Don Polese

Don Polese has spent over three decades on Capitol Hill, both with leading Members of Congress and as a consultant to many significant California private and public companies and organizations. He leads the Vectis DC team and helps clients navigate a variety of complicated federal issues, from delivering legislative and regulatory policy wins to securing annual appropriations.

Through his long-time service as District Chief of Staff to San Diego and Orange County Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ron Packard, he is deeply knowledgeable about the annual federal budget and appropriations process. Don also has developed many years of close relationships within key Federal agencies in DC and in California, including Defense, Energy, Education, Interior, Transportation, and EPA. He has assisted in the procurement of Federal permits for several major public and private projects throughout the Golden State and is considered a “water buffalo,” designating his decades of experience in water policy.

From helping America’s Stadium, the Rose Bowl, keep its doors open during COVID to ensuring municipalities and special districts advance their legislative and funding priorities as well as spurring the creation of new caucuses in the House to address issues as diverse as aerospace and the ocean, Don is a creative problem-solver.

He is on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County Business Federation (LA BizFed) and the Advisory Board of Abstract, a collaborative, cloud-based AI tool to track, organize, and impact legislation. Don is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he received a BA in Government, and resides in Arlington, Virginia with his wife Jane.