Meet Courtney

Courtney is an award-winning strategist and nationally recognized speaker with over 15 years of experience driving equity-centered systems change across justice, philanthropy, public policy, and education.

A repeat White House speaker and recipient of a Presidential Proclamation, Courtney has led and advised $25M+ in federal and philanthropic portfolios (including DOJ, HUD, Pew, and Arnold Ventures), supported national reentry campaigns, and helped mission-driven organizations sharpen their voice and amplify their impact.

Most recently, she served as Deputy Director of Communications & External Affairs at the Council of State Governments Justice Center, where she oversaw multimillion-dollar initiatives advancing trauma-informed reentry, public safety, and behavioral health across 50+ jurisdictions. She also served as Interim Division Director, stabilizing a 13-person team during executive transition, restoring funder confidence, and driving national campaign execution.

Across every project, her goal is simple:

Turn lived experience into actionable change.

Her expertise includes:

• Strategic messaging & campaign development

• Executive communications & leadership coaching

• Crisis communications & stakeholder engagement

• Public affairs & narrative change for advocacy orgs

• Policy advising rooted in equity, anti-oppression, and trauma-informed frameworks

Courtney has spoken at over 20 national events — including the White House, the 30th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, and the National Domestic Violence Hotline Conference. She’s advised public sector agencies, grassroots coalitions, and national nonprofits on building communications strategies that are bold, inclusive, and measurable.

She launched courtneyisclutch.com to bring that expertise directly to organizations ready to grow their influence and deepen their impact.