Mandy Gunasekara

Surya is a results-driven strategist with extensive public and private sector experience designing, developing, and directing complex tax, trade, and energy security policy initiatives on behalf of clients. 

Prior to rejoining Section VII Strategies,  Surya held senior political positions at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  At DOE, Surya was the Senior Counsel in the Office of International Affairs where he was tasked with developing trade promotion policies and financing vehicles to expand domestic energy exports.  

Earlier in the Administration, Surya  managed fifteen senior policy professionals as the head of strategy and policy at the U.S. Customs and Boarder Protection (CBP), the largest civilian led law enforcement agency in the United States and a component of DHS.  While at CBP, he developed immigration pathways and trade policies to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic and represented the agency on the DHS China Working Group addressing malign activity in trade, forced labor, and intellectual property. 

On Capitol Hill,  Surya served as Chief of Staff and General Counsel for Congressman James B. Renacci (R-OH). He was the Congressman’s chief policy advisor and managed the D.C. and District offices.   Surya was responsible for shaping the overall strategic vision of the Congressman’s Ways and Means Committee portfolio, specifically in tax, trade, and energy. While on the Hill, Surya lead a team of tax lawyers in developing a pro-growth consumption-based tax reform plan, an international tax reform discussion draft, and legislation - signed into law - overhauling the partnership audit regime. In addition, he oversaw all legislative and communication initiatives as well as a robust fundraising operation.  

Before working on Capitol Hill, Surya was Managing Director - Taxes at Airlines for America. In this role, Surya handled federal, state, local and international tax issues affecting the major domestic airlines, working closely with legislative and administrative bodies to manage the tax burden. In addition, Surya represented the airline industry on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Tax Committee and the California Taxpayers Association Board of Directors.  Surya previously served as Counsel - Tax & Trade in the Tax and Accounting Policy Department of the American Petroleum Institute (API). In that capacity, Surya drafted comments on proposed regulations, monitored legislation, and supported API's advocacy efforts. Surya also managed the API policy subcommittees on accounting, international trade compliance, and excise tax.  

Prior to joining API, Surya was Assistant Counsel at the Defense Logistics Agency Energy (DLA Energy), the Department of Defense's purchasing agency for bulk petroleum products, and other energy commodities. At DLA Energy, Surya advised petroleum procuring contracting officers and program directors in matters pertaining to acquisitions, contract administration, as well as international and domestic fuel taxes.  

Surya has published extensively on energy, tax, international relations and natural security issues in some of the largest newspapers and most respected law journals, including: The Hill, the Washington Examiner, the Daily Caller, Morning Consult, the Journal of Space Law, the Public Contract Law Journal, the Federal Circuit Bar Journal, Air & Space Law, the George Washington Journal of Energy and Environmental Law and the Washington and Lee Journal of Energy, Climate, and the Environment. He has lectured and testified on energy and tax policy issues at a host of conferences, state legislative hearings and symposiums sponsored by industry, government, and law schools.  

Surya holds a J.D. cum laude from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Prior to law school, he graduated from the University of Denver with a Masters in Natural Resource and Energy Policy and from the University of Colorado with a B.A. in Political Science. He lives with his wife and two children in Oxford, Mississippi.