Joel Rubin is a leading national security, foreign policy, and congressional expert. He assists corporate, non-profit and international clients in achieving their goals by providing highly tailored government affairs, media relations, and fundraising support. Joel is a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs in the Obama Administration, where he directed the State Department’s work with the House of Representatives; was a senior aide in the U.S. Senate; and has run for Congress (MD-8 in 2016). A frequent presence in the national media with more than two decades of Washington experience, Joel has a unique skill set for helping clients to successfully navigate the political dimensions of U.S. foreign policy.

Joel launched his career in international affairs as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica. He then joined the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Energy Department as a Presidential Management Fellow. Later, he served as a career Foreign Affairs Officer at the State Department in both Near Eastern Affairs and Political-Military Affairs. Joel also served as a senior aide in the U.S. Senate, joining Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) as a Brookings Institution Legislative Fellow and then Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) as National Security Advisor. In the non-governmental field, Joel led political advocacy campaigns on national security, Middle East, and nuclear weapons policies at Ploughshares Fund, the National Security Network, and J Street.

Joel is a frequent foreign policy contributor to The Hill and Axios, as well as a regular presence on international television outlets and domestic television networks, such as MSNBC and FOX. He provides forward-thinking commentary on a broad array of topics ranging from American politics to Congress to foreign policy topics such as the Middle East, Russia, and nuclear weapons. He is also an elected local government official, serving on the Town Council of Chevy Chase, Maryland.

Joel holds a Masters degree in Public Policy and Business Administration from Carnegie Mellon University and currently teaches a policy course on how Washington works at his alma mater’s public policy and management program in Washington D.C. In his free time, he enjoys spending quality time with his family and walking his rescue dog, Maddy.