2024 NACo Annual Conference & Exposition

Congresswoman Kat Cammack proudly serves Florida’s Third Congressional District, which includes Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hamilton, Lafayette, Levy, Marion, Suwannee, and Union Counties in North Central Florida. During her first term in 2021-2022, she served as the youngest Republican woman in the 117th Congress. She served for nearly a decade as the deputy chief of staff for Florida’s Third Congressional District prior to her election in 2020. While in this role, she advocated for small business owners, veterans and military families, agricultural producers, and hardworking families like her own. During the 117th Congress, Kat served on the House Agriculture and Homeland Security Committees, along with the Select Committee on the Economy. While serving on these committees, Kat brought attention to the challenges faced by working-class families and Florida’s farmers, ranchers, and producers with rising inflation, labor challenges, and supply-chain issues. She also worked to highlight the historic border crisis, visiting the southern border and questioning the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas multiple times before Committee. Now serving in her second term during the 118th Congress, she works to prioritize constituent advocacy and service, fighting for families, national security, and government accountability.

Serving his home county in the heart of California’s Wine Country for the last eight years, James has shown steadfast and innovative leadership through an unprecedented barrage of fires, floods, droughts and more. He has become a well-known champion of resiliency by engaging and empowering residents through recovery and rebuilding in the wake of wildfires. James led efforts to secure historic regional, state, and federal funding for emergency preparedness and infrastructure investments. He is also a key local and state leader on housing, homelessness, and behavioral health. During the pandemic, James led the California State Association of Counties as President through the multitude of statewide prevention and response actions. Locally, he spearheaded the creation of Sonoma County’s Office of Equity to take on the disparate impacts of COVID on underserved communities. Working with county leaders from across the country inspired him to run for NACo leadership and he was recently elected to serve as 1st Vice President of the organization. James Gore proudly serves his community and the larger County family in the following areas: Second Vice President, National Association of Counties (NACo) Chair, NACo Programs and Services Committee Former Chair, NACo Resilient Counties Advisory Board Member, NACo LUCC and RAC Immediate Past President, California State Association of Counties Executive Committee, Latino Caucus of California Counties Appointee, FEMA National Advisory Council Co-Chair, North Coast Resource Partnership (7 county/30 tribe consortium) Gubernatorial Appointee, California State Wildfire and Forest Resiliency Task Force Former Member, Resilient America Roundtable for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine James began his public service life as a volunteer for the U.S. Peace Corps in Bolivia, where he helped communities build water management and agricultural systems. James resides in Healdsburg, California where he and his wife Elizabeth raise their children, Opal and Jacob.

Terry Wilbur is the County Clerk of Oswego County, N.Y. A life-long resident of Oswego County, Wilbur previously served on the Oswego County Legislature, most recently as Republican conference majority leader. He currently serves as the Chair of NACo's Agriculture and Rural Affairs Steering Committee, where he plays a pivotal role in guiding NACo's policy to support both America's producers and rural communities.

Dr. Nathan Boyd's research and extension program focus on the development of integrated weed management plans for vegetable, strawberry, and ornamental crops. He emphasizes the incorporation of biological knowledge with chemical, physical, and cultural management tools. Dr. Boyd collaborates with researchers from a wide range of disciplines to develop pest-management options that are effective and economically viable. He works closely with industry and grower groups to address current and future weed management issues.

As a Senior Program Manager with ICMA, Clark works to help local governments around the world become more effective, sustainable, and innovative. Specific areas of focus include solar policy, brownfields, community planning and health.

Harrison received his Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, after attending Mississippi State University and graduating from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He then earned an LL.M. in Agricultural Law from the University of Arkansas School of Law’s Graduate Program in Agricultural Law. Harrison has worked at the Center since 2001. During that time, his title and job duties have spanned the range of graduate assistant, staff attorney, co-director, interim director and currently, director; in which capacity he has served since 2007. He has taught at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law as part of the Ben J. Altheimer Distinguished Professorship for Agricultural Law, and has also served as a visiting professor at the Drake University Law School. In addition, he has taught Environmental and Natural Resources Law and Introduction to Agricultural Law in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, & Life Sciences, Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness. In that role, he was awarded the 2011-2012 Agricultural Business Club Teaching Award. He is an active member of the American Agricultural Law Association (AALA), the nation’s only professional organization focused on the legal needs of the agricultural community, and was the first recipient of the AALA’s Excellence in Agricultural Law award in 2010. Additionally, he is an active member of the Arkansas Bar Association, where he helped found the Agricultural Law Section, later served as interim chair and chair, and currently serves as vice-chair. He is a frequent presenter on a range of topics and issues, including the farm bill, water law, and environmental law. He has authored articles on numerous subjects, including the National Organic Program, the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act, the constitutionality of corporate farming laws, pesticide regulation and litigation, agritourism, states’ recreational use statutes, the Packers and Stockyards Act, agricultural bankruptcy issues, and environmental laws impacting agriculture.

Jonathan Vlaming is the Associate Superintendent of Planning and Design for Three Rivers Park District in Minnesota. He serves on the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials (NACPRO) Board of Directors, and on the NACo Board of Directors as well. His 35-year career includes tourism research, teaching, grant-writing, systems planning, active transportation development, and on-the-ground experience planning, designing, building, and funding park and trail projects.

Brian Baluta brings over two decades of strategic communications experience, having served with three members of the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Department of Justice, a U.S. Senate candidate, and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval. Baluta is an alumnus of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications. His work in the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development included overseeing the successful rollout of an economic impact study for Tesla’s $7 billion Gigafactory. Additionally, he has experience as a Communications Director in the private sector and the U.S. House of Representatives. Baluta currently works at Lockheed Martin as Director of State and Local Government Relations.

Terry Hickey is the Director of Housing and Community Development (DHDC) in Baltimore County, Maryland. Hickey joined Baltimore County in December 2019 and was appointed to serve as the first ever Director of the newly created DHCD by County Executive John Olszewski in June 2021. Hickey previously led the Mayor’s Office of Human Services in Baltimore County.

In her role as Associate Center Director, Kunz is responsible for ensuring safe and effective execution of the center’s technical capabilities, including establishing strategies and policies to ensure alignment of the Kennedy workforce, facilities, and operations to facilitate agency program and project goals. Prior to her current role, Kunz served as director of Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA), providing Kennedy’s final input on risks and range analysis and providing an overall mission assurance endorsement that NASA’s launches will be safe and successful. She also was responsible for the planning and execution of all SMA activities at Kennedy, ensuring the success of NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems, Commercial Crew, Launch Services, Orion and the International Space Station (ISS) programs while protecting the safety of all center personnel and the public. Kunz has more than 30 years of NASA experience at Kennedy, including significant experience in project management and overall leadership. Kunz began her impressive career with NASA in 1991 and has made significant impacts to numerous major NASA programs including Space Shuttle, International Space Station, Constellation, and the design and development of the new Ground Systems Development and Operations. As deputy director of the Constellation Project Office in support of the agency’s Constellation Program, Kunz’s organization was responsible for the planning and development of the required facilities; ground systems; test and verification; logistics; and prelaunch, launch, and recovery operations for NASA’s lunar/Mars human exploration program. Kunz also served as the deputy director for operations in Kennedy’s ISS and Payload Processing Directorate. The directorate’s responsibilities included launch site processing, testing and integration of ISS hardware and payloads. While in the ISS and Payload Processing Directorate, she served as the management and past performance committee chair of the Source Evaluation Board for the Checkout, Assembly and Payload Processing Services (CAPPS) contract. After the contract award, she led the ISS Integration Branch and served as the initial CAPPS Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative and transition manager. Prior to her role as SMA director, Kunz was deputy program manager of the Kennedy’s Exploration Ground Systems Program. The program comprised 440 civil service and 1,100 contractor employees responsible for the planning and development of the required facilities; ground systems; test and verification; logistics; and prelaunch, launch, and recovery operations for NASA’s Space Launch System/Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, as well as providing multiuse infrastructure to enable commercial and other government spacecraft and launch providers.

Dr. George “Mac” McCarthy is president and CEO of the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Since arriving at the Lincoln Institute in 2014, he has grown the organization from 38 to 165 full-time employees. His work to expand the organization’s relevance and impact is evidenced by numerous achievements, including establishing a partnership with Claremont Lincoln University, developing state-of-the-art technology that tells parcel-level stories of land use with unprecedented detail, and growing the Lincoln Institute’s presence on a global scale through its work in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Before joining the Lincoln Institute, Mac directed Metropolitan Opportunity at the Ford Foundation, which sought to provide disadvantaged people better access to good jobs and other opportunities for advancement by supporting regional planning that integrates housing and public transit development. Mac also administered a program at Ford that focused on using homeownership to build assets for low-income families and their communities. Prior to that, Mac worked as a senior research associate at the Center for Urban and Regional Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has also worked as professor of economics at Bard College, resident scholar at the Jerome Levy Economics Institute, visiting scholar and member of the High Table at King’s College of Cambridge University, visiting scholar at the University of Naples, Italy, and research associate at the Centre for Social Research in St. Petersburg, Russia. Mac received a BA in economics and mathematics at the University of Montana; an MA in economics at Duke University; and a PhD in economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Drawing on his diverse background in business, government, and non-profit sectors, Mr. Mudano has steered AmSkills towards becoming a thriving workforce training and apprenticeships organization in the Tampa Bay Region. Since its inception in 2014 as an Economic Development Initiative, AmSkills has been committed to transforming lives and strengthening communities through workforce training and apprenticeships. As President and CEO since early 2016, Mr. Mudano has led his team in creating innovative programs aimed at recruiting, training, and sustaining a skilled workforce in advanced manufacturing, public works, and utilities industries. These programs encompass various offerings, including pioneering the first Florida Department of Education Registered High School and Home School Pre-Apprenticeships, Adult Pre-Apprenticeships, micro-credentials, and Apprenticeships in Machining, Mechatronics, and Robotics. Catering to both youth and adults, AmSkills provides comprehensive career discovery opportunities, training, coaching and job placement services, ultimately paving the way for long-term careers. Mr. Mudano's achievements were recognized when he was featured in the Tampa Bay Business Journal's esteemed list of "Top 25 People to Watch in 2022" among other awards he and his team have accomplished.

Kathryn E. Starkey was born in the San Francisco Bay Area. She moved to Miami in 1973 and attended schools in Europe before heading to Florida State University. Kathryn has lived in France, Spain, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela and is now a proud 38-year resident of the Tampa Bay Area. Before dedicating her career to public service, Kathryn’s focus was marketing and interior design; however, she served her community through appointments to various state and local boards by Governors Bush, Crist, and Scott – including the Florida Greenways and Trails Council and the Pinellas-Anclote River Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District. She is a graduate of Leadership Pasco, Leadership Tampa Bay and the University of South Florida Water Leadership Institute. Kathryn has served on the governing boards of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, American Red Cross of Tampa Bay and the Pasco Education Foundation among many others. Kathryn formed Scenic Pasco – a 501c3 whose mission was to rewrite ordinances in Pasco County dealing with aesthetic issues, including billboards, landscaping, and cell towers. She was twice elected to the Pasco County School Board, where she helped initiate Career Academies focused on the IT, Automotive, Engineering and Medical fields. In her initial term with the School Board, the Council of Education Foundations presented Kathryn with the first State of Florida School Board Member of the Year Award. She then returned to the private sector before running for Pasco County Commission in 2012. Now in her third term, her focus is mainly workforce and economic development. Kathryn works closely with the Pasco Economic Development Council (Pasco EDC), where she founded and serves as chair of the Pasco EDC International Committee and remains actively involved with the Pasco EDC Talent Pipeline Task Force. She’s also been a member of the National Association of Counties (NACo) since 2016 and serves not only as a board member, but as vice chair of the NACo International Economic Development Task Force, vice chair of the NACo Community Economic and Workforce Development, and member of the NACo Large Urban County Caucus. Kathryn is also chair of the Florida Association of Counties (FAC) Federal Policy Committee, a member of the FAC Legislative Executive Committee, a member of the Pasco-Hernando Workforce Consortium and chair of the Pasco County Tourist Development Council. Kathryn works to develop international trade, with a focus on Europe and South America, conducting highly successful international trade workshops. These efforts have greatly helped our local businesses in their efforts to learn how to export. She’s also made solid networking connections between Pasco, Tampa Bay and international businesses by participating in economic development trips to Peru, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico and England. She proudly promotes and serves on the board of AmSkills (American Manufacturing Skills Initiative), a unique regional workforce apprenticeship training program, which she co-founded. In 2017, the Tampa Bay Organization of Women in International Trade (TBOWIT) recognized Kathryn as International Person of the Year. In May 2018, Kathryn participated in the Global Tampa Bay Trade Mission to Mexico, resulting in $35 million in projected economic activity for local companies. Kathryn is married to Jay B. Starkey III, a member of a Tampa Bay pioneer family and has four children and four grandchildren.

Estella Gonzalez is the Executive Director of the Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity. The department seeks to improve the quality of life of Harris County residents by attracting and growing businesses that result in jobs that pay a living wage and new entrepreneurship opportunities, removing barriers to contracting opportunities, stabilizing household and individual incomes, providing workforce training to residents, and supporting essential workers. Estella joined the Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity after fifteen years in the non-profit sector. Her passion for service and dedication to community development led her to a career in the public sector. Prior to joining the DEEO, she founded a small business development program for immigrant and micro-entrepreneurs and spearheaded social enterprise projects, including a commercial kitchen incubator and coworking space. Estella holds a B.A. from the University of Houston and an M.P.A from Penn State University.

Leticia “Lety” Farrera is the daughter of two internationally trained professionals (ITP) and has dedicated her career to opening up opportunities for ITPs and their families. She has 10 years of Higher Education and Adult Education experience and now serves as the SIIP Program Manager for WES Talent Bridge.

Trevor Shealy is a Program Specialist at WES Global Talent Bridge, working closely with the SIIP Alumni Network. Prior to this role, he supported immigrants and refugees as the Senior Program and Administrative Coordinator for WES Global Talent Bridge and has previously worked with several of WES Global Talent Bridge’s partners in support of immigrant and refugee inclusion at local, state, national, and international levels. A highlight of Trevor’s career is interpreting (Arabic and Persian) for recently resettled refugees in Charlottesville, Virginia.

As the Policy Director for NACCED, Josh Brandwein keeps the membership updated on the federal policy landscape and directs the policy objectives for the organization. Brandwein holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Old Dominion University.

In 2021, Scott Angelle completed his service to the United States Department of Interior as the nation’s longest serving Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). His service was marked by recognition that safety performance AND environmental sustainability AND robust production is not an “either/or” equation for America but rather an “AND” equation. This goal was pursued through a focused STRATEGIC PLAN, introduction of a forward-thinking VITAL STATISTICS PROGRAM combined with an aggressive and a comprehensive CHANGE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM. He brought his vision, planning and results-oriented approach to BSEE by introducing a new era of management, one that looked beyond only regulation but employed innovation, communication, and collaboration as tools to achieve: a safe offshore energy industry, AND an environmentally sustainable industry AND an industry that creates jobs and energizes our great country. Within 60 days of completing his service, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) released its 2021 High Risk Series Report to Congressional Committees. This report was in stark comparison to the unflattering 2017 report he inherited. The 2021 Report removed the Restructuring of Offshore Oil and Gas Oversight as a high risk for the GAO. Many of the comments within the 2021 Report cite his leadership and the numerous initiatives instituted during his service. This removal of Restructuring of Offshore Oil and Gas Oversight from this High-Risk Series list increased confidence of the American people regarding Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) activities and will ultimately be very beneficial in the debate regarding America’s access to offshore resources. In addition to being this great news for our national security, this is great news for our energy security, economic security and environmental sustainability as America seeks “Balancing the 3 E’s®”. He was among the first government leaders to observe that America experienced six recessions from 1973 – 2019, with each one preceded by a spike in energy prices; confirming that as goes America’s access to affordable energy so goes her economic performance. This suggests that a solution to this historic problem is a strong domestic energy industry, both renewable and nonrenewable; without ever sacrificing safety or environmental sustainability. He proved that was possible for the offshore sector. His vision and strong sense of service result from having spent more than 30 years reforming agencies and organizations in both the public and private sectors. During his public career, he has been steadfast in managing resources through a balanced philosophy. He is recognized as a firm but fair regulator, and is guided by his slogan, “I will be where competency, preparation, and integrity meets urgency and accountability”. His long and distinguished record of public service includes serving as the first St. Martin Parish President, Chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, Chairman of the Louisiana Water Resources Commission, member of the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors, member of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, and Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana. On behalf of the State of Louisiana, he successfully negotiated an early end to the offshore drilling moratorium imposed by the federal government in 2010. His history of service can be best described as a “turn-around-man;” with successes at the local, state, and federal level. Scott has recently returned to his family and hometown in Cajun Country. Scott is the CEO/Lead Strategist of Angelle Partners and founder of USA Energy Workers. He has been happily married to Diane for 36 years, has five children, seven grandchildren and loves his 1964 Ford Motor tractor!

