For media inquiries, please contact Chris Lowery (225) 726-1822 or chris@pelicaninstitute.org.

Baton Rouge — The Pelican Institute for Public Policy is excited to announce the hirings of Dr. Vance Ginn and Jamie Tairov, two accomplished, seasoned policy professionals who will bring their passion and expertise to the Pelican Institute team. Dr. Ginn will serve as the Pelican Institute’s Chief Economist and Mrs. Tairov as Senior Policy Associate.

“I am thrilled to welcome Vance and Jamie to the Pelican team as we work to write Louisiana’s comeback story,” said Pelican CEO Daniel Erspamer. “The best talent in the country is required to accomplish bold change and ensure everyone in Louisiana has the opportunity to flourish. Vance and Jamie bring nationally-recognized policy expertise, research excellence, and a deep commitment to winning on behalf of Louisiana families to achieve our mission at this critical time of charting a new path for Louisiana.”

Dr. Ginn is a nationally recognized free-market economist. Before joining the Pelican Institute, Dr. Ginn served as the Chief Economist at the Texas Public Policy Foundation and is currently Policy Director for the Alliance for Opportunity campaign, a multi-state poverty relief initiative featuring Louisiana, Texas, and Georgia. He formerly served as the Associate Director for Economic Policy of the Office of Management and Budget at the Executive Office of the President, 2019-2020. His free-market commentary has appeared in national and state outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, The Washington Post, and National Review.

“I’m excited to join the fantastic team at the Pelican Institute and hit the ground running toward providing proven free-market policy solutions that let people prosper,” Dr. Ginn said. “There is a historic opportunity in Louisiana to work on budget restraint, tax reform, and poverty relief. We want to remove barriers and unleash families in search of a bright future in Louisiana. By working towards limited government, there will be unlimited paths for families to achieve their hopes and dreams, and that is what I hope to foster with the team at the Pelican Institute for all Louisianans.”

Jamie Tairov will bring years of Louisiana policy and budgetary expertise to the Pelican Institute and will serve as Senior Policy Associate. Before joining Pelican, Jamie spent many years in various roles at LSU, where she completed a master’s in public administration. She then worked as a budget analyst for the Fiscal Division of the House of Representatives. In her role at Pelican, Jamie will be working to advance solutions in the areas of fiscal policy, social safety-net, criminal justice, and occupational licensure.

“I am so excited to join the Pelican Institute and work to advance proven policies that will give all Louisianans the opportunity to flourish,” Jamie Tairov said. “Through proven social-safety net and criminal justice reforms, as well as changes to our state’s complex tax code and budgetary systems, we really can write Louisiana’s comeback story.”