 She also served as a panel expert on federal grant review committees for the federal Department of Health & Human Services.Before running for the legislature herself, Stephens was a veteran of numerous Republican campaigns, including those of Colorado Governor Bill Owens, 4th Judicial District Attorney John Newsome, El Paso County Commissioner Wayne Williams, and U.S. President George W. Bush.She served as a member of the El Paso County Republican Committee and as a delegate to the 1996 and 2004 Republican National Conventions.