Archie was elected as the 9th Lafourche Parish President and took office on January 1, 2020, and was most recently re-elected without opposition. Prior to his election Archie served in various executive roles in government including the Public Works Director for the City of Thibodaux and as the Parish Administrator for Lafourche Parish Government where he led the parish restoration efforts in the aftermath of the BP Oil Spill. In addition to serving as the Parish President Archie also serves as the President of Parish’s Advocating for Coastal Endurance, also known as PACE, which is made up of the 20 costal parishes in Louisiana. Archie also serves on the national level as a Vice Chairman of both NACo’s Environment, Energy and Land Use Committee and the Gulf States Counties and Parishes Caucus.

Chett Chiasson is the Executive Director of the Greater Lafourche Port Commission (GLPC), which runs Port Fourchon and the South Lafourche Leonard Miller, Jr. Airport.

Director since January 2010, Chett has been with the port commission for the past 18 years. His experience includes the marketing and leasing of port and airport properties as well as grant writing, management, and disaster recovery. His battle-tested leadership saw Port Fourchon through the aftermath of a direct hit from 2021’s Hurricane Ida, highlighting the port’s resilience and strength by opening for business within nine days of landfall. Chett has played a leadership role in working to protect Port Fourchon and Louisiana’s surrounding coast while also stressing the importance of servicing the ever-expanding energy industry for local, state, and national economies and U.S. energy security.

As chair of the Gulf Caucus, U.S. Delegation Legislative Policy Council member, board member and now Vice-Chair for the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA), he advocates for ports and port-forward policy on a national level. Chett has testified before U.S. Congress regarding the economic importance of Port Fourchon and the energy industry, and he has illustrated how, in Port Fourchon, industry and environment can and do coexist successfully. He continues to champion that message, working diligently to make Port Fourchon a leading example of responsible development, making the best of its abundant natural resources and planning for the greater good of both business and environment. 

A member of the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Gulf of Mexico Offshore Wind Task Force and the Louisiana Climate Initiatives Task Force Transportation Committee, Chett serves on the boards of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Financing Corporation and the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Coastal Protection, Restoration, and Conservation. Chett is also Chairman of the Louisiana CPRA Board’s Finance Working Group, Chairman of the LA 1 Coalition Board of Directors, Vice President of the Executive Board of Restore or Retreat, First Vice President of the Gulf Ports Association, member of the Consumer Energy Alliance’s board of directors, a Fourchon Oilman’s Association board member, and a member of the South Louisiana Economic Council’s Emerging Energy Task Force. Chett is a past chairman of the Lafourche Chamber of Commerce and past president of the Ports Association of Louisiana, the South Central Industrial Association, and the Bayou Industrial Group.

He is a graduate of both Leadership Lafourche (2008) and Leadership Louisiana (2009), was named one of the Best of Lafourche’s Forty under Forty (2014), and was honored as the LSU Public Administration Institute’s 2015 Distinguished MPA Alumnus.

Chett holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration degree, both from LSU. Geaux Tigers.

Grant Cope is a regulatory policy expert and attorney with more than 20 years of experience in program implementation, innovative environmental and human health safeguards, public engagement, and oversight. Grant was appointed Senior Counselor to the EPA Administrator in April 2022, where he works on an array of programs, including chemical regulation, domestic plastics policies, children’s health protections, PFAS, cryptocurrency, and other issues. Prior to joining EPA, Grant was appointed Deputy Director at the California Department of Toxic Substances Control in September of 2019, where he led a statewide cleanup program. Starting in 2013, he was appointed Deputy Secretary for Environmental Policy at the California Environmental Protection Agency, where he oversaw statewide policy and program development. From 2005 to 2013, Grant served as Senior Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Before that, he advocated on behalf of farmworker children as an associate attorney for Earthjustice and worked as a staff attorney for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. Grant graduated with honors from the University of California at Berkeley in 1993 and from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College in 1998 with a juris doctor. He is the recipient of a Natural Resources Law Institute Leadership Award, Environmental and Natural Resources Law Certificate, and Distinguished Environmental Law Graduate Award.

David Eichenthal is a senior advisor for policy implementation and delivery with the U.S. Department of the Treasury IRA Implementation Office. He joined the Biden-Harris Administration in May 2023 after a 30-year career in state and local government, the private sector and the non-profit sector. During the Obama-Biden Administration, he led the National Resource Network, an initiative to provide cross-cutting technical assistance to more than sixty economically challenged cities nationally. He is a former assistant city comptroller, city finance officer and partner in a national financial advisory firm for state and local governments where he helped to lead its management and budget consulting practice.

Lesley Fore is a Technical Project Officer with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program where she provides grants management support and technical assistance to communities and local governments in the Southeast. Prior to joining DOE, Lesley was the Director of Stakeholder Relations for the Alliance to Save Energy where she oversaw member engagement with the Alliance Associate Members, the Commission of National Energy Efficiency, and the Active Efficiency Collaborative. Her career includes the development and implementation of gas and electric Demand-Side Management energy efficiency programs for income-qualified Virginians as Assistant Director at Community Housing Partners and nine years with the Local Energy Alliance Program, a community-based clean energy services nonprofit, where she served as Executive Director. As a leader in her field, Lesley has served on Dominion Energy Virginia’s EnergyShare Customer Advisory Board, the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council Board of Directors, as Vice-Chair of the Charlottesville Affordable Housing Committee, and as a member of the Virginia Multifamily Energy Efficiency Coalition.

Ms. Joni Tuck is a Corporate Relations Advisor at Shell. She focuses on delivering stakeholder engagement, communications, and external relations support to Deepwater Gulf of Mexico production assets. Prior to joining Shell, Joni held positions at the Greater Lafourche Port Commission and the Lafourche Parish Government.

Kevin Young is responsible for leading the development, implementation, and management of a portfolio of customer programs including conservation and distributed energy resource (DER) programs which include customer-sited solar, batteries, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and other grid edge resources. He has his bachelor and master degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of South Florida and his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Tampa. Kevin joined Tampa Electric as an engineering co-op in 2002 and has held various roles in Power Plant Operations, Environmental, Energy Policy, Sustainability and Business Strategy. He is also a Professional Engineer registered in Florida.

David Eichenthal is a senior advisor for policy implementation and delivery with the U.S. Department of the Treasury IRA Implementation Office. He joined the Biden-Harris Administration in May 2023 after a 30-year career in state and local government, the private sector and the non-profit sector. During the Obama-Biden Administration, he led the National Resource Network, an initiative to provide cross-cutting technical assistance to more than sixty economically challenged cities nationally. He is a former assistant city comptroller, city finance officer and partner in a national financial advisory firm for state and local governments where he helped to lead its management and budget consulting practice.

Joseph Rulison is the CEO and Co-Founder of three+one, a liquidity analytics and data provider to public entities, higher education and banking institutions throughout the United States. As President and CEO of Rulison & Company, Mr. Rulison created a product called Muniflow that helped governmental entities invest their funds without jeopardizing their cash liquidity needs. In 2001, he sold Muniflow to Bank of America and served there as Market President in the Rochester, New York region while rolling out his product line throughout the bank’s national footprint. From 2009 until the launch of three+one® in 2014, he managed the J. P. Morgan’s Private Bank in upstate New York. In this capacity, he managed the upstate New York team covering trusts, estate, investment management and custody of assets for high net-worth individuals and non-profit organizations. Mr. Rulison is currently a Board Member and Treasurer of the Monroe County Water Authority, Board Member to VisitRochester and Trustee to the University of Redlands in Redlands, California. In addition, he has served as Chairman of the Board to St. John Fisher College, former Chairman of the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency (COMIDA), as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Geva Theatre and a member of the Town of Brighton, New York Town Board. In 2006, he received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from St. John Fisher College for his work on behalf of the College and the Rochester Community.

Danielle Christensen serves as the Deputy Chief Program Officer at the U.S. Treasury Department for the Office of Capital Access. Prior to this she worked on both iterations of the SSBCI program and managed significant portfolios of programs coming out of the legislation related to the COVID pandemic. These programs included the launching of the CRF and the initial stages of the Housing programs as well as advising on the airline program. Prior to the pandemic, she stepped into a Director role with the Troubled Asset Relief Program at Treasury. Previously, she was an auditor with the Defense Logistics Agency as well as KPMG. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Central Washington University.

Mr. David Schuld, Deputy Director of Preparedness, has directly managed various disaster responses, political crises, and business continuity projects over the past fourteen years. He has a wide spectrum of experience including managing Hagerty’s portfolio of security and threat management clients. This work includes leading planning, training, exercises, and community outreach efforts for numerous organizational securities, intelligence, and Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attack (CCTA) programs. David also created and leads Hagerty’s Hunter Seeker Program, our firm’s flagship exercise series focused on the preparedness for and prevention of terrorist attacks and other critical incidents. Given his extensive experience in the homeland security and emergency preparedness, David is an expert in law enforcement response; investigative and special operations; crisis leadership; Notification, Reception, Reunification Operations (NRRO); and intelligence and information sharing. Throughout his career, David has implemented policies as well as managed projects and crises in the United States (US) and abroad. He has also developed global partnerships with public safety and law enforcement agencies, at all levels of government, to develop more effective plans and training to prevent, respond, and recover from active threat events. Prior to joining Hagerty, David served the European Parliament as a policy analyst on counter-piracy operations in the Horn of Africa and as assistant to the Special Advisor of Transatlantic Relations. Before that, he was a military legislative assistant to a US House of Representatives member. David also served the British government as a political advisor to the Head of the British Army in the US, as well as a crisis management advisor to the British Ambassador to the US where he helped coordinate information sharing activities in support of an intelligence alliance between Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States, known as The Five Eyes. David completed his undergraduate degree in political science at John Carroll University (Ohio) and his Master’s in Public Policy from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), Air Command and Staff College (US Air Force). He is currently working towards his Master of Science in Covert Investigation and Specialist Intelligence at Liverpool John Moores University (United Kingdom). He also currently serves as Chair of the International Public Safety Association (IPSA)’s Terrorism & Counterterrorism Section, and Vice-Chair of the Intelligence and Investigation Working Group of the All-Hazards Incident Management Association.

Liz joined Issue One in September 2022. Prior to joining Issue One, Liz served as a Senior Outreach Associate with the American Flood Coalition, where she initiated the Coalition’s early efforts in Texas. She also served as the Southern Outreach Director with the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and led grasstops organizing efforts in Florida, Georgia, and Alabama. Liz started her career as a Staff Assistant in the United States Senate. She graduated from Dickinson College with a B.A. in Political Science and a Minor in History.

Rachel Orey is a Senior Associate Director of the Bipartisan Policy Center Elections Project where they are responsible for the organization’s election administration policy development, state and federal advocacy efforts, and the BPC Task Force on Elections. Their research focuses on evidence-based and data-driven reforms that meaningfully improve our elections ecosystem. Orey obtained their Master of Public Policy and Certificate of Data Science from George Washington University. Orey has served as an expert source for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Politico, VoteBeat, and more. They regularly publish op-eds on state elections issues and have represented BPC in speaking engagements at numerous national conferences. Prior to joining BPC, they supported research efforts at The Brookings Institution’s Governance Studies program on the topics of congressional oversight, election administration, and the Federal Reserve. They also served as a Legislative Intern for former U.S. Senator Kamala Harris.

David Stafford is the Region 4 Election Security Advisor for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In this role, he helps connect state and local election leaders in the Region with CISA resources to enhance the security of critical elections infrastructure. Prior to joining CISA, David served as the elected Supervisor of Elections for Escambia County, Florida, from 2005 until 2024. He was responsible for conducting all federal, state, and local elections in the county.

As Nationwide’s Sales Director, Protected Retirement, Ed Malone’s team is responsible for distribution of Nationwide’s suite of Protected Retirement solutions with Nationwide’s government and corporate retirement plan sectors by partnering with consultants, advisors and plan sponsors directly. He is also responsible for distribution of Protected Retirement solutions though 3rd party record keepers that partner with Nationwide to offer these solutions to their plan participants as well.

Ed has worked in the financial services industry for over 28 years years, all of which have been with Nationwide. For most of his career, his focus has been on working with retirement plan customers and has been dedicated to improving participant retirement readiness and to ensure plan sponsor satisfaction with Nationwide as a plan and solutions provider.

As SAMHSA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary, Sonia Chessen oversees the agency’s mental health services, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, as well as the cross-agency efforts to improve behavioral health outcomes for children, youth and families. Ms. Chessen was the executive sponsor of the 988 initiative and helped lead the transition to the new 3-digit number and the development of the 2024 National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and Federal Action Plan. In addition to the mental health portfolio, Ms. Chessen oversees SAMHSA’s daily operations and is responsible for SAMHSA’s budget and management functions, including the formulation and deployment of the agency’s highly successful staff engagement strategy. Prior to her Federal service, Ms. Chessen was at the Pew Charitable Trusts first as Deputy Director of the Pew Health Group and then as Chief of Staff. There she oversaw the development and implementation of a five-year strategy to improve Americans’ health and wellbeing in areas of financial security, drug and food safety, and consumer product safety, entitled “Protecting Americans from Hidden Risks.” Previous to her tenure at Pew, Ms. Chessen spent seven years at HHS in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation where she was responsible for the adolescent health portfolio. During that time, she was detailed to the White House twice to lead interagency efforts aimed at reducing youth risk-taking behaviors and promoting youth development. Ms. Chessen began her career as the Director of Social Service for a youth-serving agency in the Cabrini Green housing development in Chicago. This is where she first fell in love with adolescents, was energized by their resilience in the face of extraordinary challenges and drew her lifetime commitment to working on improving health and economic outcomes. Ms. Chessen has an Arts Masters in Social Service Administration from University of Chicago and a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Wellesley College.

Julie Garcia (She/Her/Ella) is the Associate Director of Health Systems at Share Our Strength – a national non-profit focusing on eradicating hunger and poverty. In this role, Julie leads the Health Systems programming and focuses her attention on the intersection of the health care systems and food insecurity. Under her leadership, a Food As Medicine initiative called Healthy Families Produce Prescription program, has provided almost 2000 vouchers to families in 6 parishes in Louisiana.   Julie has almost 25 years’ experience working with for-profit companies, non-profits and government entities in Arizona and New Mexico. Julie’s public health experience has allowed her to work alongside partners in urban areas, rural communities and with tribal entities in the areas of school health, community health, clinic health and worksite wellness. She sees the world through a health equity lens and works diligently to impact the social influences that negatively impact the health of our under-resourced community members.   Julie is originally from New Mexico, and she received her bachelor’s degree in education from the University of New Mexico while playing college softball. Julie also completed her Masters of Arts in Education at Central Michigan while serving as an assistant softball coach for the Chippewas.

Commissioner Scott W. Hunt is originally from Upper Yoder Township and currently resides in Southmont Borough. He is a 2001 graduate of Westmont Hilltop and a 2006 graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and a minor in Religious Studies. Before being elected Cambria County Commissioner, Commissioner Hunt served his community as an Upper Yoder Township Supervisor for 12 years. The last 2 years serving as Vice Chairman of the board. He had worked for the West Hills Recreation Commission for 8 1/2 years, the last 3 years serving as the Executive Director. Commissioner Hunt was elected Cambria County Commissioner in 2019 and re-elected in 2023. His priorities include fiscal responsibility, economic development, mental health services and outdoor recreation/tourism. Commissioner Hunt has been involved in the community over the years. He serves on the board for the Humane Society of Cambria County. He has also previously served on the Conemaugh Valley Conservancy, Cambria-Somerset Outstanding Young Woman Scholarship Program, Westmont Hilltop Recreation Commission and the Cambria Chamber’s Recreation Economy Council. Commissioner Hunt currently serves as the President of the Board of Commissioners. He is also one of Cambria County’s representatives for the Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission, where he currently serves as vice president of the board. He also serves on the Cambria County Agricultural Land Preservation board. Commissioner Hunt believes it is important to be accessible to the residents of Cambria County. He believes in a healthy mix of being out in the community and being available at the courthouse. Serving his community as a township supervisor and now a county commissioner, has been the greatest honor.

