As the first African American woman to direct the House of Representatives floor, Shuwanza Goff is a history maker on Capitol Hill. She graduated from UT in 2006 with a BA in political science, followed by an MS in justice, law, and society from American University in 2008.
Goff began her career as a staff assistant with Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD). Quickly climbing the ladder, she was promoted to director of legislative operations in 2013. When Congressman Hoyer became house majority leader in January 2019, Goff was chosen as House majority floor director, making history as part of the nation’s most diverse Congress to date. In her role, she drives the agenda and determines which bills will be voted on and when. Additionally, she coordinates with committees, parliamentarians, the Senate, and the White House to keep power players informed of the House’s actions.
Goff’s rapid rise has been featured by media outlets such as the New York Times, Politico, and Black Enterprise. Her work ethic is respected on both sides of the political aisle and Richard Pacelle, head of UT’s political science program, states that she may be “the single most important unelected official in Congress.”
