being his legislative counsel ,” Irisari says .
His next job in Washington was serving as deputy chief of staff and legislative director for U . S . Representative Michael McCaul , who at the time was a freshman member of Congress , also from Texas , who would become chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security during Irisari ’ s years on staff .
“ It was during this time that I became active in tech policy since the tech industry was a major constituent presence in the district ,” he says . “ I ran the bipartisan Congressional High Tech Caucus for Congressman McCaul and handled his homeland security portfolio , which included border security , immigration and cybersecurity among other things . It was in this role that I learned the importance of networking and relationship building .”
Six years later , he joined the global semiconductor company Texas Instruments ( TI ), where he spent 10 years handling the innovation policy portfolio , which included high skilled immigration , STEM education , federal research funding and automotive technology .
“ I was again fortunate to have a wonderful boss and mentor in TI ’ s vice president for Government Relations , Paula Collins ,” Irisari says . “ Paula taught me that 90 % of life is showing up and the importance of hiring bright people and putting them in a situation to succeed .”
While there , he also served as
corporate chair of the Task Force on American Innovation , which brought together educators , companies and researchers to advocate for science research funding at key research agencies . He co-chaired the Workforce Committee for the Innovation Technology Industry Council in Washington as well , and more recently he has been a member of the Visiting Committee at the WVU College of Law .
For the past five years , Irisari has led Samsung ’ s policy efforts in the U . S . on semiconductors .
“ Even though my portfolio is limited to the U . S ., the policies that our nation pursues affect the industry globally ,” he says .
“ One of my favorite parts of this job has been the ability to grow my team from scratch and build it according to my vision ,” he says . “ It really has been a blessing to be able to hire a high-performing team of self-starters that is also fun to be around and collaborate with during major projects and what can at times be long workdays .”
Irisari is proud of the work his team and others in the semiconductor industry have done in helping get the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 introduced , passed and enacted .
“ This legislation has directly strengthened global electronic supply chains and brought more semiconductor manufacturing onshore , creating more high-wage jobs for Americans while protecting U . S . national and economic security ,” he says .
The legislation resulted in Samsung ’ s $ 6.4 billion award in grant incentives from the U . S . Department of Commerce and separate tax incentives .
Irisari ’ s work has received many accolades . He has been selected twice as a Top Lobbyist by the National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics , a designation given yearly to 100 individuals in the government relations community in Washington , D . C ., based on their accomplishments and willingness to give back to the community .
In terms of giving back to his current hometown in Vienna , VA , Irisari has coached youth sports and volunteers currently on the executive committee with the National Capital Area Council of Scouting America , formerly the Boy Scouts . He is also a past president and board member of the Texas State Society .
“ When people ask where I ’ m from , I still say , ‘ I live in Virginia , but I ’ m originally from West Virginia ,” he says . “ I had a wonderful childhood growing up in West Virginia and an exceptional experience at WVU for law school . Although I don ’ t currently live in West Virginia , I will always call West Virginia home .” •
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