Erin McDonald is the Lead for the Federal Plan for Equitable Long-Term Recovery and Resilience in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health where she leads the whole-of-government effort across over 35 departments and agencies to build long-term resilience. Before stepping into this role she was the Regional Administrator for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in Region 3, where she leads ACF’s strategic cross-cutting initiatives and priorities to promote the economic wellbeing of children and families. Prior to joining federal service, Dr. McDonald served in leadership roles in public sector, philanthropic, and non-profit organizations including the Chief Strategy Officer for Human Services in the New York City Mayor’s Office, the Vice President of Research and Strategy at Feeding America, and the Director of Research and Evaluation at Women’s World Banking. She holds a PhD in Public Health and Research from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a Master’s in Public Policy and Evaluation from Johns Hopkins Policy Studies Institute.

Director of Intergovernmental Relations for America's 32nd largest county. Seasoned government relations professional with experience at the local, state, and federal levels. Skilled in advocacy and community organizing. Directs all lobbying efforts for a $2 billion, 9,100-employee government enterprise.

Jeff Olivet is the executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH). He has worked to prevent and end homelessness for more than 25 years as a street outreach worker, case manager, coalition builder, researcher, and trainer. He is the founder of jo consulting, co-founder of Racial Equity Partners, and from 2010 to 2018, he served as CEO of C4 Innovations. Throughout his career, he has worked extensively in the areas of homelessness and housing, health and behavioral health, HIV, education, and organizational development. Jeff has been principal investigator on multiple research studies funded by private foundations and the National Institutes of Health. Jeff is deeply committed to social justice, racial equity, gender equality, and inclusion for all. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Alabama and a master's degree from Boston College.

Kevin Tanner is the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. He has served as county manager of Forsyth County and served four terms as a State Representative for District 9. He has spent thirty-four years in public service. Commissioner Tanner received his undergraduate degree from North Georgia College and State University and earned his Master of Public Administration from Columbus State University. He has been heavily involved in community and civic activities in the North Georgia area for many years. Commissioner Tanner and his wife Stacie have been married more than twenty-four years. Stacie is a public school kindergarten teacher, and they are the proud parents of three daughters: Kaitlyn, Abbie, and Chloe. He serves as a Deacon and Sunday school teacher at Bethel Baptist Church where his family has attended for seven generations.

Mike Taylor is the Deputy County Manager-Chief Information Officer for Pitt County Government. As CIO, he is responsible for providing all information technology related service functions to the organization. As deputy county manager, he serves on the senior leadership team with direct oversight for the Office of Public Information, Pitt Area Transit System, Emergency Management and is the liaison with the Board of Public Health. Prior to joining Pitt County Government, Mike worked in the private sector for eleven years with GlaxoSmithkline as a Senior Manager in the Manufacturing IT Division, overseeing projects for the design, development and integration of traditional business and manufacturing systems. Mike and his teams have been recognized for their accomplishments through two GSK President’s Awards for Excellence, CIO 100, Government Computer News IT Leadership, CIO Decisions Midmarket Leadership and consistently place in the Government Technology Digital Counties Survey Awards.

Francisco (“Paco”) Vélez, President & CEO of Feeding South Florida (FSF), leads the organization and fulfillment of its mission to end hunger in South Florida by providing immediate access to nutritious food, leading hunger and poverty advocacy efforts and transforming lives through innovative programming and education. FSF serves more than 25% of Florida’s food insecure population throughout Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties. As President & CEO, Vélez is responsible for the overall vision of FSF. He is also charged with the administration, management, and leadership of the organization in pursuit of its mission, goals, and objectives. Since his arrival in 2012, Vélez has increased the number of pounds of food distributed across Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties, from 29 million pounds in 2012 to over 176 million in 2020. He has increased funding and reduced expenses to ensure a healthy financial position for the organization, bringing it from seven figures in the red to eight figures in the black. South Florida Business Journal named Vélez as Ultimate CEO of 2015 and 2021, as well as a member of the 40 Under 40 Class of 2013 for his accomplishments as CEO of Feeding South Florida. Prior to joining Feeding South Florida in April 2012, Vélez served as executive vice president of programs and initiatives at the San Antonio Food Bank in San Antonio, Texas, one of the leading food banks in the Feeding America network. Vélez’s responsibilities at the San Antonio Food Bank included oversight of six divisions responsible for all outreach programs and initiatives of the food bank. Vélez holds a Certification in Non-Profit Management from the University of Texas in San Antonio, Texas, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Vélez serves as the President to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s Living Healthy in Florida Advisory Board. He also serves on Feeding Florida’s Board of Directors Executive Committee as Vice Chair, while also serving on the board of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program with the United Way of Miami-Dade. In Texas, Vélez served on the boards of the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless (Continuum of Care) and Holy Spirit Catholic Church Homeless and Hunger Ministry. Vélez is also a Leadership San Antonio alum of The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce/San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

E. Lee Washington, MD, MPH is a senior medical director in the Department of Commercial Business Support in Aetna National Accounts. He provides consultative services to large employers and public entities with a focus on population health strategies, quality of care, and cost effectiveness. As new population health challenges emerge, Dr. Washington has also participated in enterprise-wide efforts to respond. This has included supporting employer strategies for safely returning to work and protecting the health and well-being of their employees during the era of COVID-19. Prior to joining National Accounts, he served in medical director roles at ActiveHealth Management, a subsidiary of Aetna, for several years where he provided clinical direction to care management functions and contributed to content development for the CareEngine, a proprietary, industry leading decision support technology. Before joining ActiveHealth, Dr. Washington engaged in private practice for several years and served in a variety of leadership positions in ambulatory and inpatient settings. He received his medical degree and a masters in public health from Northwestern University in Chicago and completed residency at the Georgetown / Providence Family Medicine Residency Program in Washington, D.C.. Dr. Washington has been board certified in family medicine since 1993. He also holds a graduate certification in biomedical informatics from Oregon Health and Science University, and he received a certificate of achievement in genetics and genomics from Stanford University after completing a series of graduate courses in genomics and related topics. Given the historic challenges posed by COVID-19 and the evolving landscape of precision medicine, Dr. Washington’s training in genomics related areas contributes to a unique understanding of a spectrum of scientific efforts that can play critical roles. As Lee’s role has evolved within Aetna National Accounts, he has also contributed to initiatives to address social determinants of health and to promote health equity. Lee is a recalcitrant foodie who enjoys a broad spectrum of restaurants during his travels.

Ms. Boston began her social services career with Butte County in 1998 as a child protective ser-vices social worker. Over the past two decades she has held numerous leadership positions including Assistant Director of Adult and Children’s Services within the Department of Employment and Social Services. Throughout her career Shelby has worked diligently to develop and implement programs that meet the needs of the communities’ most vulnerable and at-risk families. Shelby received her bachelor’s degree in health science and a Master of Social Work from CSU Chico.

Cami Bremer was elected to the Board of County Commissioners District 5 seat in November 2018. District 5 encompasses the center portion of El Paso County, including most of the City of Colorado Springs. Cami brings broad experience in government and media relations as well as healthcare and non-profit management to her role as a county commissioner. Cami has served as Regional Director for the American Heart Association, Provider & Community Relations Manager for Penrose Cancer Center, Director of Governmental Affairs for the Chamber of Commerce, and Communications Specialist for the City of Colorado Springs, where she was certified in federal emergency management communications. Cami has a passion for Human Services and cost-effective policies that allows for serving those in need, while incentivizing long term family-centered solutions. Cami also looks forward to collaborating across jurisdictions and organizations for a regional approach to solving current community issues such as homelessness, affordable housing and workforce development.

Natalie Grant joined the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) as director of the Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response in November, 2018. In this capacity, she oversees the disaster human service emergency management mission for the agency and the Department. OHSEPR's primary responsibilities include preparing human and social service programs and providers for disaster incidents, overseeing coordinated delivery of disaster human service case management, developing a disaster and applied science agenda for human services, supporting the coordination of support services for children, youth, and families in emergencies, and overseeing emergency repatriation missions for U.S. Citizens overseas during international crises. Previously, Grant worked for HHS' Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in the Division of Recovery where she served as the Health and Social Services Recovery field coordinator for federal interagency coordination following Hurricane Sandy in New York and the lead for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. She has also managed other disaster and emergency incidents within HHS Regions 1, 2, 5, and 10.

Melissa Huberty has been the Stearns County Human Services Administrator for the past seven years where she oversees public health, community corrections, social services, public assistance and a finance and technology division. Prior to that, she worked for six years in Ramsey County and 17 years in Hennepin County. She began her career as a licensed mental health therapist, working with people who have severe and persistent mental illness and substance use disorders. Since 2002 she has worked through progressive leadership positions from supervisor, manager, and director to her current position as a county human services administrator.

Christine Johnson joins APHSA as the Assistant Director of Policy. Prior to joining APHSA Christine worked for the Vermont Department for Children and Families in both the Family Services Division as the Deputy Commissioner and most recently in the Economic Services Division as an Operations Director. She also served in the Vermont Agency of Human Services as the Director of Policy and Planning and as a Field Director. She has worked in the field of human services for over 30 years in various roles, including Executive Director of the Chittenden County Opioid Alliance, Deputy Director of Capstone Community Action and as a Consultant with the Annie E. Casey Foundation/Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. Christine currently serves on the board of Prevent Child Abuse Vermont as the Vice-Chair.

Councilmember Perry represents King County District 3, a diverse and growing region with a district that represents the cities and/or surrounding areas of Issaquah, Sammamish, Redmond, Woodinville, Bothell, Carnation, Duvall, Fall City, Preston, Snoqualmie, North Bend, Snoqualmie Pass and Skykomish. Elected in 2022, she has been a champion of behavioral health and has 30+ years of experience working in the non-profit and small business sectors. As a coalition builder, she is known for her expertise in creating strong foundations of civic collaboration and engagement to build progress in communities. She is a community leader who embraces inclusion and economic opportunity for all, increasing access to affordable housing and transit, and tackling climate change with the urgency required to protect all our communities. Her main priorities are: environmental protection, transit alternatives, small businesses engagement and support, equity, access, and opportunity and innovative ways to meet the demand for behavioral health resources.

Reginal G. Williams manages statewide school readiness policy development, fiscal monitoring, and programmatic monitoring for state funded early education and care programs. Williams has served in this role for over 18 years, and prior to this position, he served in the United States Navy as a United States Navy Officer.

Lina Guzman, PhD, is chief strategy officer at Child Trends and director of its Hispanic Institute. In her role as Child Trends’ chief strategy officer, Dr. Guzman is responsible for increasing the organization’s impact, leading its strategic business development, and developing and executing its strategic initiatives.  Dr. Guzman is a nationally recognized expert on Latino children and families whose research focuses on bringing a voice to the diversity, experiences, and strengths of our nation’s Latino communities to help improve policy and programs. As principal investigator of the National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families (the Hispanic Center), funded by the Administration for Children and Families, Dr. Guzman oversees a research agenda that cuts across various areas of family well-being, including poverty and economic self-sufficiency, fatherhood and healthy marriage, and early care and education. She also directs communication efforts and builds strategic partnerships within the research, policy, and practice communities to ensure that the Center’s research reaches key and diverse audiences and oversees an emerging scholars program aimed at training and increasing the number of young scholars who focus on Hispanic families. Relatedly, since joining Child Trends, Dr. Guzman has hired, trained, and mentored more than a dozen researchers whose work is focused on Latino families.

Dr. Elanna Yalow, Ph.D., M.B.A., is Vice Chair and Senior Advisor of KinderCare with over 30 years of experience with the company, formerly serving as its Chief Academic Officer. In her current role, Elanna works closely with stakeholders actively engaged in policies and practices that support working families including local, state, and federal agencies, early childhood education providers and advocacy partners. She also helps advance the quality of KinderCare’s unique educational offerings and supports the company's ongoing new business development efforts. Prior to joining KinderCare, Elanna was Associate Director of IOX Assessment Associates, serving as Project Director for educational assessment and health education research and development projects. She is actively engaged in educational policy at the federal and state level. She has testified on Capitol Hill about the importance of quality early childhood education and participated in White House-led initiatives. In 2020, she was appointed by the Governor of Oregon to its Task Force on Access to Quality Affordable Child Care. She publishes and presents extensively on issues related to educational policy and practice, both globally and domestically. Elanna is a Board member of Guardian Child Care and Education, a child care company operating in Australia, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. She holds both a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.

Kit serves as Senior Director, Programs for Convergence. He brings nearly 20 years of experience in the conflict resolution field, including facilitating contentious community-based civil rights conflicts, designing multi-party problem solving and dialogue processes, and developing and evaluating dialogue programs and trainings.

Prior to joining Convergence, Kit served as Program Director for the Community Relations Service (CRS), USDOJ, where he led the agency’s program development, staff development, and evaluation programs. In that position he led the development of numerous facilitation and training programs for community stakeholders, trainings for agency staff, and the agency’s first-ever evaluation program. Kit also created and led the agency’s virtual service delivery and e-learning strategies. As conciliation specialist for CRS, he provided facilitation, mediation, and training services to diverse communities and institutions experiencing racial tensions and the impacts of alleged hate crimes.

Panda Adkins serves as the Director of the Jails and Justice Support Center (JJSC) in the Center for Justice Research and Innovation at CNA. In 2022, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) and the National Institution of Corrections (NIC) selected CNA to lead the development and delivery of the JJSC. She works directly with the BJA, NIC, national partners, and CNA leadership in this endeavor. She is an experienced Corrections leader with over 25 years’ experience.   Ms. Adkins previously served as a Correctional Program Specialist with the NIC. She provided professional leadership and guidance on jail management and operational practices to jails nationwide. Her national portfolio included training and technical assistance on executive leadership, organizational culture, operations and more. Prior to her tenure at the NIC, she served as a correctional officer, case manager, and work release manager at the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office in Nashville, TN. She was also an adjunct instructor in the Criminal Justice Department of the Tennessee State University.   Panda holds a Master of Science degree in Public Service Management from Cumberland University, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice with a double minor in Psychology and Sociology from Tennessee State University.

Mayor Jerry L. Demings was sworn in on Dec. 4, 2018 as the 5th elected Mayor of Orange County and is the first African-American to serve in the role. He oversees more than 8,000 Orange County employees and a $4.4 billion budget as the County’s chief executive officer. Mayor Demings became Orlando’s first African-American police chief in 1998 and was elected the first African-American Orange County Sheriff in 2008. He was re-elected in 2012 and again in 2016. He is a graduate of the 194th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Academy and studied at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Mayor Demings currently serves on several regional boards of directors, including the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority, Central Florida Expressway Authority and Metroplan Orlando and is involved in numerous civic organizations.

Eric Hysen serves as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Hysen was sworn in as CIO on February 1, 2021. On September 14, 2023, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas also named him the Department’s first Chief Artificial Intelligence (AI) Officer. As CIO, Mr. Hysen is responsible for strategically aligning the Department’s Information Technology (IT) personnel resources and assets, including security, infrastructure, and delivery, to support core DHS missions and activities. As Chief AI Officer, Mr. Hysen promotes AI innovation and safety within the Department and advises Secretary Mayorkas and Department leadership on AI issues. Mr. Hysen most recently served on the Biden-Harris transition’s Technology Strategy & Delivery team, working to develop the administration’s plans to leverage technology and delivery in support of policy priorities. He previously was a Senior Fellow at the National Conference on Citizenship, where he led projects to use technology, data, and design to address pressing public policy challenges. He also worked in state government, helping to launch the California Office of Digital Innovation, and in philanthropy, supporting nonprofits working to advance immigration and criminal justice reform. Mr. Hysen previously served as the Executive Director of the Department of Homeland Security Digital Service. In that leadership role, his teams worked to transform DHS’ most critical services by bringing top software engineering, product management, and design talent from the private sector to partner with innovators inside government. DHS Digital Service projects included immigration benefits processing, refugee admissions, and international trade. Prior to joining DHS, Mr. Hysen was a founding member of the U.S. Digital Service in the White House. Before government, he worked as a software engineer and program manager at Google. Mr. Hysen graduated with honors in Computer Science from Harvard University and has published research in crowdsourcing and workflow design.

