Jason Tai

Principal

TG&A

Jason Tai is a Principal at TG&A. He has over 20 years of broad and substantive experience in federal and state government with an expertise in transportation and infrastructure issues, including rail, highways, transit, and aviation. Mr. Tai has proven successful in negotiating and securing significant federal and state funding for a variety of critical projects and managed complex governmental and political processes to achieve results.

Before joining the government relations field, Mr. Tai was Chief of Staff for Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-Illinois-3rd) where he oversaw and managed all policy, projects, communications, intergovernmental, and political issues. He was the top policy advisor for Congressman Lipinski, the Illinois’ senior member serving on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Mr. Tai worked with Congressman Lipinski to lead the successful effort to secure funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program to help fund CREATE, the landmark $1.5 billion rail modernization project in Chicagoland.

From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Tai was a senior executive at the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) serving dual appointed positions as Director of Public and Intermodal Transportation (DPIT) and Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary. As Director of Public and Intermodal Transportation, he was responsible for a $548 million budget, which funded statewide transit and rail operating and capital needs. DPIT administered federal and state funding for 52 transit agencies across Illinois. He also spearheaded the largest expansion of state-supported Amtrak service in Illinois, which doubled the funding and service for IDOT's intercity passenger rail program. Mr. Tai was IDOT's lead in the implementation of CREATE and worked with the U.S. Congress to secure funding and designation of the effort as a Project of National and Regional Significance.

Previously, Mr. Tai was Chief of Staff to former U.S. Congressman William O. Lipinski (D-Illinois-3rd) and Democratic Professional Staff Member on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. In that capacity, he played a key role on the initial versions of a $286.5 billion surface transportation funding bill.

Mr. Tai received his B.A. degree in Political Science and Economics from the University of Rochester.