Bruce Lesley
President, First Focus
BruceL[at]firstfocus.net
Mr. Lesley has more than 20 years of public policy experience at all levels of government and a demonstrated commitment to making children’s lives better. Lesley directs all aspects of policy development and internal operations at First Focus.
In 12 years on Capitol Hill, Lesley worked on health care, education, human services, and immigration issues in several different capacities. Most recently he served as Senior Health Policy Advisor on the Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committees for U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman. He also worked for U.S. Senator Bob Graham on the Senate Finance Committee, served as minority Chief of Staff for the Senate Special Committee on Aging and was an aide in the offices of U.S. Representatives Ronald Coleman and Diana DeGette.
Lesley advocated for better healthcare for children as the Director of Congressional Relations for the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and as Director of Government Relations for Thomason General Hospital, a public hospital in El Paso, Texas. Lesley holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland University College, in College Park, Maryland. He also attended the University of Texas at El Paso and University of Texas at Austin.
Bruce resides in Maryland with his wife and four children.
Resources by Bruce Lesley
Blog Posts by Bruce Lesley
- A Matter of Fairness
April 3, 2013 - Protecting Child Health by Embracing Its Success
March 20, 2013 - Help Protect Our Kids
March 1, 2013 - Renewing Our Vision for America's Children
January 28, 2013 - 'Our First Task, Caring for Our Children'
December 19, 2012 - Our Choice: Building Bridges or Fences for the Next Generation
October 25, 2012 - President Obama Talks Child Poverty
October 19, 2012 - Stop the Attacks on Children
June 13, 2012 - Top 25 Website Resources in 2011
January 3, 2012 - Growing Child Poverty in America: There is Simply No Excuse
September 20, 2011 - First Focus Responds to Senator Hatch’s Plans for Health Reform
March 21, 2011 - States in Need of Help?: It’s Time to End the Medicare Drug Clawback
March 1, 2011 - Winning the Future for Our Kids
January 28, 2011 - 10 Reasons Why Repealing Health Reform Would Harm Children
January 10, 2011 - A Dream Deferred
December 20, 2010 - All Kids Deserve to DREAM
December 7, 2010 - Health Care Reform to Save States Billions
December 2, 2010 - Our Military Families Under Fire
November 22, 2010 - The Milk Party
October 8, 2010 - Education Funding: "Money Does Matter" - New Report from Texas Equity Center
October 1, 2010 - News Stories Reveal that Insurance Companies will Not Play by the Rules
September 23, 2010 - Their DREAM Can Wait No Longer
July 26, 2010 - Benefits to Real People, Real Lives
April 12, 2010 - Health Reform Battles Lie Ahead
April 2, 2010 - Health Reform Begins With Children
March 25, 2010 - U.S. Should Ratify the U.N.'s Convention on the Rights of the Child
November 20, 2009 - Covering the Unique Health Care Needs of Children
August 20, 2009
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