Building a better Oregon
Providing Lobbying Services, Project Management and Land Use and Environmental Policy Consulting.
Building a better Oregon
Providing Lobbying Services, Project Management and Land Use and Environmental Policy Consulting.
Our Team
Teamwork Makes Dreamwork
Success as a lobbyist takes a willingness to work with others to achieve results. Nothing ever happens in the lobbying world unless it revolves around a team. For us, that starts with the client and continues with the coalitions we build.
Ellen Miller Kudszus, Senior Lobbyist and Owner
Ellen has over 11 years of lobbying experience in Oregon working with legislators, staff, the governor’s office, and state agencies. She works closely with Republicans and Democrats to achieve client outcomes. As a contract lobbyist she has represented public, private, and non-profit clients. She has deep knowledge of state agency programs and budgets based on her time working at the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) as a legislative coordinator and policy analyst. Her lobbying track record includes passing bills, amending bills, preventing damaging legislation from moving forward and securing budget items for clients.
On a personal note, Ellen is a recovering, retired professional civil engineer. She spent her first career in the environmental engineering and land development fields. She is a proud graduate of Santa Clara University and Atkinson School of Business at Willamette University. She lives in Salem with her family and is a bike, book, and bird nerd.
Leah Tucker, Legislative Associate
Leah joined the team in 2022 as a PSU intern. She quickly rose to her Associate status through her proven work ethic and products. Prior to joining Ellen, Leah spent over 10 years in the food industry, including 5 years of advocacy and consulting for the mobile food industry throughout Oregon. She worked closely with state and local agencies including the Oregon Health Authority and its county representatives, the State Fire Marshal’s office and its district representatives, and countless city councils, planning, and zoning offices. She consulted with small and large businesses to curate competitive developments and business opportunities as well as ensure full state and local compliance. She built success on meeting all stakeholders where they are at and help find common ground. Her relationships with state and local government agencies and businesses ensure the open communication that is key to getting results for clients.
On a personal note, Leah is pursuing a Public Policy Master’s Degree at PSU. She excels in Excel and has a passion for data. She lives in Portland with her family and she can make a butter burger that will change your life.
Alexis Gonzales, Legislative Intern
We are excited to welcome Alexis Gonzalez to the bau Oregon lobby team for the 2025 Oregon Legislative Session. Alexis has six years of professional work and volunteer experience, including acting as a member of a youth commission in Goodyear, Arizona, as part of the Teamsters for two years, and as a freelancer for another two years.
On a personal note, Alexis is pursuing a dual major in Political Science and Social Sciences at PSU. He is a history aficionado and considers it a vital resource to draw upon in a changing world. He lives in Portland and cultivates a creative practice in his spare time.
Current Clients
Previous Clients
Our Standards
Commitment and Style
A PERSONAL COMMITMENT: A YOUR WORD IS YOUR BOND ETHIC
There is no more critical trait than this one. If you say something, mean it. Stick by it. If you have to change your perspective, alert all those to whom you previously spoke that you’ve had to change. That, alone, will enhance your credibility.
A PERSONAL STYLE: PERSEVERANCE
Over my years at the State Capitol in Salem, I saw that those who arrived early, remained active during the day and stayed late often got things done. In the sometimes-awkward nature of lobbying, finding legislators early and late often translated to an important minute or two – a minute or two to make a positive impression on behalf of a client. Because lobbying is the business of making a series of positive impressions, finding time to make the first one is critical. Then, the others can follow – early, mid-day or late.
Now, given the pandemic, most lobbying is done virtually rather than in person. But the perseverance summarized above still works.
A PERSONAL COMMITMENT: CLIENT EXPERTISE INVOKES LOBBYING
In lobbying, what matters is what the client thinks. A client's perspectives, words and deeds are critical to representing that client's interests. More critical than a lobbyist’s perspectives, words and deeds. My approach is, first, to listen carefully to a client's perspective, then apply my experience -- how to get things done in a public policy environment -- honed over years in the process.
A PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT: FIND THE SMART MIDDLE
Finding the smart middle is a critical dimension of work as a lobbyist. Often, simply prevailing on the “yes” or the “no” is not possible, given the character of the Legislature. So, compromise can be the name of the game. As a lobbyist, my goal is to help get clients explain what they want and why they want it. Then, I’ll work hard and smart to achieve the result, or apprise clients of possible compromises.
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bau Oregon, Inc. is a woman-owned business incorporated in 2021 and built on a decade of experience working with state and local policy makers.