Foundations on the Hill 2023

David Biemesderfer is a President and CEO of United Philanthropy Forum, a role he began in January 2016. Since starting at the Forum, David has led the organization through a period of notable growth and transformation. He was named to the "2018 NPT Power & Influence Top 50" list by The NonProfit Times.

David is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of experience in the philanthropic sector and deep expertise in communications, public policy, research and association management. Prior to his role at the Forum, David served as President and CEO of Florida Philanthropic Network (FPN), a statewide network of philanthropic organizations working to strengthen and grow philanthropy in Florida. He joined FPN in 2009 as Vice President and served as FPN’s President & CEO starting in June 2010. Under David’s leadership, FPN’s membership grew sevenfold, its budget grew fourfold and its statewide presence increased significantly. He served on the Forum’s Board of Directors for six years.

David’s past experience also includes working for 10 years at the Minnesota Council on Foundations (MCF). He left MCF in 2004 as its Vice President of Communications and Information Services. David has also served as a consultant for a variety of foundations and other philanthropic clients in the areas of communications, public policy and accountability.

David has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Gustavus Adolphus College and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Minnesota.

Ms. Sarah Newman Boateng is the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health (P-DASH) for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this role, she shares responsibility with the Assistant Secretary for Health, for planning, coordinating, and directing substantive program matters; policy and program development; and determining and setting legislative and program priorities covering the full range of public health activities within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health to promote Healthy people, healthy communities, healthy nation.

Most recently she served as Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) Chief of Staff from February 2021 through July 2022, where she organized and prioritized critical issues to support OASH's mission to lead America to a healthier future. Prior to that Ms. Boateng served as the Executive Deputy Secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Special Assistant to the Physician General at the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Director of Public Affairs at Planned Parenthood Keystone and a constituent advocate/LGBT Affair Advisor for U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. Ms. Boateng holds a master's degree in Healthcare Administration from the Colorado State University, and she is also a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and the Robert Morris University.

Jorge Castro has more than 15 years of experience practicing tax law, including a decade of high-level government experience working on domestic and international tax issues at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the U.S. Congress. He is well-respected across the political spectrum both domestically and internationally, earning high praise for his intellect, collegiality, effectiveness, and collaborative approach. His practice focuses on tax policy, regulatory, and compliance matters. He also has extensive experience working closely with foreign governments from all regions on a variety of global tax and economic issues, particularly at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Mr. Castro served as Counselor to the IRS Commissioner from 2010 to 2013. In that role, he served as a senior advisor to the Commissioner and collaborated with the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Treasury) on a variety of priority guidance projects, including the implementation of the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA). He advised the Commissioner on tax reform initiatives and legislative proposals and worked closely with senior IRS and Treasury officials to advance the agency's domestic and international objectives.

From 2007 to 2010, Mr. Castro served as Senior Counsel and Lead Economic Policy Advisor to Senator John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee. He was lead counsel and provided policy and technical analysis to Senator Rockefeller during the consideration and negotiation of significant economic legislation in the 110th and 111th Congress, including the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (TARP legislation), the Housing and Economic Recovery Act, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act. Mr. Castro advised Senator Rockefeller during the Finance Committee mark-up and floor consideration of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, and played a key role negotiating the revenue provisions in those pieces of legislation.

From 2004 to 2007, Mr. Castro served as Tax and Trade Counsel to the late Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee. He advised Congresswoman Tubbs Jones on tax, international trade, pensions, and retirement security issues.

In 2008, Mr. Castro served on the Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Team, Economic and International Agency Review Working Group.

In 2010, Tax Notes magazine profiled Mr. Castro as one of the top "Congressional Staffers Shaping Tax Policy."

Widely respected for her role in creating a more robust, effective philanthropic and nonprofit sector over two decades as a mission-driven leader and coalition builder, Kathleen Enright joins the Council after 17 years as President and CEO of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO). During her tenure, she guided GEO to a programmatically strong and financially healthy position, experience she brings to her new role leading the Council on Foundations.

Previously, Ms. Enright served as the group director of marketing and communications for BoardSource, a project manager for the National Association of Development Organizations Research Foundation, and communications specialist for Lexmark International. In 2007, Ms. Enright received the Distinguished Public Service Award from the George Washington University Chapter of Pi Alpha Alpha, a public administration honor society. She holds a bachelors degree in English from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s of public administration from The George Washington University.