Ms. Lore Joplin is the owner of Joplin Consulting LLC. She works with government and community-based agencies to develop and implement collaborative public policy and system change. She is the project director for Justice System Partner's work on the MacArthur Foundation's Safety and Justice Challenge (SJC). In that role, she manages technical assistance to sites across the country, as well as several place and topic-based site networks. She leads the SJC California Network which supports a network of California jurisdictions as they work to implement the CalAIM Justice Involved Initiative. Her experience includes working as a principal with Justice System Partners, director of programs at the Center for Evidence-based Policy at Oregon Health & Science University and as director of policy and planning at the Crime and Justice Institute in Boston.

Maureen McDonnell works at the intersection of criminal justice, health and human service systems by building partnerships and coalitions that generate substantial change. She is currently supporting California counties in implementing the first Medicaid Reentry Demonstration Waiver through the MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge. Her experience includes developing Medicaid enrollment in jails and prisons, organizing services at jail release and prison re-entry and building drug and mental health court programs. She gained significant expertise in medication assisted treatment, crisis services, hospital-based overdose interventions, and Medicaid financing while serving as Executive Director of a community substance use treatment agency. Maureen earned her BA in Economics from Northwestern University and her Masters Degree in Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Sheriff Garry L. McFadden was elected to serve as the 45th Sheriff of Mecklenburg County and was sworn into office on December 4, 2018. Prior to being elected as Sheriff, Garry had a distinguished 36 year law enforcement career with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department where he served for over 20 years as a legendary homicide detective. Garry’s unconventional methods and deep ties to the community helped him to solve hundreds of murders over the course of his illustrious career. As a detective, Garry had one of the highest solve rates in police department history which lead to him starring in his own television series, “I Am Homicide.” The series highlights some of Garry’s biggest cases and how the perpetrators were caught. Sheriff McFadden can still be seen on television in the series “Homicide City” on the Investigation Discovery (ID) network. Sheriff McFadden is originally from Sumter, South Carolina (but affectionally calls Elliott S.C. home- also home to his beloved high school Mt Pleasant High “Striking Rattlers”) and came to Charlotte in 1977 to attend Johnson C. Smith University of which he is a proud alumnus. Since the start of his career Garry has been an advocate for change and committed to building bridges and breaking down barriers between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Garry’s record of community service is well documented, and he has received numerous awards for his long standing and continuous work in Mecklenburg County communities with various organizations such as, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated, NAACP, NBA Legends, MoMo – Mother of Murdered Offspring, Cops & Barbers, Beauty After The Bars, Charlotte Black Mental Health, The Sons of The American Revolution; along being honored as Charlotte’s Citizen of The Year 2015 just to name a few. In 2015, Garry was recognized by President Barack Obama for his work on the 21st Century Policing Initiative and his involvement in the development of an outstanding community program titled “Cops and Barbers.” Garry is a husband, father of three adult children and a proud grandfather. Sheriff McFadden is approaching his fortieth year in law enforcement and is still committed to influencing change by being “the difference.”

Robert Moossy is a Deputy Assistant Attorney General with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. Mr. Moossy supervises and reviews the work of the Division’s Criminal Section and Special Litigation Section. The Criminal Section is composed of prosecutors and staff who specialize in investigating and prosecuting civil rights violations committed under color of law (e.g., by police, corrections, and probation officers), hate crimes, and human trafficking crimes in federal courts across the United States. The Special Litigation Section is composed of civil lawyers and staff who specialize in investigating and remedying patterns and practices of misconduct in corrections and law enforcement agencies, and state run institutions. Previously, Mr. Moossy was the Chief of the Criminal Section, the Director of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, and a civil and criminal trial attorney. Mr. Moossy grew up in Texas and attended Rice University and the University of Houston School of Law.

Rob is the Senior Client Development Manager for MHFA at the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. With a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Counseling, he has spent the better part of the last 25 years working with non-profit organizations to improve the lives of their members. His responsibilities with the National Council are focused on working with public sector organizations at the federal, state and local levels to help establish and enhance a culture of wellbeing and resilience for their employees and leadership.

Keri Richardson is an expert in local assessments, corrections, and collaborative reform. Richardson has supported numerous CNA projects in criminal justice, including the Strategies for Policing Innovation, the National Public Safety Partnership, Body-Worn Camera Policy Implementation Program, and the Jails and Justice Support Center. She also has experience leading and serving on teams that support law enforcement auditing, assessments, and monitoring efforts. She has served in this capacity for cities such as Chicago; Minneapolis; Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Charleston, South Carolina; and Worcester and Methuen, Massachusetts. She has also fostered community engagement and involvement in order to fulfill police reform efforts. She continues to work closely with law enforcement and correctional agencies offering analytical and technical training and assistance support.

Richardson has a Bachelor of Arts in criminology and criminal justice and a Master of Professional Studies in public administration from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Judge Michael J. Scionti is a Tampa native and lifelong resident of the State of Florida. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Florida State University in 1990 and his Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law in 1996. He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1996 and later admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces.

Judge Scionti has served his community and country with honor and distinction upholding the rule of law in and out of the courtroom, on and off the battlefield, and throughout all branches of government. Elected to the bench in 2014, Judge Scionti serves as a Circuit Court Judge in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida and is currently assigned to the Circuit Criminal Division presiding over Veterans Treatment Court and other drug and mental health problem-solving courts. As a veteran, Judge Scionti brings his own military service and experience to the bench in helping address unique challenges facing veterans suffering from military service-related mental health and substance use disorders, while ensuring the fair and impartial administration of justice.

Prior to his judicial service, Judge Scionti served as a Senior Diplomat and Foreign Policy Advisor with the U.S. Department of State overseeing rule of law advancements and counter-terrorism prosecutions in Kabul, Afghanistan. Judge Scionti also served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary with the U.S. Department of Defense overseeing legislative affairs for intergovernmental and homeland defense policy in Washington, DC. Prior to his executive service, Judge Scionti served as a member of the Florida House of Representative serving as Ranking Member on the House Public Safety and Security Council, Criminal and Civil Justice Committee, and Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. In addition to his executive and legislative service, Judge Scionti served as an Assistant State Attorney and Assistant Statewide Prosecutor working with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in prosecuting violent felony offenders, white-collar corruption, and organized crime throughout Florida.

Judge Scionti is also a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps where he has served since 2000. Judge Scionti currently serves as Commander of the 8th Legal Operations Detachment headquartered in Independence, Missouri, and has served multiple overseas tours of duty as a Military Magistrate and Rule of Law Advisor in both Iraq and Afghanistan. As a Military Magistrate, Judge Scionti most notably presided over military-commissioned tribunals of suspected enemy prisoners of war, unlawful combatants, and international terrorists.

Judge Scionti’s military honors include the Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Presidential Unit Citation, and various other individual medals and awards.

Michael (Mike) Sprayberry is a proven leader and emergency manager with a career in public service spanning over 42 years. Prior to joining Hagerty, Mike served the State of North Carolina for more than 15 years in various leadership roles within the state’s Division of Emergency Management; eight of which he served as the Division’s Director while also leading the state’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency and serving as the state’s Deputy Homeland Security Advisor. Mike was appointed as the Director of North Carolina’s Division of Emergency Management (NCDEM) in February 2013 after serving as the Deputy Director and Operations Section Chief since 2006. Prior to that, he served as the Division’s Deputy Director and Logistics Section Chief. During his tenure as Director, Mike successfully led the State Emergency Response Team’s response and recovery efforts for 19 state declared disasters and 13 federally declared disasters, to include Hurricane Florence, now known as North Carolina’s “Storm of Record.” In just the last four years, Mike led North Carolina’s recovery efforts from major hurricanes, winter storms, earthquakes, and the COVID-19 pandemic. As Director, he also served as vice-chair of the state’s Emergency Response Commission and as a member of the state’s Radiation Protection Commission. Additionally, Mike was President of the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) from 2017-2018. In this role, Mike advocated for federal policy changes that helped progress the field of emergency management, including supporting the passage of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018 which made pre-disaster mitigation a national priority and bolstered state and local emergency management capabilities. Moreover, under Mike’s leadership, North Carolina became one of only fifteen states to achieve the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Enhanced State Hazard Mitigation Plan status, thereby granting the state access to millions of dollars in additional federal funding to build resiliency against future disasters and hazards. During his term, the state also achieved national reaccreditation for the emergency management program and increased the capacities of its Hazardous Materials Response program as well as its internationally renowned Search and Rescue program. Before joining state government, Mike honorably served in the United States Marine Corps and North Carolina Army National Guard for more than 25 years. Mike holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His achievements in emergency management and beyond have been well documented and include being the recipient of two departmental Secretary’s Gold Circle Awards, the North Carolina Emergency Management Association Colonel William A. Thompson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Emergency Management, the North Carolina Housing Coalition Public Official of the Year, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Friend of the Counties, the NEMA Presidential Citation, as well as the NEMA Lacey E. Suiter Distinguished Service Award. He is also a proud member of the North Carolina National Guard Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame. Mike and his wife, Laura, have been married for over 30 years, reside in Raleigh, NC, and have two daughters, Alison and Megan.

Commissioner Janet Thompson of Boone County, Missouri served as an assistant public defender for the Missouri State Public Defender System for almost 25 years and is an arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, resolving securities disputes around the country. She served as a disciplinary hearing officer for the Missouri Bar and has published articles in Fordham University's Law Review and the Journal of the Missouri Bar and has given professional presentations for the Missouri Bar, National Legal Aid & Defender Association, Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the University of Missouri's School of Law, Stephens College and William Woods University. Commissioner Thompson received her juris doctorate and master's degree in alternative dispute resolution from the University of Missouri.

Clayton VanNurden is the Treatment Court Administrator for Mental Health Court, Veterans Treatment Court, Co-Occurring Court, and DWI Court in Boone County, Missouri. He began working for Boone County in June 2012, when he was the Treatment Court Administrator for the OnTrack Court program (a 120 day reentry program). Prior to working for Boone County, Clayton worked as a probation and parole officer where he had assignments working with Treatment Courts as well as regular caseload assignments. He worked as a field probation and parole officer from November 2004 – June 2012, and as an institutional probation and parole officer from December 2003 – November 2004. Clayton graduated with a BS in Psychology from the University of Missouri – Columbia in May 2003.

Homer Wilkes, Ph.D., a native of Port Gibson, Mississippi, currently serves as Under Secretary for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources and the Environment, where he oversees the work of the U.S. Forest Service. He previously served as Director for the Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Restoration Team, where he was responsible for overseeing the rebuilding of the Ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico after the BP Oil Spill of 2010. He has also served as the Acting Associate Chief of USDA/Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Washington, D.C. 

Wilkes’ tenure with the USDA spans over 41 years. During his tenure he has served as State Conservationist for Mississippi; Chief Financial Officer for NRCS in Washington, D.C.; and as Deputy State Conservationist for Mississippi.

Wilkes proudly served as Naval Supply Officer in the United States Navy Reserves from November 1984 – April 2007. 

He received his bachelor’s degree, MBA, and Ph.D. in urban higher education from Jackson State University. Also, he successfully completed the USDA Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program (SES CDP) through American University’s Key Executive Leadership Certificate in Public Policy.

Wilkes and his wife, Kim, currently reside in Ridgeland, Miss. They have three sons: Justin, Austin, and Harrison. He enjoys restoring classic automobiles in his spare time.

Courtney Dozier joined the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) as the Deputy Director for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, which will expand high-speed internet across all 56 states and territories. Courtney brings over 15 years of leadership, management, and oversight of complex projects and multidisciplinary teams across dozens of states and federal initiatives. Prior to joining NTIA, Courtney served as Policy Director to former Governor Ralph Northam and as Chief Deputy at the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. She previously led advocacy efforts across multiple issue areas to achieve evidence-based policy change at the state level for the Pew Charitable Trusts.

As Executive Vice President of Digital Inclusion for Connected Nation (CN), Heather Gate is responsible for strategy development and implementation of programs that impact digital inclusion for all people in all places. Ms. Gate has more than 16 years of experience working in digital inclusion with the mission of improving the lives of vulnerable populations across the country. In addition, she has extensive experience engaging with minority populations, rural communities, families, and others on the frontlines of the digital divide and working behind the scenes as an advocate and tactician with local, state, and federal leaders.

Eric Hysen serves as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Hysen was sworn in as CIO on February 1, 2021. On September 14, 2023, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas also named him the Department’s first Chief Artificial Intelligence (AI) Officer. As CIO, Mr. Hysen is responsible for strategically aligning the Department’s Information Technology (IT) personnel resources and assets, including security, infrastructure, and delivery, to support core DHS missions and activities. As Chief AI Officer, Mr. Hysen promotes AI innovation and safety within the Department and advises Secretary Mayorkas and Department leadership on AI issues. Mr. Hysen most recently served on the Biden-Harris transition’s Technology Strategy & Delivery team, working to develop the administration’s plans to leverage technology and delivery in support of policy priorities. He previously was a Senior Fellow at the National Conference on Citizenship, where he led projects to use technology, data, and design to address pressing public policy challenges. He also worked in state government, helping to launch the California Office of Digital Innovation, and in philanthropy, supporting nonprofits working to advance immigration and criminal justice reform. Mr. Hysen previously served as the Executive Director of the Department of Homeland Security Digital Service. In that leadership role, his teams worked to transform DHS’ most critical services by bringing top software engineering, product management, and design talent from the private sector to partner with innovators inside government. DHS Digital Service projects included immigration benefits processing, refugee admissions, and international trade. Prior to joining DHS, Mr. Hysen was a founding member of the U.S. Digital Service in the White House. Before government, he worked as a software engineer and program manager at Google. Mr. Hysen graduated with honors in Computer Science from Harvard University and has published research in crowdsourcing and workflow design.

Bill Maguire established Connected Communities to work directly with municipal leaders and help support their efforts to plan for, execute and realize their smart city objectives. Bill's first experience working with connected community initiatives was via the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), the US Department of Commerce's $4.7 billion broadband access and adoption initiative. Bill served as Chief of Staff for BTOP and worked closely with municipal leaders and their project partners to make broadband connections to the Internet more accessible and available nationwide. Since leaving the government, Bill has provided consulting services for organizations including the Center for Data Innovation, US Ignite and WifiForward. Via work supporting the Global City Teams Challenge (GCTC), an initiative that US Ignite co-convenes with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Bill has become a passionate champion of the efforts of local government leaders and their technology partners to deploy Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in a smart city environment. Working on the GCTC initiative since 2014, Bill has had the opportunity to work closely with nearly 100 cities on "smart city" projects ranging from air quality sensor deployments to autonomous vehicles pilots. Bill brings to his Connected Communities engagements an understanding of smart city best practices and an appreciation that the most effective approaches will be tailored to the assets and objectives of a specific community.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Jennifer relocated to the Tampa Bay region in 2001. For over a decade, she has dedicated her professional efforts to the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, where she currently holds the position of Chief Development Officer. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and relaxing on the beach.

Meg Ross completed a 33-year career with USF Police Department in 2021. She started as a patrol officer in 1988 and rose through each rank, spending time in each division/area of the agency. She spent her first 15 years in Patrol before moving inside to become the Accreditation Sergeant. After the successful reaccreditation of the agency in 2006, Meg was promoted to Lieutenant. Meg served in various positions as a lieutenant and captain in the Administration and Operations Bureaus. She finished her career as the Acting Assistant Chief overseeing all areas of the agency. Meg followed behind many successful women leaders at USF PD but has the distinction of being the highest-ranking female in the history of the agency. Meg always recognized the value of higher education and took advantage of the opportunities afforded USF employees. She obtained her BS in Management from USF in 2004 and was in the first cohort of the USF Master’s in Criminal Justice Administration in 2008. She was recognized in 2000 with the USF Outstanding Staff award, and she was inducted into the USF Criminology Wall of Fame in 2016. Throughout her career, Meg built relationships both within the USF community, as well as in the regional law enforcement community. Prior to retirement, Meg joined the Supervisory Committee of the USF Federal Credit Union, and she continues serving as a volunteer in this role toay. In addition, she serves as a volunteer board member for the Stevie LaDue Firefighter’s Foundation. Since retiring from law enforcement, Meg has returned to the workforce as the First Responder Ambassador, representing the First Responder Hope Line. Capitalizing on her established relationships with law enforcement and community partners, she created a strategic planning group (Suncoast Alliance for First Responders) to address the behavioral health needs of first responders in Tampa Bay community. Her husband is also retired law enforcement, having completed a 30-year career in law enforcement in the Tampa Bay area. They have three children, the youngest is a student in the USF Honors College.

