Tia Bogeljic
Legislative Director & Deputy Chief of Staff
Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse
Want to meet a Legislative Director and Deputy Chief who makes gardening in the city work?
Oh, you should talk to Tia Bogeljic!
Tia Bogeljic proudly represents her home state of Colorado as the Legislative Director and Deputy Chief of Staff for Assistant Democratic Leader Joe Neguse. She’s been with the office for three and a half years and only has great things to say about the Congressman and team.
“I really love representing and working for the state that I grew up in. It adds a weight to the work. It’s really motivating and really fulfilling,” says Tia.
While she was in college, Tia got her start on the Hill as an intern for Congressman Ed Perlmutter. Before he retired, Tia was in Congressman Perlmutter’s office for six years – working her way from Staff Assistant to Legislative Assistant, covering issue areas including the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
When the Legislative Director position opened up in Assistant Democratic Leader Neguse’s office, Tia saw it as the perfect opportunity to advance her career while continuing to serve the state she loves.
Keep reading to get to know Tia – including gardening, close friends, and lots of books.
⬇️ Get to know more about Tia ⬇️
Her Backstory
🏠 Hometown: Denver suburbs, CO
🎓 College & Major: University of Colorado Boulder (International Affairs and Journalism)
💭 Favorite Hill Memory: “Meeting Bill Nye. It was a very cool, full circle moment watching him growing up and then being able to meet with him and interact with him.”
How to Garden in the City 🪴
For many of us living in the city, some hobbies are on hold until we move to a place with a bit more room to spread our wings. Gardening, which is Tia’s special interest, can be one of those hobbies.
You may be cooped up in a massive apartment complex, battling for space in a rowhome, or deprived of sunlight in an English basement asking: “How do you garden in the city?”
☀️ “You have to get creative. Sometimes it's putting a bunch of different plants in little terracotta pots and putting them in your kitchen, or on your balcony, or wherever you can get sunlight,” says Tia.
Tia’s made room for her array of vegetables – including tomatoes and peppers – by converting her sunny parking spot into a gardening plot. If you’re looking to start a little garden, try making some space on a windowsill or balcony. You may even get some homegrown produce out of it! 🫑
🔗 CNCT with Tia about…
Her favorite place to get a martini 🍸
The importance of close friends
The book you’re reading 📖
Working your way up on the leg side
❤️ Tia’s Favorites
Coffee Spot: Blue Bottle Coffee
Bar: Nice & Easy
Happy Hour: Talay Thai
Lunch Spot: Le Bon Café
TV Show: The Office
Movie: Ratatouille
The Importance of Close Friends
Aside from gardening, another way that Tia likes to unwind is by spending time with her friends. While she likes doing fun activities with them like apple picking, pottery classes, or grabbing a martini, her favorite thing is just sitting around at home and talking.
🫶 In a city that’s so professionally-focused, it can be easy to forget the importance of making friends or networking with the intent of forming “genuine” connections.
“Networking with the intent of making friends will make this place a lot more fun and a lot easier. I think the more friends you have – here at least – the better you'll be at your job too. Then, you can call and ask for resources or people that can help you in your day-to-day life,” says Tia.
🌡️ The Hill can be overwhelming. When there’s people in your corner who take an interest in you as a person, it helps the temperature cool down a bit.
“I think something that people really undervalue is asking people about their lives instead of what they do for work and their bosses … We're all just humans trying to do our best. When you try to connect with people on a personal level, that is what ends up making you real connections.”
Tia’s Capitol Corner
💎 D.C. Hidden Gem: Capitol Hill Books in Eastern Market
📝 Best Out-of-Office Workplace: The Folger Shakespeare Library
👔 Hill Closet, Sponsored by: Ann Taylor Loft or Abercrombie
🙏 My Hill Holy Grail: A Red Eye from Blue Bottle Coffee
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Staffer Advice
“It's okay to not know everything. Especially when you work in leg., there's a pressure to know everything … You don't have to put that pressure on yourself. People are excited to come meet with you and teach you about the things that are important to them.”
- Tia Bogeljic