Sue A. Nelson
Vice President of Federal Advocacy
American Heart Association

Sue Nelson joined the American Heart Association in June of 2005 as Vice President of Federal Advocacy.  She is located in the American Heart Association’s Washington DC office.  The Vice President of Federal Advocacy is responsible for the development and implementation of the American Heart Association's government affairs initiatives aimed at influencing national leaders to implement policies and programs that support the mission and goals of the AHA.  These activities are focused primarily on the U.S. Congress and Federal agencies and Ms. Nelson directly oversees federal lobbying and regulatory relations for the association.  In addition, she plays a key leadership role in shaping overall advocacy policy and direction for the AHA as a member of the Senior Advocacy Management Team.

Prior to joining AHA, Ms. Nelson’s career spanned nearly two decades in the United States Senate, where she focused on budget and health care policy.  She staffed all major budget summits and worked closely with authorizing committees on Medicare prescription drug legislation.  Throughout her tenure in the Senate, she served six Chairmen or ranking members of the Senate Budget committee, ending her career as Deputy Director and Senior Analyst for Medicare.

Ms. Nelson began her Washington DC career as a presidential management intern and moved on to become a budget analyst for the Office of Management and Budget.  She was also budget advisor to the Clinton-Gore Transition Team and served as Associate Director of the National Economic Commission.  Ms. Nelson holds a Masters of Public Affairs from the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs, as well as a Bachelor of Arts with distinction from the University of Michigan.  She lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband and two children.