AFF Team
The Team | Board of Directors | Advisory Board | Executive Council
The Team
David Kirby, Executive Director - kirby@americasfuture.org
David Kirby has been the executive director of America’s Future Foundation since June 2005. Under David's leadership, AFF has grown into the premier organization for young leaders of the conservative and libertarian movement. David's writing has appeared in National Review Online, Tech Central Station, Human Events, and other publications. His research has been cited in the New York Times, Economist, Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, National Review, and National Journal. Previously, David was a government affairs associate at the Cato Institute, where he managed Cato's Capitol Hill briefing program. In his misspent youth, David interned for Senator Ted Kennedy. David holds a master's degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. A college debater, David holds a bachelor's degree in rhetoric from Bates College, magna cum laude. David is a native of Fairfax, Virginia.
Cord Blomquist, Director of Operations - cord@americasfuture.org
Cord Blomquist is a technology policy analyst and online editor at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
Prior to joining CEI, Cord worked as a legislative assistant covering technology and government reform issues for Congressman Mark Green.
Blomquist earned his B.A. in philosophy from the University Minnesota.
His work has appeared in National Journal's Technology Daily and at American.com. He has appeared on C-SPAN as well as Air America. He is a contributor to The Technology Liberation Front, and his Web site is cordblomquist.com.
Kathleen O'Hearn, Director of Programs - kathleen@americasfuture.org
Kathleen O'Hearn is the state and federal outreach coordinator for the Mercatus Center's Capital Campus and Capitol Hill Campus programs. Prior to joining the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Kathleen was the program assistant at the State Policy Network, where she worked to promote state-based free market think tanks. Kathleen earned a BS in biomedical science, with a minor in business administration, from Texas A&M University.
Cindy Cerquitella, Deputy Director of Programs - cindy@americasfuture.org
Cindy Cerquitella is the Coalition Relations Associate at the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, where she assists start-up think tanks in the U.S. and abroad. Previously, she interned at the All Children Matter PAC in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She also spent 4 years in Budapest, Hungary where her family still resides. Cindy studied at Hillsdale College, where she received her Bachelors Degree in Political Economy.
Sharon Yecies, Deputy Director of Membership - sharon@americasfuture.org
Sharon Yecies currently pursuing her Master's degree in Philosophy at the University of Maryland. A native of Potomac, Maryland, Sharon graduated from Vanderbilt University with degrees in Philosophy and Political Science.
Robert R. Schrum, Deputy Director of Membership - robby@americasfuture.org
Robby Schrum is a Senior Writer for Keybridge Communications, a small public relations firm based in Washington, DC. Before joining Keybridge, Robby was a Project Director at the Winston Group, a polling and political consulting firm in Washington. He has also served on the staff of Congressman Steve Buyer. Robby's writings have appeared in publications from the Orange County Register to USA Today. A native of Crown Point, Indiana, Robby graduated from Yale University with a degree in the Classics.
Lauren Chrissos, Director of External Relations - lauren@americasfuture.org
Lauren Chrissos is Manager of External Relations at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Prior to joining NAMI, Lauren spent four years at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University in corporate, government and external affairs. Lauren has also worked in at the Adam Smith Institute in London and at Americans for Tax Reform tackling policy issues ranging from national security and missile defense to health care and social security. Lauren is from Gaithersburg, Maryland. She attended Catholic University where she studied political science and philosophy. Lauren is a professional jingle and wedding singer and currently performs at various venues in the Washington, DC area as a co-lead singer of a hip-hop band.
Kristen Soltis, AFF Underground Coordinator - kristen@americasfuture.org
Kristen Soltis is the Director of Policy Research at the Winston Group, a polling and strategic consulting firm in Washington, D.C. Before joining the Winston Group, she interned at the National Republican Congressional Committee. Kristen currently compiles the weekly Washington Planner for AFF's Brainwash. A graduate of the University of Florida, Kristen holds a bachelor's degree in political science.
