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| Valerie Dowling |
Valerie Dowling, a nearly 10-year veteran of the International Republican Institute, has joined Avoq as senior VP.
The IRI is a non-profit that works to advance freedom and democracy worldwide. It’s board is dominated by members of the Republican Party.
Dowling served as the IRI’s director of private sector engagement, where she launched the business leadership council that generated more than $1M in funding in 2024.
She also served as director of the women’s democracy network, an initiative designed to promote women’s political leadership and civic participation.
Before the IRI, Dowling was the director of women’s engagement for the Republican National Committee from 2013 to 2016, and a staffer in George W. Bush’s White House.
Whit Askew, Avoq partner, said Dowling is “a public affairs veteran who knows how to execute strategies to help clients achieve their goals.”


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