Until her departure from AAF in the spring of 2022, Tara O’Neill Hayes was the Director of Human Welfare Policy. 

Tara’s research focuses on federal policy related to individuals’ health and economic wellbeing. Her portfolio includes such areas as nutrition assistance and childcare programs, senior services, anti-homelessness and self-sufficiency initiatives, and other poverty–alleviation programs. Tara formerly served as AAF’s Deputy Director of Health Care Policy.  

Tara has spoken at numerous briefings and policy events. Her research and insights have appeared in numerous media outlets, including  The Washington Post, Forbes, Politico, and Kaiser Health News. In January 2019, Tara was invited to join the National Academy of Social Insurance in recognition of her work on Medicare policy. 

Before joining AAF, Tara worked as a Legislative Assistant in the U.S. House of Representatives for various members from her home state of South Carolina, covering a broad portfolio of issues. Tara earned her Master’s in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. In 2014, she was named a David Winston Health Policy Scholar.