Dr. Lesli Gooch is the Chief Executive Officer of the Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI). Prior to assuming this position, she was Executive Vice President of MHI’s advocacy and communications team where she led the Association’s work in Washington which is crucial for the success of the manufactured housing industry. During her tenure, Dr. Gooch has assembled a strong bipartisan team that under her leadership has secured a number of key legislative and regulatory accomplishments for the industry.
Dr. Gooch joined MHI after serving across a variety of vantage points in Washington – including as a congressional staff member, congressional candidate, lobbyist, and political scientist focused on Congress. Well-respected on both sides of the aisle, Dr. Gooch is known for her ability to successfully execute policy and political goals. She currently serves on both Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s Affordable Housing Advisory committees. Dr. Gooch has been recognized as one of HousingWire’s 2022 and 2023 Women of Influence for her efforts to elevate housing innovation and expand attainable homeownership. She has been ranked as one of The Hill’s top lobbyists in the United States and was a finalist for the Women in Government Relations’ 2020 Advocate of the Year Award. Previously, she served as a Board Member for the National Organization for African Americans in Housing. In 2018, Dr. Gooch was a nominee for the Professional Women in Advocacy’s Excellence in a Federal Issue Campaign award. In 2017, she was named in M Report’s “Wonder Women of Housing” as one of the top females impacting the housing industry.
Dr. Gooch has a Ph.D. in Political Science from the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at the University of Oklahoma. Her dissertation, When Politics is Personal: The Role of Personal Policy Interests in Legislative Activity, was based on interviews she conducted with more than 60 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and explores the motivations of members in selecting issues to champion in Congress.
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