Maya Harris- Cameron
Maya Harris-Cameron is a Strategic Government and International Affairs professional with over 15 years of experience in federal legislative strategy, advocacy, and public policy development. She began her career in the Foreign Service with the U.S. Department of State, serving overseas in Algeria and Tunisia and at the U.S. Consulate in Montreal, where she led high-stakes engagements including coordinating visits by senior officials like Secretary of State Colin Powell. Her early work in diplomacy honed her expertise in international relations, strategic communication, and cross-cultural negotiation.
After transitioning from the State Department, Maya joined the U.S. Department of Energy, where she spent 15 years shaping congressional and intergovernmental policy. She worked on critical national security and energy legislation, secured millions in appropriations for the National Nuclear Security Administration, and supervised teams handling both authorization and intelligence portfolios. Her role involved liaising with House and Senate committees, drafting testimony for senior officials, and providing legislative risk analysis to advance DOE priorities, earning recognition for her leadership, strategic insight, and ability to navigate complex federal processes.
Currently, Maya serves as a Director at The Reserve Component, a bipartisan public policy and government relations firm. In this capacity, she leads delegations advocating for critical legislation, including the Helper Act, which aims to provide fully financed home loans for community servants such as teachers, firefighters, and EMTs. Throughout her career, Maya has combined a deep understanding of both domestic and international policy with a commitment to public service, leveraging her experience to influence legislation, secure resources, and strengthen bipartisan collaboration across government and private-sector initiatives.
• American University- M.A.
• Howard University- B.A.
• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority
What do you attribute your success to?
I always want to do the best for the person at the top of my food chain, and I've learned that preparation and attention to detail are everything. When Secretary of State Colin Powell came to Algeria during my time as a Foreign Service Officer, I was the site officer for his press conference. I spent two weeks at the Hilton in Algera City Center with my staff, creating a script - my master's degree is in producing for film and television, so I approached it like a production. Everyone knew exactly where they were supposed to be, minute by minute. When his advance officer called 20 minutes before arrival saying the foreign minister wanted to appear with Secretary Powell and we only had one podium, my team and I were able to pull it together because we had walked through everything over and over again. I knew everybody on site from the manager down to the people working there. When Secretary Powell walked up to those podiums, everything was perfect. What made it even more meaningful was when he stopped on the tarmac before flying out, walked back to me, shook my hand, and said 'Good job' - he even remembered meeting me at Howard University. That plane took off into the sunset, and it could have been a movie. It was literally one of the best moments of my life. That experience taught me that when you prepare thoroughly, build strong relationships, and stay focused on serving those you work for, you can handle any challenge that comes your way.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
As a divorced single parent of two boys with autism, the majority of my time outside of work is spent working with my boys and navigating the different resources that are out there for children with autism. In order for me to do this work, I have to have a great support system, and I do - my mom is a retired teacher, and she is an outstanding support system for me. She picks up my children from school and takes them to a community center with inclusion services so they can participate in after-school programs, because school gets out at 1:30 or 2 o'clock and working women need support to actually work. This firm has allowed me some leeway to work in a hybrid way, which I really appreciate. They want to retain their talent. My senior vice president has a four-year-old at home, and she's killing it - she wrapped up $41 million in appropriations for congressional directed spending projects last year. I'm really learning from her, and we are supporting each other. I also value my involvement with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, a historically black Greek organization of college-educated women with over 350,000 members nationally and internationally. I'm active in the sorority and will be producing a video as a special guest for their Delta Days in the Nation's Capital during their 37th annual Legislative Conference, where I'll be speaking about economic empowerment and homeownership. What matters most to me is being able to make a real difference in people's lives - whether that's advocating for the Helper Act to help teachers, firefighters, police officers, EMTs, and paramedics achieve homeownership, or ensuring my own children have the support and resources they need to thrive.