About GAI
The Government Affairs Institute (GAI) has been conducting courses on Capitol Hill since 1965. For thirty years GAI was part of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. In 1995 GAI was privatized by the federal government, and in 1997 it became affiliated with Georgetown University and the McCourt School of Public Policy.
GAI’s mission is to provide education and training about congressional processes, organization, and practices, and about selected legislative policy issues. By better understanding the functions and organization of Congress, executive branch personnel and others with a direct interest in federal programs can more effectively plan, manage, and budget for those programs, and better represent those programs before Congress.
GAI conducts most courses on Capitol Hill so that participants receive practical, on-site experience and analysis of the workings of Congress, including the opportunity to meet and interact with key players in the legislative policy process. All GAI courses are planned, designed, and conducted by the Institute’s senior fellows, who also conduct dozens of on-site classes each year in the Washington DC area and around the country.
The Senior Staff of the Government Affairs Institute consists of individuals strongly committed to teaching, with academic backgrounds in political science, public administration, history, and economics. Most have taught extensively at the university level, and all are experienced observers of Congress who spend much of their time on Capitol Hill.
Meet the Government Affairs Institute Faculty
Staff
LaJuan M. Alexander | Program Assistant
LaJuan began with GAI in 2001. She works closely with course participants and provides support to fellow colleagues. LaJuan responds to inquiries about the Institute and its offerings, and coordinates all materials used in courses on the Hill. She attended Montgomery College in Takoma Park and Prince George’s Community College, and holds a degree in business administration.
Meg Tice | Director of Finance
A graduate of American University with a degree in business, Meg manages GAI’s finances and human resources. She joined the Institute in 2001.
Katina Slavkova | Educational Programs Manager & Certificate Program Director
Katina joined the Government Affairs Institute in February 2008 as Educational Programs Coordinator. Over the course of her tenure with GAI, Katina has taken on many different responsibilities by advancing to her current roles as the Director of the Certificate in Legislative Studies program and a Fellow position that is part of the core teaching faculty at the Institute. In her teaching capacity, she focuses and specializes in congressional intelligence oversight and national security issues. She has led and conducted numerous tailored courses on Capitol Hill for senior NSA officials and additionally teaches a research seminar on Congress and Intelligence Policy as part of the certificate program curriculum.
She also closely works with and supports the Director and Senior Fellows at GAI and contributes articles to GAI’s newsletter and blog. She has MA degree in international relations and BA degree in psychology.