Amy Walter serves as publisher and editor-in-chief of “The Cook Political Report With Amy Walter,” where she provides analysis of political issues, trends and events. She is a frequent media guest on shows including “PBS NewsHour,” NBC’s “Meet the Press,” CNN’s “Inside Politics” and Fox’s “Special Report with Bret Baier.” Walter was named one of Washington's “Most Powerful Women” by Washingtonian magazine in 2021.

Long-distance runner Meb Keflezighi came to the U.S. from Eritrea as a child and went on to win a silver medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics marathon. Ten years later, Keflezighi became the first American male to win the Boston Marathon since 1983. He is a recipient of the Jesse Owens Award, USA Track & Field’s highest honor.

Stephen Henderson is the host of "Detroit Today" and Detroit Public Television's "American Black Journal." He also is founder and executive editor of BridgeDetroit. Henderson won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for commentary and the 2014 National Association of Black Journalists Journalist of the Year Award while writing for the Detroit Free Press. He has worked for the Chicago Tribune and the Baltimore Sun and is a University of Michigan graduate.

Nolan Finley is the editorial page editor for The Detroit News, where he directs the expression of the newspaper’s editorial position on various national and local issues and writes a Sunday column. He graduated from both Schoolcraft College and Wayne State University and was inducted into the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame. Finley is co-host of One Detroit on Detroit Public Television.

Crystal Washington is a technology strategist and certified futurist who works with organizations to leverage technology for increased profits and productivity. Washington was named one of Forbes' “50 Leading Female Futurists,” and her clients include Fortune 500 companies such as Google, Microsoft and GE. She is the author of the books “One Tech Action” and “The Social Media Why.”

George Butler is a principal policy analyst for Maryland’s nonpartisan Department of Legislative Services and serves as committee counsel to the Maryland House of Delegates' Ways and Means Committee. His areas of specialty include taxes, lottery and gaming, horse racing and economic development. Butler holds a law degree from Catholic University of America and is a member of the Maryland bar.

Paula Davis is the founder and CEO of the Stress & Resilience Institute, which helps organizations reduce burnout and build resilience. She is the author of “Beating Burnout at Work” and has presented more than 350 workshops on a wide range of well-being and leadership topics. Davis is an attorney and holds a master’s in applied psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Randy Dean, known as “The E-mail Sanity Expert®,” is an expert on time and email management and the related use of technology. For more than 25 years, his humorous and engaging programs have given attendees key strategies on better managing their time, email, apps and technology. Dean is the author of the Amazon bestseller, “Taming the E-mail Beast.”

Susie Feliz serves as assistant secretary for legislative and intergovernmental affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce. She is the principal advisor to the commerce secretary on all matters before Congress and manages the department’s outreach to the nation’s governors, mayors and tribal leaders. Previously, Feliz served as vice president for policy and legislative affairs at the National Urban League, a community-based civil rights organization. Feliz holds a Master of Public Administration from George Washington University.

Mark Ferrandino is executive director of the Colorado Office of Planning and Budget. Previously, he served as executive director of the Department of Revenue, where he oversaw five major divisions, including marijuana enforcement. He also is a former Colorado legislator and served as speaker of the House. Ferrandino holds a bachelor's in political science and economics and a Master of Public Policy, both from the University of Rochester.

Johnny Garcia is the senior director of policy for PCMA. He has more than two decades of pharmaceutical experience in areas such as retail pharmacy, mail order pharmacy, specialty pharmacy and pharmacy benefits. Previously, he worked as government affairs principal for Prime Therapeutics. Garcia holds a pharmacy degree from the University of New Mexico and is a licensed pharmacist in 20 states.

Darrin Grondel serves as senior vice president of traffic safety and government relations for the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility and directs the National Alliance to Stop Impaired Driving. He leads national efforts to prevent underage drinking and manages programs to eliminate drunk and drugged driving through legislation, financial assistance and programming. Previously, Grondel served as the Washington Traffic Safety Commission director and spent 25 years with the Washington State Patrol.

Colorado State Sen. Chris Hansen serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee and specializes in energy sector economics and data analytics, with 20 years of experience in the global energy industry. Previously, he served in the Colorado House of Representatives on the Capital Development, Appropriations, Transportation & Energy and Natural Resources committees. Hansen holds a bachelor's in engineering from Kansas State University, a Master of Science from MIT and a doctorate in economic geography from Oxford University.

Peter Hepburn is the associate director of the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, where he studies serial eviction filings, racial and gender disparities in eviction rates and gentrification and eviction, among other topics. He also developed and leads the Eviction Tracking System, which monitors eviction data for 34 cities and 10 states. Hepburn is an assistant professor of sociology at Rutgers University-Newark and earned a doctorate in sociology and demography at the University of California-Berkeley. 

Thomas Hicks serves on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and as the designated federal officer of the Standards Board. He has focused his efforts on voter access: Under his leadership, the EAC has developed a pocket-sized voter card available in large print and Braille that serves as a voting rights guide for those with disabilities. Previously, Hicks served as a senior elections counsel and minority elections counsel on the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on House Administration.

Indiana State Rep Chris Jeter is a U.S. Navy Reserve officer and a former special assistant U.S. attorney. He serves as vice chair of the Indiana House Judiciary Committee and is a partner in a private law firm in Fishers, Ind. Jeter earned a bachelor's in communications from Oklahoma Baptist University and a law degree from George Washington University.

Joshua Johnson is a director with Jobs for the Future’s Center for Apprenticeship & Work-Based Learning. He leads efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in apprenticeship, with a focus on helping employers make commitments to building inclusive apprenticeship programs. Previously, Johnson was the Wisconsin state director of apprenticeship. He also worked for the Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, where he helped employers connect with the talent pool of individuals with disabilities.

