EXCELLENCE IN ADVOCACY RECEPTION AND AWARDS | 2015 NOMINEES

EXCELLENCE IN A FEDERAL ISSUE CAMPAIGN

Melanie Nezer
Vice President, Policy & Advocacy
HIAS

Lisa Youngers
Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Federal Affairs
XO Communications, Tech Transition – Preserving Broadband Competition

Beth DeBrosse
Senior Director, Government Relations
American Iron and Steel Institute, Leveling the Playing Field Act and Trade Promotion Authority

Dr. Ivy Turnbull
Deputy Executive Director
AIDS Alliance for Women, Infants, Children, Youth & Families, Ryan White Part D

Jessica Arons
President and CEO
Reproductive Health Technologies Project, All Above All / Coalition for Abortion Access and Reproductive Equity (CAARE)

Jamie Poslosky
Director, Division of Advocacy Communications
Cassandra Blohowiak
Social Media Community Manager
Devin Miller
Advocacy and Public Affairs Assistant
Caitlin Van Sant
Legislative Assistant
American Academy of Pediatrics, Extend CHIP: Protecting a critical health insurance program for children

Alazne (Ali) Solis
SVP of Public Policy and Corporate Affairs
Enterprise Community Partners, Make Room

Sue Nelson
Vice President of Federal Advocacy
Kristy Anderson
Government Relations Manager
Clarissa Garcia
Director of Grassroots Advocacy
Matthew Fitting
Grassroots Advocacy Manager
Hailey Clements
Grassroots Project Coordinator
Retha Sherrod
Director of Media Advocacy
Abbey Dively
Associate Media Advocacy Manager
Courtney Doby
Associate Media Advocacy Manager
American Heart Association, Step Up to the Plate for School Meals

Megan J. Ekstrom
Director, Government Affairs
International Fragrance Association – North America (IFRANA),

Sandie Preiss
Vice President, Advocacy and Access
Arthritis Foundation, Congressional Arthritis Caucus Expansion and Engagement Campaign

Jill Allen Murray
Managing Director
The Sheridan Group, SSTI

Erica Farage
Senior Director, Political Affairs & Grassroots Advocacy
International Franchise Association, Franchise Action Network, Coalition to Save Local Businesses

Ann Sullivan
President
Madison Services Group, Inc., Improving Access to Federal Contracting Opportunities for Women-Owned Small Businesses

Robyn Greene
Policy Counsel
Open Technology Institute at New America Foundation, Passage of the USA Freedom Act (Reforming the Government’s Bulk Surveillance of Americans’ Records)

Jessica Herrera-Flanigan
Former Partner, Monument Policy Group (now EVP, Government Relations and Public Policy, Univision Communications)
Katharine Lister
Partner
Ashley Hoy
Partner
Monument Policy Group, Reform Government Surveillance coalition

Gillian Ray
Vice President, External Relations
Children’s Hospital Association, Speak Now for Kids

Mary Kate Cunningham
Senior Manager of Public Policy
American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), Government Attendance at Association Meetings

Maria Foscarinis
Executive Director
National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty, Housing Not Handcuffs

Kori Cioca
U.S. Coast Guard Veteran, Survivor & Advocate
Peace is Loud,

Maureen Sheltry
Director, Marketing
Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Be Vocal: Speak Up for Mental Health

Elisa Massimino
President and CEO
Human Rights First, End the Use of Torture in the Interrogation of Prisoners in U.S. custody

Laurie Fenton Ambrose
President and CEO
Lung Cancer Alliance

Linda Menghetti Dempsey
Vice President of International Economic Affairs
National Association of Manufacturers , COOL Reform Coalition

Debra Colbert
Senior Vice President
Waterways Council, Inc., Waterways Work for America!

Carolina Mederos
Principal
Squire Patton Boggs (US) LLP, Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act

Sheila Crowley
President/CEO
National Low Income Housing Coalition, National Housing Trust Fund Campaign

Shari M. Erickson
Vice President, Governmental Affairs and Medical Practice
American College of Physicians, Enactment of Legislation to Fundamentally Reform Medicare Payments to Support High-Value Primary Care

Rebecca Murphy Thompson
General Counsel
Competitive Carriers Association (CCA), Incentive Auction Lobbying before the FCC

Carrie Calvert
Director of Tax and Commodity Policy
Feeding America, Federal

Caron Whitaker
Vice President of Government Relations
League of American Bicyclists

EXCELLENCE IN A STATE ISSUE CAMPAIGN

Kerri Kasem
Founder
Kasem Cares, The Visitation Bill

Janine Sheedy
Manager, Public Relations & Marketing
Sarah Calder
Manager, Government Relations
The Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare Council, Two Cent Solution

Debra Maggart
Senior Vice President
Mirna Tunjic
Director of Government Relations
CivicPoint LLC, Animal Fighting in Tennessee

Nancy Hylden
Partner
Faegre Baker Daniels, Minneminds

Lenore Anderson
Executive Director
Californians for Safety and Justice (and Vote Safe), Prop 47

Emily M. Dickens
Vice President for Public Policy and Executive Director of the Center for Public Trusteeship and Governance
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, NORTH CAROLINA HBCU INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Kathie Heirs
Executive Director
Aids Alabama, HIV/Aids Funding in Alabama and the Southeast, A Champion for All with HIV Aids in the South

Darcy Olsen
President & CEO
Goldwater Institute, Right to Try campaign

Christa Andrews
Alabama State Coordinator
Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), Accountability Act and Alabama Charter School Bill

