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Our People & Organization Senior Staff Bios

Elizabeth Montoya

Ms. Montoya serves as the Chief of Staff at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Prior to being appointed to OPM, Montoya served on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team as an advisor to the Department of Energy review team.

She boasts more than 20 years of executive experience, serving in private industry and the Federal Government as the Associate Director of Presidential Personnel and Special Assistant to the President at the White House, the Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Associate Deputy Administrator for the Small Business Administration.

Montoya's more recent private industry experience was with Sealaska Corporation, an Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act Corporation which is owned by more than 17,500 tribal shareholders. She served as senior advisor to the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer in the areas of human resources, corporate strategic planning, and program development. During her tenure with the corporation, Montoya designed a human resources comprehensive review of Sealaska's nine subsidiaries to affect a consistent human resources process throughout the organization. She also did private consulting in business development with small businesses in the Southwest.

From 1985 to 1993, Montoya worked with the Los Alamos National Laboratory as a Senior Program Development Specialist. In her various positions, Liz was an active participant in human resources and diversity issues.

In 2005, Montoya earned a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Her immediate family consists of two children, David who owns a small business, Manzano Strategies in Corrales, New Mexico and Elisa who is Senior Advisor, White House Liaison at the Peace Corps. She also has two grandchildren, Megan and Benjamin.


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