Ms. Enright co-chaired the Vision Design Group of the United Philanthropy Forum (formerly the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers) and has served on the advisory boards of The Center for Effective Philanthropy and the Midge Smith Center for Evaluation Effectiveness. She previously served on Independent Sector’s Building Value Together Committee and the selection committee of the Washington Post Nonprofit Excellence Award.

Ms. Enright speaks and writes regularly on issues of non-profit and grantmaker effectiveness at national and regional gatherings of executives and trustees.

Matthew L. Evans is the Forum’s Senior Director of Public Policy. Evans brings to the Forum more than 15 years of public policy, government relations, and external affairs experience. Prior to joining the Forum, he served as Director of Public Policy & Special Projects for the Southeastern Council on Foundations (now Philanthropy Southeast) in Atlanta, where he has worked to ensure the legislative and regulatory success of the philanthropic sector in the South.

Before he began leading advocacy efforts on behalf of the philanthropic sector, Matthew was Senior Manager, Government Relations for SmithBucklin, where he directed the legislative and regulatory affairs efforts of multiple clients from a diverse group of industry sectors. Most of Matthew's professional career has been shaped in Washington, D.C., having held multiple positions that gave him direct experience in working with elected officials, corporate groups, and associations, where he led advocacy efforts for several national organizations.

Throughout his time in philanthropy, Matthew has served on the public policy committees of Independent Sector and the Council on Foundations, and currently advises the Forum public policy committee as staff lead. Additionally, he is the Vice Chair of the Nonprofit VOTE Board of Directors and serves as a member of the organization's National Leadership Council. Matthew holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Tennessee State University, an HBCU, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dr. Dewayne L. Goldmon received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Arkansas and his Ph.D. from Iowa State University, all in agronomy. After four years as a field researcher with American Cyanamid (acquired by BASF), he joined Monsanto Company (acquired by Bayer Crop Sciences), working 25 years in the agricultural chemical and seed industry.   

He held various positions in technology development, where he conducted research on all southern row crops and managed research and development trials in soybeans, rice, and cotton. Later in his career, he worked on Monsanto’s government affairs team and in human resources, retiring as the Outreach Lead for Bayer Crop Sciences in 2019. In 2020, he served as the Executive Director of the National Black Growers Council, an organization that he was instrumental in creating and advised for over 10 years.  Throughout his education and career, he has worked on diversity initiatives and maintained working relationships with several land-grant universities, non-profit entities, and community-based organizations.

Goldmon has served on numerous advisory boards, including the Dean’s Executive Advisory Board at his alma mater, as well as on local and state boards for 4-H and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.  He has also served on regional and national advisory boards for organizations such as MANRRS, the Policy Center for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers, the Southern Risk Management Education Center, and multiple terms on USDA’s Advisory Committee for Minority Farmers and Ranchers.  He also farms in southeast Arkansas where he produces corn, rice, and soybeans. 

On March 1, 2021, he was announced as the inaugural Senior Advisor for Racial Justice and Equity at USDA where he serves as a key advisor to the Secretary of Agriculture.  In this Presidential appointment, he provides counsel on a broad range of matters, as mandated by the Biden-Harris administration.  He routinely liaises with relevant White House personnel on designing, planning, and executing key initiatives and priorities while also representing the Secretary and USDA on high level inter- and intra-agency working groups and public facing forums.  He provides leadership on the implementation of congressional initiatives and on cross-departmental racial equity work. Goldmon works closely with the Secretary and the department to address the cumulative impacts of prior discrimination, working with his colleagues to transform USDA into a racially equitable department.

Allison Grayson joined Independent Sector as director of policy development and analysis in 2013, where she develops public policies to increase the capacity of nonprofits to fulfill their missions. Prior to joining Independent Sector, Allison served as a legislative analyst with the Administration for Children and Families, where she worked with Congress to support $23.5 billion in federal programs, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Head Start, and the Social Security Block Grant. Her experience with state and local nonprofit organizations began in 2003, working with state nonprofit associations in Minnesota and Alabama on sector-wide issues.