David White, Host & Producer, AFF Radio - dwhite@americasfuture.org
David White is the host and producer of AFF Radio and a regular columnist for Brainwash. By day, he is the editorial director of Keybridge Communications, a boutique public relations service that works with free-market think tanks around the world. Formerly the assistant editor of the American Enterprise, David first came to Washington to serve as a presidential appointee in the Bush administration, where he served as the chief speechwriter for U.S. Housing Secretary Alphonso Jackson. His essays and op-eds have appeared in The Chicago Sun-Times, The Orange County Register, The Baltimore Sun, The Los Angeles Daily News, National Review Online, the Daily Standard, American.com, and several other publications. David is a graduate of Yale University, where he served as co-editor-in-chief of The Politic, Yale's nonpartisan political magazine.
Cheryl Miller, Editor, Doublethink - cheryl@americasfuture.org
Cheryl Miller is editor of Doublethink. She is a 2007 Phillips Foundation Journalism Fellow, writing on assisted reproductive technology and the American family. Previously, she was assistant to David Brooks at the New York Times, deputy director of research at the White House Office of Speechwriting, and associate editor of The New Atlantis. She has published articles in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Policy Review, Reason, and The Claremont Review of Books.
David Donadio, Associate Editor, Doublethink - ddonadio@americasfuture.org
David Donadio is an op/ed editor at the Cato Institute, to which he came after the deputy managing editorship of The American Interest, and a brief stint at the New York Sun. His writing has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, The South China Morning Post, Caijing, The Washington Examiner, The New York Sun, The Weekly Standard, The American Spectator, and Doublethink, among others. His photography has appeared in The American Interest and Doublethink. He graduated from Kenyon College, where he edited The Kenyon Observer.
Peter Suderman, Editor, Doublethink Online - peter@americasfuture.org
Peter Suderman is the online editor of Doublethink. He is assistant editorial director and a technology analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, and regular contributor of film reviews to National Review Online. In addition, his writing has appeared in The Washington Times, The Washington Examiner, The American Spectator, and other publications. Peter graduated from the University of North Florida, where he studied modern drama and film. He blogs on film, arts, and culture at www.alarm-alarm.com.
Katherine Ruddy, Photograher
Katherine Ruddy is a Washington, D.C.-based freelance photographer, staff photographer for America's Future Foundation and contributing photographer of Doublethink. She is also the advertising manager of The American Spectator magazine. She holds a B.S. degree in Studio Art from Florida State University. To see her photos, click here.
Board of Directors
Gary D. Leff, Chairman
Gary is Chief Financial Officer for the Mercatus Center and Institute for Humane Studies where he is responsible for their combined $18 million budget. Previously he was Director of Development for both IHS and Mercatus, and prior to that, Program Director for IHS Liberty & Society summer seminars. Before joining the Institute for Humane Studies he was a Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow at the Tax Foundation where he authored A Half Century of Small Business Federal Income Tax Rates and Collections. Gary has been cited in numerous publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and Washington Post and has lectured on such diverse topics as privacy regulation, education reform, and U.S.-Russian relations.
A renowned expert on airline, hotel, and credit card loyalty programs, Gary serves as Senior Moderator and member-elected board President of Flyertalk.com, the world's most popular online travel community. He was named one of five voices to listen to about business travel by Inside Flyer magazine. And his blog on the subject, "View from the Wing," can be found at http://view.boardingarea.com. When not in the office, Gary is likely to be found in an airline first class lounge, hotel suite, overwater bungalow, or enjoying a glass of Krug at 30,000 feet.
A nationally competitive collegiate debater and high school coach, he has continued to assist local teams and tournaments as a volunteer and has been published in Rostrum, the journal of the National Forensic League. Gary holds a BA (summa cum laude) in economics from California State University, Fresno.
