In 1992, Steve Slattery joined the development team at TFAS to jumpstart and expand its fundraising program. For the next five years, Slattery worked diligently to raise money for TFAS Washington, D.C. programs as well as for its then-fledgling international programs. It was during this time that Slattery began contributing to TFAS. He explained, “I called on others to support The Fund, it only made sense that I also become a donor.”
Steve has since moved on from his role in development, first becoming Director of International Programs, then later Vice President of Programs. Through the years his commitment to supporting TFAS has remained strong. In recent years, Slattery established and still contributes to the Tulane Scholarship Fund, which helps to enable students from his alma mater to attend one of The Fund for American Studies’ twelve institutes.
With regard to his support, Slattery says “My wife and I don’t have children, but we have always considered TFAS students to be our kids; therefore, we have included TFAS in our estate plan.”
As both a contributor and an employee, Slattery has deep admiration for the impact TFAS has on its students.
“Whether I talk to an alumnus from the class of 1970 or a current student, their reaction is always similar: that The Fund had a profound influence on them both philosophically and professionally. To me that is the true measure of a successful organization.”
As Vice President of Programs, Slattery understands that many college students don’t have an appreciation for how the framers wrote the U.S. Constitution, with the distinct purpose of limiting power and unleashing individual liberty. This is why he finds the TFAS mission so vital. Slattery believes that through TFAS programs, “students get exposed to ideas that rebut the big government philosophy that is constantly promoted by professors and members of the news media.”
Slattery recognizes the importance of TFAS developing leaders not only in the United States, but also abroad. He is proud that TFAS is the only organization of its kind that brings together students from dozens of countries to learn about the principles of a free society. TFAS teaches hundreds of students in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America about freedom, while connecting them to each other within an influential network of young leaders.
In just a few short years, TFAS has expanded from a domestic summer program to a year round educational organization with a presence on four continents. Slattery is confident that with today’s technology, this exponential growth will continue.
A native Washingtonian, Slattery grew up in Silver Spring, MD. He earned his B.A. in economics from Tulane University, and his M.B.A. from George Washington University. He has remained very active in the Tulane Alumni Association, serving as president of its board of directors from 2007-2008. He and his wife Julieta like to cook and entertain at their house on the Chesapeake Bay, and enjoy traveling to destinations in Central America, the Caribbean and Europe.