Stephen Siao

Southern Regional Coordinator, Heritage Action for America

John Jay Fellow

Stephen came to the John Jay Institute with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Vanderbilt University.  Stephen was twice elected state chairman of the Tennessee College Republicans and was appointed by Romney for President as a state coalition chairman. Stephen regularly represented his peers in the media, including national appearances on Fox News, and he spoke at GOP events and meetings across the state. He also came to the John Jay Institute with experience as a communications assistant for the Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty in Washington, D.C.  

After completing his academic residency, this energetic young man was hired as the Southern Regional Coordinator for Heritage Action for America, based in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee. Stephen feels that during his time as a fellow he got “a framework for working through many issues facing our country today, and a worldview from which to engage in these issues.”  Importantly, Stephen had the opportunity to reflect on the nature of leadership. He notes that “principled leadership must be cultivated, and no one is born with it.” He particularly enjoyed “the fellowship with other likeminded co-laborers in the faith.”  Stephen is already influencing public policy at the state level in Tennessee, and he has the talent and drive to do so on a greater scale.