Eleven outstanding alumni leaders were elected to the TFAS Alumni Council this March. As alumni of eight different TFAS undergraduate institutes and with strong participation in fellowships and continuing education programs, these new additions are excellent representatives of the TFAS Journey.
“We are excited to welcome such a diverse group of dedicated and successful alumni leaders to our council this year.” said TFAS Vice President of International and Alumni Programs Michelle Le (IPJ 95, AIPES 96). “I know they will bring both their commendable professional expertise and deep understanding of TFAS to the table as we work to celebrate and strengthen our worldwide network of more than 17,000 alumni.”
The eleven, peer-elected members join 20 continuing representatives of the TFAS Alumni Council. Together, this voluntary arm of TFAS works to keep alumni actively involved with each other, the core principles of TFAS and current and prospective students. To learn more about the TFAS Alumni Council, visit TFAS.org/AlumniCouncil.
Evan Gold (IBGA 10) is the head of operations for Hallmark Builders, Inc. (HBI), a commercial construction firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. Before joining HBI, Evan worked as an assistant property manager with Hines, the international real estate firm, managing operations of one of the firm’s most prestigious office complexes in its Southeastern portfolio. In addition to his commercial real estate background, Evan’s experience includes a mixture of corporate roles ranging from healthcare strategy consulting to entrepreneurial pursuits.
Evan devotes much of his free time to leadership in the youth community. He routinely volunteers as a mentor to high school and college students through the LEAP Foundation and works with Essential2Life, an organization dedicated to empowering and education urban youth.
Evan holds an MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, where he graduated with honors and was inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma honor society. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science, graduating summa cum laude from the University of Georgia. In addition to his degrees, Evan has completed summer programs including the TFAS Institute on Business and Government Affairs (IBGA), the Owen Graduate School of Management’s Accelerator Summer Business Institute at Vanderbilt University and the Clemson Institute on the Moral Foundations of Capitalism at Clemson University. Evan is an avid tennis player, scuba diver and competitive sailor and has been featured as an extra on AMC’s internationally acclaimed television show The Walking Dead.
Brittany Hackett (IPJ 07) is a communication professional in the Washington, D.C., area, currently working as the web communications manager for the Society for Neuroscience. Previously, she was a content senior associate for AARP and a higher education and federal financial aid policy reporter for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA). She first participated in TFAS as a student in the Institute on Political Journalism (IPJ) in 2007, and has since completed TFAS fellowships in journalism and public policy. A graduate of Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, Brittany currently lives in Falls Church, Virginia, with her husband, Seamus, and English bulldog, Sir Reginold.
Remley Johnson (ICPES 11) currently serves as chief of staff to former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. She oversees projects including the launch of Mr. Rumsfeld’s Winston Churchill Solitaire app and the publication of his third book, “When the Center Held: Gerald Ford and the Rescue of the American Presidency.”
In addition to her chief of staff role, Remley served as an aide to Dr. Ed Feulner, senior advisor to the presidential transition for domestic policy. She attended and staffed the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio and is an active member of Maverick PAC.
Remley hails from the Granite State and is a proud alumna of Texas Christian University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics. She attended the TFAS Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems (ICPES) in 2011 and returned the following summer as the ICPES program advisor. She loves politics and TCU football. In March 2018, Remley was awarded the TFAS Young Alumnus Award for her involvement as a TFAS mentor, speaker and supporter.
George Kilaiditis (IIPES 06) was born in Athens, Greece. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in philosophy from the University of Crete and his Master in Science in European economic policy from the Athens University of Economics and Business. He attended the International Institute for Political and Economic Systems (IIPES) in 2006, which has been a transformative experience for him. In 2017, George participated in the TFAS and Liberty Fund, Inc. “Liberty from Locke to Hayek” seminar in Athens, Greece. He now lives in London, United Kingdom where her serves as the London TFAS Alumni Chapter president.
