NAFA Annuity Leadership Forum Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Paul Begala

Paul Begala is a political commentator, a professor of public policy, an author and a political strategist. He is a commentator for CNN, where he is part of the political team that has won both an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award. In addition to appearing on-air, Paul writes commentary for CNN, which is the world’s most-read news organization website. Over the years, he has also been a frequent guest on Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO and has authored six books about politics, several of which were New York Times bestsellers. In the 1990s, he helped his friend John F. Kennedy, Jr. launch the political magazine George and wrote the “Capitol Hillbilly” column.

Begala served in 1992 as a senior strategist for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign and as Counselor to the President in the White House, helping coordinate policy, politics and media. Before working for Pres. Clinton, Begala worked on Capitol Hill and advised campaigns across America. In 2012, he played a crucial role in the Obama-Biden re-election campaign. He has also done campaign work overseas, including in Israel, Europe, South America, the Caribbean and Africa.

Stephen F. Hayes

Stephen F. Hayes is CEO and editor of The Dispatch, a conservative digital media company he started with Jonah Goldberg and Toby Stock in 2019. He is the author of two New York Times best sellers: The Connection: How al Qaeda’s Collaboration with Saddam Hussein Has Endangered America and Cheney: The Untold Story of America’s Most Powerful and Controversial Vice President. Hayes is also currently an NBC News contributor and was part of CNN’s “Best Political Team on Television,” which won a Peabody Award for its coverage of the 2008 elections.

Hayes worked at The Weekly Standard magazine for nearly two decades, first as a reporter/writer and eventually as editor-in-chief. His work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Reason, National Review and many other publications. Hayes has written extensively about national politics, international affairs and the country’s current political leadership.