Jessica Schulken has joined The Russell Group, Inc. firm President Randy Russell announced today. The addition of Schulken adds to a bipartisan team of food and agriculture policy experts who have worked at the highest levels of the federal government.

“Jessica immediately brings an added dimension to our practice with two decades of work on the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee,” Russell added.

“She has the mettle that comes with putting together multi-billion dollar budgets while at the same time dealing with some of the most vexing policy questions for the USDA and the FDA.”

Jessica moved to Washington from Kentucky in 1999 and began her career as a Presidential Management Intern at the National Institutes of Health. In 2001, she began with the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies. Initially she was responsible for the FDA, Research, Domestic Nutrition, Food Safety and Conservation program funding.

Schulken was named to the Subcommittee top post in 2012 as Clerk. In addition to program funding, she worked with each Senate Democratic office on their appropriations priorities for the FDA and the USDA.

“I’ve known the Russell Group team for many years, and am excited to join this practice and put my experience to work for our clients.  This will be a new and challenging chapter in my career that I am very much looking forward to,” said Schulken.

Jessica resides in Falls Church, VA with her husband Chad and their children.