She then joined United Way, where she led coalitions that secured $11 million in federal funding to prevent chronic health conditions, delivered 4,600 services in one day to people experiencing homelessness, and served 10,000 Hurricane Gustav evacuees. Allison holds a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Minnesota. When she is not crusading on behalf of nonprofits, you can find Allison painting, hiking with her husband D.J., and pursuing her Ph.D. in public policy at George Mason University.

Cecilia Hernandez serves as the Federal Designated Officer for the USDA Equity Commission.  Most recently, Hernandez spent the past several years with the General Services Administration’s Office of Governmentwide Policy as a Program Manager on the President’s Management Agenda Team, where she was responsible for leading the coordination and development efforts of the President’s Management Agenda. Prior to her time at GSA, she served in Office of Budget and Program Analysis at USDA.

Hernandez received her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Spanish from Ursinus College and a Master of Public Administration in Urban and Regional Affairs, Development Planning and Environmental Sustainability from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh.

Jenn Holcomb is the Council on Foundations' Director of Government Relations. Prior to joining the Council, Jenn worked at 1,000 Days, a D.C. based non-profit focused on the nutrition, health and wellbeing of moms and young children in the critical 1,000-day window. As Director of U.S. Advocacy and Policy, she led the organization’s domestic policy, research and advocacy efforts. Prior to 1,000 Days, Jenn worked on a range of policy issues both on Capitol Hill as well as state government. She earned both her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Minnesota. 
 

Bob Holste currently serves as Chief of Staff for Congressman Kevin Kiley (R-CA). He joined the Congressman's staff in January 2023.

Prior to his current role, Bob served as Senior Director of Government Relations, at Pew Charitable Trusts, a multi-billion dollar public charity with offices in Philadelphia and Washington, DC.

Prior to joining Pew in 2009, Holste was a partner in a leading Republican political consulting and advertising firm.  He was the National Coalitions Director of the Rudy Giuliani for President Committee and served for over 12 years as the Chief of Staff for U.S. Rep. Phil English (R-PA) a member of the House Ways & Means Committee.  Holste also served for 3 years as President of the bipartisan House Chiefs of Staff Association.  Holste is a veteran of numerous political campaigns across the U.S. and in his home state of Pennsylvania and headed Incumbent Retention for the National Republican Congressional Committee in 2002 and 2004. 

Prior to his work in Washington, DC, he served as the Director of the Office of Policy and Planning in the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and as a manager in the Pennsylvania Treasury Department.

Ben Kershaw is Independent Sector’s director of public policy and government relations, where he works to advance a policy agenda that protects and promotes nonprofit organizations’ ability to serve their communities. Before joining Independent Sector in 2018, he was the director of policy and legislative affairs at the American Alliance of Museums. Ben also served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen and to U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy, advising them on a wide range of issues including tax and budget policy. He has a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and enjoys traveling with his wife and daughter, visiting museums, and watching any New England sports team.

Dr. Brittany Kienker is Co-Director of the Donor Advised Fund Research Collaborative (DAFRC) and Co-Lead Researcher for the National Study on Donor Advised Funds. She also serves as Principal and Owner of Kienker Consulting LLC and Knowledge Insights Expert in Residence at the Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF), with more than 15 years of experience in foundations, nonprofits, and higher education.

In her roles with CMF and Kienker Consulting, Dr. Kienker is a sought-after expert and advisor to foundations, philanthropy serving organizations, consultants, and researchers nationally. She regularly develops cutting-edge educational resources and presentations designed for grantmakers, in addition to generating the annual Midwest and Indiana Grantmaker Salary Survey Reports. Dr. Kienker also leads Ask CMF, answering hundreds of questions every year from grantmaking organizations across the state of Michigan and beyond. She is a 21/64 certified advisor and facilitator, a full member of the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers, and holds a BoardSource Certificate of Nonprofit Board Consulting.

In collaboration with Dr. Eugene Tempel at the Indiana University Foundation and Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Dr. Kienker developed nationally-recognized research, presentations, and publications on philanthropy, board governance, and best practices in the nonprofit sector. She has taught graduate and undergraduate courses for the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and Central Michigan University.

Dr. Kienker received her Ph.D. from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She also earned a M.A. in Philanthropic Studies (IU), M.A. in Public History (IU), and B.A. in Public History (Western Michigan University).

