Atmore native chosen for prestigious list
Published 4:22 pm Saturday, June 23, 2012
There have been many people from Atmore and the Atmore area that have gone on to bigger and better things.
Atmore native Kristal Quarker can now add her name to that list.
Quarker
Quarker, a 1999 graduate of Escambia County High School, was recently chosen by IMPACT DC and Loop21 as one of the 40 under 40 most influential people of color on Capitol Hill.
“No words can truly express my gratitude,” Quarker said of her recent honor. “I am humbled and honored to have been recognized with the great honor of being chosen as a top, young influential person of color on Capitol Hill by Loop 21 and IMPACT. Both of which are great organizations that seek to showcase and highlight African Americans in a positive light. Thank you again for this recognition, your amazing leadership, talent, and vision.”
Quarker’s work on Capitol Hill extends for over five years with her involvement in politics and policy spans over 12 years. She is currently a professional staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives House Committee on Foreign Affairs, serving as the senior advisor to the committee chairman on all issues related to the entire continent of Africa. Prior to working on the Foreign Affairs Committee, Quarker was the director of business outreach for Congressman Thaddeus G. McCotter, former Chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee.
Quarker is the immediate past President of the Black Republican Congressional Staff Association (BRCSA), a member of the Alabama States Society, and a member of the Heritage Foundation’s Young Presidents Club. Quarker has received several honors for her policy and political leadership, including the Partnership for a Secure America National Security and Foreign Policy Congressional Fellowship, as well as the James Madison Constitutional Studies and Citizenship Fellowship.
“God has blessed and taken me all over the world,” she said. “I feel like I can be an example to kids in Atmore and Escambia County. I know first hand that it doesn’t matter if you’re from a small town or if you went to public schools, God can use anyone from a small town and elevate them to make big differences in big cities. I’m living proof.”
She is the daughter of Lindsey and Virgenna Q. Saunders and Kenneth Quarker all of Atmore.
The top 40 list was created by Loop 21, an online magazine that offers insight, resources and opinions on African American issues and IMPACT DC, a Washington D.C. based organization to civic engagement and political involvement.
