Governor George F. Allen
President
George F. Allen served the Commonwealth of Virginia for over twenty years, as Governor, in both bodies of the United States Congress, and as a Delegate holding Thomas Jefferson’s seat in the Virginia General Assembly.
Sworn in as Governor in 1994 George Allen brought sweeping reform that made Virginia a national model in economic development, public safety, education accountability, and creative government. As a self-described “Common Sense Jeffersonian Conservative,” Allen pushed through cutting edge reform with bipartisan support, for example:
- Criminal Justice Reform – Virginia’s criminal justice system was completely overhauled, including the abolition of parole, adoption of truth-in-sentencing, dramatic increases in prison time for violent and repeat criminals, and comprehensive juvenile justice system reform.
- Education Reform – Virginia’s “Standards of Learning” became a national model for rigorous academic standards and accountability.
- Welfare Reform – The Allen Administration put a two-year time limit on assistance, mandatory work for able bodied recipients, and strong measures to compel fathers to support their children.
- Government Reform – Through a comprehensive reappraisal of state programs, regulatory reform, privatization, and other cost-saving measures, the Allen administration increased funding for education, public safety, and job creation with prompt permitting and lower tax burdens.
- Economic Development – George Allen declared Virginia was “Open for Business” and the Allen administration created an economic development strategy that catapulted Virginia to the forefront nationally and causing the US News and World Report to dub Virginia the “Silicon Dominion.” Durring Allen’s term, Virginia brought in over $14 billion in new investments and more than 300,000 net new jobs were created.
Elected to the United States Senate in 2000, George Allen continued to advocate policies to make America, and Virginia, a leader in innovation and technology. In 2001, he was appointed Chairman of the Senate High Tech Task Force and later in his term he created the Competitive Caucus to keep America the “world capital of innovation”. He also founded the Nanotechnology Caucus with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR). Allen was a member on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee as well as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on European Affairs.
Senator Allen was unanimously elected a member of the Senate Republican Leadership as Chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2003. In 2004, under Senator Allen’s leadership, Republicans gained four seats in the Senate and expanded the Republican majority to 55-44-1.
Currently, George Allen is President of George Allen Strategies, LLC. He serves on the boards of directors of several technology companies, including Lee Technologies, nanoTox and the Hillsdale Group. Governor Allen is the Reagan Ranch Presidential Scholar for the Young America’s Foundation.
As Governor, Allen funded the School of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University and serves on its Foundation Board of Trustees, and he founded the Appalachian School of Law and serves on its Board of Trustees. Allen also serves as the Virginia Chairman of Communities in Schools and on the Reagan Ranch Board of Governors.
Governor Allen served as National Co-Chairman of Fred Thompson’s Presidential Campaign and as an advisor to and surrogate for John McCain’s Presidential Campaign on Economic Competitiveness and American Energy Security as well as Nanotechnology. Governor Allen also served as the Chairman of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, which supported Senate candidates who wished to protect private ballots in unionization voting. .
In June of 2009, Governor Allen launched, and serves as Chairman of, the American Energy Freedom Center, whose mission is to advocate positive ideas for American jobs, economic prosperity and promote increased freedom, opportunity, and competition in the development and use of our vast energy resources. Associated with the Institute for Energy Research, the American Energy Freedom Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization.
George Allen holds a B.A. degree “with distinction” in History, as well as a law degree from the University of Virginia. He played on the football and rugby teams during his time at UVA. Allen was named All-ACC Academic Team, Quarterback in 1972. He and his wife, Susan, reside near Mt. Vernon in Fairfax County with their three children: Tyler, Forrest, and Brooke.
Paul Unger
Paul Unger served as Counsel and Legislative Director for Senator George Allen for the six years that Senator Allen served in the Senate. While on Senator Allen's staff, Paul worked on issues before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee including the 2005 energy bill and issues before the Senate Commerce Committee such as the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act and efforts to ban taxes on Internet sales. In addition, Paul worked with Senator Allen when he was chair of the European Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on matters affecting the bilateral relationship between the European Union and the United States including NATO expansion and cooperation on fighting terrorism.
Prior to working for George Allen, Paul was Counsel to Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon and Majority Staff Director of the House Agriculture Committee. During 2007-2009, Paul was a Vice President of Federal Public Affairs for McGuireWoods Consulting where he lobbied for a variety of business clients. Paul is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the Notre Dame Law School.
Puneet Ahluwalia
Puneet Ahluwalia graduated from Delhi University in 1988 and immigrated to the United States from New Delhi, India in 1990. In India, he worked for Dutch Newspaper "NRC Handelsblad" and later joined Dow Jones Publication as Bureau Manager, South Asia of ''Far Eastern Economic Review," a sister company of "Asian Wall Street Journal".
In 1993 he became a realtor and worked in the sale and purchase of real estate along with building and selling of new homes. In 1999, Puneet founded Loans and Mortgages, LLC, a real estate financing company in the Washington, D.C. area. Under his leadership, the company grew to over 190 employees and added a Settlement Company and a Home & Auto Insurance Company to its portfolio and services. In 2008, he joined George Allen Strategies, assisting and advising on various Economic, Financial and Energy issues.
Previously, Puneet served on the Advisory Board of The Business Bank for over four years and he was on he board of the Center for Multi-Cultural Human Services (CMHS), a non Profit organization based in Falls Church, Virginia.
Tim Nussbaum
Executive Assistant to Governor George Allen
Tim Nussbaum joined Governor Allen’s team in February 2008 as the Governor’s Executive Assistant. Before that, he was the Senior Research Assistant on Fred Thompson’s presidential campaign. Tim graduated with a B.A. in Government and History from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, where he played on the college hockey team. Tim was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Potomac, Maryland.
