Growing up in Washington, DC, Portia has always wanted to serve the community around her. This desire led to the path of becoming an attorney, so that she could effectively advocate for the most vulnerable populations among us. Portia currently serves as Policy and Compliance Director for Employ Prince George’s, Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides workforce development strategies and solutions throughout Prince George's County. Over a number of years, working as a contract attorney provided a solid foundation in litigation support--from document review to discovery--for clients in such areas as patent infringement, antitrust litigation, and securities matters. Clients ranged from pharmaceutical companies to financial institutions. The work was broadly educational, but did not fulfill her calling to community advocacy. Before joining Employ Prince George’s, Portia worked most recently as the legislative director for a Maryland state senator, taking on increasing responsibility as the senator wound down his legislative career and entered retirement. The past year working in the Maryland General Assembly provided a unique opportunity to deeply engage with the community at large, county and state officials, and advocacy groups to reach sustainable, inclusive solutions to complex challenges. The change to greater community engagement and problem-solving for constituents was welcome. It tapped into a deep commitment to serve the community through shaping public policy for the benefit of the communities in Maryland. Portia has a BBA in Marketing from Howard University, a JD from Howard University School of Law, and has studied abroad at Maastricht University in Maastricht, Netherlands. She resides in Washington, DC and is licensed to practice law in Maryland.