McGuireWoods Consulting taps education team lead

Richmond-based McGuireWoods Consulting has named former Virginia Secretary of Education Laura Novey to lead its national education team, the firm announced Tuesday.

Novey joined the consulting firm affiliated with the state’s largest law firm in 2017 as senior vice president, after serving as executive assistant to the president for state governmental affairs at the University of Virginia. Prior to that, she served as Virginia’s education secretary from 2011 to 2013 under former Gov. Bob McDonnell, and was previously deputy secretary. Novey has also worked in leadership roles at Virginia Tech, where she has bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

The firm’s education team assists clients with policy and legislative matters and advises on a variety of issues, including relationship development, issue advocacy, communications strategy, coalition building, appropriations requests and legislative initiatives, analysis and government relations support. The firm’s education clients include Fortune 500 companies, school districts, state education associations, state and private universities, education technology startups, national charter school networks, private schools and state and national nonprofits.

Novey joins two other former state education secretaries at McGuireWoods Consulting — Jim Dyke, who served under Gov. Doug Wilder from 1990 to 1993, and Fran Bradford, who served from December 2021 to January 2022 under Gov. Ralph Northam.

“MWC consultants have worked at the highest levels of government and educational institutions to craft the nation’s educational policies,” firm Chairman Mark Bowles said in a statement, “From early learning to higher education and workforce development, in both the public and private sector, MWC team members have a long history assisting clients in this rapidly evolving sector. We are happy to have Laura take over the leadership of this important team.”

The team will work with McGuireWoods’ education industry team led by McGuireWoods Partner Farnaz Thompson to identify opportunities to support client needs.