As a marketing and psychology major, Christie Phillips Fogarty (IBGA 03) had spent much of her collegiate career at the University of Notre Dame steering clear of politics. However, that all changed when she entered the TFAS Institute on Business and Government Affairs in 2003. Eight years later, Fogarty says the program had a direct impact on the direction of her life. “I am positive I wouldn’t be in D.C. now working for The Heritage Foundation had it not been for my TFAS experience,” she said.

Fogarty’s internship with Edison Electric Institute opened her eyes to the powerful influence government has on business.

The lively discussions my peers and I had inside and outside the classroom forced me to reflect upon my beliefs,” she said. “I realized how strongly I felt about the importance of a limited government.”

After her summer at TFAS, Fogarty was eager to return to Washington. Through the TFAS alumni newsletter she learned about a development apprenticeship program with the Charles Koch Foundation. She was soon accepted into the program, bringing her back to the city where she first discovered her passion, and leading to her current position as associate director of membership programs for The Heritage Foundation.

As a TFAS alumna, Fogarty is always willing to lend her time and support to TFAS students. She has served as a mentor every summer since moving back to the Washington area and says she is always amazed by the students she meets. “The quality of students TFAS attracts never fails to impress me,” she said. “I think I learn as much from them as they do from me.”

Fogarty also participated in the 2007 TFAS Leadership Fellows program and is a proud TFAS donor. “It feels good to be able to give back to a quality organization that has been so influential in my own life,” she said.

Fogarty has worked with The Heritage Foundation for seven years in various positions within the development office. She resides in Silver Spring, Maryland
with her husband John.