The Bipartisan Policy Center has hired Theresa C. Brown to be its new immigration policy director, replacing Rebecca Tallent, who left the position last month to serve as Speaker John A. Boehner’s go-to immigration staffer.

Brown founded her own firm, Cardinal North Strategies, about a year and a half ago. The firm focused on “unique subject matter expertise and experience in the breadth of homeland security issues, focusing on cross-border issues of travel, trade, border relations, transportation, emergency response, law enforcement and Homeland Security policy and strategy,” according to Cardinal’s website.

Brown is also a former immigration official with the Homeland Security Department, as well as a U.S. Chamber of Commerce director of immigration and border policy. She also worked as an advocacy associated for the American Immigration Lawyers Association and as director of The Sentinel HS Group.

“We welcome Theresa and look forward to her leadership of the task force,” BPC President Jason Grumet said in a release touting Brown’s hire. “Her broad-based knowledge and 20-plus years in immigration policy will be essential as the task force continues to encourage reform.”

Tallent spent several years working on immigration on Capitol Hill, including jobs with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and former Rep. Jim Kolbe, R-Ariz., before heading to the BPC. Boehner’s hiring of her was widely regarded as a sign that the speaker remains serious about moving some sort of immigration legislation through the House.

Correction: Jan. 8, 2014, 11:24 a.m.

An earlier version of this story misspelled Tallent’s name.