Joseph A. Caruso III will join the American Retirement Association (ARA) as government affairs counsel for the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA) and the National Tax-deferred Savings Association (NTSA), beginning February 12, according to an official announcement.

Caruso will function in federal and state lobbying for the ARA member associations, drafting legislation and providing input on future regulations, the release stated.

He joins a government affairs team at the ARA whose members come from the nation’s private retirement industry, including business owners, financial advisors and insurance professionals, the release said.

Before this, Caruso worked as an industry affairs associate with the Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA) in Washington, D.C., and influenced advocacy efforts in practices and policies in the private equity industry. He holds a master's of science in public policy and management from the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University and a Juris Doctor from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Allegheny College, according to the announcement.

The American Retirement Association, based in the Washington, D.C., area, is a non-profit professional organization established to empower retirement plan professionals who are dedicated to building a better retirement for Americans. It represents over 20,000 members.