A 2006 Troy University graduate was recently named one of the top 40 under 40 most influential people of color on Capitol Hill.

Kristal C. Quarker, an Atmore native, received her Masters of Public Administration/Public Management from Troy.

Quarker is a 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 Africa. Her work on Capitol Hill spans five years.

Quarker has also served as the director of business outreach for Congressman Thaaddeus G. McCotter, former chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee.

“No words can truly express my gratitude,” Quarker said of the 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…”

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 graduated from Escambia County High School in 1999, and in 2004 received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with a concentration in International Relations from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After her degree from Troy in 2006, she received a certificate in National Security Strategy from National Defense University in Washington, DC.

Quarker is the daughter of Lindsey and Virgenna Q. Saunders and Kenneth Quarker all of Atmore, AL.

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 devoted to civic engagement and political involvement.