About XRA

Chris Brown joined XRA in September 2025 as Vice President of Public Policy. In this capacity, he leads policy development around emerging immersive technologies including virtual, augmented, and mixed reality, and engages Members of Congress and the Administration to educate them about the wide-range of applications for XR across both the public and private sectors.

Prior to joining XRA, Brown held several senior positions in the public and private sector. In the public sector, he served as Assistant Administrator for Government and Industry Affairs at the Federal Aviation Administration in the Trump and George W. Bush Administrations. In that role, he served as the principal advisor to the Secretary of Transportation and FAA Administrator on federal and international legislative and regulatory policy developments and the agency’s primary liaison to Congress, other executive branch agencies, and industry stakeholders. In addition to Brown’s two tenures at the FAA, he held a number of senior positions on the Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure, U.S. House of Representatives, including staff director and counsel on the Subcommittee on Aviation, and oversight counsel to the full committee under the chairmanships of former Congressman Bill Shuster (R-PA) and Congressman Don Young (R-AK).

In his private sector roles, Brown has represented all the nation’s major passenger and commercial airlines before Congress and Executive Branch agencies, most recently as the interim Executive Director at the Association of Value Airlines and Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy at the National Air Carrier Association, and previously as Vice President for Legislative and Regulatory Policy at Airlines for America. In these positions, he helped develop member policy priorities and advocated for those policies across the federal government. Brown began his legal and policy career as an associate in the Public Law and Policy section at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in Washington, D.C. He participated in a number of federal advisory committees, most recently the Air Carrier Access Act Advisory Committee at the U.S. Department of Transportation, and previously the National Civil Aviation Review Commission and the Future of Aviation Advisory Committee (FAAC).

A native of Massachusetts, Brown received his bachelor’s degree from Boston College and his Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington University Law School. He is a member of the District of Columbia and Massachusetts bars.

Elizabeth Hyman is President and Chief Executive Officer of the XR Association (XRA), the trade association promoting the dynamic growth of the XR industry which includes virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed-reality, and immersive technologies yet to be invented. XRA is dedicated to the responsible development and thoughtful advancement of XR technologies across the globe.

Prior to joining XRA, Hyman served as Executive Vice President of Public Advocacy at the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), where she led the association’s outreach to members of Congress, the Executive Branch, and other international, federal, state, and local government institutions that shape public policies affecting the IT industry.

Hyman brings more than two decades of experience in the worlds of government, policy, and technology. She began her career in government, including positions at the U.S. Department of Justice, Executive Office of the President, and Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and has experience in the private sector both in the practice of law and in business.

Hyman is a graduate of Tufts University, completed the General Course program at the London School of Economics, and holds a law degree from the Washington College of Law at American University.

Christina Sawyers, CPA serves as the Chief Financial Officer for XR Association (XRA). In this position, Sawyers oversees the financial operations of the organization and is responsible for budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, internal controls, and financial management.

With over twenty years in the industry, Sawyers brings an extensive background in operational and financial accounting experience. Sawyers served as the Controller for the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) for over a decade and since then has opened her own practice and now serves clients in the commercial, government contracting, and not for profit sectors.

Sawyers graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and holds her license as Certified Public Accountant with the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Peirce Clark serves as the XR Association’s Director of Research and Best Practices. In this position, Clark assists in the development of industry leading best practices, evaluates potential research topics, and supports XRA’s Health and Inclusion committees.

Clark previously worked with GEICO in their Financial Planning and Analysis department, where he managed high visibility projects to align costs at a corporate level. Additionally, Clark brings with him management, software implementation, and business analysis experience.

Clark graduated from the University of Redlands with a Bachelors degree in Global Business. Clark was also involved in athletics at Redlands, earning the Track & Field team MVP in his senior year.

Joudi Assaf serves as the XR Association’s Director of Marketing & Events. In this position, Assaf develops marketing and event strategies, conducts market research, and creates member engagement campaigns.

Prior to joining XRA, Assaf worked with The Young Turks as a Marketing and Communications specialist, where she helped drive membership and engagement, conducted market research, and developed marketing strategies for the CMO. Additionally, Assaf worked as a Marketing Manager at an outsourced advertising agency where she developed marketing strategies for high-profile clients.

Assaf graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VT) with a Bachelor’s in Multimedia Journalism and a cognate in International Communications.

Alexandra Mattos serves as the XR Association’s Senior Public Policy Manager. In this position, Mattos serves as the primary researcher for the Policy department, supports in legislative research and drafting, drafts policy briefs, responds to government filings, and assists the Senior VP of Policy in running XRA’s Policy Committee.

Mattos started with the XR Association as a Public Policy Intern in September 2022. Prior to her career at XRA, Mattos worked as Social Media and Marketing Manager for Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy, concurrently serving as a Health Policy Intern at the PCOS Challenge.

Mattos graduated from Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy, where she earned a Master’s degree in Public Policy, with specializations in International Relations, National Security, and American Policy. She earned her Bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in Criminal Justice Studies, with a Law minor, at the University of Arizona.