Gerard N. “Jerry” Giovaniello is the former senior vice president of government affairs & chief lobbyist of the National Association of REALTORS®, the nation's largest professional association, representing more than 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. He served in that capacity from 2001 to 2018.
Giovaniello managed the association’s government affairs staff of approximately 40 people in Washington, D.C. He also served as NAR’s lobbyist for members of Congress from California, Washington, Nevada, Hawaii and Oregon.
Before joining NAR in 1981, Giovaniello was chief of staff for two members of Congress from California -- Rep. Jerry Pettis, R-Calif., 1972-1976, and Rep. Jim Lloyd, D-Calif., 1976-1981. During those nine years, Giovaniello taught political science for the Washington, D.C. Semester Program of The Claremont Colleges, Claremont, Calif.
Prior to his Capitol Hill experience, Giovaniello was a policy analyst and writer for National Journal, a weekly magazine covering the federal government and public policy issues.
After earning a graduate degree in history from New York University, he fulfilled an ROTC commitment to the U.S. Army. He served as an officer in Vietnam and Washington, D.C. from 1968 through 1970.
Giovaniello resides with his wife, Elizabeth, in Falls Church, Virginia.