Courtney was hired in February 2023 to serve as the Senior Director of Public Affairs for the Ballmer Institute. She has spent the past two decades finding solutions to address the systemic challenges facing communities, especially children and families. In her role, her strengths in stakeholder engagement, coalition building, legislative strategy, policy development, partnerships, and relationship management will be an asset to the organization.  

Prior to joining the Ballmer Institute, Courtney served as the Director of Government Relations for Portland Public Schools (PPS), working with local, state and federal elected officials and government representatives to advocate for the more than 49,000 PPS students and more than 7,000 staff.  She previously served as Legislative Director for the Oregon Health Authority, outreach director for the Center for Michigan, a small nonprofit focused on community engagement, and as a legislative assistant and deputy campaign manager for U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley.

Raised in Oregon, she holds a Master of Public Administration from the George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in political science and public relations from Syracuse University.