Karla Langham, a first-generation Latina, military spouse, and native Texan, advocates for service members, veterans, and their families. She currently is serving in a dual-hatted role as a politically appointed Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to the Honorable James Rodriguez, Assistant Secretary for the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service. Prior to her current role, she worked for Hiring Our Heroes, a Chamber of Commerce Foundation organization, where she led the Amplify Program, a two-day intensive professional development workshop for military spouses to connect them to meaningful careers. She served as a field representative and caseworker in California’s 51st congressional district. Mrs. Langham received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Houston and her Master’s in Public Administration degree from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, at Monterey, CA.
Shortly after graduating from the University of Houston, Mrs. Langham moved to Kaneohe, HI to be with her husband, LCDR Ryan Langham. As a military spouse of 13 years, Karla has lived, traveled, and worked in various sectors across the United States and internationally. She has moved 12 times, lived in 9 different cities, one other country, and endured multiple deployments making her well-versed in the rapid op-tempo of the military lifecycle that often marginalizes military spouses in the workforce.
Prior to her congressional position, Mrs. Langham worked as a researcher and policy analyst for Northrop Grumman on projects dedicated to reforming and improving the security of Department of Defense classified networks. While working as a researcher, Mrs. Langham volunteered with the American Red Cross (ARC) in Yokosuka, Japan during the community response to the USS Fitzgerald collision at sea. She provided operational support, quickly streamlining the intake process of injured sailors to facilitate access to immediate recovery assistance. She continued to volunteer with ARC (Service to the Armed Forces) in San Diego, speaking at pre-deployment events to ensure families were aware of Red Cross procedures surrounding emergency messaging.