Aja is a member of Reed Smith’s Virginia Government Relations Team. As a Government Relations Manager, she works with clients on legislative tracking, legislative and regulatory monitoring, analysis and reporting, and compliance with state lobbying registration and disclosure requirements. She is also responsible for the day-to-day management of the Reed Smith PAC, Reed Smith’s Virginia political action committee.
Prior to joining Reed Smith, Aja served as a policy assistant to the governor of Virginia, where she assisted in the development and implementation of several of the governor’s key policy initiatives as well as the planning and execution of legislative events around the Commonwealth. She also served as a legislative aide to a senior member of the Virginia Senate for several years, assisting the senator in her leadership roles as president pro tempore and committee chairwoman.
Aja first became involved with the Virginia General Assembly while completing her undergraduate degree in political science at Virginia Commonwealth University. This experience sparked her interest in Virginia politics and led her to becoming an active member of several political organizations in her hometown of Portsmouth after her graduation. She also became involved with a number of races for local office, including serving as a campaign manager for a local race in the Portsmouth area. This experience gave her invaluable insights into issues surrounding political campaigns in Virginia.
In her free time, Aja enjoys working out and trying new restaurants in the area. Aja lives in the Manchester neighborhood of Richmond.