Tess Hembree is a government relations professional, grassroots advocacy expert, and effective lobbyist with over ten years of experience in her field. She has helped communities across the United States access federal funding and legislative solutions by working with national organizations that focus on housing, planning, and sustainability. Hembree advocates for the critical role that the federal government plays in creating and preserving affordable housing, and has achieved significant legislative success by increasing funding for housing and community development programs by 10 percent. Her grassroots expertise has grown national organizations' advocacy efforts, increasing individual participation in advocacy campaigns by 70 percent and increasing advocacy letters sent from 3,000 per year to over 13,000 in a single month. Hembree has trained thousands of housing and planning professionals to advocate effectively for their communities. Hembree studied Political Science, Political Science, and Journalism at Western Washington University, and is currently the Director of Government Relations at the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO). Prior to working at NAHRO, she was the Policy Director at Advocacy Associates and the Benefits Administrator at Milliman.