Lily Ballengee has worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation for nearly 8 years on a wide range of transportation topics. Currently supporting the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) Initiative in the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, she works to address disparities in rural transportation infrastructure to ensure rural communities have equitable access to National transportation goals of safety, mobility, and economic competitiveness. She has a Bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University and a Master’s in Public Policy from American University.

Eileen Higgins has served as the County Commissioner for District 5 since 2018, representing portions of the cities of Miami and Miami Beach. Serving a diverse district with stark inequality, Commissioner Higgins is a leading voice for closing existing equity gaps by bringing transportation to underserved neighborhoods, championing increased affordable housing, creating an economic ecosystem to support small minority-owned businesses, defending low-wage workers, seniors and LGTBQ allies, and protecting the waters that surround Miami-Dade. She currently serves as Chair of NACo’s Transportation Steering Committee (TSC) where she has represented NACo’s transportation and infrastructure objectives nationally on several occasions, including testimony at the Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth hearing titled “Connecting Americans to Prosperity: How Infrastructure can Bolster Inclusive Economic Growth.” She also serves on NACo’s Economic Mobility Leadership Network. An engineer by trade with an undergraduate degree from the University of New Mexico and an MBA from Cornell University, Eileen is a problem solver with a proven record of helping businesses and local organizations address a range of complex issues. Her work as a Country Director in the Peace Corps and as a diplomat in the U.S. State Department gives her the ability to look at local challenges with a unique perspective and compassionate manner.

Ryan McMahon leads Cambridge Mobile Telematics' Insurance and Government Affairs group, which works with partners around the globe to deliver results from their connected insurance programs. Ryan is passionate about technological innovation in the insurance industry. Before CMT, he worked in claims, product, corporate, and field marketing for both personal and commercial lines carriers. Ryan spent five years at Plymouth Rock Assurance where he ran the “More Than Just Insurance” platform and worked on a team to introduce the first of it’s kind telematics based rewards program to the U.S.

Christy Sammon has served as a member of the GoRail team since 2015, bringing nearly two decades of experience in government relations and public affairs. Previously, she served as the federal legislative affairs director at two trade associations. Sammon also spent many years as a professional fundraiser, leading campaigns for clients in higher education and the non-profit sector, as well as political candidates at every level. A native of Georgia, she holds a B.S. in Political Science from the University of West Georgia. She and her husband Tom have two adult sons. Her interests include family, travel, college football, and professional golf.

In her recent role as Senior Policy Advisor for Transportation Health and Safety in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Emily led coordination of the Department’s ambitious and groundbreaking National Roadway Safety Strategy and the supporting Call to Action with external partners and stakeholders. She also advanced roadway safety across the country through the development, launch, and management of the Safe Streets and Roads for All Discretionary Grant Program that will allocate $5 billion over five years for local communities to create and support comprehensive safety action plans that save lives. Additionally, Emily coordinated the DOT COVID Response Team and other health related initiatives for the Department.  Emily previously served as the Director of Thriving Communities at Smart Growth America, directing diverse programming and research for the National Complete Streets Coalition, Rural Communities Development, and other projects within the Thriving Communities team, focusing on the intersection of health and equity in the built environment. Emily began her public health career in earnest in New Orleans and the Gulf South Region in 2005, when she evacuated from Hurricane Katrina and returned to the area to work in disaster response and recovery from the devastating storm. After the region stabilized, Emily worked in global health for almost a decade. She conducted research on innovative health interventions across Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador. She coordinated a CDC project in Mozambique with Global Health Communication to expand access to services for people at risk for infectious diseases. In her most recent international work, Emily managed UNICEF’s HIV portfolio in Equatorial Guinea for almost four years, where she supported the Government in developing a national strategy to reduce HIV, coordinating across seven ministries and diverse stakeholders including the private sector and local NGOs. Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Public Health from Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

Doug joined UBP in 2018 as the President and Chief Executive Officer with over 30 years of CEO, Chairman, and Executive Operating experience in transportation and logistics, both public and private, with companies such as FedEx, Golden State Overnight, and Grainger. Doug previously served as the Chairman of Golden State Overnight and as the CEO of nal.syncreon, owned by Lake Capital, a specialized provider of integrated logistics services and supply chain solutions to global industries. Doug served as CEO of Operating Partners LLC, identifying, sourcing and executing platform business acquisitions for private equity firms in behavioral health, transportation, logistics, and distribution. In addition, Doug was previously the President of FedEx Supply Chain Management. Doug graduated Stanford University with an AB and Harvard Business School with an MBA. In his free time, Doug plays sports, spends time with his four boys and friends and works out regularly enjoying yoga, golf and tennis. He is beginning to play the piano again; the team will be monitoring his progress.

Ben Ku was first elected to the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners in 2018. District 2 includes Lilburn and unincorporated portions of Lawrenceville, Norcross, Snellville, and Tucker. A Georgia native, Ben is the grandson of Chinese immigrants who moved to Atlanta to help engineer the original MARTA heavy rail system. Ben has almost 30 years of entrepreneurial and software development experience. Ben became an ACCG Certified County Commissioner in 2019 by successfully completing core requirements of the ACCG Lifelong Learning Academy operated in conjunction with the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at the University of Georgia. The academy core certification includes eight courses and a two-day Leadership Institute for a total of 66 hours of required courses. In 2016, Ben participated in the Gwinnett 101 Citizens Academy, which sparked his interest in County government. He helped create and then served on the Gwinnett 101 Alumni Advisory Board. He received the Gwinnett 101 Alumni Distinguished Service Award for Most Volunteered Hours in 2017. He graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with highest honors and has been active in the Mentor Jackets program offering guidance to Georgia Tech students. Ben also serves on the board of the Georgia chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Ben has served as president of his homeowners' association where he helped to re-engage the neighborhood, improve its website and communications, and build cash reserves.

Prior to her election in 2014 as County Supervisor in Mariposa County, Rosemarie spent her professional life in Silicon Valley, working initially for Stanford Research Institute (SRI International), then Varian Associates and Space Systems/Loral. At SRI, she focused on international economics and business protocols. At Varian and SS/L, she was responsible for regulatory compliance for their product lines. Varian’s products included key components for military microwave communication and radar systems, semiconductor manufacturing equipment, analytical instrumentation, medical equipment, equipment software and network equipment. SS/L manufactured commercial communications and meteorological satellites and provided on-orbit systems support. She was also heavily involved in implementation of enterprise resource planning systems at these companies. Rosemarie has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of California at Riverside, a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from San Francisco State University and a Master’s of Business Administration from Golden Gate University.

Mark Little currently serves as the Chief Information Officer for the County of Peoria, IL. He leads a team of 20 information technology and office services professionals and has oversight of all information and telecommunications systems for the County. In addition to implementing a new fully integrated Civil and Criminal Justice System, ERP, and Microsoft 365 with Teams Voice. Mark is responsible for IT Security, maintaining the County's Geographic Information System, and implementing a complete overhaul of the County's network, server, and storage architecture.  Mark currently operates Information Technology with a $6.0 million budget. Mark has over 30 years’ experience in the information technology field, including six years as the Director of Information Systems at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, where he worked for nearly a decade prior to his hire at Peoria County in August 2013. Mark's extensive experience includes planning, designing, implementing, and maintaining strategic IT and telecommunications objectives in healthcare, manufacturing, and public accounting. Mark earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Computer Systems at Bradley University in Peoria, IL, and his Executive MBA at the same alma mater in 2004.

Nate Shiflett is an experienced CISO with a proven track record in developing and executing cybersecurity strategies. A few highlights from his career include roles as: CISO for the State of Florida, leading security initiatives at a large scale; Cybersecurity Consultant – Critical Infrastructure OT at the U.S. Air Force; Director of Posture and Compliance at Sylint; Linux System Administrator for the U.S. Navy.

As an IT leader for King County – one of the fastest growing, most diverse counties in the nation – Shannon Smith is focused on delivering innovative technology solutions that meet residents where they’re at. Shannon is the IT sponsor for Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, ensuring a social equity lens is applied to all King County tech projects, benefitting underserved communities. Recently she has led key efforts such as multi-lingual technology support at mass vaccination sites, data systems that expedite eviction relief payments, and expanding our regional fiber network to provide internet access for all. Shannon has had a long and successful career advocating as a driver for change in enterprise data governance, application development, and project portfolio management with a variety of public, corporate, and nonprofit organizations.

Dr. Patrick Bresnahan is currently the Geographic Information Officer (GIO) for Richland County, South Carolina. Dr. Bresnahan earned a PhD in geography from the University of South Carolina and participated in the Postgraduate Research Program for the U.S. Department of Energy was awarded a Post-doctoral Research Fellowship sponsored by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. Dr. Bresnahan received fellowship awards from AM/FM International (now GITA) and NASA under the South Carolina Space Grant Consortium. Dr. Bresnahan actively supports efforts of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and chairs the National Association of Counties GIS subcommittee. Dr. Bresnahan coauthored“The GIS Guide for Local Government Officials” which was published in 2005.

Charles is a Senior Consultant for CAI Health and Human Services. Prior to joining CAI, Charles had over 20 years of experience in the child welfare and behavioral health fields. He began his career in direct service in child welfare residential programs and community-based case management services. He joined Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services as a public servant in the Office of Children Youth and Families (OCYF) as a Policy, Program, and Staff Development specialist and Youth Development Counselor. He then joined the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (OMHSAS) in Quality Management and eventually became the Data Systems Division Director. He left state government and transitioned into the role of Chief Operating Officer at the Behavioral Health Alliance of Rural Pennsylvania (BHARP), a Pennsylvania Medicaid Primary Contractor that administers the Behavioral Health HealthChoices program in 24 rural Pennsylvania counties before joining CAI HHS. Charles is a graduate of Pennsylvania State University and currently resides in Centre County, Pennsylvania.

Jamey is the Behavioral Health Lead and Senior Consultant for CAI Health and Human Services. He has nearly 30 years of public service experience in state and county government ranging from direct care services to multiple senior level appointee positions within the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. His career has spanned several areas including adult corrections, juvenile justice, child welfare, and in Pennsylvania's Medical Assistance (Medicaid) program, supporting individuals in their recovery who are living with or experiencing mental illness and substance use disorders. A few of his achievements include tripling the number of First Episode Psychosis (FEP) programs in counties across the Commonwealth, expanding the use of telehealth for delivering behavioral services and laying the initial groundwork for funding, legislation, and regulation for the implementation of a full continuum of behavioral health crisis intervention services.

Rita serves as NACo's chief information officer. In this capacity, she oversees cybersecurity for internal technology operations of NACo and leads NACo’s technology programs and initiatives for counties. She is responsible for the NACo technology blueprint, which includes managing the development and delivering of technology programming on initiatives such as cyber security, technology infrastructure and cloud computing. Rita brings with her responsibility for serving on multiple boards and workgroups over the years including the PA Digital Advisory Board, the Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center, and the StateRamp Advisory Board. Rita also serves as the staff liaison to the NACo Technology Standing Committee and the GIS Subcommittee, as well as the NACo AI Exploratory Committee.  Before joining NACo, Rita served as the CIO for the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, where she spent 20 years mainly focused on similar initiatives for CCAP and with counties in Pennsylvania. Prior to that Rita was an independent fiscal and computer consultant where she worked with numerous children and youth agencies in Pennsylvania and designed fiscal and data reporting applications, including a statewide AFCARS solution. Rita holds a B.A. in business administration with a minor in political science from Messiah College in Pennsylvania. Rita has been the recipient of numerous awards over the years, including the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania’s 2019 Moxie Award, Government Technology’s 2017 Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers, and State Tech’s “30 State and Local Government IT Influencers” for 2020.

Leticia “Lety” Farrera is the daughter of two internationally trained professionals (ITP) and has dedicated her career to opening up opportunities for ITPs and their families. She has 10 years of Higher Education and Adult Education experience and now serves as the SIIP Program Manager for WES Talent Bridge.

Jeffrey Dinise was selected to the Senior Executive Service as the U.S. Border Patrol Headquarters, Deputy Chief of Law Enforcement Operations. Deputy Chief Jeffrey J. Dinise began his career with the United States Border Patrol in 2002 as a member of USBP Academy Class 535 and was initially assigned to the Campo Station in San Diego Sector. Throughout his career, Deputy Chief Dinise has held leadership positions at USBP Headquarters, and in Coastal, Northern, and Southern Border Sectors. He previously served as Acting Chief Patrol Agent in the Havre and Detroit Sectors; Deputy Chief Patrol Agent in Spokane Sector, Associate Chief at USBP Headquarters; Patrol Agent in Charge in El Paso, Texas and New Orleans, Louisiana; Executive Officer in Del Rio Sector; Assistant Chief at USBP Headquarters; and a second-line and first-line supervisor in San Diego Sector leading an investigative and interdiction unit known as the Smuggling Interdiction Group. Deputy Chief Dinise earned an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice from The American Military University and is a graduate of both the Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Homeland Security and Defense Executive Leaders Program and The CBP Leadership Institute.

Trevor Shealy is a Program Specialist at WES Global Talent Bridge, working closely with the SIIP Alumni Network. Prior to this role, he supported immigrants and refugees as the Senior Program and Administrative Coordinator for WES Global Talent Bridge and has previously worked with several of WES Global Talent Bridge’s partners in support of immigrant and refugee inclusion at local, state, national, and international levels. A highlight of Trevor’s career is interpreting (Arabic and Persian) for recently resettled refugees in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Since 2003, Mr. Judson Freed continues to serve as the Director of Emergency Management and Homeland Security in Ramsey County, Minn. Mr. Freed has more than 35 years of experience in emergency management, homeland security, risk, resilience and continuity. He serves in NACo leadership as NACo Board Member, Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Vice Chair of the Resilient Counties Advisory Board, and member of the Intergovernmental Disaster Reform Task Force, Health Counties Advisory Board and Large Urban County Caucus.

Mr. Freed is a past President of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), member of the IAEM Global Board of Directors and member of the IAEM Government Affairs Committee. In addition, he is Secretary/Treasurer of the Emergency Management Accreditation Program Board of Directors, a past President of the Association of Minnesota Emergency Managers. He is also a FEMA Vanguard Fellow, Adjunct Professor of Homeland Security and Emergency Management at Idaho State University as well as a Lecturer on community risk at the University of Minnesota. He has provided expert testimony before the United States Congress and to federal commissions as well as the Minnesota State Legislature.

Patrick Howell is a program manager for the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS), where he leads efforts to develop and implement climate and disaster resilience strategies for the public sector. He serves as a subject matter expert for the IBTS Community Resilience Assessment Framework and Tools, working with pre- and post-disaster communities to identify their greatest vulnerabilities and build actionable resilience plans. Having worked with local, state and territorial governments across the United States, as well as in the private and nonprofit sectors, Mr. Howell has nearly 20 years of experience in public administration, natural disaster resilience and humanitarian assistance. He holds a B.A. in International Affairs from the University of Colorado and an M.A. in International Relations from American University, with professional training and certifications in community engagement, risk communication and humanitarian disaster relief operations.

Heidi Stiller is the South Regional Director for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Service (NOS) Office for Coastal Management (OCM). Ms. Stiller serves as a focal point for senior level coastal partner interaction at the regional, state and local levels from North Carolina to Texas. She helps to implement national and regional coastal and ocean programs and connects on-the-ground partners with NOAA products and services. Before joining NOAA, Heidi worked for the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management and the Florida Coastal Management Program. Planning that incorporates hazard mitigation, climate adaptation and natural resource sustainability is a focus of her work, including providing data and tools to help communities address coastal inundation risks. She has experience with post-disaster recovery planning and served as an author on the coastal chapter of the Fourth National Climate Assessment.

