Tom Ciavarella at the US Capitol in 2025

Politics and Policy

My work in these fields has evolved from personal interest to professional focus. You can see my full policy and politics resume here.

  • Laura Fine for Congress

    Field Organizer, January 2026 - Present

    Engage with voters, recruit and train volunteers, and build local networks to share Laura Fine’s vision across Illinois' 9th Congressional district (IL-09).

    Haley Stevens for Congress

    Fundraiser, July 2025 to present

    Chicago-area fundraising for U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI-11), candidate for U.S. Senate from Michigan in the 2026 election cycle.

  • STM Goes To Washington

    Combining my corporate and political selves, I continued the “STM Goes to Washington” series of panels at publishing-industry meetings. These sessions bring policy specialists together with publishers, librarians, and researchers to encourage understanding of the political process.

    Details of these events, which started in 2023, are on the Speaking page of the website.

  • Frontiers, a scientific and academic publishing company

    Head of Public Affairs, North America; September 2022 to June 2025

    • Managed U.S. and Canada government relations for a multinational publisher based in Switzerland, advocating for increased science funding and improved technology policy.

    • Aligned with the company’s Public Relations and Science Communications teams on proactive and reactive messaging, media inquiries, and op-ed pieces.

    • Liaised with Swiss embassies (Washington DC, Ottawa) and consular staff (Chicago, San Francisco) on mutual science and technology priorities.

    Made frequent Hill visits. Key contacts included:

    U.S. House of Representatives

    ■      House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

    U.S. Senate

    ■      Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

    ■      Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs

    Federal agencies

    ■      Office of Deputy Director, NIH Office of Science Policy

  • While managing large and strategic accounts for the Copyright Clearance Center I served as a liaison to CCC's Government Relations team, which works to guide policymakers on copyright modernization and related topics.

    Separately I served on the Education Committee of the UK-based International Association for Artists and Rights Holders (IAFAR). The group advocates for artists’ ability to collect royalties for neighboring rights, so called because they neighbor (sit next to) song copyrights.

    (Also called “related rights,” neighboring rights are a sound-recording royalty for any performer who has made an audible contribution to a recording and to the rights holder who owns the recording.)

  • Chicago Board of Elections

    Election Judge, October-November 2020

    Trained and served as poll worker for November 2020 federal, state, and local elections.

    Amy for America

    Convention Delegate Nominee, September 2019-March 2020

    One of eight candidates from the 7th Congressional District on the March 2020 Illinois primary ballot in support of Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) for president.

    Hillary for America

    Volunteer, September-November 2016

    While living in London, UK, coordinated with Americans living abroad on behalf of Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

    Obama for America

    Volunteer, 2008 and 2012 election cycles

    Participated in phone banking, local canvassing, and related GOTV activities in the southeastern Philadelphia suburbs.