Meet the Chief Strategist
The visionary force behind DOE411's mission to make Department of Energy intelligence accessible, actionable, and impactful for stakeholders across the nation.
Emily Baker
Emily Baker is a senior government affairs and policy strategist with more than three decades of experience advancing federal energy, innovation, and technology priorities. A native Washingtonian, she brings deep expertise in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), paired with a sophisticated understanding of how policy, funding, and procurement intersect to drive public–private partnerships and commercialization outcomes.
Emily began her career on Capitol Hill, where she held senior roles for Members of Congress on key energy and environmental committees. She ultimately served as Chief of Staff to a committee chairman, advising on legislative strategy, stakeholder engagement, and complex policy development at the highest levels of Congress.
After leaving Capitol Hill, she transitioned to the private sector with roles in prominent industry associations, including the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), where she led federal advocacy efforts supporting energy deployment and advanced manufacturing. Emily went on to spend more than a decade at the National Venture Capital Association as Vice President of Federal Affairs and Political Advocacy, where she championed policies to strengthen the innovation economy and founded the Cleantech Advocacy Council to elevate investment in “all of the above” energy technologies.
Most recently, Emily served for nearly seven years on the Communications and Public Affairs team at Argonne National Laboratory as DOE Liaison. In this role, she operated at the nexus of policy, communications, and business development — advising on engagement strategies with DOE leadership and program offices while helping position the laboratory for federal funding and strategic partnerships.
Emily has deep expertise in DOE procurement and funding ecosystems, including Management and Operating (M&O) contracts, cooperative agreements, CRADAs, and competitive funding opportunity announcements (FOAs). She has successfully guided internal and external stakeholders in aligning priorities with DOE mission areas, identifying funding pathways, and navigating the full lifecycle of federal opportunities — from positioning and relationship-building through proposal development and award.
Throughout her career, Emily has cultivated trusted relationships across all DOE program offices and with senior department leadership, making her a highly effective connector between government, industry, and the research community. She is widely recognized for her ability to translate complex federal processes into actionable strategies that drive partnerships, funding, and long-term impact.