Commissioner Lori Stegmann has represented District 4 in Multnomah County since 2017. Prior to serving as commissioner, she served six years on the Gresham City Council. Commissioner Stegmann grew up in the district that she represents after being adopted as an infant from an orphanage in South Korea. She put herself through college, attended Mt. Hood Community College and earned her bachelor's degree in business from Portland State University. She has been a small business owner in that same neighborhood for over 30 years and continues to advocate for immigrants, refugees, and marginalized community members. She has been a champion for underserved communities in her East County district and has a track record of working on policies to improve housing stability, economic mobility and development, as well as public safety. She serves on multiple boards and committees and is a member of NACo’s Economic Mobility Leadership Network as well as NACo’s County Officials Advancing Racial Equity in Justice Network.

Mike Zupko is the executive director of the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC), an intergovernmental committee of federal, state, tribal and local officials convened by the Secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture, Defense and Homeland Security dedicated to consistent implementation of wildland fire policies, goals and management activities. Prior to this position, he advised the Southern Governors’ Association on natural resource issues and served as executive director for the Southern Group of State Foresters.

Katie manages the Western Region of the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC). In addition to advancing the broader priorities of WFLC, the Western Region leads implementation of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy through inclusive interaction with those who have an interest in the outcomes of wildland fire. Prior to joining the Wildland Fire Leadership Council, Katie enjoyed a rewarding career as Director of Project Wildfire, an education and mitigation organization in Oregon. She also spent over a decade as a structural and wildland firefighter, fire inspector and fire prevention specialist at Redmond Fire & Rescue and Bend Fire & Rescue. All of this experience contributes to her current journey of helping partners achieve landscape resiliency, community resiliency and fire adaptation, and a safer, more effective wildfire response. Katie is a proud alumnus of the University of Washington (GO DAWGS!) and counts the Pacific Northwest as her home but loves to spend time traveling with her husband and two dogs to places where they can camp, hike and be on the water.

Kevin Oliver is the Chief, Division of Recreation and Visitor Services for BLM Headquarters. Kevin and his team are responsible for policy development and budget for all aspects of outdoor recreation on BLM managed public lands including permits and fees, visual resources, travel management, planning, tourism, and interpretation. Most recently Kevin has enjoyed the past years collaborative work developing BLM’s Blueprint for 21st Century Outdoor Recreation, with a dynamic BLM team. Kevin has enjoyed a life-long connection with the outdoors which started at a very young age in Pennsylvania, on the state forest lands. He started his first recreation job at a state park in 1987. He completed a degree in Forest Science from Penn State University two years later. Today, Kevin has 35 years of public land management expertise, including experience as Senior Advisor to the BLM Directors Office, 8 years as a District Manager, and 22 years of wildland firefighting and resource management.  In addition to BLM, he also worked for the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Idaho Department of Lands and Pennsylvania State Parks. Kevin has enjoyed being duty stationed in Alaska, Nevada, Utah, and Washington D.C. with the federal agencies.

For fun he enjoys backcountry snowmobiling in the Unita mountains of Utah and putting in a good hunting camp in the fall.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger proudly serves the residents of the 5th District — Los Angeles County’s largest — spanning over 2,785 square miles, which includes 20 cities and 83 unincorporated communities in the Antelope, San Gabriel, San Fernando, Crescenta, and Santa Clarita Valleys.

John D. Cohen currently serves as the Executive Director for the Program for Countering Hybrid Threats at the Center for Internet Security. In that role, he works closely with law enforcement, mental health, and civil society organizations across the Nation to address issues relating to the impact of social media and the Internet on crime, violence, community safety, and constitutional protections. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University Security Studies Program. From January 2021 through April 2022, he served as the Assistant Secretary for Counter-terrorism and Law Enforcement Policy, Coordinator for Counterterrorism and the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary of Intelligence and Analysis at the United States Department of Homeland Security. Prior to his most recent service at DHS, Cohen is also an on-air expert for ABC News on homeland security, terrorism, counter-intelligence, and law enforcement issues.

Cohen has four decades of experience in law enforcement, counter-intelligence, and homeland security. He has studied mass casualty attacks and is currently studying the impact of Internet-based communications technologies on crime and homeland/national security. During the Obama Administration he served as the Acting Under-Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) and Counterterrorism Coordinator for the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). During his time at DHS, Mr. Cohen was a direct adviser to the Secretary and he oversaw the development and implementation of a number of high visibility Department-wide crime prevention, counterterrorism, counter-intelligence and border and transportation security initiatives. Mr. Cohen also led the Department’s efforts to establish multi-disciplinary programs focused on: countering violent extremism; preventing and responding to mass casualty/active shooter attacks; improving information sharing; and expanding DHS’ interactions and collaboration with state and local law enforcement organizations, private sector companies and faith-based organizations.

During the Administration of George W. Bush, Mr. Cohen served as the Senior Advisor to the Program Manager for the Information Sharing Environment, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, where he authored and coordinated the implementation of key components of the 2007 White House National Strategy for Information Sharing.

Mr. Cohen has an extensive background in homeland security and law enforcement operations and policy development. He was Senior Homeland Security Policy Advisor to a number of State and local officials including Governor Mitt Romney of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Janet Napolitano, Governor of the State of Arizona. In 2004 he was selected by the National Journal as one of the “100 Key People in Homeland Security.” He was also named “Law Enforcement Person of the Year,” by Law Enforcement News for his work in developing and establishing a national non-emergency number, 3-1-1. During the Clinton Administration, worked closely with drug treatment providers, educators and law enforcement agencies in Maryland, DC, and Virgina while establishing the Washington – Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program. He also served as an advisor to the Maryland State Government on criminal justice issues and drafted the State’s first homeland security strategy after the attacks of 9-11. He has worked within the private sector and has held a variety of government positions including: Special Agent, Office of Naval Intelligence; Police Detective and Patrol Officer, City of Gardena, CA; Senior Investigator, House Judiciary Committee, U.S. House of Representatives; and Senior Policy Advisor to the Director, Office of National Drug Control Policy, Executive Office of the President of the United States. He is the recipient of a number of awards and commendations including the Drug Enforcement Administration “Administrator’s Award,” The South Bay “Medal of Valor,” and the Department of Homeland Security’s “Distinguished Service Medal.”

LeAnna Cumber serves as Chief Strategy Officer. She works to “expand the organization’s capabilities and reach, including assisting customers with obtaining project financing.”

Before joining Herzog, she served as a City Councilwoman for Jacksonville, Florida. For more than 14 years, LeAnna ran a transportation consulting firm where “she provided assistance and strategic advice to private transportation companies as well as state and local governments to secure financing for ports, rail, and highway projects through grants and loan vehicles.” She has experience in leading successful U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) grant and loan pursuits, and these include “state infrastructure bank loans, and providing government relations and business development services.” Before this, she worked in Washington, D.C. at Baker Botts LLP as an Associate, with the USDOT’s Office of Inspector General as Legislative Council, and in the U.S. Senate as Legislative Council. LeAnna received her J.D. from the USC Gould School of Law, and she currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida with her husband and two children.

Carolina Lopez is the Executive Director at the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions (PLEJ), a national, nonpartisan community of support, best practices, and peer-to-peer engagement among large election jurisdictions through virtual and in-person convenings throughout the year. The PLEJ Network is comprised of bipartisan chief election officials elected or appointed across the country.

Carolina has over two decades in election administration and building coalitions. She spent a decade administering elections in the largest county in Florida, where she optimized operations, transparency, and good governance. Thereafter as a democracy advocate, she leveraged stakeholder relationships and expertise across broad coalitions to guide legislative advocacy, shape clerk engagement and election protection programs, and strengthen national and in-state relationships. Given her unique insight on how elections are run in large jurisdictions and track-record in building strong relationships among national, state, and local coalitions, Carolina understands the pivotal role that PLEJ plays in connecting a through-line across states with peers from similarly sized jurisdictions. Carolina holds a BBA and an MBA in Business Administration from Florida International University.

Keara Mendez has a decade of experience in pro-democracy advocacy, social impact work, and community organizing. She currently serves as the Director of Advocacy at the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) supporting local elections officials in securing the resources and support needed to safely and securely administer elections. She has supported the launch of several successful projects including Democracy is Good for Business, the Civic Responsibility Project, and Election Hero Day, and served on multiple nonprofit boards in Colorado. She loves to paddle board, travel, and spend time with her senior beagle, Honey.

Ms. Perez-Arrieta is the chief of FRA's Environmental Review Division in the U.S. Department of Transportation. FRA’s RD&T mission is to ensure the safe, efficient, and reliable movement of people and goods by rail through basic and applied research, and development of innovations and solutions. Safety is DOT’s primary strategic goal and thus, the principal driver of FRA’s RD&T program. FRA’s RD&T program also contributes to other DOT strategic goals because safety-focused projects typically yield solutions toward state of good repair, economic competitiveness, and environmental sustainability goals. The RD&T program also has an important role to play in workforce development. FRA’s RD&T program is founded on an understanding of safety risks in the industry. Hazard identification and risk analysis allows us to identify opportunities to reduce the likelihood of accidents and incidents, and to limit the consequences of hazardous events should they occur. Key strategies include stakeholder engagement and partnerships with other researchers such as the Association of American Railroads, prioritization of projects, and conducting research through cost-effective procurement.

Prior to joining HNTB, Small was appointed by President Biden as deputy assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs to Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation, where he served for two and a half years. While in the administration, he oversaw the department’s outreach efforts to all 56 states, commonwealth and territorial governments and the District of Columbia; all roughly 3,000 counties and parishes; and 19,000 cities, towns and townships. This outreach played a critical role in working with Congress to pass the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Over the last 18 months, Small worked on efforts to implement the IIJA and help guide state and local governments through the application and grant making process.

Prior to joining the Biden administration, Small also served as director of federal affairs and national engagement for former mayor of Los Angeles, Ambassador Eric Garcetti. There he spearheaded the city’s federal relationships and led the USDOT advocacy efforts with Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Los Angeles World Airports, the Port of Los Angeles and more. Small also served as associate director of federal affairs for the State of New York and in the Obama Administration at the Office of the United States Trade Representative. As a native of Southern California, he began his political career with Sen. Barbara Boxer.

Small is on the board of the California State Society and a former member of the National League of Cities Infrastructure and Transportation Services Committee. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania.

Lily Ballengee has worked for the U.S. Department of Transportation for nearly 8 years on a wide range of transportation topics. Currently supporting the Rural Opportunities to Use Transportation for Economic Success (ROUTES) Initiative in the Office of the Secretary of Transportation, she works to address disparities in rural transportation infrastructure to ensure rural communities have equitable access to National transportation goals of safety, mobility, and economic competitiveness. She has a Bachelor’s degree from West Virginia University and a Master’s in Public Policy from American University.

As Chief Growth Officer, Candice leads the Medicaid Business Development, Growth & Strategy team for Aetna, a CVS Health company that serves nearly 3 million Medicaid members. With over 20 years of experience in the health care industry, she has developed expertise in Medicaid, Medicare, and Commercial-Exchange products in all areas with a focus on growth, network performance management, facility/provider contracting, value-based reimbursement, and provider engagement team building. Candice has a proven track record of driving growth, innovation, and operational excellence for the largest managed care companies in the country. Prior to joining CVS Health in June 2022, Candice was the Vice President of Provider Network Management at Centene Corporation, where she oversaw a network of over 500,000 providers and tailored a high-quality, low-cost network with strategic growth objectives for WellCare Health Plans. Candice also led provider relations, marketing and strategy with Hospice of the Bluegrass and held a leadership position with Appalachian Regional Healthcare in physician relations, marketing, and business development. Growing up in Appalachia in one of the poorest counties in the nation, Candice is passionate and committed to improving the health and well-being of rural communities by working to improve access to care and promoting advancements in all areas of rural health.

David Deliman serves as Market Vice President for the Gulf Coast area of Cox’s Southeast Region. This includes communities from Escambia to Walton Counties where David oversees Cox’s local employee base and is responsible for day-to-day operations. He serves as an advocate for customers, employees, and Cox in the community and has been in this role since February 2016. Under his leadership, the Gulf Coast market has continued to grow, with new product launches and expansions into areas previously unserved by broadband. David joined Cox in 2004 and has served in public affairs and operations positions at both the field and corporate levels. Prior to Cox, he worked in broadcast journalism for nearly a decade as both a reporter and managing editor at television stations in Panama City and Pensacola, Florida.   David holds a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication from the University of Florida. David is actively involved in the community, representing Cox as the Chair of the board of directors for the Pensacola Chamber of Commerce, Ronald McDonald House Charities board of Northwest Florida, Achieve Escambia Advisory Board, as well as the industry association Florida Internet and Television. He was recently named Professional Leader of the Year by the Pensacola Chamber.

With over a decade of experience in government affairs, Diana has a background spanning roles within government, non-profit organizations, and the private sector. Currently serving in Government Affairs for the Market Expansion team at Cox Communications, she plays a pivotal role in shaping effective strategies to mitigate the digital divide, with current efforts concentrated on bringing broadband services to un/underserved rural communities across the United States through government supported expansion. Diana earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California (USC) and a Master’s in Public Administration from George Washington University (GWU). Her extensive experience and educational background have equipped Diana with a nuanced understanding of the intersections between policy, technology, and community development.

Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson has developed an impressive track record in public service since she was first elected to the Douglas County Board of Commissioners in 1994. She is set to be re-elected to her 8th term this November 2022. In 1997, Mary Ann was the first woman elected to serve as chairwoman of the Douglas County Board and has served in this capacity numerous years. She is a Past President of the National Association of Counties (NACo) and currently serves on the Board of Directors for both the National Association of Counties and the Nebraska Association of County Officials. Borgeson serves on the NACo Health Steering Committee~Chair Long Term Care Subcommittee, Arts and Culture Commission, Healthy Counties Advisory Board, Immigration Reform Task Force, International Economic Development Task Force, Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC), Membership Standing Committee, Programs and Services Standing Committee and Veterans and Military Services Committee Borgeson also serves on the National Civic League Board of Directors. She also Chairs the NACO Health and Human Services Committee.

Ms. Driver has been a healthcare leader for over 30 years with diverse experience in behavioral healthcare. She has worked for the Douglas County Community Mental Health Center since 2009 as Director of Psychiatric Outpatient Services, and currently holds the position of Administrator. With a focus and expertise in Quality Care, Patient Satisfaction, Regulatory and Accreditation, Program and Provider Engagement, Fiscal Accountability, Peer Support Development, Electronic Health Record Implementation and Strategic Planning, she works hand in hand with Board of Trustees, Board of Commissioners, executives teams, providers, employees and community stakeholders to foster a culture of excellence, promoting interdepartmental collaboration to assure overall benefit across all departments and provide the highest quality service to her community.

Laurel Caldwell, CGCIO, is the CIO for Latah County, ID, a position she has held since 2008. She oversees the county's use of IT to improve services for the employees and citizens of Latah County, the only county in the U.S. that was created by an act of Congress. She serves on the County CIO Leadership Council, on the technology advisory boards for Interface, Lewis Clark State College, and on various National Association of Counties (NACo) technology committees. She has been recognized in Government Technology’s 2020 Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers. Laurel is a leading advocate for developing and fostering relationships among government IT professionals locally, regionally, and nationally.

Aman Bhullar has over 29 years of experience in technology implementation and consulting. As the department’s Chief Information office (CIO), he provides executive leadership and is responsible for assisting the RR/CC in administering and formulating the IT operations with direct responsibility and oversight of Information Security standards and strategies for governance/compliance. A pioneer in incorporating cutting edge technology, Mr. Bhullar supports a workforce of 1,500 employees that serves the nation’s largest, most complex and diverse election jurisdiction of 5.8M voters in addition to supporting the largest repository of vital records in the nation, serving 10M+ constituents. Under his leadership, a revolutionary voting system has been implemented in LA County: Voting Solutions for All People (VSAP). Mr. Bhullar is a seasoned technology implementation professional who is recognized for driving technology initiatives into enterprise software roll-out of voting technology, AI/ML, ERP, CRM, SCM, Cybersecurity Programs, Imaging & Electronic Records Programs. Being technology and security conscious about the ever-changing threat landscape, he deployed the ALBERT Network and Monitoring & Management system (from CIS); the first in LA County. He was instrumental in getting critical product evaluation of VSAP by CISA/DHS. The information and security programs implemented at RR/CC has won several awards and accolades from EAC, NIST, NACO, Gold Globee, Clearie, CSAC, CDG and other organizations. A recipient of CIO100, CSO50, several National and International awards, he looks forward to executing the Open-Source strategy for the most complex, largest voting technology stack in the nation.

