This week’s Rising Republican Star is Kristal Quarker Hartsfield from Atmore, Alabama. Kristal is the National Director of African American Initiatives at the Republican National Committee (RNC) in Washington, D.C. Kristal is in charge of the creation, strategy and implementation of the RNC’s African American nationwide engagement strategy.
Born and raised in Atmore, Kristal received her Bachelors of Arts in Political Science, with a concentration in International Relations, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a Masters degree in Public Administration/Public Management from Troy University and a certificate in National Defense Strategy from National Defense University in Washington, D.C.
>>> Prior to working at the RNC, Kristal worked on Capitol Hill in several different capacities. Most recently, she was a Senior Professional Staff Member at the U.S. House of Representatives House Committee on Foreign Affairs in charge of African Affairs. As the first African American to hold this senior position on the Republican side of the aisle, Kristal was the leader and authority on all Africa related issues for the GOP congressional majority. Before her position with the Foreign Affairs Committee, Kristal was the Policy and Business Outreach Director for the House Republican Committee and Senior Legislative Advisor to former Congressman Thaddeus McCotter from Michigan.
Before heading to Capitol Hill, Kristal served as the State Coalitions Director for the Tennessee Republican Party. She has also worked on several state and local campaigns; including her home state of Alabama. Kristal says her experience working with an array of individuals in different segments of society has given her the unique ability to bring people and resources together to realize the positive changes needed in our society.
In 2013, Kristal was featured in The National Journal as a Top Influential Woman in Washington. She was selected by IMPACT DC and Loop21 as one of Capitol Hill’s “Top 40 under 40” Most Influential People of Color in 2012 and was a feature in Roll Call in a “Hill Climbers” segment entitled “The Fabulous Five” in 2008.
Kristal credits her drive and passion for public service to her mother and grandparents. “With my Southern upbringing, I was taught to solve problems and not just talk about problems. Working in the political arena allows me to be what I want to see in the world; people working for the well-being and uplift of others. That was the example that I had growing up. So, I have a legacy to continue, it’s my job and my responsibility,” she says.
Kristal Quarker Hartsfield is truly a Rising Republican Star. Her determination and go-getter attitude are the ideal qualities we should be fostering in the future generation of the Republican Party. The future success of our party depends on young conservatives, like Kristal, full of drive and passion.