Independent Women is excited to welcome Diana Banister as a visiting fellow. She has an extensive background as a seasoned policy analyst tackling issues such as national security, immigration, and international human rights. Diana will be a great asset to the Independent Women team.
Welcome to the team, Diana!
Meet Diana below.
Diana Banister is President and Chief Executive Officer of SGS Advisors, a strategic political communications firm, and an executive consultant with Sovereign Global Solutions serving public policy leaders, non-profits, and non-governmental organizations at the national and international level on lobbying and messaging tactics that will impact legislation, public opinion, and the political landscape. As a seasoned professional, Diana works with her clients to launch strategic media campaigns, policy rollouts, and advocacy initiatives. She provides research, writing, and manages strategic partnerships.
Diana served in the first Trump administration as Senior Advisor at the Department of Homeland Security and provided strategic advice to senior officials. Daily work entailed preparing research and messaging documents on policy initiatives, writing op-eds, arranging media interviews, prepping officials for public appearances, managing stakeholder events, briefing surrogates, and providing counsel on ways to best communicate the message of the Department and the Trump administration.
As a conservative strategist, Diana has engaged with and worked on behalf of numerous national and international leaders like Newt Gingrich, Mark Levin, Rep. Jim Jordan, Robby George, Kevin Roberts, Steve Moore, Star Parker, Ken Cuccinelli, Kellyanne Conway, Russ Vought, Tom Homan, Brooke Rollins, and many others.
Prior to her senior executive service in government, Diana was president and managing partner of Shirley & Banister Public Affairs for nearly 20 years, handling numerous clients and supervising a team of professionals in proactive public policy and media campaigns.
Career highlights include developing and handling public affairs strategies for two major successful Supreme Court cases and managing the entire lobbying and media campaign to pass national security legislation that became law. In 2017 and 2018, Diana helped build bipartisan support for criminal justice reform, and while in government, managed the rollout of action to protect U.S. supply chains from complicity in slave labor.
Diana holds a Master of Arts degree and is on the board of directors for The Family Foundation of Virginia and Bakhita Kids. She is a musician, serving Northern Virginia churches and playing in a band.