Sophia A. Nelson

Infobox Person
name = Sophia A. Nelson


image_size =
caption =
birth_name = Sophia Angeli Nelson
birth_date = birth date and age|1967|01|05
birth_place = Munich, Germany
residence =
nationality = American
residence = Ashburn, Virginia
education = San Diego State University and Washington College of Law, American University
occupation = Lawyer, Author, Political Commentator
website = [http://politicalintersection.blogspot.com/ Official site Political Intersection]

Sophia A. Nelson (born January 5, 1967) is an American political strategist, opinion writer, and attorney.

Nelson was born in New Jersey to Command Sergeant Major Ronald Nelson, Sr., USA Ret. and Mrs. Sandra Nelson. She is the oldest of two children.

Political strategist

Nelson has worked in Republican Party politics since she was 20 years old. She served as Legislative Policy Analyst in the New Jersey Legislature in 1990 and as a Special Assistant in the Office of the Business Ombudsman during the administration of Governor Christine Todd Whitman Administration (R-NJ) in 1994. She also has experience in the United States Congress, serving as an Investigative Counsel to Majority Staff of The House Government Reform Committee’s Campaign Finance Investigation in the late 1990s.

Additionally, she was a Director of Congressional & Public Affairs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

She has worked on several national campaigns for Republican candidates, including George H. W. Bush in 1992, and President George W. Bush in 2000 & 2004.

In 1996, Sophia became the youngest and the first black female in the state of New Jersey to receive a major political party's nomination for the U.S. Congress. As a black female Republican in New Jersey's 1st congressional district Nelson's candidacy was widely watched at the national and state levels. [See articles April 1996 New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier Post]

Legal career

She previously served as Senior Counsel in the law firm of Holland & Knight's Public Policy and Regulation Group. Her practice was focused in the areas of homeland security, intelligence and defense issues. Nelson also represented clients before all of the federal civilian agencies.

Before coming to Holland & Knight, Nelson served as President and CEO of her own boutique government markets firm ALN Consulting, Inc. [ [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2003_July_9/ai_104969782 ALN Consulting Client, Computer Horizons, Acquires Local 8a Graduate Firm RGII; ALN Partner HKSBS Praised for Success in Directing Merger | Business Wire | Find Articles at BN... ] ] She also served concurrently as Of Counsel with Dutko Worldwide.

Nelson is a member of the New Jersey, District of Columbia Bar and she is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Media contributions

Nelson has made speeches and corporate presentations to Fortune 500 companies and major trade associations headquartered in Washington, D.C. [http://www.hklaw.com/id24660/PublicationId5/ReturnId16048/ServiceId68/contentid46893/ Minority Business & Professional’s Network, Inc.’s fifth annual Economic Empowerment & National Women’s Leadership Conference] She has been featured in the New York Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, Influence Magazine, Minority Enterprise Advocate Magazine’s Top Entrepreneurs under 40 lists, as well as the American Bar Association’s national magazine. Nelson has appeared as a political analyst on air on shows such as XM Radio POTUS08 Channel, FOXNEWS, CNN, C-SPAN, and other Washington, D.C. Television and Radio programs.

Nelson is co-author of a political book titled, "The Illusion of Inclusion: A Black Insider's View on the Modern GOP, Racial Politics, & the 2008 Presidential Campaign".

Nelson is a published writer of many opinion and legal articles. She has written articles for "The Washington Post" [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/21/AR2005102102305.html I'm Hoping Bush Can Finish What Lincoln Started ] ] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/18/AR2008071802557.html "Black. Female. Accomplished. Attacked. Washington Post (7/20/08)] , "New York Times", "Wall Street Journal", "Legal Times" and "The Washington Times".

She currently is a contributing writer to The Politico [ [http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/8962.html Obama doesn't have ‘race problem' — GOP does - Sophia Angeli Nelson - Politico.com ] ] and TheRoot.com.

Nelson is also the founder of the new political think tank Political Intersection and the editor of the political intersection blog. [ [http://www.politicalintersection.com Politicalintersection.Com ] ] [ [http://www.politicalintersection.blogspot.com Political Intersection: Where Race & Gender Intersect with Politics ] ] .

Civic affiliations

IASK, INC.: Nelson is the President & CEO Of iask, Inc. which is an organization dedicated to the advancement of service-self-success of professional black women. [ [http://www.iaskinc.org iask, Inc ] ] [http://www.iaskinc.org/presmes.html IASK President's Message] .

Nelson is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/13/AR2008071301838_pf.html "A Century of Sisterhood," Washington Post (7/14/08)]

Nelson was appointed to the Board of Directors of Southwestern Christian College in 2007. [http://www.swcc.edu/Cataloge_2007_2009.pdf]

References