Cookab Hashemi has more than 20 years of experience across Capitol Hill, the executive branch of the  federal government and the private sector. She has represented organizations before Congress and  current and previous Administrations on legislative and regulatory issues.  

Currently, Cookab serves as the Director of Government Engagement at INOVIO Pharmaceuticals. She  is responsible for the implementation of the state and federal government affairs priorities across the  company’s therapeutics areas of infectious diseases, oncology, and HPV. In recent past, she served as  a member of the Gilead Sciences government affairs & policy organization. During her time with  Gilead Sciences, Cookab managed relationships and policy discussions with Members of Congress and  staff, trade associations, patient groups, provider organizations and other third-party stakeholders to  influence policy outcomes impacting patient access to care across therapeutic areas of HIV, HEP B  and C, Oncology, and Inflammation.  On Capitol Hill, Cookab served as chief of staff to Congresswoman Jackie Speier and Congressman  Raul Ruiz, M.D., California Congressional Representatives for more than 9 years, leading the  Congressional offices as the chief policy, communications, and political advisor. Cookab led  Congressman Ruiz’s campaign in the 115th Congress for an assignment to the House Energy &  Commerce Committee. She served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Rep. Mark Udall (CO-2) for 4 years,  managing the day-to-day administrative, communications and legislative operations of the  Washington, D.C. office and leading the Congressman’s campaign in the 108th Congress for an  assignment to the House Armed Services Committee. In her previous roles as chief of staff, Cookab  managed the offices’ multiple million-dollar budgets for each Congress. She also served as Special  Assistant to former Senator Evan Bayh (IN), assisting with day to-day activities in the United States  Senate.  Prior to her work on Capitol Hill, Cookab served as the Deputy to the Special Assistant to the  President in the White House of Political Affairs, assisting in the management of day-to-day political  activities for thirteen western states; serving as a liaison to various state and local elected officials,  state and national community leaders and activists; and writing the political and issue memoranda  used by the President, Vice President, and Cabinet members. She also served as a political appointee  in the Office of Rural Development in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).  She has worked and volunteered on three U.S. Presidential campaigns and more than a dozen  Congressional campaigns in various roles throughout the years. She has worked in IA, NH, and SC  during the Presidential primary season for the three campaigns and traveled to more than thirty  states in the general election season. In addition, Cookab has volunteered at five Democratic National  Committee Conventions (DNCC).  Cookab was named as “Outstanding Chief of Staff” by Women in Government Relations (WGR) and  the Women’s Campaign Fund (WCF). She holds a B.A. in government and politics from the University  of Maryland, College Park, MD.