Lorelle Atkinson

Lorelle Atkinson is the Vice President for Communications and Marketing at the Aspen Institute. She leads the in-house communications agency for the public policy programs and oversees the strategic and editorial direction of the Institute’s marketing initiatives. She also oversees communications for the Institute’s first enterprise-wide initiative, the Aspen Partnership for an Inclusive Economy, a $26 million partnership with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth.

Prior to joining the Aspen Institute, Lorelle was the acting Vice President for Congressional and Public Affairs at the Millennium Challenge Corporation during the Obama administration. She oversaw and managed international and domestic public affairs, executive communications, media relations, public events, the speakers bureau, the creative team, interagency communication coordination, internal communications, and the external website. She served as a vital member of the Investment Management Committee, which oversaw the annual approval of $1 billion in federal grants around the world. Lorelle also managed rollouts of several agency and White House initiatives on a broad range of foreign policy and development issues, including Power Africa, Feed the Future, Let Girls Learn, and the Open Government Partnership.

Lorelle was also the principal of LCA Consulting, providing strategic communications counsel and support to purpose-driven domestic and global development organizations and government contractors. She worked with clients to build and elevate their brands, strengthen their messaging, and reach new audiences. Her clients included civil rights advocacy organizations and international development implementers.

Throughout her career, Lorelle has served in leadership roles in a variety of domestic and foreign policy organizations, passionately building, growing, and leading diverse and creative teams. She has extensive experience in issue advocacy, policy communications, and brand management. A Texas native, she currently lives in Northern Virginia and sits on the Board of Directors for Washington Women in Public Relations.