Board of Directors

Robert McKay, Chair
Mr. McKay is the president of the McKay Family Foundation, which supports community-based organizations working for long-term social, economic, and political progress in California. In addition, He funds a variety of issue advocacy and other work that promotes civic engagement and voter participation. In 2002, Mr. McKay was the author and principal funder of a California ballot initiative to promote Election Day voter registration. He is the managing partner of the McKay Investment Group, which provides venture capital for early-stage technology and consumer product companies. Mr. McKay was Chair of the 2004 California HAVA Advisory Committee, and is active on many corporate and non-profit boards, including Ms. Foundation for Women, San Francisco Art Institute, Salon Media Group, and Mother Jones magazine.

Anna Burger, Vice Chair
A respected labor leader, Ms. Burger made history in 2005 when she was elected chair of Change to Win labor federation, becoming the first woman to head such an organization. Founded by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and six other national unions, Ms. Burger leads Change to Win in its effort to organize workers across the nation. As International Secretary-Treasurer of the SEIU - the largest and fastest-growing union in America - Ms. Burger directs the union's political and field operations, making an indelible impact on the labor movement in this country.

Drummond Pike, Treasurer
Drummond Pike is founder and chief executive officer of Tides Network. Awarded as an Outstanding Foundation Professional, Drummond helped pioneer the advent of donor advised funds in philanthropy; and, through his leadership, Tides has helped increase the capacity and effectiveness of thousands of social change organizations. Prior to founding Tides in 1976, Drummond served as executive director of the Shalan Foundation, an organization dedicated to economic change and environmental sustainability. Drummond also co-founded and served as associate director for The Youth Project in Washington, D.C.; and he was among the original founders of Working Assets, a telecommunications company dedicated to progressive philanthropy and political activism. His extensive public service work includes membership on several boards of directors, including the Environmental Working Group and Democracy Alliance. Drummond received a Masters of Political Science from the Eagleton Institute at Rutgers University after graduating with Honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Robert H. Dugger
Robert Dugger is a Managing Director of Tudor Investment Corporation, an asset management company active in currency, bond, equity and commodity markets worldwide. He was previously Director for Policy and Chief Economist at the American Bankers Association where he led a panel of nationally recognized bank officers in developing a plan to deal with the US savings and loan crisis. The report of the panel proposed establishing the Resolution Trust Corporation and served as the starting point of the efforts in 1989 to solve the S&L problem.

Mr. Dugger also served as the Chief Economist of the Senate Banking Committee and Senior Staff Member of the Financial Institutions Subcommittee of the House Financial Institutions Committee. Mr. Dugger began his career at the Federal Reserve Board.

Mr. Dugger is a member of Virginia Governor Kaine's Strong Start universal pre-kindergarten council and recently served as co-chairman of Governor Warner's Virginia Early Learning Council. He is a Trustee of the Committee for Economic Development and chairman of the Invest in Kids Working Group and the Partnership for America's Economic Success. The purpose of the partnership is to ascertain and communicate the economic growth and job creation value of investing in young children. Information about the partnership can be found at PartnershipForSuccess.org. Mr. Dugger is also a co-founder of EveryChildMatters.org and is a member of the board of directors of Generations United.

Mr. Dugger is chairman of the board of directors of Grumeti Reserves Limited, a Tanzanian ecotourism company organized to preserve the Wildebeest migration route in an area adjacent to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. He is also board vice chairman of its NGO affiliate, Grumeti Community and Conservation Foundation.

Mr. Dugger received his BA from Davidson College and his Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Al Dwoskin
Albert J. Dwoskin is President and CEO of A.J. Dwoskin & Associates Inc., a real estate development and management company (founded in 1967), headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, with interests in real estate investments throughout Northern Virginia. Mr. Dwoskin resides in McLean with his wife Claire and children, A.J. and Alanna.

Mr. Dwoskin is actively involved with many community, chartable, and political organizations. He currently serves as: Chairman of Catalist, and the Chairman of the George Mason University Foundation, Board of Trustees. Mr. Dwoskin has also served as a Director of Securities Investor Protection Corporation and Director of State of Virginia Center for Innovative Technology. In addition, Mr. Dwoskin served on the Commonwealth of Virginia Treasury Board, the Virginia Economic Forecast Advisory Board, the Governor's Commission on Transportation in the 21st Century, and participated in developing the Northern Virginia Regional Transportation Plan.

