Irene B. Bueno

Irene B. Bueno is a born leader. And she knows how leaders – including key decision-makers throughout government – think. With decades of experience working in and with the highest levels of government, Irene provides clients with critical insights and advice on issues ranging from education to health care. Irene has been recognized as a Top Lobbyist by the National Institute of Lobbying and Ethics.

Irene’s experience has helped her develop extensive high-level relationships across government, including in the executive branch; House and Senate Democratic Leadership; Congressional Committees with jurisdiction over health, education, and appropriations issues; and the Tri-Caucus (Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Black Caucus, and Asian Pacific American Caucus).

At NVG, Irene leads by drawing on her networks and knowledge of the executive and legislative branches to promote clients’ policy objectives. And she gets results – most recently, her clients saw their policy priorities reflected with the inclusion of language in the Affordable Care Act and the Higher Education Opportunity Act; and, in every Congress, Irene ensures her clients secure critical funding for medical research and education programs.

Before co-founding NVG, Irene served in the Clinton Administration as Special Assistant to the President in the White House Chief of Staff’s Office and Domestic Policy Council and as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Early in her career, she worked as a Legislative Assistant for Senator Alan Cranston (D-CA) and Congressman Edward Roybal (D-CA).

Irene serves on the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Committee and is a leader in the national Asian Pacific Islander American community. She serves on the Asian American Justice Center’s National Advisory Council, Asian American Action Fund Board, and previously served on the Board of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS). Irene has been recognized for her service to the Asian American and Filipino American communities by the Filipino American Women’s Network and the President of the Philippines.

A California native, Irene earned a Juris Doctor from Hastings College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Berkeley. She is a member of the California and District of Columbia Bars and was selected to participate in the Coro Foundation Fellowship Program in Public Affairs in San Francisco, California. An accomplished Latin ballroom dancer, Irene competes at national dance competitions.