James McCready (AIPES 10) is an analyst at the Department of Homeland Security. He is currently participating in The Jamestown Foundation Young Professionals Program on Intelligence and Statecraft. Previously, James was a mission analyst for Risk Mitigation Consulting, Inc. where he worked as part of the Mission Assurance Assessment Team supporting military customers. Before that, he worked as a 7th grade social studies teacher in his hometown of Elma, New York.
James earned his master’s degree in public and international affairs from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. While attending the University of Pittsburgh, James coached the university’s lacrosse team and worked as a research assistant at the U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute. James received his Master of Arts degree from Canisius College in Buffalo, New York where he was a scholar athlete, playing on the lacrosse team while completing a triple major in international relations, history and adolescent social studies education.
Jonathan McGee (IBGA 12) serves as the senior marketing director for George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM), GWU’s school of applied politics, advocacy and communications. He previously worked as a legislative assistant for Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, ranking member on the House Committee for Science, Space and Technology. Before joining Rep. Johnson’s office, Jonathan worked at The Partnership for Public Service, The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, and interned at the United States Department of Interior. He also holds a master’s degree from GSPM.
Natalya Orlando (AIPE 11) is an accomplished strategist, advocate, innovator and public speaker. She is the enterprise operations advisor at KMPD Capital, LLC in Boston. She has extensive experience in the nonprofit sector, serving as regional director for Senate races, presidential campaigns, the RNC and the Louisiana and Colorado GOP. Natalya proudly served as campaign field representative for the NRA during the 2016 election cycle. She is also president of the Boston Austrian Economics Group, the BSIS alumni association and the TFAS Boston Alumni Chapter.
Sarah Sicard (IPJ 13) grew up in Virginia but moved to New York at 18 to attend college at Hofstra University. There, she earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism and political science with a minor in writing studies and composition. She participated in TFAS Institute on Political Journalism (IPJ) in the summer of 2013. After, she interned in the Manhattan office of Governor Andrew Cuomo before moving to Washington, D.C. There, she spent time on Capitol Hill and later worked as a Pentagon reporter. Sarah returned to New York in 2015 to work as a journalist covering post-9/11 veterans’ issues while pursuing her master’s degree at New York University. She currently works as a communications director with New York City Council.
Samantha Summers (CSF 13) is a communications and research associate for Berman and Company, a public affairs and nonprofit management firm. At Berman, Samantha works with many nonprofits, assisting them with messaging campaigns and media relations. Prior to joining Berman, Samantha worked in state and federal outreach for the Mercatus Center and the Cato Institute. She is an alumna of the Koch Associate Program and The Fund for American Studies Public Policy Fellows program. Samantha graduated from Chapman University in Orange County, California with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and leadership studies. In college, she participated in the TFAS Capital Semester Fall (CSF) program where she interned at the Heritage Foundation. Originally from Los Angeles, Samantha enjoys spending time outdoors in the warm weather and finding good Mexican food in D.C.
Loren Thompson (ICPES 77) grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He received a bachelor’s degree in business from Colorado College and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He had the opportunity to work in the Reagan White House through a referral from TFAS and later in the Bush ’41 White House. He now serves as an attorney at the Department of Interior where he concentrates on Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas leasing and development. He lives with his wife, a public health nurse in Northern Virginia, and they have four grown children. Their family has fostered twenty-seven children over the years, and they have been involved in several mission relief projects to Africa and South America as well as international adoption efforts. He recently volunteered to deploy with FEMA to assist with disaster relief for survivors in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. He hopes to work for Samaritan’s Purse full-time when he retires in a few years.
Diego Alejandro Zuluaga Zuluaga (ILA 12, AIPE 14) is a private consultant for foreign investors. He graduated in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Antioquia and a Bachelor of Arts in social communication and journalism from Pontifical Bolivarian University in Colombia. He has worked for private companies, nonprofits organizations and as a public servant for the Municipality of Medellin and the Minister of Justice of his home country. Diego is interested and passionate about promoting freedom and the ideas that have made our civilization flourish. He resides in Bogotá and Medellín, Colombia.