Department Chair
Nadeam A. Elshami

Nadeam A. Elshami

Policy Director

Background

Political communicator. Democratic leadership navigator. Steadfast hand during a crisis.

Nadeam Elshami served for 25 years in Congress, beginning his career in the Senate mailroom and departing as chief of staff to former House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). He successfully negotiated historic legislation on behalf of Democratic leadership by developing sound policy and deft messaging, and by leveraging his bicameral, bipartisan relationships. Today, Nadeam serves as the managing director of the firm's Washington, D.C. office and co-chair of the Government Relations Department. He remains front and center in the nation’s most pressing policy debates, navigating complex caucus politics to thread the needle on issues related to health care, emerging technology, energy, transportation and infrastructure. 

Understanding that no policy issue occurs in a vacuum, Nadeam deploys strategies that capitalize on the pressure points that exist between Capitol Hill and Pennsylvania Avenue, and he works to activate key legislators who influence White House policy. He builds diverse coalitions of support for clients among committee chairs and party leaders in Congress and with senior political appointees in the Biden administration, many of whom are former colleagues. He often calibrates advocacy and public relations strategies, partnering with Inside the Beltway think tanks and media organizations to create echo chambers of support that reverberate back to key policymakers.

Nadeam previously served as former-Leader Pelosi’s communications director. Prior, he served as senior communications advisor to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), deputy chief of staff and communications director to Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and deputy press secretary to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA). 

PRACTICES:

Representative Matters

Recent Experience

  • Secured funding for a pilot loan loss reserve fund for the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund on behalf of a financial services technology company. This effort had been supported by the Obama administration but was never funded, and had been omitted from President Trump’s budget. We worked to include $5 million in the FY2020 House Appropriations Bill, which was carried during negotiations and included in final legislation.

  • Crafted a strategy on behalf of a trade association to reauthorize legislation promoting U.S. travel to foreign countries. Built a bipartisan coalition of support within the appropriations subcommittees, as well as with key committees and leadership offices, and the authorizing language was ultimately included in an end-of-year omnibus bill.

  • Provided critical engagement with House and Senate leadership when the medical device industry was fiercely pursuing a provision in the 2020 federal spending package that would permanently repeal the medical device excise tax. Successfully worked to ensure the repeal remained a priority of senior lawmakers and that it was signed into law.

Insights & Publications

Credentials

Education

  • B.A., University of Evansville

Previous Experience

Chief of Staff for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Communications Director and Senior Advisor for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Senior Communications Advisor for Assistant Democratic Leader Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL)

Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Director to Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)

Deputy Press Secretary to Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)

Community Involvement

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:

Board Member, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Mid-Atlantic Chapter

Recognition

AWARDS:

Washingtonian, The 500 Most Influential People Shaping Policy, 2024