Senator Mary Landrieu served in the United States Senate for three terms, from 1997-2015. During her 18 years in the Senate, she chaired the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, theSmall Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, the Homeland Security Appropriations Committee, and was the first Democratic woman appointed to serve on the Armed Services Committee. She is credited with the passage of several important pieces of legislation: most notably, the landmark Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA); the Israel American Energy Alliance Act; and the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act (RESTORE Act) – the single largest environmental investment in the Gulf Coast in US history.
During her time in the Senate, Landrieu was known for her bipartisan approach to addressing national challenges and for her passionate advocacy for her home state of Louisiana, particularly in the aftermaths of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.
Prior to serving in the Senate, she was elected twice to the Louisiana State Legislature. For eight years, she successfully championed causes related to women and children, flood protection, and education reform. In 1987, she was elected State Treasurer and served with distinction for two terms. Strong fiscal management, pension fund diversification, state debt limitation, and the creation of the first-ever municipal investment fund (now valued at over $2 billion) are some of her noteworthy accomplishments.
Since leaving the Senate, Landrieu serves as a Senior Policy Advisor with Van Ness Feldman. Additionally, she serves on several corporate and national non-profit boards: including Tyler Technologies; Evergy, Inc.; Resources for the Future; National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Project Advisory Board; National Alliance for Public Charter Schools; and the National CASA Board. She is a co-founder and continues to serve on the board of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), which serves over 150 Members of Congress who work on bipartisan solutions to adoption and foster care policies.
She earned her BS degree from Louisiana State University and is married to Frank Snellings, an attorney and real estate broker. They reside in Washington, DC, and have two grown children and one grandchild.