Laura Hilgart
Where do you live? San Francisco, CA.
Current company and position? New Deal Advisers, COO and Lobbyist.
First job and what it taught me? I was too young for my first job so the Needham Public Library classified me as a "Junior Volunteer." I loved being there among all the books. It taught me the essential basics - be on time, work hard and if you're lucky to choose, choose an inspiring environment with other people who love it too.
My first "official" job after a string of internships and odd jobs in school was with O'Neill and Associates. I'm lucky to have had that opportunity to see from so close the work behind client services and politics - and (bonus!) from an esteemed Irish American!
How do you embrace your Irish heritage? I'm proud of my Irish heritage and honor it in the daily way with music and continuing to learn about our history. We bring our boys to all the festivities in San Francisco and any Irish concerts coming through. I've also been lucky to be reconnected after 3 generations lost to some cousins who live in San Jose with their family. And we've visited my sister and parents in Dublin and driven all around the beautiful green isle!
I am proud to be Irish by the chance of where my ancestors came from. Beyond that I'm proud of Ireland as a place that pairs tradition alongside striving for a better future, as a place where for the most part the pursuit of economic growth is balanced with fairness and social justice. Slainte!
Something people would be surprised to know about me... I have a few quirky hobbies including kite surfing and acroyoga but probably it would be surprising to some that I also am Celtic through my French heritage as a Breton.
Biography: Laura Hilgart lives on Alameda in the Bay Area with her husband and two toddler boys. She is an effective advocate with experience serving a wide range of clients. Before joining New Deal, she worked at O’Neill and Associates. Laura interned at the French Consulate in Boston, Senator Kerry’s Office in D.C., and social justice nonprofit in Buenos Aires. She is a member of CHIEF, the Bay Area Council, Leadership San Francisco, the Alliance Francaise de San Francisco, and the Western SOMA CBD Board. Laura graduated from Brown University with a B.A. in International Relations and grew up in Boston.
