Open to opportunities

Carina Buchen

@carinabuchen

Message

I lead congressional operations, modernizing processes to improve constituent outcomes.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking to lead executive-level operations and congressional engagement, modernize business processes, eliminate backlogs, and improve accountability and customer experience in high-stakes, politically sensitive environments.

I’m an executive leader with more than 18 years of federal leadership experience, including 7+ years directing congressional affairs and congressional liaison operations. I’m known for solving complex operational challenges, modernizing business processes, and building high-performing teams in fast-paced, politically sensitive environments.

I’ve delivered measurable results by transforming underperforming organizations and eliminating operational backlogs—most notably reducing the congressional case backlog by approximately 90% and completely eliminating a backlog of approximately 3,500 congressional cases. I also designed and launched a secure Congressional Casework Portal in three months, improving security, transparency, workflow automation, and processing speed, while advising senior executives on congressional strategy, crisis communications, and high-profile stakeholder matters.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Deputy Director, Congressional Liaison

Current

Department of Veterans Affairs

Jan 2024 - Present (2 years 6 months)

Provided executive leadership for nationwide congressional liaison operations, restoring efficiency by eliminating a backlog of approximately 3,500 pending cases. Directed processing of more than 1,500 congressional inquiries per month and launched a secure Congressional Casework Portal in three months to modernize case management and improve security and transparency.

Congressional Liaison Operations Congressional Casework Stakeholder Engagement Operational Planning Business Process Improvement Change Management Workflow Automation Cybersecurity Performance Metrics Customer Experience Secure Portal Deployment SharePoint

Deputy Director (Detail)

Department of Veterans Affairs

Jun 2026 - Jul 2026 (1 month)

Provided executive oversight of daily operations for the Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs (OCLA) Operations Team during a critical period. Coordinated cross-functional initiatives and advised senior leadership on operational priorities and execution of strategic initiatives.

Executive Leadership Operations Management Cross functional Coordination strategic initiatives Stakeholder Management Organizational Effectiveness Program Management Business Process Improvement

Lead Congressional Liaison

U.S. Office of Personnel Management

Jan 2015 - Jan 2024 (9 years)

Served as the senior liaison between OPM and Congress, managing congressional operations, executive correspondence, and legislative communications. Led major operational improvements, including reducing congressional case inventory by approximately 90% and redesigning case management processes to improve response times and accountability.

Government Affairs Stakeholder Engagement Legislative Affairs Strategic Planning Operational Excellence Business Process Improvement Performance Measurement Customer Satisfaction Change Management Executive Communication Risk Management Data Analytics Executive Reporting CRM Systems SharePoint

Senior Case Technician

Social Security Administration

Jan 2008 - Jan 2015 (7 years)

Managed complex disability and benefits cases while ensuring regulatory compliance and timely, high-quality customer service. Improved operational efficiency through process improvements and workload management while collaborating with Administrative Law Judges, attorneys, physicians, and claimants.

Case Management Regulatory Compliance Customer Service Excellence Operational Efficiency Workload Management Process Improvement Cross Functional Collaboration Quality Management