John S. Barry, Vice Chairman
John S. Barry is a member of Visa Inc.’s Global Government Affairs Department where he is responsible for working with Visa’s business units to develop the company’s global public policy initiatives. Previously, John served as Economic Advisor to the House of Representatives Majority Leader. In this capacity, he advised members of the House Leadership on economic issues including tax policy and financial services. He worked with the chairmen and senior staff on committees of jurisdiction for these policies to develop legislation for consideration on the floor of the House of Representatives. Previously, John was the Director of Research and Chief Economist at the Tax Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising "tax consciousness" in the American public. He also served as President of America's Future Foundation; was a management and legislative consultant to leading financial services companies and private universities; and was an economic policy analyst within the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation. John holds a bachelor's degree with honors in economics and government from the University of Notre Dame, and a doctor of philosophy in economics degree from George Mason University. John and his wife, Sylvia, live in San Francisco, CA.
Stacie Rumenap, Treasurer
Stacie Rumenap is Executive Director of Stop Child Predators, a non-profit organization designed to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and protect the rights of crime victims. The organization is an active proponent for the passage of Jessica’s Law in all 50 states, and assisted in passing the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006. Prior to joining Stop Child Predators, Stacie served as the Deputy Director for the American Conservative Union (ACU), the nation’s oldest and largest conservative grassroots issue-advocacy organization, where she directed the ACU’s annual Conservative Political Action Conference and served as one of the group’s principle lobbyists. Stacie also served as the Executive Director for both the National Center for Growth and U.S. Term Limits, and worked on Capitol Hill. In addition to serving on AFF’s board, Stacie also serves on the Advisory Board of OmniLink Systems, a cutting-edge technology company that manufactures GPS monitoring devices. Stacie received her M.A. in Legislative Affairs from George Washington University and her B.A. in Journalism from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.
Tim Carney, Secretary
Tim Carney, from Pelham, N.Y., is the senior reporter for the Evans-Novak Political Report, a columnist for the Washington Examiner, and author of The Big Ripoff: How Big Business and Big Government Steal Your Money, (Wiley, 2006). Previously, Tim has served as an assistant editor for Human Events, a Phillips Foundation journalism fellow, and the Warren T. Brookes journalism fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Tim freelances occasionally for The American Spectator, National Review Online, National Catholic Register, and The American Conservative among others. Carney graduated from the National Journalism Center in the summer of '99 and in 2000 from St. John's College in Annapolis. He and his family live in suburban Maryland.
Melissa Anderson
Melissa Anderson is Associate Director of former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum’s Program to Protect America's Freedom at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. Before joining EPPC, Mrs. Anderson was a Communications Advisor for the Senate Republican Conference. There she developed and managed strategic communications on a wide array of issues, including national security, and briefed Republican leadership, Conference members, and staff on daily and long-term communications activity. Before serving on Capitol Hill, Mrs. Anderson was a reporter for The Hill newspaper and an editorial associate for National Review magazine where she assisted the Washington bureau editor and wrote frequently on national politics, culture, and the arts. Her articles have appeared in National Review, National Review Online, The Weekly Standard, the New York Post, and the Pittsburgh Tribune Review. She has also appeared on Fox News Channel, CNN, and National Public Radio. She spent her early years in Washington working for the Federalist Society for Law & Public Policy Studies.
A Michigan native, Mrs. Anderson graduated with a degree in political theory and German from James Madison College at Michigan State University. She is a Lincoln Fellow with the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy. She and her husband Doug live in Washington, D.C.
Raul Damas
Raul Damas is Senior Manager – Public Affairs at Pfizer Inc., the world’s largest biopharmaceutical company. Prior to joining Pfizer Inc, Raul was Associate Director of the White House Office of Political Affairs. During the 2004 election cycle, Raul served as Coalitions Director at the Republican National Committee. In 2002, he co-founded and began running Latino Opinions / Opiniones Latinas, a bilingual polling and communication strategy firm based in Alexandria, Virginia. Raul is a graduate of Villanova University and holds a Masters of Political Management from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Raul is the son of Cuban-born parents. He currently lives in New York with his wife Rebecca.