Keisha Lance Bottoms is the Senior Advisor to the President for Public Engagement at the White House. Most recently, Bottoms was the 60^th Mayor of Atlanta.

A lifelong public servant, Bottoms was the only Mayor in Atlanta’s history to have served all three branches of government, serving as a judge and City Councilmember before being sworn in as Mayor.

Only the second woman to have been elected to Atlanta’s highest office, Bottoms was designated a “Woman to Watch in 2018” by Viacom’s BET Network. She has been profiled by Atlanta Magazine, Georgia Trend Magazine, Ebony Magazine, Essence Magazine, and Politico Magazine, where she was named “the most prominent black female executive in the South – and one of the few in the entire country.”

A product of Atlanta Public Schools, Bottoms graduated from Frederick Douglas High School and received her undergraduate degree from Florida A&M University. She earned her Juris Doctorate from Georgia State University College of Law.

An active member of the community, Bottoms is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, Jack and Jill of America, The Links, Incorporated, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. She has also served on the board of Families First and shares her personal story of adoption and advocates on behalf of adoption and foster care.

Bottoms is the daughter of Sylvia Robinson and musician Major Lance. She resides in the historic Southwest Atlanta with her husband, Derek Bottoms, their four children, Lance, Langston, Lennox, and Lincoln.

Christina Mahoney is the Chief of Staff for Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II from Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District. She runs the Congressman's DC and District offices and advises the Congressman on foreign policy for his position on the Helsinki Commission, as well as his position as Co-Chair of the Congressional Serbian Caucus. Christina has over seventeen years of congressional experience; she has advised the Congressman for his role on the House Homeland Security Committee and also covered agriculture and trade, energy, and transportation and infrastructure issues.

As a Legislative Assistant, she staffed the Congressman when he was a member of the Select Committee on Global Warming and Energy Independence. Christina has participated in several foreign policy and cybersecurity congressional fellowships, and has been selected for staff delegations to Asia, the Middle East, and the Balkans.

She began her career on Capitol Hill in the office of Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL). She is a member of the Women’s Congressional Staff Association and board member of the Women’s Congressional Golf Association. Christina earned her bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in environmental studies from Grinnell College in Iowa.

Elizabeth McGuigan is the senior director of policy and government affairs at the Philanthropy Roundtable and has been with the organization since January 2021. Prior to joining the Roundtable, Elizabeth served as the director of legislative and policy research at a trade association, where she oversaw all state and federal policy research.

In Elizabeth’s current role, she leads the Policy & Government Affairs team on and contributes to research and analysis on critical issues facing the charitable sector and philanthropic freedom.

Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics and graduated from George Washington University with a Masters of Public Policy. Previously, Elizabeth covered a wide range of policy analysis for Bloomberg Government, Strategas Research Partners and Americans for Tax Reform.

Brandon McKoy is the Vice President of State Partnerships on the State Fiscal Policy team. He helps support member organizations of the State Priorities Partnership (SPP) network by connecting them with vital resources as they research and promote policies that advance racial and economic justice efforts and improve the lives of communities across the country. Prior to joining the Center, McKoy was President of New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP), a member organization of the SPP network, and led the organization’s efforts in shaping policy debates. McKoy previously also served as NJPP’s Director of Government and Public Affairs, and, prior to that, as Policy Analyst. He joined the organization in 2014 as a national fellow under SPP’s and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ State Policy Fellowship Program.

McKoy brings 15 years of experience in social policy research, advocacy, and implementation, having served on the boards of various community organizations, advised governors on economic and tax policy, and participated in multiple task forces to advance racial and economic justice and reduce barriers in marginalized communities. Before NJPP, McKoy worked as a Program Associate at The Fund for New Jersey, where he assisted in grantmaking on public policy issues that particularly affect low-income and minority populations in New Jersey.

He has received multiple recognitions, including 40 under 40, top millennial leaders, and top leaders of color awards in New Jersey, and is an alum of the New Leaders Council – New Jersey chapter, where he served as Director of Mentorship, Director of Diversity, and Deputy Director. McKoy holds a Master's degree in City and Regional Planning and Policy Development from Rutgers University’s Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Psychology from The College of New Jersey.

