Katie Andress

I handle all of the legislative affairs for the Division of Public Health in North Carolina. My work is cyclical - during session, I'm busiest tracking legislation and flagging bills that could potentially or directly impact public health. I prepare bill reviews that summarize what the bill is, the impacts, the funding, and whether we'll propose amendments. A lot of what I write or edit turns into talking points for our Department of Health and Human Services Secretary's Office. I'm also responsible for making sure our sections complete their legislatively mandated reports, and I do extensive editing to make sure the public would understand them. What I like most is the process itself - the legislative process drives me. I interact with all nine sections of our division almost daily, either briefing leadership or updating them on where bills are and how they're going through committees. I also present regularly to high school students in the Governor's Pages program about public health and why our work is important. It's different every day, and I don't get bored because I have a hand in all these different projects. I find that I work better under pressure or under tight deadlines, and I thrive in that atmosphere.