Stephen Hayes

The Right Honorable Stephen Hayes
File:Stephen Hayes.jpg
23rd President of West Aurelia
Incumbent
Assumed office June 1, 2012
Vice President	John Harper
Preceded by	Richard Alonso
29th Secretary of the Treasury of West Aurelia
In office June 1, 2008 – June 1, 2012
President	Richard Alonso
Preceded by	Esteban Rodríguez
Succeeded by	Michael Valls
Senator for Riverside's 2nd district
In office June 1, 1996 – June 1, 2008
Preceded by	Ludwig von Hoffman
Succeeded by	Annabelle Horowitz
Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance
In office June 1, 2000 – June 1, 2004
Preceded by	Joseph Wong
Succeeded by	Joseph Wong
Personal details
Born	Stephen Hayes (1953-12-28) 28 December 1953 Riverside, West Aurelia
Citizenship	West Aurelian
Political party	Freedom Party
Spouse	Catherine Nicholson (m. 1981)
Children	Jessica (b. 1983)
Residence(s)	Stamford House, Riverside
Alma mater	University of Riverside (B.A., M.B.A.)
Profession	Economist
Website	stephenhayes.com.wa
Military service
Allegiance	Template:Country data West Aurelia
Branch/service	West Aurelian Army
Years of service	1972-74
Rank	First lieutenant

Stephen Hayes (born December 28, 1953) is a West Aurelian politician who has served as the 23rd president of West Aurelia since June 1, 2012. He is a member of the Freedom Party. He previously served as a senator from Riverside's 2nd district from 1996 to 2008 and as the 29th secretary of the treasury from 2008 to 2012 under the administration of President Richard Alonso. Born and raised in the capital city of Riverside, he is a graduate of the University of Riverside with a bachelor of arts summa cum laude in economics and international relations and a master of business administration in economics and finance. Hayes served in the West Aurelian Army for two years before attending university, earning the rank of first lieutenant.

Hayes launched his first campaign for the Senate in 1996 as a member of the Freedom Party. Winning the party's primary, Hayes went on to defeat incumbent Conservative Senator Henry Adler in Riverside's 2nd Senate district. He was appointed chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance following the Freedom Party's victory in the 2000 election, but lost his position after the Conservatives took the Senate in 2004. He continued to serve as a senator until 2008, when he was appointed treasury secretary by the newly-elected Alonso, who had previously served as the nation's 19th president but was defeated in 2004.

In 2012 launched a bid for the Freedom Party nominee for president, as Alonso was inelegible for reelection. He faced strong primary challenges from former Senate Majority Leader Allison Green and Chadstone Governor Francis Eisner, but ultimately won the Freedom Party nomination. He then defeated the Conservative Will Ockburn and Social Democrat Jasmine Lew in the 2012 presidential election.

In 2016, Hayes launched his reelection campaign, easily securing the Freedom Party nomination with the lack of any prominent challengers. He then defeated the Conservative Suzanne Stein and Social Democrat Jacob Furmedge in the general election, securing his second term in office.

Early life and education

Stephen Hayes was born to an upper-class family on December 28, 1953 at the Riverside General Hospital in Riverside, West Aurelia. His father, Arthur Hayes, was an audit partner at Halifax Astley, a financial services firm which the younger Hayes and two of his brothers would go on to work for. His mother, Sara Calvert, was a dentist. Hayes was the eldest of five children - three brothers (John, David, and Malcolm) and a sister (Elizabeth). He attended Westfield College until the age of 14, when he passed the entrance exam for the prestigious Riverside Academy, a highly selective college-preparatory school regarded as one of the best in the country. He graduated from the Academy in 1972 ranked third of that year's cohort.

Hayes' father had instructed his children that he would not send them to university until they spent at least two years in the armed forces, just as his own father had made him. According to Hayes, Arthur Hayes believed that the military would "humble" his children and "prepare [them] for the rigors of life." Following his father's wishes, he enrolled in the West Aurelian Army, earning the rank of first lieutenant. Two of his brothers also joined the army when they finished school, while his youngest brother joined the air force and his sister served in the navy.

Following his military service, Hayes studied at the University of Riverside from 1974 to 1977, earning a B.A. summa cum laude in economics and international relations. At Riverside he served as the editor of The Riverside Banner student newspaper. Hayes was employed by Halifax Astley as an economist, and he would remain at the firm for the next 18 years. In 1982, as a rising star within the firm, he returned to Riverside as a part-time student to earn an M.B.A.

Personal life

Hayes' brothers John and David are both audit partners at Halifax Astley, having followed in their father's footsteps. Malcolm Hayes continues to serve in the air force, and has attained the rank of general. Elizabeth Hayes is a lawyer with the investment bank Walsh Hathaway, specializing in financial law.

While studying for his M.B.A. in 1981, Hayes met Catherine Nicholson at a student group event. She was studying for an Ph.D in biology, having already completed a B.Sc. with the same major. They married on September 23rd of the same year. On May 16, 1983, Nicholson gave birth to their daughter Jessica, who is their only child. Jessica graduated from Rockwell College in 2004 and currently works in marketing. Nicholson worked as a tenured professor of biology at Riverside until 2007.

Hayes is an atheist.