Mario Cardona previously served as the senior policy advisor for K-12 education on the White House Domestic Policy Council during the Obama administration. In that role, he helped develop the administration’s legislative strategy, budget proposals, and policy initiatives focused on early, elementary, and secondary education. Prior to his service in the White House, Mario served as an advisor to senior members of the U.S. Senate, including as a principal advisor to the Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. Prior to his work in Congress, Mario served as a research intern for the Massachusetts Secretary of Education and as an AmeriCorps volunteer in Boston’s public schools. He is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and the George Washington University Law School. Mario is currently an attorney in private practice in California.