Government affairs executive and policy strategist with deep expertise in federal agency representation, appropriations, and coalition-building.
Anne Basham is a government affairs executive and policy strategist with deep expertise in federal agency representation, appropriations, and coalition-building. As CEO of Ascend Consulting, she leads a seasoned team of lobbyists and grant professionals who secure federal and state legislative wins, drive appropriations outcomes, and navigate the federal funding landscape for clients across industries.
Anne’s career spans both branches of the federal government and the private sector. She is both a former U.S. Senate staffer and a former Senior Advisor at the U.S. Department of Justice where she advised on the direction of more than $2 billion in federal funding, giving her unique insight into how federal agencies operate, how appropriations decisions are made, and how organizations can position themselves to compete and succeed in the federal arena.
Anne has built Ascend on translating complex policy environments into strategic action. She has testified before Congress, the United Nations and numerous international legislatures as well as prepared clients to testify throughout the United States, making her a trusted guide.
A skilled coalition architect, Anne has convened senior government officials, Members of Congress, and agency leaders around high-stakes policy issues, including founding the Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking with lawmakers from more than thirty nations, as well as the biannual ATIP Policy Roundtable in Congress with more than seventy organizations and many bipartisan members of Congress.
Anne began her career in the U.S. Senate and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Virginia.
