Velicia D. Woods is the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), where she serves as a key advisor to agency leadership and ensures alignment with the Department of Commerce’s policy directives and strategic goals.  She previously served as the Chief of the Office of Legislative, Education, and Intergovernmental Affairs leading all external affairs programs, including public affairs, strategic alliances, legislative and intergovernmental affairs, and executive secretariat workstreams and teams.

Ms. Woods has more than 20 years of experience in communications, relationship management, planning and coordinating highly complex projects, and leading transformational initiatives.  She began her federal service in MBDA’s Chicago Regional Office, bringing to her position a notable record of advancing an organization’s mission through community relations, program development, and experiential events.  There she designed and implemented the first “Global Business-to-Business Exchange” program for minority business enterprises located in the 10-state Midwest Region. Prior to joining MBDA, Ms. Woods was the Director of Communication and Certification for the Chicago Minority Business Development Council, Inc. (CMBDC). As director, she oversaw all certification operations with a focus on affiliate engagement, recruitment, and retention.

Ms. Woods has a Master of Arts in Communication and a Graduate Certificate in Mediation & Negotiation from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Human Communication Studies from Howard University. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Ms. Woods currently resides in Washington, DC.