Founding Compass Advocacy in 2018, Hannah Garagiola has shaped the Compass brand into a political powerhouse for government and public relations, spanning Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Delaware. Hannah leads Compass as the founder and President of Compass Government Relations and Compass Public Relations. As a private sector lobbyist for 16 years, she understands the intersection of public policy, political messaging, branding, and grassroots advocacy.

Government Relations

Known for her political savvy, understanding of policy issues, and energetic approach, Hannah directs a bipartisan team with a proven track record of commonsense solutions to business matters before the Maryland General Assembly and local governments across Maryland. Hannah’s practice also includes lobbying before the D.C. City Council and Mayor’s Office. Advocating on behalf of fortune 500 businesses, major energy developers, infrastructure companies, and large trade associations, Hannah’s clients are afforded access at the highest levels to meet their organization’s needs. As Deputy Chief of Staff to the late Maryland Senate President, Thomas V. “Mike” Miller, Jr., Hannah’s public sector role gave her the experience, institutional knowledge, and concrete relationships with decision-makers to be effective for clients seeking results. Her work has been featured in the Washington Post and The Baltimore Sun.

Public Relations

Aside from her lobbying expertise, Hannah has also helped clients navigate media, communication, and political campaign strategies to educate decision-makers. As Deputy Chief of Staff to the late Maryland Senate President and staff to the Maryland Senate Democratic Caucus, Hannah honed her skills on various political campaigns over multiple election cycles. As a veteran on statewide and national campaigns, Hannah uses her skills to help clients educate policymakers on complicated issues by employing multi-faceted grassroots and grasstops tactics to meet client needs.

Additional Background

In February 2022 and in 2023, Hannah was named one of the 40 most powerful leaders in government and lobbying in Maryland by The Daily Record. In April of 2022, Hannah was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women. She has also been awarded by The Daily Record as one of the state’s Leading Women as well as a Very Important Professional (VIP).

Hannah is married to former State Senator Rob Garagiola, and they have two young children together and a Jack Russell named Oyster. A former collegiate sailor, Hannah can be found cruising the Severn River with her family when she isn’t working. She also enjoys cooking, entertaining, and travel.