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Caught Our Eye

House staff director is going back to school

Posted by Nate Hoffman on Oct. 10, 2014

A 21-year Hill veteran has left the Capitol for a lobbying gig at another District institution, George Washington University.

Askia Suruma, who left last month as the House Ways and Means Committee's Democratic staff director, is now the director of federal and international relations for George Washington, which currently enrolls about 25,000 students. GW has not filed lobbying papers since 2009 when it was last represented by Zuckerman Spaeder LLP.

Suruma brings more than two decades worth of government experience to Foggy Bottom. He started out with Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas) in 1993, first as an intern. He eventually climbed the ranks to become his legislative director and his deputy staff director on the House Rules Committee. During his tenure with Frost, he did a short stint as a public information officer with the U.S. Small Business Administration. In 2007, he switched to the House Ways and Means Committee and moved from being a deputy staff director under Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-New York) to the staff director under Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Michigan). Suruma earned his BSFS degree in economics from GW's cross-town rival, Georgetown University.

This won't be the first time Suruma's household has counted on a paycheck from GW. His wife works there already.