WASHINGTON, D.C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine today congratulates Chief Deputy Attorney General Natalie O. Ludaway for receiving the 2019 Senior Staff Member of the Year Award from the bipartisan National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG). The prestigious award recognizes Ms. Ludaway’s influential leadership within the Office of Attorney General for the District of Columbia (OAG) since joining the staff in 2015, and her advancement of the District of Columbia’s stature among state Attorneys General nationally.

“Natalie embodies the excellence that District residents demand from the Office of the Attorney General,” said AG Racine. “For more than five years serving as my Chief Deputy, Natalie has consistently provided extraordinary leadership and wise counsel to the OAG team, our partners in government, and members of the Council. Her vision for this office has elevated the District of Columbia into an invaluable partner in the eyes of state Attorneys General nationwide. Our residents are better off—and OAG is more successful—thanks to her indefatigable work ethic and the high standards she sets for OAG’s talented team.”

NAAG’s Attorney General Senior Staff Member of the Year Award is given to those who have provided exceptional service to NAAG and the attorneys general through exemplary leadership, expertise and achievement.

Since the start of AG Racine’s first term, Ms. Ludaway played a key part in reinforcing OAG’s role within District government as a trusted and independent legal authority. She has overseen OAG’s talent recruitment strategy, pushing the office to seek a wider and more diverse talent pool. She aided in the establishment of the office’s Litigation Support Fund, enhancing OAG’s enforcement work. She also managed the development of OAG’s Public Advocacy Division, which includes its Office of Consumer Protection, helping the division grow from a team of five to more than 30 and strengthen its power to enforce District law and defend District consumers, workers, and tenants.

“Simply put, Natalie Ludaway’s fingerprints are on every success that the office has achieved. She is one of the most effective lawyers and leaders whom I have had the pleasure to work with,” AG Racine added.

The award further recognizes Ms. Ludaway’s role in elevating OAG’s involvement with NAAG executive and leadership operations. While serving on NAAG’s strategic planning committee, she strengthened OAG’s relationships with Attorneys General offices across the United States, boosting the District’s collaborative involvement in national matters and, in turn, delivering greater results for District residents. Through her active engagement with NAAG, Ms. Ludaway raised OAG’s profile and solidified the office as a respected equal in the eyes of other state Attorneys General.