Dr. Gail Furman, ACSW, PhD
Dr. Gail Furman is a leading child and adolescent psychologist in Manhattan. Dr. Furman has been in private practice treating children, adolescents and their families for over 35 years. A frequent guest speaker at professional conferences worldwide, Dr. Furman serves on the executive boards of the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children, Human Rights First and The Brennan Center for Social Justice at NYU Law School. Dr. Furman is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and is an assistant clinical professor at New York University, where she is a consultant to the Child Study Center

Dr. Furman was one of the founders of the Family Academy, a model experimental school in Harlem providing academic, social and mental health services for students and their families. The Family Academy was a comprehensive public/private partnership designed to create a "one-stop shopping" model. Dr. Furman has been instrumental in developing collaborations and innovative partnerships between schools, mental health service providers, law clinics, and programs that together provide more competent, comprehensive service to inner-city children and families.

Dr. Furman is a certified social worker, and earned her doctorate in psychology from New York University. She lives in New York City and is the mother of two grown sons, and a grandmother of four.

Robert A. Johnson
Dr. Johnson is a partner at Impact Artist Management and serves on the Development Board of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In recent years Robert has been the president of Bottled MaJic Music, a managing director at Soros Fund Management, a managing director of Bankers Trust Company, Chief Economist of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee, and Senior Economist of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee. Dr. Johnson was named a Global Leader of Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 1995.

Steven Phillips
Steve Phillips is an attorney and political organizer in San Francisco. He is the President and Founder of PowerPAC.org. Over the past twenty years, Steve has worked as an education reformer, attorney, and elected official.

In 1992, at the age of 28, Steve successfully ran for a seat on the San Francisco Board of Education, and he became the youngest elected official in the history of San Francisco. Steve attended Hastings College of the Law, and, in 1997, he opened the Law Offices of Steve Phillips where he practiced civil rights and employment discrimination law. As an attorney, Steve successfully litigated against a broad number of entities ranging from municipalities to multi-million dollar corporations.

Steve has written nearly 100 columns and essays that have been published in newspapers across the country. In 2003, Steve founded PowerPAC.org, a statewide social justice organization working with community organizations and activists to build political power in California.

Charles Rodgers
Mr. Rodgers is president of the New Community Fund, a family foundation focused on civic and social issues. He is a trustee of the Institute of Contemporary Art and the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, and serves on the board of MassINC. He is also president of the West End House Boys and Girls Club of Allston-Brighton. From 1988 through early 2003, Mr. Rodgers was chairman and co-owner of WFD, a firm providing service and consulting advice to corporations seeking to create more effective workplaces. Mr. Rodgers was also a vice president at State Street Bank & Trust Company in Boston, and a senior consultant at Abt Associates.

Deborah Sagner
Deborah Sagner, LCSW, is the president of the Sagner Family Foundation, a social change philanthropy organization, whose mission is to support non-profits working to make structural change in order to advance social, economic, and racial justice in our society. In this position she is responsible of all aspects of grantmaking and investing. She is also the vice president of The Sagner Companies, Inc., a residential and commercial real estate development company. In this position she is actively involved in the review and decision making of tenant leases, financing arrangements, budgeting, capital improvement projects and operations of the buildings.

Before assuming these responsibilities, Ms. Sagner practiced as a family and play therapist at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ, working primarily with underprivileged and at-risk children and families, and at the Market Street Mission in Morristown, working with clients recovering from drug addiction. She is the author of The Family Play Genogram (1999), a guidebook for the play therapy technique she pioneered and popularized; she has presented workshops on the Family Play Genogram technique in the US and internationally. Ms. Sagner serves on a number of non-profit boards including: Jewish Family Services of MetroWest New Jersey, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, The Drum Major Institute, and The Democracy Alliance. She serves on the public policy committee of the Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, and was a member of New Jersey Governor John Corzine's Transition Team for Health and Human Services. Raised in New Jersey, Deborah has a B.A. from Brandeis University, an M.A. from Tufts, and an MSW from Fordham. She has four grown children.

Michael Vachon
Michael Vachon has extensive experience in politics, communications, and philanthropy. He currently serves as George Soros' political director. He advises Mr. Soros and the Soros family on political contributions and maintains contact on their behalf with the individuals and organizations they support. Mr. Vachon also manages Mr. Soros' media relations, public appearances, and publishing activities and serves as the spokesman for the Soros family and for Soros Fund Management (SFM). Prior to joining SFM, he was head of public affairs and a member of the executive committee of The Commonwealth Fund. Before that he was director of communications at the Open Society Institute. Before joining the foundation he worked as a journalist. Mr. Vachon holds an MA in international relations from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, where he teaches a graduate course in communications strategy.

