Rob Garagiola has over 25 years of legislative, lobbying, and advocacy experience at the federal, state and local levels of government. As a former state Senate Majority Leader, he has strong relationships with the House and Senate leadership of the Maryland General Assembly as well as Hogan Administration officials. Having represented Montgomery County as a Senator for a decade, Rob is also one of the lead lobbyists in Montgomery County, Maryland. In addition, he has experience lobbying in Baltimore City, Frederick County, and Howard County. Rob has also lobbied before the Delaware General Assembly, DC City Council, and in the halls of Congress.

Bennett

20+ years

Rob Garagiola has over 25 years of legislative, lobbying, and advocacy experience at the federal, state and local levels of government. As a former state Senate Majority Leader, he has strong relationships with the House and Senate leadership of the Maryland General Assembly as well as Hogan Administration officials. Having represented Montgomery County as a Senator for a decade, Rob is also one of the lead lobbyists in Montgomery County, Maryland. In addition, he has experience lobbying in Baltimore City, Frederick County, and Howard County. Rob has also lobbied before the Delaware General Assembly, DC City Council, and in the halls of Congress.

While Rob has lobbied for clients in every business sector, he has extensive background on energy policy, particularly with respect to renewable energy issues. In addition to being the former Senate Chairman of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing and Delivery, he has over 20 years of health policy experience at the federal and state levels. Finally, Rob has served numerous procurement clients before the State of Maryland and various local governments.

Prior to lobbying at the state and local levels, Rob served in the Maryland Senate from 2003 to 2013. He served on the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee for four years where he sponsored banking and corporate governance legislation. Rob also served on the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over energy, healthcare, telecommunications, -transportation, and financial services.

Before being elected to the Senate in 2002, Rob was a federal lobbyist for an international law firm for nearly a half decade where he lobbied on behalf of the Business Roundtable, American Health Care Association, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, various hospital systems, and trade associations. At the federal level, he focused on the House Energy & Commerce and Ways & Means Committees, as well as Senate Finance Committee.

Previously, Rob worked as a senior legislative aide to Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), the current Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee from 1994 to 1998, where he focused on Medicare, Medicaid, S-CHIP, FDA, NIH and public health matters.

Rob served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1995-2003 and received his jump wings in 2000. He is married to Hannah Powers Garagiola, the founder of CGR Partners. He has five children and a Jack Russell Terrier named Oyster. He enjoys boating, running, and cooking.