Jay Timmons

President and CEO
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)

Jay Timmons is president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the largest manufacturing association in the United States representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector. He became NAM president in January 2011.

Jay is a leading advocate for the nearly 12 million men and women who make things in America, educating the public and policymakers on issues that affect this critical sector of the U.S. economy. He promotes a broad-based agenda to strengthen U.S. competitiveness and bring about a manufacturing renaissance.

He is driven by the principles instilled in him by his roots in the manufacturing town of Chillicothe, Ohio, where his grandfather worked at a Mead plant for nearly four decades and where he witnessed manufacturing's ability to raise the quality of life for families and communities. Jay’s knowledge and expertise is valued and respected by influential policymakers on both sides of the aisle in Congress and the Administration. He knows how to navigate the complexities of the policymaking process in the nation's capital and brings with him an exceptional understanding of manufacturing issues.

Prior to his appointment as NAM president, Jay was executive vice president beginning in 2008. In 2005, he joined the NAM as senior vice president of policy and government relations. His previous experience includes serving as chief of staff to Congressman, Governor and Senator George Allen (R-VA) from 1991 to 2002, and a term as executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the 2004 election cycle. When he first came to Washington in the 1980s, he served as press secretary to Congressman Jim Martin (R-NC) and later Alex McMillan (R-NC).

A passionate advocate for the adoption of companion animals, Jay served for seven years as the Chairman of the Washington Humane Society Board of Directors, and led the successful effort to merge WHS and the Washington Animal Rescue League to create the Humane Rescue Alliance. He is also the Chairman of the Manufacturing Institute, and a member of the board of the U.S Chamber Institute for Legal Reform. Jay attended The Ohio State University and resides in McLean, Virginia with his husband, Rick, and their three children.