Sarah helps local government and education organizations across the United States to start their cloud journey with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Prior to joining AWS, Sarah spent 15 years working directly in local government and higher education financial management, as well as local government management consulting.

Brook is a Senior Client Development Executive for Netsmart. At Netsmart, he manages client development efforts for Netsmart’s county, local government business unit. He works closely to develop relationships with county and human service leaders, aligning strategic initiatives to Netsmart solutions. Since 2012, Brook is an active participant in advancing patient and client-centric care by leveraging innovative care models and technology to bring organizations into a value-based payment model.

As the Assistant Vice President of the State, Local Government, and Education sector across 17 Western States, Chris and his team offer a comprehensive suite of integrated solutions to their public sector clients. These solutions encompass wireline and wireless connectivity, enterprise mobility applications, sophisticated network management, network-oriented security solutions, cloud computing services, unified communication and collaboration tools, network sourcing, and specialized consulting services.

Mr. Leadbeater currently holds the position of Global Solutions Manager, focused on State/Provincial Government, and Government Trade Associations. Mr. Leadbeater is responsible for coordinating out-reach, marketing and business development focusing on identification of solution needs and serving as liaison to Esri’s clients in these sectors. His focus is on the development of tools and solutions addressing government administrative functions with attention towards the use of GIS in the support of elections, policy development, and government business processes.

Adam Frumkin is a results-driven leader with more than 25 years of experience in developing, directing, and executing business transformation and strategies. He has an established record collaborating with other executives to bring clarity to strategic business decisions and implementing technology to transform business processes. He has focused experience in strategic planning, cultural & organizational development and emotional intelligence, process reengineering, enterprise system implementations, cybersecurity and disaster recovery and business continuity planning. Serves as: · Council Chair to the PTI Executive Committee · Vice Chair for the NACo IT Standing Committee · Subcommittee Vice Chair the NACo Finance, Pensions, and Intergovernmental Affairs Steering Committee for the Elections Subcommittee. · Fusion Learning Partners Board of Directors Additionally, Mr. Frumkin has been named as one of the 2023 Top 25 Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers by Government Technology; StateScoop – Local Smart County Executive of the Year 2021 and the Columbus Business First – BizTech Executive of the Year 2021. He is an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University and for the PTI Certified Government Chief Information Officer (CGCIO) through Rutgers University.

Rita serves as NACo's chief information officer. In this capacity, she oversees cybersecurity for internal technology operations of NACo and leads NACo’s technology programs and initiatives for counties. She is responsible for the NACo technology blueprint, which includes managing the development and delivering of technology programming on initiatives such as cyber security, technology infrastructure and cloud computing. Rita brings with her responsibility for serving on multiple boards and workgroups over the years including the PA Digital Advisory Board, the Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center, and the StateRamp Advisory Board. Rita also serves as the staff liaison to the NACo Technology Standing Committee and the GIS Subcommittee, as well as the NACo AI Exploratory Committee.  Before joining NACo, Rita served as the CIO for the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania, where she spent 20 years mainly focused on similar initiatives for CCAP and with counties in Pennsylvania. Prior to that Rita was an independent fiscal and computer consultant where she worked with numerous children and youth agencies in Pennsylvania and designed fiscal and data reporting applications, including a statewide AFCARS solution. Rita holds a B.A. in business administration with a minor in political science from Messiah College in Pennsylvania. Rita has been the recipient of numerous awards over the years, including the Technology Council of Central Pennsylvania’s 2019 Moxie Award, Government Technology’s 2017 Top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers, and State Tech’s “30 State and Local Government IT Influencers” for 2020.

Commissioner Brenda Howerton was elected to the Durham County Board of Commissioners in 2008 and reelected in 2012, 2016, and 2020 and is now in her fourth term, previously serving as the Chair of the Board of Commissioners from 2020-2023. On August 12, 2017, Commissioner Howerton was sworn in as President of the North Carolina Association of Counties. She is the first Durham County commissioner to be elected to a statewide senior leadership office. Her tenure as president focused on the initiative announced on her installation night "100 Counties Helping Our Children Thrive."

Brian C. Castrucci, DrPH, is an epidemiologist, public health practitioner, and president and chief executive officer of the de Beaumont Foundation. With the help of a strong team, Brian has built the Foundation into a leading voice in health philanthropy and public health practice. Under his leadership, the Foundation is driving change to improve population health, foster collaboration between public health and other sectors, prioritize the importance of communications, and strengthen the nation’s public health infrastructure. CityHealth, the BUILD Health Challenge, the Public Health Communications Collaborative, Health Action Alliance, and the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey are among the projects he has helped to create while at the Foundation. Prior to joining de Beaumont, Brian worked for a decade as an applied epidemiologist and held leadership positions at the Georgia Department of Health, Texas Department of State Health Services, and Philadelphia Department of Health. Brian is a sought-after resource on public health contributing his expertise through interviews and editorials published in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Associated Press, and Politico among others. He also has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, Fox News, and several local television affiliates. He has published more than 90 peer-reviewed publications cited more than 3,500 times and has co-edited six books. Brian holds a doctorate in public health leadership from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Arts degree in Sociomedical Sciences from Columbia University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from North Carolina State University.

Lindsay Mack is the Director of Client Success for Netsmart. She started her experience with Electronic Visit Verification while working for a large managed care organization. She was charged with implementing EVV in accordance with the 21st Century Cures Act for a complicated, statewide provider network. Now with Netsmart, she uses her knowledge of the payer and provider environments to navigate EVV for state agencies and managed care organizations with a focus on utilizing the efficiencies and data gained from EVV to improve outcomes and program quality. Lindsay’s background in Medicaid/Managed Care and various healthcare environments gives her a unique lens and understanding of the challenges payers and providers face when implementing new technologies. Lindsay has a bachelor’s degree from Shenandoah University and a master’s degree from PennWest University.

Commissioner Mary Ann Borgeson has developed an impressive track record in public service since she was first elected to the Douglas County Board of Commissioners in 1994. She is set to be re-elected to her 8th term this November 2022. In 1997, Mary Ann was the first woman elected to serve as chairwoman of the Douglas County Board and has served in this capacity numerous years. She is a Past President of the National Association of Counties (NACo) and currently serves on the Board of Directors for both the National Association of Counties and the Nebraska Association of County Officials. Borgeson serves on the NACo Health Steering Committee~Chair Long Term Care Subcommittee, Arts and Culture Commission, Healthy Counties Advisory Board, Immigration Reform Task Force, International Economic Development Task Force, Large Urban County Caucus (LUCC), Membership Standing Committee, Programs and Services Standing Committee and Veterans and Military Services Committee Borgeson also serves on the National Civic League Board of Directors. She also Chairs the NACO Health and Human Services Committee.

Chelsi Rhoades is the Public Policy and Advocacy Specialist at Generations United where she focuses on advancing policy and advocacy efforts surrounding intergenerational policy and programs, coordinating Generations United’s Policy Committee, and educating policymakers on kinship/grandfamilies. Prior to joining Generations United, Chelsi graduated from The Ohio State University’s John Glenn College of Public Affairs and interned at the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) and the Public Children’s Services Association of Ohio (PCSAO). Raised in-part by her great-grandmother, Chelsi has a personal commitment to these families and uses her lived experience to inform her work.

Commissioner Erica C. Crawley is a mother, advocate, and veteran. As the first Black woman Commissioner, her commitment to serving every resident, every day comes from her lived experiences and deep understanding of what working families need to thrive, and not just survive. Commissioner Crawley has always stood with the most vulnerable among us – working to ensure access to high-quality childcare, affordable housing, supportive addiction, mental health treatment, better maternal health outcomes, and first-rate veteran services for those who have bravely served our nation. She currently serves on numerous boards. Like so many of her neighbors, Commissioner Crawley has known what it’s like to fight and work hard to get ahead. Originally from Youngstown, Commissioner Crawley’s family reflected the story of successes and struggles that so many families share in our community. She is a first-generation college graduate, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology, focusing on juvenile delinquency from Cleveland State University. She also holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Walden University and a Juris Doctor from Capital University Law School. Crawley has spent much of her life making a difference by serving others and helping them find their voice. She served in the United States Navy earning the Naval & Marine Corps Achievement Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. Additionally, she has advocated on behalf of children and families with the Cuyahoga County Job & Family Services, YMCA Head Start/ Early Head Start Program, Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children (CASA), and the Black Child Development Institute. In 2018, Crawley was elected to represent Ohio’s 26th House District, which included much of eastern and southeastern Franklin County. During her time in the legislature, her priorities focused on maternal health, infant mortality, birth-to-five initiatives, housing and food insecurity, and veteran issues. Crawley served on the House Finance Committee, Finance Subcommittee on Primary & Secondary Education, Primary & Secondary Committee, Armed Services & Veterans Affairs, Correctional Institution Inspection Committee (CIIC), and was appointed to the Governor’s Commission on Infant Mortality, the Commission on Minority Health and was a founding member of Ohio’s Black Maternal Health Caucus. Commissioner Crawley is the mother of twin girls. She enjoys spending time with them and traveling with family and friends.

Dr. Alexandra Addo-Boateng, Ed.D Psy, is the Director of Perinatal Mental Health Services for the California Health Collaborative. Her specialty in perinatal health allows her to provide leadership throughout California addressing perinatal health and systems of care. Dr. Addo-Boateng serves on several perinatal health advisory boards including the Postpartum Support International Psychosis Taskforce, the Fresno County Perinatal Substance Misuse Taskforce, while leading the Maternal Wellness Coalition of Madera County, Project Dad, and the Inland Empire Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative. Dr. Addo-Boateng provides a health and wellness focus for the community advisory council, the Fresno County HOPE Hub. She is the principal investigator of the research project, Systems-based Multidisciplinary Assessment of Adversity and Toxic Stress for Individualized Care, (The SYSTEMAATIC Project) conducted by University of Stanford. Dr. Addo-Boateng was the former board president of NAMI Fresno-Madera County and current board treasure. Dr. Addo-Boateng is an adjunct faculty at Fresno Pacific University.

Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis was born and raised in Houston’s Sunnyside neighborhood. The proud son of a yardman and a maid, Ellis attended Texas public schools from grade school through law school. He holds a bachelor's degree from Texas Southern University, a master's degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, and a law degree from the University Of Texas School Of Law. As Commissioner of Harris County Precinct One, Ellis has played a critical role on the Court by securing misdemeanor bail reform, flood equity guidelines, stronger worker protections and economic opportunity provisions, funding for indigent defense and COVID-19 recovery funding, including direct relief for residents, small businesses, emergency rental assistance, shelters for those experiencing homelessness, as well as other innovative programs, including providing computers to low-income students, among other achievements. Before serving as a County Commissioner, Ellis was elected to Houston City Council and served three terms before being elected to the Texas Senate in 1990. For 26 years, he represented Texas' 13th state senate district and he passed over 700 pieces of legislation. On November 8, 2016, Ellis was elected county commissioner and sworn into office on January 1, 2017. As County Commissioner, Ellis prioritizes inclusive economic growth that uplifts all communities, ensures access to parks and green space in under-served neighborhoods, advances criminal justice reform that protects the rights of all people, and provides safe, affordable transportation options. Following Hurricane Harvey, Ellis successfully advocated for equitable investment in flood control infrastructure and disaster recovery in vulnerable communities through a $2.5B bond approved by voters in 2018. He is an avid art collector and cycling enthusiast. Commissioner Ellis is married to Licia Green-Ellis and has four children.

E. Lee Washington, MD, MPH is a senior medical director in the Department of Commercial Business Support in Aetna National Accounts. He provides consultative services to large employers and public entities with a focus on population health strategies, quality of care, and cost effectiveness. As new population health challenges emerge, Dr. Washington has also participated in enterprise-wide efforts to respond. This has included supporting employer strategies for safely returning to work and protecting the health and well-being of their employees during the era of COVID-19. Prior to joining National Accounts, he served in medical director roles at ActiveHealth Management, a subsidiary of Aetna, for several years where he provided clinical direction to care management functions and contributed to content development for the CareEngine, a proprietary, industry leading decision support technology. Before joining ActiveHealth, Dr. Washington engaged in private practice for several years and served in a variety of leadership positions in ambulatory and inpatient settings. He received his medical degree and a masters in public health from Northwestern University in Chicago and completed residency at the Georgetown / Providence Family Medicine Residency Program in Washington, D.C.. Dr. Washington has been board certified in family medicine since 1993. He also holds a graduate certification in biomedical informatics from Oregon Health and Science University, and he received a certificate of achievement in genetics and genomics from Stanford University after completing a series of graduate courses in genomics and related topics. Given the historic challenges posed by COVID-19 and the evolving landscape of precision medicine, Dr. Washington’s training in genomics related areas contributes to a unique understanding of a spectrum of scientific efforts that can play critical roles. As Lee’s role has evolved within Aetna National Accounts, he has also contributed to initiatives to address social determinants of health and to promote health equity. Lee is a recalcitrant foodie who enjoys a broad spectrum of restaurants during his travels.

Robert “Rob” Ashe serves as the Deputy Regional Administrator for FEMA Region 4.

Selected in June 2024, Ashe is responsible for facilitating the Regional Administrator’s priorities and supporting FEMA’s mission to serve state, local and tribal governments in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Ashe joined FEMA in 2020 as Region 4’s Deputy Division Director of Mission Support Division. He then served as the region’s National Preparedness Division Director from December 2022 until being selected as Deputy Regional Administrator.

After 29 years of service with the United States Army, Ashe retired as a Colonel after commanding a brigade combat team and working at the executive level at the Pentagon. His final assignment was with United States Army North as the Defense Coordinating Officer for FEMA Region 4. Ashe deployed in support of Hurricanes Irma, Florence, and Michael, and directed the employment of significant Department of Defense forces from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines in support of the region’s response operations.

Ashe has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Albany State University, a Master of Military Science degree from The School of Advanced Military Studies, and a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the Army War College. His awards and decorations include The Distinguished Service Medal, (2) Legion of Merit, (3) Bronze Stars, (6) Meritorious Service Medals, and the Combat Action Badge.

He is married and has two sons.

Gulf of Mexico Alliance Executive Director Laura Bowie was the Alliance’s first official employee hired in 2010. Since then, she has helped turn the Alliance into a non-profit and continued the success of the Alliance through three Governors’ Action Plans. She also led the way for the first ever Gulf of Mexico Conference in 2022.

Harry Cohen is currently serving as a member of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners representing District 1, a position to which he was elected in November 2020 and re-elected in November 2022. A native of Tampa, Harry Cohen has dedicated his life and career to public service. A lawyer by profession, he served as Chief Deputy Clerk of the Circuit Court for Hillsborough County from 2005-2011 and as an elected member of the Tampa City Council from 2011-2019. As a member of Tampa City Council, Cohen served as Chair Pro Tempore (2012-2018), as well as in many other key positions, including: Chair of the Council Finance Committee; Vice Chair of the Metropolitan Planning Organization for Transportation; and Chair of the Transportation Disadvantaged Coordinating Board. As a member of City Council, Cohen worked closely with Mayor Bob Buckhorn to champion a $250 million infrastructure project to improve and replace Tampa’s storm water systems in flood-prone neighborhoods. The measure passed, accompanied by a hardship program to pay the fees for qualified people who were disabled and/or veterans. Cohen also championed investment in additional city fire rescue stations (including in Port Tampa City, New Tampa, and Sulphur Springs); new and improved public parks (including Waterworks Park on the Riverwalk, Perry Harvey, Sr. Park, the revamped and renovated Julian B. Lane Park, and Swann Pond in Hyde Park Village); and additional investment in city pools (including Roy Jenkins Pool on Davis Islands, Williams Park Pool, and Cuscaden Pool). Long before the issue gained widespread acceptance, Cohen also introduced an ordinance to City Council to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of cannabis, to “unclog our criminal justice system and not punish people unfairly.” While on Council, Cohen served on the Hillsborough County Public Safety Coordinating Council, the Florida Orchestra Board of Directors, the Straz Center for the Performing Arts Board of Trustees and Executive Committee, and the boards of The Florida Aquarium and Community Tampa Bay. In 2019, Cohen ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Tampa, and in the true spirit of collaboration, later served as co-chair of the transition team for current Mayor Jane Castor. The committees issued detailed reports on Transportation and Infrastructure, Affordable Housing, Workforce Development, and Development Services.

