Ann Lichter

Ann is leading the Rural Innovation Initiative, a new project to bridge the opportunity gap in rural America by helping communities build the capacity to create resilient, innovation-based jobs and businesses and fully participate in the digital economy. Ann has led multiple efforts to design, implement, and scale new programs at the national level. As an executive at the U.S. Department of Labor, Ann piloted new approaches to promote labor law compliance, including expanding the use of data to drive strategic and operational decision-making. She has broad experience managing partnerships, communications, and intergovernmental relations. As an attorney at Hogan Lovells, she advised clients on managing their federal research grants and contracts. Ann grew up in Elkins, West Virginia. She is a Truman Scholar and has a B.A. in cultural anthropology from Wellesley College and a J.D. from Columbia Law School.