With over 15 years of experience in government relations – specifically within the areas of international relations and diplomacy, federal appropriations legislation and policy, and Republican political strategy– Shellie Purvis has a wide range of professional skills and far-reaching government and international business contacts as Senior Vice President at Cogent Strategies, a fully-integrated government relations, strategic communications and digital advocacy firm.

Shellie spent more than five years with the Department of State’s United States Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland acting as a member of the ambassador’s executive team. During her tenure she promoted multilateral international engagement and supported US public policy negotiations on issues such as human rights, refugees and migration, intellectual property, global health, and other political and economic affairs. Shellie also served as the ambassador’s liaison to American businesses with European headquarters in Geneva and was appointed control officer for congressional delegations in attendance to the World Economic Forum in Davos. She recently became a member of Meridian International Center’s Rising Leaders Council whose mission is to foster a substantive exchange of ideas on foreign affairs, global policy and other issues relevant to Washington’s international community.

In addition to her international portfolio, Shellie leads Cogent’s appropriations practice and keenly navigates domestic federal funding legislation for local governments, trade associations and private sector clients’ policy interests in education, transportation, infrastructure, national security, and international affairs. She has an astute ability to dig deep into appropriations policy and pinpoint creative opportunities for clients while working hand-in-hand with close contacts on Capitol Hill and administration officials.

A seasoned political operative, Shellie has a track record of working on a number of high-profile Republican political campaigns including the re-election of President George W. Bush, former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, and Governor Jeb Bush’s bid for President in 2016.