Ashley Duckman
Director, State Affairs
American Gas Association, PIpeline Safety: Promoting Policies to Facilitate Accelerated Pipeline Replacement

Kristina Rasmussen
Executive Vice President
Illinois Policy Institute, Tax Reform in Illinois

Kathleen Bernstein-Harris
Sr. Program Manager – Teen Driving Initiative
National Safety Council, National Safety Council Teen Safe Driving Initiative

Christa Andrews
Alabama BAEO State Coordinator
BAEO Black Alliance for Educational Options, Alabama Tax Credit Scholarship Amendments

Claudia Tucker
Vice President State Government Relations
Teladoc, Telemedicine

Julie M. Dime
Government Affairs Director
Williams Mullen Government Relations Group, Lyft – Transportation Network Companies (TNCs)

Danielle Clore
Executive Director
Kentucky Nonprofit Network, Government-Nonprofit Contracting Reform Task Force

EXCELLENCE IN A CAMPAIGN FOR WOMEN SERVING WOMEN

Inuki Pantin
Director of Advocacy
United Nations Foundation, Girl Up

Jeanne Smoot
Senior Counsel on Policy and Strategy
Tahirih Justice Center, End Forced Marriage in the United States

Katrina Anderson
Senior Human Rights Counsel
Diana Lugo-Martinez
Senior Director of Community Engagement Programs
National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and Center for Reproductive Rights, NUESTRO TEXAS: COMUNIDAD, SALUD Y FAMILIA

Becky K. Lindahl
Partner
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, Legal Representation Project

Marie Clarke
Executive Director
Action Aid USA, Advocacy for Women Internationally

Caroline A. Grech-Clapper
Executive Partner
Secrest Wardle

EXCELLENCE BY AN UP AND COMING ADVOCATE

Annie Callaway
Senior Advocacy Associate
Rachel Finn
Advocacy Manager
Meghan Higginbotham
Sister Schools Program Manager
The Enough Project, Advocacy Department

Lauren Koch
Vice President, Development & Communications
National Council for Adoption

Cassie Gaffney
Policy Associate
Advocacy & Communication Solutions, LLC

Domonique James
Director of Business Development
RMS Interactive

Elizabeth Murphy
Senior Associate Director
The Sheridan Group

Cristina Antelo
Principal
Podesta Group

Dana T. Weekes
Associate
Squire Patton Boggs

Molly Cox
Account Manager
The Herald Group

Hallie Mosby
Account Manager
The Herald Group

Teresa Stepic
Vice President, Client Relations
DDC Public Affairs

Rachel Derby
Senior Director, Federal Affairs
Toy Industry Association

Katie Simon
Policy Organizing Manager
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

Khaliah Barnes
EPIC Student Privacy Project Director
EPIC

Adelaida “Adi” Ferchmin
Partner
Chaffe McCall, LLP

Katie Brossy
Counsel
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Bridget Driggs
Senior Director, Political Engagement
Property Casualty Insurance Association of America

Vanessa Allyn
Managing Attorney
Human Rights First

Cathy Kolb
President
Professional Educators of Tennessee

Carly Braxton
Senior Manager of Advocacy
SHAPE America

Karishma Shah Page
Senior Associate
K&L Gates LLP

Michelle Mathy
Senior Political Affairs Manager
American Society of Anesthesiologists

Federica Rabiolo
Manager, Government Relations
eBay

Jayni Rasmussen
Advocacy and Outreach Specialist
National Recreation and Park Association

Erin Helland
Director Marketing and Communications
Youth For Understanding USA

Amber Landis
VP, Public Policy
Association for Corporate Growth

Neonta Williams
Family and Community Organizer
Alabama BAEO (Black Alliance for Educational Options)

Anna Nicole Kreisberg
Senior Research Analyst
American Institute for Economic Research

Nicole Vasilaros
Vice President Federal Government Relations
National Marine Manufacturers Association

EXCELLENCE BY A VETERAN ADVOCATE

Lauren Maddox
Principal
Podesta Group

Kate Philllips-Barrasso
Director of Policy & Advocacy
International Rescue Committee

Michelle A. Crockett
National President
Federally Employed Women

Maribeth Bersani
Senior Vice President of Public Policy
Assisted Living Federation of America

Joy Ditto
Senior Vice President, Legislative and Political Affairs
American Public Power Association

Jacqueline Gillan
President
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

Carol Kelly
Senior Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy
NACDS

Verna L. Jones
Executive Director
The American Legion

Norma Krayem
Senior Policy Advisor
Holland and Knight LLP

Ann Pride
Director, Federal Government Affairs
Entergy Corporation

Elizabeth Morra
Principal
Podesta Group

Allison Binney
Partner
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Jennifer Ping
Principal and Managing Director of Procurement
Bose Public Affairs Group

Barbara Merrill
CEO
American Network of Community Options and Resources

Rosemary Haas
Divisional Vice President, Federal Government Affairs
Abbott

Karen Artz Ash
Partner
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP,

Shannon Chatlos
Vice President of Digital
Strategic Partners and Media

Ashley O’Connor
Founding/Managing Partner
Strategic Partners and Media

Lisa Maatz
Vice President, Government Relations
The American Association of University Women (AAUW)

Cynthia H. Love
Executive Director
ACPA American College Personnel Association

Tracy Reichman Kalik
Partner
Heideman Nudelman & Kalik, PC

Diane Zumatto
National Legislative Director
AMVETS

Cynthia H. Love, Ed.D.
Executive Director
American College Personnel Association

Joann Bell
Government Relations Consultant
Pugliese Associates

Jamie Rappaport Clark
President
Defenders of Wildlife