DemBiz Welcomes Senators Barbara Favola & Ghazala Hashmi

DemBiz is proud to welcome Senator Barbara Favola and Senator Ghazala Hashmi. Please join us Friday, October 25th, for an engaging discussion with the two dynamic Senators.

Senator Barbara Favola is a lifelong public servant with experience at every level of government. She started her career as a federal health policy advisor before serving on the Arlington County Board for fourteen years, and now represents Arlington as the state Senator for Virginia’s 40th district. Senator Favola is a strong advocate for reproductive rights, public education, gun violence prevention, and the environment. She has passed over 100 bills that have been signed into law during her time as a state Senator.

Senator Ghazala Hashmi, PhD, serves in the Virginia General Assembly and represents the 15th Senatorial District which includes parts of Richmond City and Chesterfield County. After nearly 30 years in higher education, she first ran for office in 2019 and won her second term to the Virginia Senate in November 2023. Senator Hashmi serves as Chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee. She also sits on the following Senate Committees: Finance and Appropriations; Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources; Transportation; and Rules. Senator Hashmi has also been appointed, for the past four years, to numerous boards and commissions; additionally, she was elected in 2023 to serve as Vice Chair for the Education Committee of the Council of State Governments – Southern Region. She is currently serving her second term as Vice Chair of the Virginia Asian American Pacific Islander Caucus (VAAPIC). Prior to her first election in November 2019, Senator Hashmi taught literature at the University of Richmond and then at Reynolds Community College. She was also the founding Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Reynolds. She has authored book chapters, articles, and presented at numerous conferences. Senator Hashmi is the first Muslim American and the first South Asian / Indian American to serve in the Virginia Senate.