David M. (Dave) Olander is a partner with Capitol Counsel, LLC, where he serves a leading role in the firm’s tax practice. A veteran legislative strategist, adviser, and advocate, he brings to the firm more than two decades of experience in Washington’s tax-policymaking arena and is frequently sought out for his timely insight on tax matters. Olander has appeared as a featured speaker, panelist, or guest lecturer on more than 100 occasions before various academic audiences, trade groups and other organizations. He served most recently as majority chief tax counsel to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

EDUCATION:

• University of Virginia School of Law – J.D.
• Brown University – B.A.

POSITIONS HELD:

• House Committee on Ways and Means, Washington, D.C. – Majority Chief Tax Counsel. Served the committee for nearly seven of his 13 years on Capitol Hill. Advised Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) and other Republican members of the committee and the House on all federal tax issues, serving as the chamber’s chief tax lawyer and as manager of the committee’s tax staff. Olander also guided both the committee’s strategic and day-to-day activities related to comprehensive tax reform.
• Office of Congressman Thomas M. Reynolds (R-NY), Washington, D.C. – Tax and Policy Counsel. Worked extensively on a broad range of tax, international trade, and entitlement policy matters for Congressman Reynolds, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and an elected member of the House Republican leadership.
• Baker Hostetler LLP, Washington, D.C. – Associate. Practiced law as part of the firm’s Government Policy Group. Focused on legislative affairs, principally in the areas of tax policy and financial services, representing numerous stakeholders on various matters before Congress and federal agencies.
• Office of Congressman Wally Herger (R-CA), Washington, D.C. – Legislative Assistant. Handled tax, trade and entitlement policy issues.

Sally Schaeffer has nearly two decades of experience as a bipartisan federal government relations representative, with a specialization in appropriations, nonprofit tax, and women’s issues, particularly gender-based violence.

​Prior to starting Uncorked Advocates after the 2016 Presidential election, Sally represented more than 500 nonprofits, foundations, and charitable giving programs as the Government Relations Director at Independent Sector. She has served as the Washington advocate for Girl Scouts of the USA and Futures Without Violence. Sally started her career on Capitol Hill working for Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee, as her Legislative Director and Chief of Staff. During her seven-year tenure, she handled appropriation issues as well as education, women’s and children’s issues, and financial services.

William A. Schambra is senior fellow emeritus at Hudson Institute.

Mr. Schambra previously directed the Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal at Hudson Institute. Prior to joining Hudson, he was director of programs at the Bradley Foundation in Milwaukee. Before joining Bradley in 1992, Mr. Schambra served as a senior advisor and chief speechwriter for Attorney General Edwin Meese III, Director of the Office of Personnel Management Constance Horner, and Secretary of Health and Human Services Louis Sullivan. He was also director of Social Policy Programs for the American Enterprise Institute, and co-director of the American Enterprise Institute's "A Decade of Study of the Constitution." From 1984 to 1990, Mr. Schambra served as a member of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, to which he was appointed by President Reagan. From 2003 to 2006 he served on the board of directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service.

Mr. Schambra has written extensively on the Constitution, the theory and practice of civic revitalization, and civil society in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Times, Policy Review, the Christian Science Monitor, Nonprofit Quarterly, Philanthropy, the Chronicle of Philanthropy, and Crisis. He has edited several books, including As Far as Republican Principles Will Admit: Collected Essays of Martin Diamond. The NonProfit Times named Schambra among its 2013 Power & Influence Top 50, lauding him for "consistently sticking his finger in the eye of the sector's elite" and raising questions "designed to broaden the idea of philanthropy's role in America today."

Tiffany Smith serves as the Senate Finance Committee’s General Counsel, having served as Chief Tax Counsel since 2016 and on the committee since 2007. Smith has played a key role in every tax bill Congress has passed in the last decade and has led the tax team through consideration of historic legislation, most recently the Inflation Reduction Act.

Prior to working with the Senate Finance Committee, Ms. Smith worked with the Office of Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service. While with the Office of Chief Counsel, Ms. Smith held the positions of Assistant to the Branch Chief and Attorney-Advisor, working on procedural issues. Ms. Smith was also an Assistant Chief Counsel for the City of Chicago’s Office of Chief Counsel. She handled local tax issues in the Regulatory and Aviation Litigation Division.

Smith is a graduate of the University of Illinois, the University of Illinois College of Law, and Georgetown University Law Center, where she received an LL.M in taxation.  

