Terrell Halaska and Kristin D. Conklin

Terrell Halaska is a partner at HCM Strategists. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Halaska the assistant secretary of education for legislation and congressional affairs. She was a member of the senior strategic management team and served as the agency’s key negotiator with Congress on several key initiatives

Ms. Halaska also served as special assistant to the President for domestic policy at the White House, advising the President, domestic policy advisor, and other senior White House staff. She was responsible for developing and advancing administration policies on family and children’s issues, including early childhood education, welfare reform, child welfare, adoption, housing, and homelessness.

Ms. Halaska joined the White House staff following her role as deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As a member of Secretary Tommy Thompson’s senior strategic management team, she oversaw policy development on a number of issues, including stem cell research and international and domestic HIV/AIDS. Previously, Ms. Halaska directed the state of Wisconsin’s Washington office, and on Capitol Hill, she was press secretary to Congressman Scott Klug (R-WI).

Ms. Halaska earned a master’s degree in policy studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, San Diego.





Kristin D. Conklin is a founding partner of HCM Strategists, LLC. Prior to starting HCM, Ms. Conklin served as senior advisor to the undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Education. She provided advice and analysis on high school rigor, postsecondary access, and college affordability. She helped develop the President’s FY08 education budget, which included the largest increase in Pell grants in more than 30 years.

Previously, Kristin spent 10 years working with states and representing state policy and policymakers in Washington. From 2000 to 2006, she was program director in the Education Division at the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices. At NGA, she launched and managed the $23.6 million Honor States Grant Program, which supports gubernatorial leadership and high school policy innovation in 26 states. Ms. Conklin is co-author of the 2005 National Education Summit on High Schools policy blueprint and led the development of NGA’s Getting it Done: Ten Steps to a State Action Agenda, which has been implemented in more than 35 states. She directed the Washington office of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education from 1997 to 2000.

She has a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo.