Founding Strategic Advisor, Government Technology & Services Coalition

Senior Advisor, Cornerstone Government Affairs

As a founding partner of the Government Technology and Services Coalition, Michelle Mrdeza brings more than twenty-three years of experience in public service to its members, working primarily in the Executive and Legislative branches of government. In 2007, Ms. Mrdeza retired as the majority staff director of the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Homeland Security. She directed this subcommittee since its inception in February of 2003, gaining a unique understanding of the challenges and opportunities within both the Department of Homeland Security and the homeland security space. Michelle is President and CEO of MXM Consulting LLC and a Senior Advisor to one of the top public relations and lobbying firms in Washington, D.C., Cornerstone Government Affairs. As President and CEO of MXM Consulting, Michelle serves as a subject matter expert on homeland security and appropriations issues for Georgetown University, the Brookings Institution, the Homeland Security Institute, the MITRE Corporation and the Homeland Security and Defense Business Council. She also serves as a senior advisor to several small start-up companies, helping them navigate the dynamic and diverse homeland security environment.

At Cornerstone, Michelle leads the firm’s homeland security practice group. In that capacity, Michelle represents a broad and diverse set of clients, helping them identify funding opportunities within the Department of Homeland Security, introducing them to decision makers and putting clients in an advantageous position to successfully bid on multi-year contracts.

At the GTSC, Michelle helps members understand how actions by the legislative branch can fundamentally impact opportunities in the security space. In particular, she helps members understand and navigate the annual appropriations process—and how that process affects their bottom line.

Michelle received a Master’s of Public Administration from George Washington University, a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Virginia, and was a senior research fellow at the UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research. She was named to the Phi Alpha Alpha Honor Society and was the recipient of the 1998 George Washington University Department of Public Administration Distinguished Alumni Award. In 2006, Michelle received the US Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award.