WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) is pleased to announce that alumnus Joseph Lai ’01, PPF ’07, was elected on November 19, 2020, to serve on its Board of Regents. TFAS is a leadership development organization that has sponsored academic and internship programs in the nation’s capital for more than 50 years. The Board of Regents provides guidance and assistance to reinforce the mission, policies, programs and development work of TFAS.
Lai is a 2001 alumnus of the TFAS Public Policy and Economics program and was a member of the inaugural class of TFAS Public Policy Fellows in 2007. One of the organization’s most dedicated volunteers, he has previously served on the TFAS Alumni Council.
Lai is a vice president at BGR Government Affairs where he focuses on commerce, financial services, international trade and defense issues for clients. An expert on Senate rules and procedure, Joe served at the White House as special assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs from 2017-2019. A highlight of Joe’s tenure at the White House was working with the Senate Republican leadership to develop the legislative strategy to ensure Senate passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.
Prior to joining the White House, Joe worked in the U.S. Senate for more than a decade, most recently as legislative director to Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, current chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
A native of Burlingame, California, Joe first came to D.C. to participate in the TFAS program during his undergraduate career at the University of California at Berkeley. He later earned a Master of Arts from Yale University.
“Joe is a great addition to the Board of Regents, since he’s been actively involved in TFAS for nearly 20 years, and because he is well connected and respected throughout Washington,” said Steve Slattery, executive vice president at TFAS. “He’s the kind of leader our programs strive to develop – an honorable, successful person who works to uphold the values embodied in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.”
“It’s an honor to join The Fund for American Studies Board of Regents,” Lai said. “Nearly two decades ago, TFAS opened my eyes to the critical role free markets, individual liberty and the rule of law play in global society. I look forward to helping TFAS share this knowledge with the next generation of public policy leaders around the world.”
The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational organization, based in Washington, D.C. The mission of TFAS is to change the world by developing leaders for a free society. TFAS offers transformational programs that teach the principles of limited government, free-market economics and honorable leadership to students and young professionals in America and around the world. TFAS programs inspire these future leaders to make a difference in their communities and throughout the world by upholding the values essential to the preservation and success of a free society.
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