Ness Perry
Advocacy Specialist
As LEDC's Advocacy Specialist for the Small Business team, Ness is in charge of developing policy plans and goals that support business owners along the Purple Line Corridor in Prince George’s and Montgomery County as well as the greater advocacy goals of LEDC. Ness brings 6 years of experience working in the policy field, beginning at the state level in her hometown: Orange County, California. At the age of 15, Ness wrote their first bill for the California State Legislature; this launched her interest in the world of politics. Most prevalent to this discovery was Ness’ affinity for how policy shapes everyday life.
Ness moved to Washington D.C. in 2017 with the goal of obtaining an undergraduate degree and working in the policy field. She spent her first summer in D.C. working for the Project on Government Oversight where she contributed to research that exposed the Department of Homeland Security for its treatment of migrants in I.C.E. detention facilities. This research contributed to the drafting and introduction of a bill by Senator Durbin from Illinois and Senator Cory Booker. Following this, Ness worked at NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice as a Communications Associate, supporting their lobbyists and policy goals through social media, the press, and grassroots organizing. Ness enjoyed creating policy strategies that supported access to food, tax breaks for families, and the common good.
Ness has a bachelor’s in History from Trinity Washington University and is currently obtaining a Masters of Legal Studies at Pepperdine University. In their free time, Ness likes to attend concerts, try new vegan recipes, and hang out on the back deck with her roommates.