About
two
months
after
resigning
as
the
18th
secretary
of
the


U.S.
Department
of
Housing
and
Urban
Development
(HUD),

Marcia
Fudge
has
joined
law
firm

Taft
as
a
partner
and
chair
of
public
policy,
the
company
announced
this
week.

Fudge
will
“dedicate
a
portion
of
her
time
to
the
firm’s
ongoing
efforts
to
combat
the
harmful
effects
of
forever
chemicals”
and
bolster
the
firm’s
relationships
with
“governmental
and
corporate
leaders
both
in
her
home
state
of
Ohio
and
across
the
United
States,”
the
law
firm
stated. 

Two
other
former
HUD
staffers
will
also
join
the
law
firm.
Imani
Edwards
will
be
a
director
of
public
affairs
based
in
Cleveland,
and
Garrett
McDaniel
will
be
the
director
of
public
affairs
based
in
Washington,
D.C.
Fudge
is
tasked
with
bringing
other
talent
to
the
company. 

“My
top
priority
as
a
leader
has
always
been
to
develop
effective
solutions
and
results
for
the
people
and
communities
I
have
been
called
to
serve,”
Fudge
said
in
a
prepared
statement.
“In
my
transition
to
life
as
a
private
citizen
and
attorney,
it
was
important
for
me
to
land
among
professionals
who
are
similarly
dedicated
to
solutions-driven
work.”  

Taft
has
approximately
875
attorneys
in
eight
major
Midwest
markets
(Chicago;
Cincinnati;
Cleveland;
Columbus;
Dayton,
Ohio;
Detroit;
Indianapolis;
and
Minneapolis),
as
well
as
Washington,
D.C.
According
to

Am
Law
100,
it
is
the
83rd
largest
firm
in
the
U.S.
by
revenue.

“Bringing
someone
of
Secretary
Fudge’s
stature
and
caliber
is
highly
strategic
for
Taft”
as
her
“service-oriented
leadership
and
vast
experience
will
have
an
extremely
positive
impact
on
our
clients
and
the
communities
we
serve,” Taft
chairman
and
managing
partner
Robert
J.
Hicks
said
in
a
statement.

Fudge

left
HUD
on
March
22
after
leading
the
agency
for
about
three
years,
including
through
portions
of
the

COVID-19
pandemic.
Before
that,
she
spent
12
years
in
the


U.S.
House
of
Representatives
representing
Ohio’s
11th
Congressional
District,
which
encompasses
parts
of
Cleveland
and
Akron.

Fudge
earned
a
law
degree
from

Cleveland
State
University
and
entered
politics
in
2000
after
being
elected
mayor
of
Cleveland-area
suburb
Warrensville
Heights.
She
was
the
first
female
and
first
African-American
mayor
of
the
city.

Related