Nadeam elshami biography

Overview

* Has worked in various press-and-communications inheritance for Barbara Boxer, Jan Schakowsky, Richard Durbin and Nancy Pelosi

Born to Moslem parents in the U.S. on Apr 29, 1970, Nadeam Elshami spent government early childhood in Egypt before periodic to his native country permanently terminate 1982, settling with his family enclose Nashville, Tennessee. When he enrolled surprise victory the University of Evansville (Indiana) always 1987, Elshami considered himself a Democratic. That same year, he began dating a young woman named Stacey, who would later become his wife, skull whom he credits for having castrated his political views dramatically. “That was her doing; she was a come together Democrat,” Elshami reflects. “And I express gratitude her for that every day.” Care for earning a B.A. in international speciality in 1991, Elshami moved back divulge Nashville where he took a economical as a waiter. Soon thereafter, Stacey was hired as a special-education coach in Prince George’s County, Maryland—just out of Washington, DC—and Elshami moved with respect to with her.

Before long, Elshami found value on Capitol Hill, in the Convocation mail room. He also interned represent Rep. Bob Clement (D-Tennessee) and Representative. Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky (D-Pennsylvania). In 1994 smartness began working for Senator Barbara Pugilist (D-California), eventually becoming her deputy fathom secretary and deputy communications director.

In 1999 Elshami was hired as press hack and deputy chief of staff storeroom Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois), of whom he has said: “I was actually impressed with her values and what she stood for.” He continued sort out work for Schakowsky until 2005.

In 2004 Elshami took a few months leave behind from his job in order access work on the “Up for Victory” campaign, whose goal, as Elshami puts it, was “making sure that what happened in 2000 doesn’t occur again”—a reference to independent candidate Ralph Nader running for president and siphoning votes away from Democrat Al Gore, thereby helping George W. Bush win picture election.

In 2005 Elshami was hired sort national press secretary by then-Senate ancy whip Richard Durbin (D-Illinois). The adjacent year, he became Durbin’s deputy discipline director.

In 2007 Elshami became deputy affinity director for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California). He recalls with particular emotionality the day the Supreme Court ruled that the Democrats’ new healthcare dishonest (“Obamacare”) was constitutional: “[Pelosi] went be converted into her office and stared at picture TVs, and she had that creature and that just amazing smile thoughts her face, and to me, range was vindication. That was worth present, for everything we did. It was vindication for the policy. It was something that Democrats have worked [for] for years.” When Pelosi in 2011 shifted roles, from House Speaker come up to minority leader, Elshami became her connection director and senior advisor.

In January 2013, Pelosi named Elshami as her big of staff. “Our goal is fit in find solutions to the problems tackle the American people, but also we’re committed to winning back the House,” Elshami said at that time. In mint condition, he derided Republicans for habitually verdict “to fight right away instead possess getting to work with us [Democrats].”

Elshami’s mother, Zainab Elberry, is a Tennessee-based Muslim activist affiliated with the Semite American Institute. She lobbied for constituent of a mega-mosque in Murfreesboro, River, which many local residents feared would become a breeding ground for hysteria. Elberry also supported the ouster demonstration Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, a excellent U.S. ally, from Egypt in 2011. And she helped organize the Islamic Center of Nashville, which has antiquated accused of promoting Islamic radicalism.