Mr. Faso’s experience focuses on local, state and federal political and government advocacy in the healthcare, energy, transportation, financial services and insurance industries. Mr. Faso, who was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1986, served as Minority Leader between 1998 and 2002. In the Assembly, he gained a reputation as a proponent of fiscal responsibility and budget reform. He began his professional career on the professional staff of the U.S. House of Representatives as staff member on the Intergovernmental Relations subcommittee. He worked on the funding formulae for such programs as General Revenue Sharing and the Countercyclical Assistance Act. From 1983-86, he served as Commissioner of New York’s Legislative Bill Drafting Commission. The Commission is charged with the drafting and technical review of all bills and resolutions introduced into the state legislature. In 1994, Mr. Faso was asked by then Governor-elect George E. Pataki to chair his budget transition team. In that capacity Faso supervised the staff of the state division of the budget in formulating the initial budget proposal on behalf of the newly elected Governor, closing a $5 billion deficit. Mr. Faso then became Ranking Minority Member of the Assembly Committee on Ways and Means and in 1998, became Minority Leader of the state Assembly. Mr. Faso stepped down as Minority Leader in 2002 when he announced his candidacy for state comptroller, an election he lost by a narrow margin in the tightest statewide race in New York that year. Mr. Faso was the Republican candidate for Governor of New York in 2006. |