RRB Names JoAnne C. Fittante Director of Legislative Affairs
The U.S. Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) has appointed JoAnne C. Fittante as Director of Legislative Affairs, effective October 4, 2026. In this role, she leads the agency's Office of Legislative Affairs in Washington, D.C., serving as a principal liaison with Congress and advising the Board and senior agency leadership on legislative and congressional matters affecting the RRB and the programs it administers.
At the time of her selection, Ms. Fittante was serving as a legislative affairs officer with the RRB, where she had worked since May 2024. In that role, she monitored and analyzed legislation, coordinated congressional inquiries and technical assistance, supported hearings and appropriations activity, and maintained relationships with congressional offices and federal stakeholders.
Before joining the RRB, Ms. Fittante served as a supervisory legislative program specialist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, where she advised senior leadership on congressional and legislative matters, coordinated briefings and appropriations activity, supported hearings and testimony, and supervised legislative affairs staff and operations.
She previously served in the office of U.S. Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii as his military legislative and community affairs representative, managing the Senator’s defense and veterans affairs portfolio for the state and advising on military, veterans, and community issues. Her work included developing congressional initiatives and coordinating inquiries involving the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, and other federal agencies.
Earlier in her federal and military career, Ms. Fittante served in the U.S. Army as an Adjutant General Officer, specializing in personnel and human resources management. She later served at the Pentagon as a military legislative liaison for the U.S. Army, focusing on the military personnel subcommittees of the Senate Armed Services Committee and House Armed Services Committee. She also served as a congressional defense fellow in the U.S. House of Representatives and held Army leadership positions in human resources, force structure, personnel management, and military entrance processing operations.
Ms. Fittante holds a Master of Arts in Legislative Affairs from The George Washington University, a Master of Arts in Human Resources Management from Webster University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Millersville University. She also completed the Army Congressional Fellowship at Georgetown University.
Ms. Fittante resides in northern Virginia with her husband, Mike, their son, Michael, and daughter, Milania. Their older daughter, Felicity, serves in the U.S. Air Force.
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