Rob Stein, Founder
Mr. Stein's critical research about the funding, management, and overall infrastructure of the conservative movement over the last three decades led to the formation of the Democracy Alliance. An attorney, Mr. Stein served as chief of staff of the U.S. Department of Commerce and chief of staff at the Washington office of the Clinton-Gore Transition. He also was a senior strategic advisor to Ron Brown, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (1989-1992), and has founded and led several non-profit organizations. Mr. Stein currently is actively involved, as both Founder and board member, in the Democracy Alliance.

 

Staff

Chris Bolyai - Manager, Partner Services
Chris Bolyai brings to the Alliance significant political and fundraising experience at both the state and national level. His responsibilities include helping develop the strategic plan for Partner engagement and facilitating collaboration between Partners and Alliance Partner Organizations. Prior to joining the Alliance, Chris was the Finance Coordinator at Media Matters for America and served on the presidential campaign of General Wesley Clark. Chris also worked on a number of state and local campaigns during his tenure at a leading Democratic political consulting firm.

Chris received his B.A. in political science from the George Washington University. He is a native of New Jersey. He currently lives in Washington, DC, though remains an ardent advocate of all things New Jersey.

Deborah Both - Vice President of Investment Services
Deborah Both has extensive experience in public policy, research, communications, and management. Deborah came to the Alliance from the Council for Excellence in Government where she served as the Executive VP for Programs and deputy director of the Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools. She also served a senior advisor to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) at the University of Maryland. Prior to the Council, Deborah was the Director of Program Development at the Aspen Institute where she worked with the Institute's fifteen policy programs and fostered the creation of new and special programs for the Institute. In this capacity, she coordinated three bipartisan Congressional retreats, co-directed a campaign finance reform program, and organized several projects on issues relating to human rights and citizenship and democracy. She came to the Institute from the Office of the First Lady at the White House.

Her prior experience focused on public policy relating to children, family and poverty issues and included positions at at the National Research Council of the National Academies, Mathtech, and the Rand Corporation. She is a graduate of George Washington University with a BA and Masters degree in Urban and Regional Planning.

Kelly Craighead - Managing Director
Kelly Craighead came to the Alliance with extensive knowledge and experience in politics, media, and business. After joining the Alliance team as a consultant in 2004, she was promoted to Vice-President of Partner Services in 2005, and was responsible for recruiting Alliance Partners, managing Partner engagement, and aligning more than $60 million in Alliance Partner investments. In January of 2007, Kelly was named Managing Director and is charged with strengthening the Alliance community of donors and organization leaders, all of whom are committed to making our progressive vision of America a reality. Kelly joined the Democracy Alliance after working as a strategic consultant to Media Matters for America during its start-up phase. Prior to that, Kelly worked for Senator Clinton, during both her tenure as First Lady and later at her leadership PAC. In the White House, with the rank of Deputy Assistant to the President, Kelly directed all aspects of the First Lady's travels abroad and in the United States as well as managing many special domestic and international initiatives. She and her husband live in Washington, DC.

Kimberly Douglas - Office Manager
Kimberly Douglas has experience in customer service, special events, meeting planning, administration, operations and systems management in both nonprofit & corporate organizations. While attending Frostburg State University, Kimberly worked at WPGC 95.5 FM as a broadcast news intern. After graduation, Kimberly worked at the Association of Clinical Research Professionals, where she served as ACRPs 1st Education Services Representative. Kimberly was instrumental in helping design and implement ACRP's Customer Service Center. In 2005, Kimberly joined the Forum for Youth Investment as their Office/Meetings Manager and served as the primary liaison between staff and external vendors. Kimberly also worked as the Administrative Director for the Population Institute.

Kimberly has a Masters degree in Organizational Communications and Human Resources from Bowie State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications, Ballet and Modern Dance from Frostburg State University.

Kathryn Greenberg - Senior Vice President, Partner Services
Kathryn Greenberg joined the Alliance with an extensive background in development, communications, and public policy. As the Director of Partner Services Kathryn will design and implement a strategy to develop and grow the partnership, facilitate building the Partner network and community, and manage overall Partner services efforts and activities.

Prior to joining the Alliance, Kathryn was the Director of Development and External Affairs at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities where she worked to strengthen institutional fundraising and outreach efforts; she was the Managing Director of Internal & External Communications at the Chicago Housing Authority where she helped to transform Chicago's public housing by directing resource development, policy, and communications; and Kathryn directed school health and public housing health initiatives for the Chicago Department of Public Health. Kathryn brings extensive management experience having overseen large departments at both the Chicago Housing Authority and the Chicago Department of Public Health.