Christopher Constance was born in New York, educated at The Johns Hopkins University, State University of New York and Penn State University. Dr. Constance, a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon in private practice in Charlotte County since 1994, served as the President of the Florida Society of Plastic Surgeons in 2017. He was elected Charlotte County Commissioner in 2010, 2014 & 2018, and he was elected Chairman of the Board in 2011 and 2012, also serving as Vice-Chairman in 2014, 2015, 2020 and 2021. As Commissioner, Dr. Constance has served on over 20 Boards & Committees. He currently serves as chairman of the NACo Information Technology Standing Committee and has done so for over 3 years. Commissioner Constance sits on numerous NACo Boards as a Vice-Chair or as a Member. He is also the current Chairman of the Gulf Consortium, has served as the Past President of the Florida Association of Counties, and currently sits on the FAC Board of Directors.

Kaitlin serves as the Vice President of the Consumer Energy Alliance for the Gulf States region. Established in 2005, Consumer Energy Alliance has become the leading consumer advocate for families and businesses seeking sensible federal, state, and local energy and environmental policies that help ensure all Americans benefit from affordable, reliable, and environmentally responsible energy solutions.

Philip Lee is a Life Scientist with the EPA Gulf of Mexico Division (GMD). Before joining the GMD, he completed his doctoral degree at the University of Alabama where he focused on the impact of excess nutrients on wetlands ecosystems at Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Following his doctorate, he was awarded an NAS Science Policy Fellowship through the Gulf Research Program. Currently, Philip lives in Houston, TX where he is currently working on two water quality monitoring initiatives with the University of Texas A&M Corpus Christi and Texas Southern University. In addition, he works closely with the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA), specifically focusing on the monitoring and adaptive management groups for Louisiana. Over the last couple years he has also helped develop microbial source tracking capacity with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Atmore, Alabama and works closely with partners to understand the impacts of fecal pollution on oyster beds at the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Dr. Donna Cameron-Cepeda is the District 5 County Commissioner of Hillsborough County, Florida. She is an Army Veteran, and Author. She has worked as a Financial Analyst for a multi-billion dollar corporation. She has also served as Associate Professor at Life Christian University. Dr. Donna has touched many lives through her life of service as a licensed and ordained minister, pastoral counseling people that have life trauma, PTSD, drug and alcohol addictions and other spiritual issues. She has a great love for people and is involved in the community extensively. She has also been recognized by the Department of Corrections for assisting in its efforts to enhance the programs and services to inmates and offenders that promote behavioral changes, provide life skills, and increase their potential for successful reintegration into the community. She has earned a BA from USC, a Masters and Doctoral Degree from Life Christian University.

Melissa Cohen was appointed as the Executive Director for Outreach, Transition, and Economic Development (OTED) in January 2024. She provides oversight of programs aimed at connecting transitioning Service members, Veterans, their families, and caregivers, to benefits and services. Ms. Cohen directs outreach events, as well as the policy, training, and compliance efforts for the National Call Centers. She is responsible for the VA’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP) at over 300 installations worldwide for Active Duty, Reserve, and National Guard personnel, across all branches of Service. Ms. Cohen joined the VA in June 2022, serving as the Deputy Executive Director for OTED. In that role, she was responsible for policies and programs impacting the 56 regional and overseas offices, as well as the 200,000 Services members attending the Transition Assistance Program course annually. Prior to the VA she served as the Director of the Office of Force Resiliency for the Department of the Navy, responsible for sexual assault, sexual harassment and suicide prevention and response.

Elizabeth O’Brien is the Vice President of the Military Spouse Program at Hiring Our Heroes. Hiring Our Heroes is an initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. In her role, O’Brien advocates for meaningful employment opportunities for the more than one million members of the military spouse community. She oversees the Military Spouse Program’s strategic and hiring events as well as the Military Spouse Employment Advisory Council, comprised of national companies committed to hiring military spouses and creating best practices in military spouse employment. At the grassroots level, O’Brien’s program includes a nationwide network of Military Spouse Economic Empowerment Zones as well as the Hiring Our Heroes’ Military Spouse Professional Network, which establishes community strategies to support 50+ networking chapters for military spouses on U.S. military installations around the world.

As the president and chief executive officer of the South Tampa Chamber, Kelly works with business owners and community leaders each day to make South Tampa the best place to live, work and play. Kelly is a graduate of The Florida State University with a B.S. in Political Science. Prior to her work at the Chamber, her background includes sales, marketing, and management for ClubCorp, Marriott, Front Burner Brands and Millennium Copthorne Hotels. Kelly has received her Florida Certified Chamber Professional designation (FCCP) which is shared with only 18 chamber executives in the State of Florida. The FCCP designation was a multi-year process which required a minimum of 5 years of senior level leadership, continuing education, letters of reference, and a written dissertation reviewed by industry peers. Under Kelly’s leadership, the South Tampa Chamber is one of less than 30 chambers in the State of Florida to be designated a Certified Chamber Florida Association of Chamber Professionals (FACP), with less than 20 being recognized as Certified Plus. This achievement is the culmination of several years of work in the areas of membership, programing, advocacy, leadership and administration, and showcases that the South Tampa Chamber follows the best practices of the chamber industry. A Tampa native, Kelly is actively involved in the community as a member of the Community Support Council for MacDill Air Force Base, as the Honorary Commander for the 6th Air Refueling Wing, and as a Civic Leader for the Air Mobility Command. Kelly serves on the board of directors for the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida and the Florida Association of Chamber Professionals. As the West Central Regional Chair of FACP, Kelly works with chambers from across 10 counties to provide chamber professionals with the information, learning opportunities, and communications skills needed to carry out the mission of their chamber.

As an IT leader for King County – one of the fastest growing, most diverse counties in the nation – Shannon Smith is focused on delivering innovative technology solutions that meet residents where they’re at. Shannon is the IT sponsor for Diversity & Inclusion initiatives, ensuring a social equity lens is applied to all King County tech projects, benefitting underserved communities. Recently she has led key efforts such as multi-lingual technology support at mass vaccination sites, data systems that expedite eviction relief payments, and expanding our regional fiber network to provide internet access for all. Shannon has had a long and successful career advocating as a driver for change in enterprise data governance, application development, and project portfolio management with a variety of public, corporate, and nonprofit organizations.

Commissioner Gregg Weiss, a retired business executive from California, was elected to the District 2 seat of the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners in November 2018, and reelected in 2022. He serves on a variety of boards locally, statewide, and nationally. Gregg believes in technology that works for the people. He is leading a national committee that is looking into how local governments can use AI in a responsible and ethical manner. He’s a water guy, promoting water supply and water quality, and protecting sensitive ecosystems such as the Lake Worth lagoon. Gregg has been leading the fight against bigotry and hatred. Speaking up and spearheading a local ordinance addressing property and hate crimes. He’s also about bolstering mental health, and works on improving access to services for those in need, which includes expanding mental health court in Palm Beach County. Gregg promotes economic development that supports good-paying jobs. And he believes in being a good steward of your taxpayer dollars. Gregg is a member of Temple Israel and lives in West Palm Beach with his wife, Rebecca.

Commissioner Chad M. Peterson was elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2012, and he currently serves as Chairman. His portfolios include Administration, Buildings and Grounds, Human Resources, and the Finance Office. Current committee assignments include the County Park Board, Road Advisory Committee, Personnel Overview Committee, and Building Committee. He also serves on the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation Board, Metro Flood Diversion Authority, Metro Flood Diversion Authority Finance Committee, and the Red River Regional Dispatch Center Authority Board. Prior to his election, Peterson was appointed and served on a number of public and private boards including, but not limited to the following: Cass County Planning Commission (2001-2012); Cass County Park Board (2001-2012); Cass County School Reorganization (2001-present); Cass County Governance Board (2005-2006); Fargo Board of Adjustment Member (2004-2012); and North Dakota Community Foundation Board Member (1998-2013). Peterson is active in statewide policy and sits on the North Dakota County Commissioner Association Board of Directors and has been a member of the NDACo Legislative Committee since his election. Peterson is also active nationally and serves on the NACo Rural Action Caucus and Justice and Public Safety Committee. Peterson is married, has one child, and is a lifelong Cass County resident. He graduated from North Dakota State University and holds a Bachelor of Architecture. Mr. Peterson is a small business owner and currently owns a number of small businesses, including Northern Plains Design, LLC.

Commissioner Shinica Thomas is a dedicated community leader with an unwavering commitment to enhancing the quality of life for every resident of Wake County. She has served on the Wake County Board of Commissioners in the District 6 seat since 2020 and has led the Economic Development Committee and the Great Government Committee. Commissioner Thomas contributed to the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) task force to improve broadband internet accessibility and data fluency in 2022. The following year she co-chaired the NCACC presidential initiative to empower counties to invest opioid settlement dollars for the greatest impact. Commissioner Thomas recently lead the NCACC 2024-2025 Legislative Goals Committee. For her leadership and public service Commissioner Thomas was presented with the NCACC’s 2024 M.H. “Jack” Brock Outstanding County Commissioner Award. Commissioner Thomas also serves on the National Association of Counties’ work group exploring generative artificial intelligence use in local government. Commissioner Thomas holds degrees from Fayetteville State University and Regent University and attended the Harvard Kennedy School’s intensive Senior Executives in State & Local Government program in 2023. She most recently served as the Director of Advocacy and Educational Partnerships for Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines, creating valuable opportunities for more than 26,000 future leaders. After years of community involvement, Commissioner Thomas was appointed to the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service by Governor Roy Cooper in 2019. Commissioner Thomas lives in Raleigh and enjoys spending time with her husband Raymond Thomas and their two adult sons.

Mary Hamann-Roland is commissioner of Dakota County District 7 — representing residents in the cities of Apple Valley and Rosemount. She credits collaboration as the key to her success in public service. Hamann-Roland served as a school board member for six years, was Apple Valley mayor from 1998–2020 and has served on the Dakota County Board since 2021. The arts are central to Hamann-Roland’s service to communities — on the national and local levels. She chairs the National Association of Counties’ Arts and Culture Commission, which launched “Art as a Blueprint Forward.” She was founder and president of the Apple Valley Arts Foundation and was appointed as a liaison to the Dakota County Public Arts Commission.

Jay Dick is the Senior Director of State and Local Government Affairs at Americans for the Arts where he works to educate and inform elected officials about the value of the arts and culture. As a 25-year veteran of K Street, Capitol Hill, the private sector and federal, state and local campaigns, Jay possesses a tremendous body of knowledge in the fields of arts policy, government, the legislative process and grassroots advocacy. He is regularly interviewed by the media and testifies in front of legislative bodies as a subject matter expert on these topics and on Americans for the Arts’ legislative positions, including appropriations, arts education, tax policy and health care. With the mandate to positively affect the policies that promote state and local funding and expansion of the arts, Jay works closely with the Americans for the Arts’ State Arts Advocacy Captains, Local Arts Groups, the State Arts Action Network and the State Arts Agencies. Further, he oversees Americans for the Arts’ Public Partnerships and works closely with the members and staffs of the Western Governors Association (WGA), the National Lt. Governors Association (NLGA), the National Conference of State Legislators, NACo, The United State Conference of Mayors, the National League of Cities and ICMA, the city/county managers association. He currently oversees several joint projects with these partners including the State Military & Veterans Arts & Humanities Initiative with (NLGA), the Creative Counties Placemaking Challenge (NACo), and the Arts and Rural Development Initiative (WGA). Jay recently completed a five-year term as a Gubernatorial appointed Commissioner for the Virginia Commission for the Arts, and he has served on the boards of Arts for LA (Los Angeles, Calif.) and ArtsFAIRFAX (Fairfax, Va.) where he chaired their advocacy committee. Jay received his B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in American History from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa in 1993. Advocacy for the arts is his job but also his passion.

Lena Fowler is the Coconino County District 5 Supervisor. She was the first Native American to serve as the Chair of the Coconino County Board of Supervisors and is currently serving her fourth term. Lena Fowler was raised in the Navajo tradition in Tonalea on the Navajo Nation. Lena is of the Tódích’íi’nii (Bitterwater) clan and is born for the Naasht'ézhí Tábąąhá (Zuni Edgewater) clan and her maternal grandfather’s is TÅ‚’ízí Łání (Manygoats) clan and her paternal grandfather is Táchii’nii (Red-Running-Into-The-Water) Clan. Supervisor Fowler is a long-time resident of Tuba City on the Navajo Nation. Described as a volunteer-at-heart, Lena has dedicated both her personal and professional life in service to others, with notable early career highlights such as founding the Tuba City Concerned Citizens volunteer group that is credited with cleaning up the shuttered Rate Metals Uranium Mill which was seeping toxic waste into the community of Tuba City just five miles away. During college, Lena served as the late Dr. Annie Dodge Wauneka’s personal secretary, and after college she as Arizona Senator John McCain’s first Native American Intern and Staff Assistant.  Lena’s most notable accomplishments include her work on creating county ordinances that support Native American ceremonies and customs, simplifying the Arizona Delayed Birth Certificates process for many Native American members to obtain their birth record, and serving as a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Economic Mobility Leadership Network fellow. She also serves as Vice-Chair of Rural Action Caucus for the Nation Association of Counties, Chair of Northern Arizona University’s Native American Advisory Board, and currently serves as Vice-Chair for the Coconino County Board of Supervisors. While there are many areas of focus for Lena, she is most passionate about economic development. She knows that one cannot have a good education, a healthy mind and body, or a stable home without a secure, reliable, and well-paying job. The list of accomplishments in this area are long, however, most recently Lena helped to establish the Colorado Plateau Economic Development Alliance (CPEDA), a collaborative organization uniting Coconino County, the Navajo Nation, and neighboring cities and towns. With its newly minted articles of incorporation, CPEDA is now poised to make lasting change in communities impacted by generations of economic depression, compounded by the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lena has three grown children, and true to her kind and caring spirit, nurses orphaned farm animals back to health, who she lovingly calls her babies.

Commissioner Gwen Myers is a native and lifelong resident of Hillsborough County. She was elected to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners in November 2020. She has long been an advocate for improving transportation, affordable housing, and health care in the county. She plans to lead the County with the new construction of an African American Art and Cultural Center. Commissioner Myers uses the theme "It's About The People." She worked in Hillsborough County Government for 25 Years, from 1988 through 2013, in the departments of Housing and Community Development and Health and Social Services. Commissioner Myers has a bachelor's degree in Business Administration/Accounting from Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University (FAMU). She is married to Randolph T. Myers, Sr., and has one adult stepchild.

Santiago Corrada officially began his position as President and Chief Executive Officer of Visit Tampa Bay in 2013 where he is responsible for providing oversight of all agency activities, managing day-to-day operations, and assuring a smoothly functioning, efficient organization. He serves as main spokesperson for the tourism and hospitality industry; ensures stakeholders coordinated efforts in collaboratively increasing visitation to the destination while maintaining open lines of communication with all industry stakeholders.  With more than 20 years of public service and management experience, Corrada previously served as Chief of Staff for the City of Tampa. In this role, he coordinated and integrated the efforts of more than 50 City departments and divisions.  Prior to joining the City of Tampa in 2004 as Neighborhood Services Administrator, Corrada served as the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Miami and spent 17 years in the Miami-Dade County School System.

Kyle serves as FSC’s national director of financial partnerships. He supports value-added, public-private solutions benefiting our nation’s 3,069 counties, including the NACo/Three+One liquidity management partnership. In this role, he drives marketing and business development activities, and manages key relationships with state association sponsors of the program. Before joining NACo, Kyle served as National Policy Advisor and head of federal government relations for the Indiana Farm Bureau in Indianapolis. Prior to that, he was awarded the prestigious Robert Bosch Fellowship and lived/worked in Germany for one year focusing on clean technology and renewable energy policy, innovation and entrepreneurship. Before that, Kyle was General Manager of the Richard G. Lugar Center for Renewable Energy at Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI). Kyle holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Public Affairs (MPA), both from Indiana University where he graduated as Outstanding Master of Public Affairs.