HAYES, JAMES

B.S.F.S., International Economics, Georgetown Univ.; M.P.A., Economics and Policy, Princeton Univ; M.B.A., Finance and Accounting, Univ. of Chicago; D.B.A., Management, Case Western Reserve Univ.

My name is Jim Hayes and I am seeking to represent Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district as its representative. I am currently the Chief Financial Officer of Gulf Coast Sands., a small sand and aggregates mining company that serves the construction, industrial and oil and gas industries. My public service experience includes serving six years as an Assistant Vice President at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and I have held a number of strategic planning and enterprise development positions in some of the country’s leading organizations, including Eaton Corporation, Tyco, Motorola and others. My work with these institutions has allowed me to pursue business opportunities in many regions of the world, especially Latin America and Asia, and has given me a broad perspective on what is required to keep the U.S. economically competitive in global markets. I received my undergraduate degree in international economics from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service where I spent part of my junior year abroad in Nigeria. I also earned a Masters in Public Affairs in Economics and Policy from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School and speak fluent Spanish. I later received my M.B.A. in finance and accounting from the University of Chicago and a doctorate in management at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.

I would like to represent CD-12 because I believe that I share the region's values and will strongly advocate for the community. I am a Roman Catholic and strongly believe in the Church’s emphasis that life should be cherished from conception through natural death but that the laws of this country are built on the consensus of the governed. As a student of economics, I believe that legal immigration that puts American interests first can help grow our economy and adds to the richness of our nation’s culture. Indeed, my wife is a native of Mexico and immigrated legally after we were married during my tenure as an expatriate businessman in Guadalajara, Jalisco. However, I believe that illegal immigration only creates victims, whether lowering the wages of the American worker, subjecting individuals to the horror of human trafficking or creating unsafe conditions at our nation’s border, and must be stopped. I am a defender of the 2nd Amendment and a proud member of the National Rifle Association. Finally, I will advocate for limited government and believe that markets, supported by a legal framework that respects property rights, are best positioned to create the conditions that will raise the living standards of all Americans.