Kathryn received her Bachelor's degree from New York University and has a Masters in Public Administration from New York University's Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.

Barin Sultani Haymon - Partner and Investment Services Associate
Barin Haymon is responsible for supporting the Partner and Investment Services teams. Barin will assist with events and researching Alliance investment opportunities. Prior to joining the Alliance team, Barin initiated and led the fundraising efforts to help build a school in Gul Dara, Afghanistan. She has also interned at Amnesty International and was voted as the youngest board member of the National Conference of Community and Justice.

Barin obtained her B.A. in International Studies from Emory University with a focus on conflict resolution and the Middle East and Africa. Barin is originally from Kabul, Afghanistan and fluent in Farsi. She currently lives in Washington DC with her husband, Jonathan and their two dogs. In her free time, Barin enjoys traveling, reading and cooking.

Lori Keller - Assistant to the Managing Director
Lori Keller joined the Alliance from the field of education, where she taught college philosophy, English composition and music in the Chicago area. She served the first five years of the Clinton Administration, 1992-1997, in the Department of Commerce under Secretary Ronald H. Brown, and in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs during the 1996 campaign. Lori recently served as a precinct committeeperson in McHenry County, Illinois, was a Democratic candidate for County Board in 2004, and was Treasurer for the McHenry County Democratic Central Committee. She holds a masters degree from St. John's College in Annapolis, and undergraduate degrees in English composition and Business from the University of Washington in Seattle. Lori is married to Greg Keller and they have three daughters.

Josh Leffler - Senior Analyst, Investment Services
Josh Leffler conducts research and analysis, and develops memos and briefings on initiatives in key priority areas. He also provides research and analytical support, and helps develop and manage the DA Portfolio.

Prior to joining the Alliance, he worked as the Executive Assistant to Cecile Richards at America Votes. He has interned in the House of Commons and the U.S. Senate. Josh is a graduate of Syracuse University where he majored in philosophy and political science. In his free time Josh plays sports, reads and writes music.

Ashindi Maxton - Director of Research and Special Projects
Ashindi coordinates Alliance research efforts, and manages special project efforts. Ashindi came to the Alliance from the NAACP where she was the National Policy Manager for the NAACP, and was responsible for coordinating the cross-cutting work of multiple departments including civic engagement, education, health, international affairs, economic empowerment, and criminal justice. Ashindi's diverse career path also includes positions as the National Policy Director for Teach for America, where she helped set the research and policy agenda of a national organization dedicated to eliminating the educational achievement gap; and as the principal of an arts charter school in Washington DC, implementing a curriculum focused on the visual arts, music, poetry, and architecture.

Ashindi is proud to have been a Spanish bilingual teacher in East Oakland, California, and is amazed that the students she taught in 5th grade are already graduating from high school. Prior to becoming a teacher, Ashindi was a Fulbright Scholar to the Dominican Republic where she completed the first national study of "Race Consciousness in Dominican Children". She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Vassar College with a degree in Africana Studies and holds a Masters in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.

Shannon Roche - Chief Operating Officer
Shannon Roche oversees staffing, financial management activities, Board communications, and works with the Managing Director on organizational development and to implement the strategic plan for the Alliance staff. Prior to joining the Alliance, Shannon led the fundraising efforts of NYC2012, the committee that worked to bring the 2012 Olympics to New York, and has served in various organizational management, member services and fundraising roles for the DNC, Gore2000 and the Advisory Board Company. Shannon has also consulted in a range of economic development-related capacities for several organizations, including the Enterprise Social Investment Corporation (ESIC), New York City's Department of Small Business Services and the host committee for the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Shannon received a B.A., cum laude, from Duke University and an M.P.P. from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government with an emphasis on organizational management and urban development. In her free time, she enjoys reading contemporary fiction, practicing yoga and is an ardent foodie. She lives in Washington DC with her husband, Noah Rosenberg, and their two cats.

