As the Director of National Advocacy, Laura leads the Hispanic Federation’s Washington, D.C. office with a primary focus on national policy and legislative advocacy efforts on issues including immigration, Puerto Rico disaster recovery and rebuilding, the environment, education, health care, voting rights, and LGBTQ and civil rights issues. In this capacity, she engages local, regional and national partners to promote federal policies that improve and advance the quality of life for Hispanic and Latino Americans. Esquivel is a seasoned political and legislative strategist with more than 25 years of experience working at all levels of government, including local, state, and federal, and with the non-profit sector. Ms. Esquivel holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where she expanded her civil rights work to include international human rights, and a master’s degree in Political Science from California State University, Los Angeles.  She was appointed twice by Governor O’Malley to serve in Senate-confirmed positions, and served five years on the Maryland Civil Rights Commission. Born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, Laura has spent the past 17 years in the Washington, DC area.