Since 2008, Carolyn H. Giolito has been the president and chief executive officer of Capital-International Communications, a Washington, D.C.-based firm specializing in strategic development and federal government liaisons. Building on more than 30 years of experience working with the federal government, Ms. Giolito uses her expertise to connect private-sector clients with state and local officials to facilitate large-scale projects. She holds a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and biology from the University of Montevallo and served the United States Army between 1951 and 1953 before joining Procter & Gamble as a histochemical technician conducting animal experiments. A lifelong animal lover, Ms. Giolito detested having to perform animal testing, and jumped at the opportunity to enter public service after Alabama congressman George Huddleston recruited her to assist with several projects as consular attache to the United States Consulate in Trieste, Italy. In addition to her work with the United States Department of State, she served as an assistant to New York senator Kenneth Keating from 1956 until 1958, when she settled in Washington working as a freelance writer and organizational specialist for the United States Library of Congress while studying law at the George Washington University Law School.
In 1960, Ms. Giolito was awarded her Doctor of Jurisprudence and became the president of the American-International Public Relations Institute, a role she held until 1970, when she was named director of the American Psychiatric Association’s division for government relations. After eight years with the American Psychiatric Association, she briefly served as the director of public affairs for the National Italian American Foundation, a consultant to the United States Department of Health, and a special assistant to the United States Department of the Interior. In addition to these consulting roles, she acted as counsel and projects director for United States Senate majority leader Robert Byrd between 1974 and 1988, a position she considers to be the highlight of her political career and the foundation for her later work in the private sector. As projects director for Sen. Byrd, Ms. Giolito was responsible for dozens of high-impact projects affecting regional and national affairs and worked with state and local leaders to advise on federal policy decisions and funds allocation.
Ms. Giolito considers herself humbled and honored to have spent her career in policy and public service, and attributes her success to her integrity and her lifelong passion for helping others. She advises others to follow their hearts to find a path that supports their passions and to always work to promote the welfare of others, whether people, animals, or the environment. Ms. Giolito is proud to see her adult children follow in her footsteps with work in international policy and the technology sectors, and hopes to continue her own work for as long as she is able. In her personal time, Ms. Giolito is an American Red Cross blood drive assistant and an ardent supporter of the Animal League and the Human Society International.
