EXIM Announces Key Staff Appointments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 24, 2021
Media Contact Name/Phone
Office of Communications (202-565-3204)

WASHINGTON - Today the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) announced several key appointments to senior staff positions. These individuals bring distinguished experiences to the Biden-Harris Administration and represent a diverse set of backgrounds and communities. In their new roles, they join the exceptional staff at EXIM and arrive ready to ensure that as America's economy recovers from the COVID-19 crisis, the nation's businesses and the workers they employ are able to compete in markets around the globe.

Biographies of the appointees are listed below, in alphabetical order:

Hazeen Y. Ashby, Senior Vice President for Congressional & Intergovernmental Affairs and White House Liaison

Hazeen Y. Ashby is joining EXIM after serving as the policy director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). Prior to her time at the DSCC, Ashby served as the senior counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation where she also worked as the chief counsel for the minority staff under Ranking Member Bill Nelson (D-FL). Before arriving on Capitol Hill, Ashby was the director for Technology & Telecom Policy at the National Urban League where she monitored policy developments related to technology, telecommunications, the decennial census, and civic engagement, as well as directed advocacy strategies advancing the Urban League's legislative agenda in those areas. She also served as the senior policy counsel for the Culture Program at Third Way and associate director of Student Chapters at the American Constitution Society for Law and Policy. Ashby earned her juris doctor (J.D.) degree from the Howard University School of Law and her bachelor's degree in social policy from Northwestern University.

Patrick McNally, Executive Secretary

Patrick McNally is an attorney who has focused the majority of his career on protecting the right to vote and promoting educational opportunity. Most recently, he served as the technology and data manager for Voter Protection on the Biden for President campaign and was senior director for Corporate & Foundation Relations at the University at Buffalo. He has been a litigator in private practice, vice president of St. Joseph Collegiate Institute, and associate counsel for Voter Protection at the Democratic National Committee. McNally is a graduate of Canisius College and Harvard Law School and-especially as a proud native of Buffalo, New York-is honored to join the EXIM team and support its mission to create American jobs. 

Laly Rivera Perez, Director of Scheduling, Office of the Chair

Laly Rivera Perez joins EXIM from the Democratic Attorneys General Association (DAGA) where she served as an events manager and executive assistant. At DAGA, she executed conference logistics for all Democratic attorneys general, coordinated daily communications between the executive director and the Attorney Generals Executive Committee, and managed the executive director's daily calendar, travel, and meetings. In addition, Laly served as DAGA's manager of their Political Department and executive assistant, where she established political networks with national Latino nonprofits/political organizations and created congressional relationships with the Democratic Hispanic, Black, and Asian and Pacific Islanders Caucuses. Prior to her time at DAGA, Laly also worked for Mickey Ibarra, former director of Intergovernmental Affairs for President Clinton, at the Ibarra Strategy Group, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and the Office of U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar of Texas. She holds a bachelor's degree in electronic media communications from the University of Texas at El Paso. 

Christopher Van Es, Senior Vice President for Communications & External Engagement

Christopher Van Es joins EXIM from FINRA, where he served as senior director and deputy for Corporate Communications. Prior to his time in securities regulation, Van Es was the acting deputy assistant secretary for Business Affairs and public liaison at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In that role, he led engagement with the global business community, major think tanks, and advocacy groups, and he advised Secretary Jack Lew and senior officials on public engagement strategies across international and domestic policy priorities. Van Es has also held roles at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, the U.S. Small Business Administration, the White House, and on campaigns across the state of Wisconsin. Van Es holds a bachelor's degrees in political science and history from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his husband and two pets.

ABOUT EXIM:

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) is the nation's official export credit agency with the mission of supporting American jobs by facilitating U.S. exports. To advance American competitiveness and assist U.S. businesses as they compete for global sales, EXIM offers financing including export credit insuranceworking capital guarantees, loan guarantees, and direct loans. As an independent federal agency, EXIM contributes to U.S. economic growth by supporting tens of thousands of jobs in exporting businesses and their supply chains across the United States. Since 1992, EXIM has generated more than $9 billion for the U.S. Treasury for repayment of U.S. debt. Learn more at www.exim.gov.

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