Tessa Gould has nearly three decades of campaign, communications and policy experience, much of that time spent focused on the Dakotas. She has served on the staff of two U.S. Senators, four Members of Congress and has managed eight campaigns in fly over country. Gould has been named one of the top “500 influencers in American Politics” and a “Top Influencer by State” for several years running by Campaigns and Elections Magazine. We took a staff vote and decided she was qualified to write for NDxPlains. Gould grew up in Jamestown, played sports, did lots of fun stuff and attended college there. That’s where her love of the color orange began. She currently serves as Executive Director of the One Country Project and is a partner at a Washington DC based lobbying and public affairs firm. She spends time with her English bulldog, Sully, in DC, ND, MN and hockey rinks and baseball stadiums around the country.