Kristie L. Darien is the executive director for the National Association for the Self-Employed. Darien directs the NASE's government and public relations departments in the association's Washington (D.C.) office. She works closely with our nation's policymakers in Congress and the Administration to advocate on behalf of the self-employed and micro-businesses. A graduate of Lehigh University, she is currently working toward her master's degree in public administration at George Mason University.