Cece oversees the Federal Affairs department and all strategy pertaining to the legislative priorities of The HSUS. Before coming to Federal Affairs in 2011, Cece operated her own business as a lobbyist for environmental, regulatory, and energy issues. Previously, she served for eight years in senior posts at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, joining EPA in 2001 as director of operations and as a senior adviser to the administrator then becoming deputy associate administrator for public affairs and deputy chief of staff. Earlier in her career, she held various key positions in the White House, serving in the Reagan and Bush Sr. administrations.