Kathryn Kelly
Kathryn Kelly is director of state outreach for the Mercatus Center at George Mason University where she oversees Capital Campus, a program that provides economic education to state policymakers around the country. Previously she served as director of planned giving and donor relations and associate director of finance for both the Mercatus Center and the Institute for Humane Studies. Prior to joining Mercatus and IHS in 2003, she coordinated the Engalitcheff Institute for Comparative Political and Economic Systems at The Fund for American Studies. A native Texan, Kathryn was a Presidential Scholar and a Fleming Fellow at Southwestern University where she graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in economics.
Brooke Oberwetter
Brooke Oberwetter is the manager of strategic communications at the United States Telecom Association. Prior to joining USTelecom, she was a policy analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, where she researched a range of regulatory issues, focusing mainly on tech and telecom policy and the "nanny-state" issues. While at CEI, Brooke appeared on numerous radio and television programs, including programs on FoxNews and NBC. Her writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Washington Times, Seattle Times, San Jose Mercury News, and The Hill, as well as the online sites of Reason magazine, National Review, and The American Spectator. Her personal favorite, however, is the feature from the Fall 2004 edition of AFF's print quarterly, Doublethink, "What the Kids Think about Social Security "; it was her first in-print published article.
Brooke became involved in AFF while she was a research assistant at the Cato Institute, where she worked on Social Security and welfare reform. She is also the former director of the now-defunct Ban the Ban, an ill-fated grassroots organization opposing the passage of a smoking ban in Washington, DC.
Joanna Robinson
Joanna is the Executive Director of the Coalition for Educational Freedom, a newly-formed organization designed to create a social movement for school choice. Previously she was the Director of Development and Educational Outreach for the Center for Union Facts. She came to development and fundraising through the Charles G. Koch Foundation, where she was a Development Associate. Prior to coming to Washington D.C., Joanna managed a congressional campaign in District 26 in Texas (Dallas), worked in the importing business for the craft industry, and then at a financial planning firm. She comes from an Army family, and attended Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona where she took a BA in English Literature.
Matt Roche
Matt Roche is studying law at Catholic University's Columbus School of Law. Previously, Matt was the development manager at the Tax Foundation and also worked in the development office at the Capital Research Center. From 2002-2003 he served as Director of Programs for America's Future Foundation. He graduated Cum Laude from St. Mary's College of Maryland, where he majored in history and philosophy.
Sean Rushton
Sean Rushton is communications director for the U.S. Small Business Administration. Previously, he was executive director of the Committee for Justice, which supports constitutionalist judicial nominees. He was also media director for Citizens Against Government Waste, press secretary for Congressman Bill Archer (R-TX), and deputy press secretary for Congressman Ed Royce (R-CA). He has a master's degree in American Studies from Georgetown University, where he also did his undergraduate degree in International Relations. As a student, he was editor in chief of The Georgetown Academy, a conservative campus journal.
Advisory Board
Jonathan H. Adler
Case Western Reserve University School of Law
Samuel Casey Carter
Christina Culver
Dutko Worldwide
Michael Gleba
The Sarah Scaife Foundation
Carl Helstrom
The JM Foundation
Scott Hodge
The Tax Foundation
Michael Lynch
MetLife Financial Services
Roger Ream
The Fund for American Studies
Christopher S. Siddall
Booz Allen Hamilton
Mary Siddall
Founder, America's Future Foundation
Matthew Spalding
The Heritage Foundation
Executive Council
Clint Bolick
Alliance for School Choice
Leonard Liggio
Atlas Economic Research Foundation
T. Kenneth Cribb
Intercollegiate Studies Institute
Edwin Meese III
Ronald Reagan Fellow, The Heritage Foundation
Edwin J. Feulner, Jr.
The Heritage Foundation
Gene Meyer
The Federalist Society
Barbara Ledeen
Founder, Independent Women's Forum
Randal C. Teague
The Fund for American Studies
Grover Norquist
Americans for Tax Reform
Ron Robinson
Young America's Foundation
