WASHINGTON. D.C. — The Zionist Organization of America has appointed long-time top Capitol Hill aide Joel D. Kassiday as Deputy Director of Government Relations.       

“We are delighted to have a committed Zionist with Joel’s vast public affairs expertise and wide depth of congressional staff experience join us,” said ZOA President Morton A. Kein. The oldest Zionist organization in the United States, ZOA educates Congress on issues related to the Middle East and American policy regarding Israel and the region.       

For three decades, Kassiday was a top aide to four U.S. House members and two U.S. senators. Kassiday was chief of staff for former Representatives Elton Gallegy of California, Rick Lazio of New York and Hank Brown of Colorado. He also served as Brown’s administrative assistant in the U.S. Senate and as press secretary to former Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and former Rep. James P. Johnson of Colorado, in addition to serving on the staffs of the House International Relations and House Budget Committees.        

Additionally, Kassiday was a lobbyist for some of the largest firms in the world as legislative director at Liz Robbins Associates. He also worked as congressional affairs director at the Republican Jewish Coalition and as vice president of the Washington public affairs firm, HillStaffer, LLC. He started his career as an award-winning Colorado journalist after graduating with “high distinction” and as a Phi Beta Kappa member from Colorado State University.       

Kassiday and his wife, internationally known artist Zmira Alfie Kassiday, live in Kensington, MD.