Staffer Spotlight: Riley Scott

From the rolling hills of Northern California’s wine country to Capitol Hill itself, Riley Scott has lived many lives. She went from winning PAC-12 Championships as a swimmer at the University of Southern California to the Hill, then hopped onto the campaign trail in Colorado. Now, she’s back, picking up where she left off in Rep. Doug LaMalfa’s (R-Calif.) office as a legislative assistant.

Riley dove right back into LaMalfa’s office, where she staffs committees and brings insight into issues crucial to NorCal natives. Riley is glad to be back in an office that feels like home with an accessible boss who is truly dedicated to serving his constituents. By the way, the LaMalfa Crew plays trivia every Friday in their office, and they’re looking to compete against your office, so reach out to Riley in CNCT!

When she’s not climbing the Hill, Riley can be found skiing Rocky Mountain powder or hiking. Her favorite hike is the Sierra Buttes, and on the way down, she takes a swim in the alpine lake. Despite her busy schedule, she has continued her passion for swimming, running and just staying active.

Riley’s dedication to an active lifestyle is no surprise; it’s in her blood. Not only is Riley an impressive athlete, but so is her whole family. Her mom was a professional volleyball player, her dad played tennis, and now her brother is a professional soccer player. Feel uncoordinated yet?

Riley is versatile and a skilled relationship builder. What’s her best networking advice? Be eager in all professional interactions and see them through with the same energy. Follow up with people and be excited to continue the relationship. 

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As far as bipartisanship, Riley is just as enthusiastic. She is a great listener and carries that through to have open conversations with her friends, who often have different political views. She advises others not to water down the discussion with cheap jokes — they aren’t as funny as they may seem and close off the possibility of a mature, bipartisan conversation.

The most valuable skill Riley has learned across her talents is scheduling, planning and sticking to it. Along the way, she learned the best process to manage deadlines is never to allot time for procrastination. Sticking to a dedicated schedule is better than drowning in the workload.

If you’re struggling to meet people and starting to feel like a fish out of water, hit Riley up on the CNCT app and schedule a time to grab a coffee (sadly, not at her former favorite, Philz Coffee). Plus, how often can you say you’ve met with an All-American athlete?

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This post was authored by CNCT staff. Do you know someone in Congress who should be our next Staffer Spotlight? Nominate them here. Want to download the CNCT app? Click here.