Laura Worley Novey is a senior vice president at McGuireWoods Consulting and leads the firm’ national education industry team. She assists clients with policy and legislative matters with a particular focus on education issues at the state and federal level. She advises clients on a variety of issues, including relationship building, advocacy, coalition building, appropriations requests and legislative support. She also provides strategic advice and guidance to clients in the healthcare, energy and technology industries.
Prior to joining the firm, Laura spent 27 years in public service, including working in leadership roles at two higher education institutions: Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia. Laura also served as the Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia where she led the development and implementation of the Governor’s education priorities and provided guidance to the 16 public universities, the Virginia Community College System, the Department of Education and the state-supported museums, library, and Arts Commission. She also served as deputy secretary of education and as the executive director of the Governor’s Commission on Higher Education Reform, Innovation, and Investment from 2010-2011, which recommended landmark higher education legislation, including greater emphasis on degree attainment, affordability, high demand degrees, innovation, operational efficiency, and autonomy.