Ryan Rodriguez - Manager, Partner Services
Ryan Rodriguez is responsible for coordinating the Democracy Alliance's semi-annual conferences, assisting with regional events, and working on other partner engagement activities. Prior to joining the Democracy Alliance, Ryan was the National Events Manager for EMILY's List, where he organized their national conferences, their major annual DC luncheon, and a variety of other fundraising events around the country. Ryan has significant fundraising experience, having worked as the finance director and on the finance staff for a number of congressional races including Gwen Moore (WI-04, the first African American woman elected to the US House from Wisconsin), Eleanor Jordan (KY-03), and Christine Jennings (FL-13). Before getting his start in politics, Ryan spent several years at the Smithsonian Institution where he secured corporate sponsorships and organized opening receptions across the country for the Smithsonian's traveling exhibition service. Ryan has a B.A. in political science from the American University. Ryan is a native of Wisconsin and currently lives in Washington, DC. In his free time he enjoys reading historical non-fiction about the War of 1812.

Frank Smith - Consultant (Investment Services)
Francis Smith has been involved in political and public policy issues throughout his career. He is President of a Cambridge, Massachusetts consulting firm specializing in election and non-profit law and policy work. He has served as an Assistant District Attorney in Boston and worked on a number of political campaigns, including two Presidential elections. He is co-author of a recent book on the American healthcare system and writes a monthly newsletter on American politics. He is a graduate of Georgetown University and Boston College Law School, and a member of the Massachusetts Bar. He has served on a number of non-governmental organization boards.

Alexandra Visher - Communications Director
Alexandra Visher is responsible for developing and managing the Alliance's internal and external strategic communications plans. Prior to joining the Alliance, Alexandra was the deputy communications director and policy director for a United States Senate campaign. In that capacity she was responsible for managing the strategic communications plan for earned and paid media, as well as developing comprehensive policy papers on education, healthcare, and energy. In between campaign adventures, Alexandra worked in the development office of a progressive think-tank and advocacy organization, and assisted with their major gift solicitation efforts. During the 2004 presidential campaign Alex worked as a press secretary in Wisconsin during the general election, and worked on voter mobilization and outreach efforts during the Iowa caucuses. Before heading out on the campaign trail, Alexandra spent several years at a leading media consulting firm where she helped provide a range of strategic communication consulting services to candidates and issue campaigns. Alexandra is a native of Oakland, California and has lived in Washington, DC for the past six years. She has B.A. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley. In her free time, Alex enjoys yoga, reading, traveling, volunteering, and spending time outdoors.

Eddie Wong - Consultant (Investment Services)
Eddie Wong joined the Democracy Alliance as the Strategy and Investment Principal for Media. He currently serves as a consultant to the Democracy Alliance and provides support to the Social Justice Committee, as well as the media sector of the portfolio. From 1996 to 2005, Eddie served as Executive Director of the Center for Asian American Media, a non-profit organization which funds, produces, presents and distributes Asian American and Asian films for PBS. He was nominated for a regional Emmy award in 2004 as Executive Producer for the PBS series, "Searching for Asian America." He has also written, directed and produced several documentary films.

Eddie is a UCLA graduate with a B.A. and M.F.A. from School of Fine Arts Motion Picture and Television Program. He was also co-founder of Visual Communications, the nation's first Asian American film production company.

In addition to his media background, Eddie has an extensive background in progressive politics. In 1988, he served as the National Field Director for the Jesse Jackson for President campaign. He was the Western Regional Director for the National Rainbow Coalition from 1992 to 1996 and supervised voter registration and mobilization efforts.

He lives in Oakland, California with his wife Anna, who teaches public school, and daughters Maggie and Sara. He has been known to blow out his knees and elbows playing tennis and stays up late watching a wide range of trashy action flicks and obscure foreign films.

Felicia Wong - Senior Vice President, Investment Services
Felicia Wong manages the research and development of the Alliance's strategic investment portfolio and has led the restructuring of the DA's investment process over the last year.

Prior to joining the Alliance, she was Vice President, Operations and Vice President, Product Development at Teachscape, a K-12 education services company. In these roles, she was responsible for the company's annual operating plan and the development and delivery of all company products. Felicia served as a White House Fellow in the Office of the Attorney General and held a political appointment in the Office of the Secretary of the Navy. Felicia has extensive classroom experience, having taught on race and politics at U.C. Berkeley as well as high school history and philosophy in Oakland, California. She and her husband also taught English to Tibetan children in Tagong, Ganze Prefecture, China.

Felicia holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, where she specialized in international relations, comparative politics, and political theory. Her doctoral dissertation, which focused on the politics of race and framing in K-12 urban education reform, received the 2000 American Political Science Association award in Race, Ethnicity, and Politics. She received her undergraduate degree with Honors from Stanford University and lives in San Francisco, California with her husband and two children.