Shamoiya Washington is currently the Director of State Policy and Advocacy on United Way Worldwide’s Public Policy team. Prior to joining UWW, Shamoiya served as the associate director of state and local relations at Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI). At HFHI, she supported its 1000+ members on state legislative and regulatory affairs, often measuring and tracking policy issues that impacted their partner homeowners and nonprofit management. Shamoiya also served as the first senior state and local government affairs manager at the Urban Institute, where she helped put “evidence into action.” There, she positioned her research colleagues to engage with policymakers and share evidence-based solutions through state government convenings. Her strength in relationship-building with state and local government associations helped further the organization’s goal to become a public policy thought leader. Prior to joining Urban, Shamoiya was a government relations manager at Anthem, Inc. Upon accepting this position, it was her intention to educate policymakers on how the company’s insurance products provide access to affordable and quality health care. During her tenure, she helped secure signatures for key privacy, billing, and consumer legislation. Working with the legislative and executive branches to address implementation issues was also a core part of this role. The anchor of her professional experience was her time as a legislative aide to the California State Senate Appropriations Chair. On average, there were 2200 bills introduced in the California Assembly and Senate annually. Most bills had a fiscal tag, which meant the bill sponsors had to meet with her representative’s office to pass the committee, offering her an opportunity to meet with hundreds of lobbyists, advocates, businesses, and nonprofits and cultivating her ability to listen to and work with diverse stakeholders.