Pat Reuss

Pat Reuss has been an activist on behalf of women's rights for over 30 years. She currently serves as an advisor to NCADV,after serving as the senior policy analyst for the NOW Foundation. Reuss was a major force behind the 1994 passage of the Violence Against Women Act and its reauthorization in October 2000. She led the effort to make the 1996 welfare bill less punitive to women. Pat is based in the Washington, DC area.

Reuss has been instrumental in passing and protecting civil rights laws, especially Title IX. She led coalitions that passed pension reform, COBRA, improvements in childcare, and the law that protects women from abortion clinic violence (FACE). Among her recognized accomplishments, Reuss received the 1996 "Mentor of the Year Award" from the Public Leadership Education Network for her work with young women. In 1997 the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Associations presented her with the "Annie Barnes Award" for her work on behalf of low income women's reproductive rights.

In 1991, Pat served as the vice president of Government Relations for NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund (now Legal Momentum) where she set up their D.C. policy office. Before coming to D.C., Reuss was an activist in Colorado, Montana and Indiana.

Available to speak or present a workshop on a variety of topics including: Why Lobby?, How to host a Lobby Day, Ending Violence Against Women, The History of VAWA, ,and Ideas for registering voters,