2018 Panelists
Jason Steinbaum, Democratic Staff Director, House Of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Affairs
Jason Steinbaum serves as Democratic Staff Director of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Previously, he was Staff Director for the majority and minority of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere from 2006-2012. He has also served as Washington Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), the Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. In the early 1990’s, Mr. Steinbaum worked for Senator Donald Riegle (D-MI), having served as his Legislative Assistant for foreign affairs and defense.
During his career in Congress, Mr. Steinbaum wrote the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003 and the law providing normal trade relations with Albania, has been a leader on policy toward the Balkans, and has monitored elections in numerous countries.
Mr. Steinbaum received a law degree and a Master’s in law and international affairs in 1993 from The American University in Washington, DC. He graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia in 1988. Mr. Steinbaum is a member of the bars of the States of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He and his family live in Northern Virginia.
David M. Mrazik, Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Merchant
David is a Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Merchant, a private partnership providing growth capital, management resources, strategic opportunities and direction to independent financial services companies, particularly those focused on wealth and asset management. David leads a variety of Merchant’s strategic and financial initiatives, including mergers and acquisitions, structuring, transaction execution and risk management infrastructures.
Prior to Merchant, David was Managing Partner of MarketCounsel and the Hamburger Law Firm, a boutique consulting firm and law practice specializing in helping financial advisors transition to independence. Previously, David served as Managing Director and General Counsel at Focus Financial Partners, LLC, a leading international partnership of independent wealth management firms. In this role, David oversaw all of the company’s mergers and acquisitions, implemented risk management infrastructures and worked on the company’s inbound private equity investments and credit facilities. David previously practiced as a corporate attorney at Willkie, Farr & Gallagher LLP and Vinson & Elkins LLP, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital and capital markets.
David holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a B.A. with High Distinction from the Distinguished Majors Program in Government and Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. In addition to being a member of the Benefactors Society Board, David is an active member of the Department of Politics Alumni Advisory Board, the Virginia Athletics Foundation and the UVA Club of Fairfield/Westchester.
Sheryl Gay Stolberg, New York Times Congressional Correspondent
Sheryl Gay Stolberg is a congressional correspondent. In 21 years at The Times, she has been a science correspondent, national correspondent, political features reporter and White House correspondent. Previously, at The Los Angeles Times, she shared in two Pulitzer Prizes won by that newspaper’s Metro staff.
Liz Thomas, Legislative Director for Congressman Andy Barr
Liz Thomas is the legislative director for Congressman Andy Barr (R-KY) and where she manages the Congressman's policy operations and oversees the tax, trade, labor, and healthcare portfolios.
Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Liz graduated from the University of Virginia's Frank Batten School of Public Policy in 2015 with a Master's Degree in Public Policy and also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government from UVA in 2014 as a Jefferson Scholar. At the University of Virginia, Liz served as president of UVA’s chapter of College Republicans and was elected a vice chairman to the College Republican National Committee in 2014.
Prior to assuming her role on Capitol Hill, Liz worked as an economic policy research associate at the American Enterprise Institute, focusing on health and labor economics. She also served as a policy contributor to Jeb Bush’s 2016 presidential campaign and Ed Gillespie's 2017 gubernatorial race.
Liz has appeared on media outlets including Fox News, Al Jazeera, and the BBC, and has been featured in news publications including the Economist, the Weekly Standard, and the Washington Post. She lives and works in Washington, DC with her husband Alec.
