADVOCACY TEAM
WILL BE BASED IN ATLANTA AND FOCUS ON STATE AND LOCAL OUTREACH
WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 28, 2023) – BGR Group, Washington, D.C.’s premier bipartisan lobbying and public relations firm, today announced that Labriah Lee Holt is joining the State and Local Advocacy Practice as a Vice President. She will be based in Atlanta, Georgia, and focus on building the firm’s bipartisan client work with state and local officials, including Governors, Attorneys General, state legislators, and mayors. She will also contribute to the firm’s Democratic outreach across all levels of government.
“BGR is rooted in the belief that the best policies come from state and local decision-makers,” former Governor and BGR Founder Haley Barbour said. “And tomorrow’s leaders in Washington serve as mayors, state legislators, Attorneys General, and Governors today. Labriah will help BGR’s bipartisan advocacy team continue servicing our clients with her deep issue expertise and critical relationships.”
Labriah brings to BGR her extensive state and local government advocacy experience across corporate, association, legal, and government settings. Most recently, she served as State Government Affairs Director for Microsoft, where she led outreach across the southeast to regional state and local officeholders on artificial intelligence, cloud adoption, datacenter expansion, cyber security, privacy, education, and broadband priorities. Through her expertise in partner engagement, Labriah also helped shape the company’s bipartisan relationships with the United States Conference of Mayors (USCOM), Attorneys General Associations, and served on the Business Council of the African American Mayors Association (AAMA) to help strengthen public and private relationships to advance communities.
“Mayors are on the front lines of addressing the most pressing public policy challenges,” former Columbia, South Carolina Mayor Stephen Benjamin said. “During my three terms as mayor as well as president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Labriah consistently brought me ideas and solutions. Her grasp of complex issues and understanding of the interplay between local leaders and federal decision-makers makes her particularly effective.”
“Labriah’s contributions to our team have been invaluable,” said Fred Humphries, Corporate Vice President of U.S. Government Affairs for Microsoft. “She skillfully navigated a complex political landscape to advocate for the company’s legislative priorities. Her leadership, creativity, and passion have inspired me and many others, and I am confident that she will continue to excel with her new endeavor.”
Speaker Joanna McClinton of Pennsylvania House of Representatives said: “Labriah’s continued success is a testament to her unparalleled work ethic, persistence, and professionalism. Her irreproachable character and exceptional experience make her an asset for any organization focused on advancing thoughtful policies through bipartisanship and people first advocacy.”
“Labriah brings a tremendous amount of industry experience to the BGR team,” BGR Principal and State & Local Advocacy Practice Head Loren Monroe said. “Her work advocating in state capitals and city halls across the country on technology sector priorities gives her a unique and unparalleled perspective. We are excited to have her on board.”
Before joining Microsoft, Labriah worked with federal, state, and local leaders throughout the country to advance policy focused on the U.S.-Israel relationship as AIPAC’s National Director of Outreach for African American Constituencies. During that time, she was recognized by the New York State Assembly and received a Congressional Proclamation from former Congressman Charles Rangel (D-NY) for her work and service within the NYC community. Labriah began her career at Alston & Bird LLP, where she served as a Senior Associate focused on intellectual property. In this role, she counseled Fortune 100 companies and nonprofit organizations on patent, trademark, copyright, social media, and brand protection matters.
Labriah attended Vanderbilt University and the Howard University School of Law, where she excelled as a merit scholar and member of the Howard Law Journal. Labriah is passionate about economic mobility and connecting Metro Atlanta residents to sustainable wage careers in quality jobs. She currently serves on the board of CareerRise, an organization that focuses on meeting employer needs for talent. She previously served on the Black Women’s Health Imperative board and as Vice Chair of the advisory board for the Harvard Debate Council Diversity Project. She is also a LEAD Atlanta graduate and former member of the Anti-Defamation League’s Charles F. Wittenstein Advisory Committee, the Atlanta Citizen Review Board, and Gen 44 Atlanta Finance Committee for the DNC.
“BGR is a trusted, world-class organization, and I am proud to join them in advancing the work of the bipartisan State and Local Advocacy Practice,” Labriah commented. “As an Atlanta native, I am thrilled to see the company expand its footprint to one of the fastest growing cities in the country, in the number one state for doing business. I am eager to work alongside the bipartisan BGR team and bring my policy and coalition building skills to help clients get results.”