Benjamin Soskis is a senior research associate in the Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy at the Urban Institute. His work explores the ways historical inquiry can inform contemporary philanthropic practice. He is especially interested in the relationship between philanthropy and democratic norms and institutions.

A historian and journalist, Soskis is the coeditor of HistPhil, a web publication devoted to the history of the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. Previously, he was a fellow at the Center for Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, and Policy at George Mason University. He is also a consultant for the Open Philanthropy Project and a frequent contributor to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. His writing on philanthropy has also appeared in the Washington Post, the Atlantic, the Guardian, New Yorker online, Stanford Social Innovation Review, American Prospect, and Boston Review. He is coauthor of The Battle Hymn of the Republic: A Biography of the Song that Marches On, which was a finalist for the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize, coauthor of Looking Back at 50 Years of US Philanthropy (Hewlett Foundation 2016), and “A History of Associational Life and the Nonprofit Sector in the United States,” in The Nonprofit Sector: A Research Handbook (Stanford University Press, forthcoming).

Soskis has taught at the George Washington University and the University of California, Washington Center. He received his PhD in American history from Columbia University.

Anisha Steephen (they/them) is an Advisor to the Treasury Counselor for Racial Equity. The Counselor’s office is charged with coordinating Treasury’s efforts to advance racial equity including engaging with diverse communities throughout the country to identify and mitigate barriers to accessing benefits and opportunities with the Department. Anisha has spent their career in community investing and successful multi-sector partnerships that drive capital to build assets for low-wealth communities. Anisha holds a B.A. from Columbia University and a M.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. They are a first generation American.

Sandra Swirski is a trusted executive, thought leader, and expert. Sitting at the intersection of policy and philanthropy, Sandra  leverages her savvy, coalition building expertise, and deep industry knowledge to build solutions and progress for those she works with. She also co-founded Urban Swirski & Associates, a women-owned government relations firm.

Sandra has demonstrated expertise in collaborating with both major political parties to accomplish client goals. Her expertise comes from years on Capitol Hill working for seasoned Members of Congress and leading government relations teams for companies and clients in the private sector.

In her free time, Sandra serves as a Member of the Philanthropy Editorial Board of Trusts and Estates as well as an Advisory Council Member of Engage, a bipartisan women’s organization that promotes economic security for all American women. She is also a frequent speaker and author, providing insightful analysis of breaking financial issues and policy trends to watch for in Washington. Sandra often publishes with CEOWorld magazine on these insightful topics to provide her expertise to the public.

Dr. Akilah Watkins is incoming president and CEO of Independent Sector. She joined the organization in January 2023.

Previously to holding this role, Dr. Watkins was the president and CEO for the Center for Community Progress (Community Progress), America’s nonprofit leader for turning “vacant spaces into vibrant places.”

A 25-year national thought leader, conference speaker, and nonprofit executive, Dr. Watkins’ work began at the age of 14 when she led efforts to convert a vacant lot and abandoned home into a community center in Roosevelt, New York.

Since then, she’s served as an executive leader for nonprofits and community development initiatives which includes work with the Obama administration, NeighborWorks America, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Center for the Study of Social Policy.

Her career’s work has focused on helping people, communities, and local and federal government drive impactful reform for key issues including land banking, property vacancy, childhood obesity, community health, and economic development.

From California to Long Island, and Puerto Rico, Dr. Watkins’ thought leadership on diversity, inclusion, racial equity, and community development has been featured by America’s leading authorities and helped hundreds of communities. Those presentations and features include recognition by CNN, the New York Times, and Essence for her contributions to the field of community development.

Dr. Watkins is an alumna of the University of Illinois at Chicago where she received her Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology and a Master of Arts in Sociology. She is also a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University where she received two Master of Science degrees in Education and Community Economic Development. Dr. Watkins received her Bachelor of Science in Community and Human Services from the State University of New York, Empire State College.

Today, Dr. Watkins’ work as an equity advocate includes leading work in more than 300 communities in 48 states.

In addition to her work at Community Progress, Dr. Watkins serves as President of the Board of Directors of Grounded Solutions Network, Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of Up for Growth Action, an Executive Committee member of the National Housing Conference’s Board of Governors, and a Board member for Common Future.