Polly Gault is executive vice president of Public Affairs for Edison International having overall responsibility for government relations. Gault previously served as executive vice president of both Edison International and its subsidiary Southern California Edison. She originally joined Southern California Edison in 1997 as regional vice president of Public Affairs. Prior to joining Edison, Gault was principal director and executive vice president of the Wexler Group, a strategic business planning and government relations consulting firm. Gault has spent more than 20 years in a wide range of public policy and management positions in both the legislative and executive branches of the federal government. Her career spans a wide range of public service including her work as a legislative assistant for Senator Richard S. Schweiker of Pennsylvania from 1977 to 1980 on the Senate Appropriations and Labor Committees, her service from 1981 to 1987 as staff director of the Senate Education, Arts and Humanities Subcommittee; and her service in 1987 on the Presidential Commission on the HIV Epidemic established by President Ronald Reagan. Gault also served President Reagan as executive director of the Presidential Commission on Executive, Legislative and Judicial Salaries. From 1989 to 1993, Gault was chief of staff at the Department of Energy, involved in policy development ranging from the national energy strategy to nuclear weapons proliferation issues. Before and since her government services, Gault worked for a number of businesses and nonprofit organizations as a managerial and policy specialist.