Sara Schaumburg Joins Arnold Ventures as Vice President of Advocacy, Communications & External Affairs — Chief of Staff

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 14, 2024) — Legislative and communications professional Sara Schaumburg has been appointed Arnold Ventures’ (AV) vice president of advocacy, communications, and external affairs – chief of staff, effective immediately. Schaumburg joins the organization after previously serving as a chief counsel, policy advisor, and communications director in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. 

In this role, Schaumburg will work to enhance AV’s impact as a trusted champion for evidence-based, nonpartisan solutions to some of America’s toughest policy challenges. 

“AV takes on some of the most challenging issues facing our country,” said James Williams, executive vice president of advocacy, communications, and external affairs. ​“Breaking through the political noise and serving as a counterbalance to special interest groups requires tremendous coordination and strategic thinking. Fortunately for us, those are two of Sara’s strongest attributes.” 

In addition to practicing law at a well-established law firm in D.C., Schaumburg has served as a key advisor in three different Congressional offices, handling communications for Representative Patrick Murphy, and health policy for Representative Edward Markey. Her most recent position was chief counsel and staff director for U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff. 

“Arnold Ventures comes to the policy conversation armed with reliable data, strong ideas for how best to move forward, and an open-mindedness that’s not cluttered by partisan positioning,” said Schaumburg. ​“It’s the type of mindset that leads to actual improvement in people’s lives, and I could not be more excited to join this effort.” 

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Arnold Ventures is a philanthropy that supports research to understand the root causes of America’s most persistent and pressing problems, as well as evidence-based solutions to address them. By focusing on systemic change, AV is working to improve the lives of American families, strengthen their communities, and promote their economic opportunity. Since Laura and John Arnold launched their foundation in 2008, the philanthropy has expanded, and Arnold Ventures’ focus areas include education, criminal justice, health, infrastructure, and public finance, advocating for bipartisan policy reforms that will lead to lasting, scalable change. As signatories of the Giving Pledge, the Arnolds have committed to giving away most of their wealth during their lives.