The Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) announces today that it has named Diane Shust its new vice president for public policy.
In this role, she will be a member of the COE senior leadership team and have overall responsibility for designing and implementing the government relations agenda of the Council and representing Council interests on Capitol Hill and before the U.S. Department of Education, the White House, and other relevant entities.
Shust has a deep knowledge of the internal workings and nuances of Capitol Hill. She most recently served as chief of staff in the Office of Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY), acting as Representative Suozzi’s principal liaison with House Democratic Leadership and the Ways and Means Committee offices.
From 2009 until 2017, Shust was chief of staff to Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA). She supervised the introduction of bills to reduce student debt, including one adopted by the U.S. Treasury Department as official guidance shielding 50,000 Corinthian College students from owing taxes on forgiven student loan debt. Before this, Shust directed government relations at the National Education Association for sixteen years, from 1993 to 2009.
“Diane has a unique perspective and insight into how Capitol Hill works,” said COE President Maureen Hoyler. “Her experience as a public defender, legislative counsel, lobbyist, government relations director, and chief of staff to two Members of Congress helped her develop a keen expertise around education legislation.”
She received her bachelor’s degree in juvenile justice and master’s degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania and her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Media Inquiries
For media inquiries or to arrange an interview, please contact Terrance L. Hamm, Associate Vice President of Communications and Marketing via email: [email protected] or call (202) 347-7430.