Nial Patel joined Cornerstone in 2011 after more than seven years of service to Governor Bobby Jindal that dates back to his first run for governor in 2003. As one of the longest serving senior staff members for the governor, Nial workedas the Director of Scheduling. Additionally, when Governor Jindal was elected to Congress, Nial served as his Executive Assistant. During his tenure with Jindal, Nial's duties varied from campaigning to research to outreach, working with elected politicians, stakeholders, and government officials from Washington DC and across the state of Louisiana. He holds a Masters inEconomics from the Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University, and graduatedMagna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Economics from LSU, where he also minored Political Science and Business Administration. While at LSU, Nial served on the Student Government Senate and International Cultural Center. Originally from New Orleans, Nial attended Holy Cross High School and the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts. He currently resides in Baton Rouge.