Paulina Banasiak

Paulina Banasiak is a democratic political operative with years of experience in the executive and legislative branch. She is a Vice President at The Zita Group, a woman owned lobbying firm in Trenton. She provides legislative and public affairs advice to a variety of clients. She has years of experience in public policy and government affairs, specializing in relationship management, issue advocacy, and strategy implementation.

Prior to joining TZG, Paulina served in the role of Director of Legislative Affairs as well as Acting Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Philip D. Murphy. Since the start of the Murphy administration, Paulina was a part of developing and advancing the Governor’s legislative policy priorities which included bills related to the environment, clean energy, gun violence prevention, economic tax incentives, online sports gaming, and the legalization of cannabis. Among various high-level responsibilities, Paulina contributed to crafting the Governor’s state budget, preparing cabinet officials for confirmations, legislative hearings, and participated in the appointments process. Paulina also served on the Commission on Capital Budgeting and Planning as the Governor’s Appointee.

In 2015, Paulina began her career in public service as a Legislative Director for former Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen), then Chair of the Assembly Human Services Committee and Vice-Chair of the Assembly Transportation Committee. Paulina oversaw the Assemblywoman’s extensive legislative portfolio, working on bills related to women’s rights, expanding access and services to individuals with disabilities, as well as transportation and infrastructure.

In 2017, Paulina became the Chief of Staff to Assemblyman Raj Mukherji (D-Hudson) working on legislation pertaining to clean energy, public transportation, veteran’s services, and the state budget. While in Hudson County, Paulina focused on constituent services and community outreach in the most diverse legislative district in the state.

Before starting her career in government, Paulina worked as a social worker in Bergen County with survivors of domestic violence and abuse. She received her Bachelors in Psychology from Montclair State University and her Masters in Social Work from Rutgers University. She lives in Bordentown City.