Karim N. Farishta served as the Director of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) and was the principal advisor to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs on all matters pertaining to Department of Defense’s interactions with state, local, and tribal leaders.  He worked to provide a unified and coordinated strategy on DoD’s outreach and communication with IGA leaders.

Prior to assuming his current position in July 2022, Karim was the director of strategic alliances at The Asian American Foundation.  He advocated for the passage and implementation of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act.  He joined the Department of Defense after working in the Obama Administration in the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.  He is also an alum of 2016 presidential transition team and served as the Program Manager for the White House Office of Management and Administration.  He served as a coalitions director on the 2020 presidential campaign and worked for the Vice President-elect during the 2021 presidential inaugural committee.

A native of Houston, TX, Karim holds a master’s in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s in international affairs from The George Washington University.  He is a Truman and Fulbright Scholar.