Emily R. Baker

About Emily R. Baker

Emily Baker is a strategic advisor to C-suite executives and boards navigating high-stakes business challenges — from crisis communications and public outreach to fraud prevention and regulatory scrutiny. As a co-founder and COO of Portman Square Group, she helps lead a strategic communications and intelligence firm with offices across three continents, working alongside Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and startups when reputation and operational continuity are at stake. Her decade of federal service provides unique insight for clients operating at the intersection of business and government. Appointed by President George W. Bush at 28 to lead the GSA Northeast region—becoming one of the youngest members of the U.S. government\'s Senior Executive Service—she managed a nearly $2 billion budget, oversaw major federal construction projects including the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, and directed all government technology procurements and contracting for military and civilian agencies across the region. At the Department of Commerce, she was deputy director for congressional affairs focused on international trade, intellectual property, and cybersecurity policy, and served as an international press representative for the White House across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.Her experience in technology and go-to-market strategy spans both startups and established enterprises. She previously served as COO of Kompliant, a fintech compliance platform, helping scale the company through a successful acquisition. She currently advises deep tech companies on market positioning, regulatory navigation, and strategic growth, leveraging her government technology procurement background and communications expertise to help innovative companies break through in complex markets.Emily\'s board service reflects her commitment to building stronger communities: she serves on the boards of St. Luke\'s Health System, St. Luke\'s Health Plan, and as chair of the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, where she champions economic growth and healthcare access across Idaho.A fifth-generation Idahoan and Presidential Leadership Scholar, Emily is also an adjunct professor at Boise State University, where she teaches the next generation of leaders. She lives in Boise with her husband Mike and their three sons.

Experience

1. 2018 Scholar

   Presidential Leadership Scholars

   Jan 2018 — Present

   The PLS Program draws upon the remarkable resources of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Clinton Foundation, the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation, and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation. Scholars learn from former presidents, key administration officials, respected presidential scholars, and leading academics, and each other. The program is designed to develop a generation of leaders who are focused on solving society’s toughest challenges and creating measurable change in their communities, our Nation, and the world.

Skills

• Community Development
• Legislative Relations
• Policy
• Economics
• Strategy
• Public Affairs
• Political Campaigns
• Diplomacy
• Message Development
• Public Policy
• Crisis Management
• Coalitions
• Politics
• Crisis Communications
• Strategic Planning
• Proposal Writing
• Legislation
• Public Relations
• Media Relations
• Grassroots Organizing
• Federal Government
• Foreign Policy
• Lobbying
• Government
• Nonprofits
• Government Contracting
• Economic Development
• Political Communication
• Business Development
• Political Science
• Fundraising
• Strategic Communications
• International Relations
• State Government
• Political Consulting
• Corporate Communications
• Policy Analysis
• Public Speaking
• Government Relations
• Speech Writing