Professional Profile

Carolina M. Wasinger

Governmental Relations Advisor

Carolina is a Legislative Analyst at Hobbs Straus, joining the firm in November 2024.

Previously, Carolina served as a Wilma Mankiller Fellow at the National Congress of American Indians. Following her fellowship, she continued her work with the National Congress of American Indians as a Policy Associate, where she supported Indian Country’s priorities in various critical policy areas, including economic development, banking, gaming, federal contracting, small business development, and taxation. Additionally, Carolina provided technical support to the Tribal Interior Budget Council and served as a Technical Advisor for the At-Large Member of the Administration for Children and Families Tribal Advisory Committee.

Carolina previously served as the project manager at the Project on Renewing Indigenous Economies at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, where she collaborated closely with Program Directors and Fellows to strategically identify and evaluate opportunities aligned with the project’s mission. This mission emphasized promoting entrepreneurship, tribal economic diversification, and safeguarding tribal sovereignty through research and educational initiatives for practitioners, legislators, Tribal leaders, and Tribal citizens. Additionally, Carolina has international experience as an International Programs Officer at the International Conservation Caucus Foundation, where she engaged lawmakers in the United States and globally, effectively building political momentum for essential conservation efforts.

Carolina holds a Bachelor’s degree from the College of William & Mary, majoring in American Studies with a minor in Native American Studies. Carolina’s educational journey also includes a formative internship with the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs and participation in the U.S. State Department’s year-long Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange/Parlamentarisches Patenschafts-Programm in Lower Saxony, Germany.

Carolina is a Native Virginian and a proud citizen of both the Delaware Tribe of Indians and the Cherokee Nation. In her free time, she actively pursues her passion for tennis and enjoys hiking with her Australian Shepherd, Fritz.