The opportunity to “influence the debate” drew Kristina Moore to Washington, D.C., nearly 15 years ago from her home near Tampa Bay, Florida. It was a natural progression for the ambitious student who attended the University of South Florida Honors College on a full academic scholarship, majoring in economics and history.

Moore quickly found a junior staff position on the Hill. She later joined the leadership office of House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, while earning her law degree at night from George Mason University.

Eventually, she staffed both chairmen Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Tom David (R-VA) on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. She coordinated the committee’s activity on the BP oil spill as the leader on energy, the environment and regulatory affairs. She was also lead counsel for investigations into the administration’s response to the disaster, as well as the agreement between the administration, the state of California and automobile manufacturers to set fuel economy standards through 2025.

Moore was a key author of HR 4078, the Red Tape Reduction and Small Business Job Creation Act, and most recently, was senior counsel for Oversight for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, led by David Vitter (R-LA). There she spearheaded efforts to bring enhanced transparency and accountability to the Environmental Protection Agency.

In February, Moore joined FTI Consulting as a managing director in the strategic communications segment, where she is also part of the energy and natural resources practice.

Moore has a “pound puppy,” Hamilton, a Boston Terrier, and devotes much of her free time to CrossFit and its charitable efforts.

Investor: What does “oversight” entail?

Moore: It's really the land between policy and investigative journalism. You’re an investigator for Congress.

Investor:You were running the energy portfolio for Chairmen Issa when the BP Macondo oil spill occurred. What was that time like?

Moore: I was on the ground there within about a week. We issued a report very soon after the incident. We were helping the parish presidents articulate their concerns with the response. Our committee had actually put out a report on the Minerals Management Service (now BOEMRE) just months before the spill, flagging that it was a problematic agency.

As a Gulf Coaster myself, the spill was personal for me. The resilience of the Gulf Coast—both economically and environmentally, was impressive.

Investor: A highlight from your time on the Hill?

Moore:As a junior staffer, I had realized the amazing power regulatory agencies have, and that they have very few checks. At the time, it seemed as if the issue of why regulatory reform was important would never penetrate.

But we went from minority to majority on the House Oversight Committee, we were in the depths of the recession, and job creation was a huge focus. I developed a project to draw attention to regulatory reform. The chairman wrote letters to some 1,000 job creators asking what regulations were holding them back. We made an agenda for Congress and it created a lot of buzz. President Obama eventually announced his own edition, Order 13563, to improve regulation and regulatory review.

We actually shifted the regulatory debate to something the president embraced. Wow!

Investor: What led you to FTI, and what are some of the energy hot-button issues?

Moore: FTI’s leaders are former Hill staffers and this work is a good fit for my skill set in the policy realm and communication space. Oversight, for example, requires capturing the attention of the media, the public, the administration.

The proposed EPA ozone regulations are something we are very focused on right now. The crude export debate is another hot-button issue, as is the Arctic, and shale gas.

Investor: Strategies you would share?

Moore: Whether in the role of consultant at FTI or on the Hill, you have to be sure you’re giving good advice. I knew a law degree would give me added credibility. I’ve led with my brain, my education, and I’ve been concerned with getting it right, being fair. Part of oversight and my current job is giving the counterargument.

Washington is a small town. It’s important that who knows you, thinks well of you. Invest in your reputation. Be confident.

Investor: What do you like about your work?

Moore: The ability to influence the debate for the past 10 years. I can see where my work has had an impact.

Investor: Is Washington dysfunctional?

Moore: My favorite course in law school was based on the Federalist Papers. When you read those, you understand that our government was designed to be dysfunctional to some extent. The task might be difficult and challenging, but there’s always a path if you think outside the box and are creative.

Investor: Why are you a “CrossFit junkie?”

Moore: Beyond the exercise, I love that within the CrossFit community there is the desire to give back and honor those who have served in the military. About once a month there is a charity event that I participate in organized around a workout of the day—WOD—that honors the memory of a veteran.

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