Sally Vastola

Sally Vastola is as a member of Nixon Peabody's Government Relations & Public Policy Practice. She works with attorneys across the firm to advise clients on legislative and regulatory policies in the areas of tax, international trade, healthcare, financial services regulation and energy. Ms Vastola has more than 20 years experience in local, state and federal government. She also served as Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the National Republican Congressional Committee managing the organization's strategy, budget and daily operations. Before joining the firm, Ms. Vastola was Chief of Staff for the Hon. Thomas Reynolds, who served five terms, representing the 26th Congressional District in Upstate New York reaching from the Buffalo suburbs and extending to the western suburbs of Rochester. As Chief of Staff, Ms Vastola worked closely with the committee members and staff of the Ways and Means Committee and was named one of the Hill's top 50 staffers four years in a row. In addition to her experience on the national political scene, Ms. Vastola also served as Chief of Staff to Mr. Reynolds during his time in the State Assembly, including his tenure as Republican leader from 1995-1998. In this capacity, she oversaw a staff of over 250 employees. A longtime civic activist, Ms. Vastola was selected to Leadership Buffalo’s second class in 1989. Leadership Buffalo’s mission is “to unite local leaders from diverse backgrounds and perspectives in order to increase their knowledge and understanding of community issues, to broaden their vision and to enhance their ability to lead .” She was on the board of the Jr. League and has served as their State Public Affairs Chairman. She also directed the league’s “Woman-to-Woman” pilot program. “Woman-to-Woman” has since become a national model for helping women cope with dual addictions to drugs and alcohol.