Gretchen Kershaw is the senior advisor on transmission in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office, Transmission Division. She advises on the full breadth of the GDO’s transmission-related activities, from commercial facilitation to transmission siting and permitting and enhanced transmission planning. Previously, Kershaw spent over a decade at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, most recently as a senior legal advisor focused on the agency’s top priorities, including various rulemaking efforts on regional transmission planning, cost allocation and generator interconnection, as well as the Joint Federal-State Task Force on Electric Transmission. Kershaw is a proud North Carolina native, but has lived in Washington, D.C., with her husband and two children since early 2007. She earned a JD from American University Washington College of Law and a BA from Wake Forest University.

Terri Kondeff is the director of Idaho’s Legislative Services Office. Previously, he served the LSO as deputy director, chief operations officer and finance/HR officer. Before joining the Idaho LSO, Kondeff served as senior financial specialist for the Idaho Supreme Court.   

Washington State Sen. Patty Kuderer chairs the Senate Housing Committee, where she addresses housing instability. An attorney, and long-time community advocate, she was appointed to the House of Representatives in 2015 and won reelection the following year. In 2017, Kuderer was appointed to her current Senate seat in the 48th Legislative District. She is a member of the Law & Justice, State Government & Elections, and Rules committees.

Stephen Lerch is the executive director of the Washington State Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. Previously, he was research director at the Washington State Investment Board and an interim director for the Economic and Revenue Forecast Council. Lerch also has worked as an economist and researcher on public finance and health care issues in government. He holds a doctorate in economics from Johns Hopkins University.

Sabrina Lewellen is deputy director and assistant secretary of the Arkansas Senate and NCSL staff vice chair. From 2008 to 2013, she served as the Senate's Constituency Services/Research & Special Projects manager. A member of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries, Lewellen holds a bachelor of science in agriculture-food science from Florida A&M University and a law degree from Vanderbilt University.

Lynn Linde is the chief of professional practice for the American Counseling Association, overseeing professional issues related to counseling and ethics. She is the project lead for the Counseling Compact and has held numerous ACA leadership positions, including president. Previously, Linde served as director of clinical experiences at Loyola University and chief of the Student Services and Alternative Programs Branch at the Maryland State Department of Education. She holds a master’s and doctorate in counseling from George Washington University. 

Nicole Livanos is the director of state affairs at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. She leads the organization’s three legislative campaigns: the NursingAmerica campaign to remove statutory barriers for advanced practice registered nurses; the Nurse Licensure Compact; and the APRN Compact. Livanos holds a law degree and a Master of Public Policy from Loyola University Chicago.

Katelin Lucariello is senior director of state policy at PhRMA, providing policy support for states in several regions. Previously, she worked in state health policy consulting and did policy research and analysis at the Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation and the Network for Excellence in Health Innovation. Lucariello has a B.A. in political science and sociology from the University of Colorado-Boulder and a Master of Public Health from Boston University.  

Molly McAllister is the Connecticut General Assembly’s training and staff development coordinator, providing professional learning opportunities for legislators and staff since 2013. Previously, she was a training and human resources consultant for Strategic Training Solutions. McAllister holds a degree from Marymount College and is a certified professional coach and energy leadership index master practitioner.

Dominique Mendiola is senior director of the Colorado Office of Revenue's Marijuana Enforcement Division. Previously, she served within the division as the deputy director of policy licensing and communications, and as Colorado's director of marijuana coordination under former Gov. John Hickenlooper. Mendiola holds a bachelor's in political science from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a law degree from the University of Denver.

Ayodele Okeowo serves as the U.S. Department of Commerce's director of intergovernmental affairs at the CHIPS Program Office, leading engagement and outreach with state and local elected leaders, industry and other key stakeholders. Previously, he served as an advisor for intergovernmental affairs at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, helping implement the Internet for All initiative. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Virginia Commonwealth University.

Julie Palakovich Carr serves on the Maryland House of Delegates' Ways and Means Committee, where she chairs the Early Childhood Subcommittee. She also chairs the Montgomery County House Delegation. Previously, Carr served two terms on the Rockville City Council. She holds a bachelor's in biology from Boston University and a master’s in biology from the University of Minnesota.  

Michelle Palladini is the deputy chief of police in Norfolk, Mass., where she is a proponent of community policing to create strong support for families. She developed the L.E.A.P. (Leadership, Empowerment, Awareness, Protection) Program in 2013, which offers a solution-focused method for connecting the police with the schools and parents to nurture childrens' success. Palladini is a speaker and trainer on a unique combination of law enforcement leadership, police wellness, mental health, school-based policing and community building.

Kelly Poulsen is senior vice president of government relations at Responsibility.org, where she draws on extensive experience in political advocacy and stakeholder engagement to shape policy and strengthen partnerships. Previously, she served as vice president of government relations for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States and directed federal affairs for the American Frozen Food Institute. Poulsen also served as Montana Rep. Denny Rehberg’s advisor on financial services, tax and economic development issues.

Missouri State Rep. Louis Riggs chairs the Workforce and Infrastructure Development Committee and is vice chairman of the Subcommittee on Appropriation, General Administration. In addition to his legislative duties, Riggs is an attorney and a college educator, and currently teaches at Culver-Stockton College.

Matt Shafer serves as the deputy director at the National Center for Interstate Compacts at The Council of State Governments. He works on the development, enactment and administration of occupational licensing compacts for professions including dentistry, social work, cosmetology, dietetics and massage therapy. Shafer holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Kentucky.

Jesse Schneider is a policy advisor in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office, where he supports improvements in transmission infrastructure planning and investment in the highest-need areas across the United States. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College.

Jack Trope is senior director for public policy and national partnerships for the Indian Child Welfare Program at Casey Family Programs, where he works on national, state, tribal and local initiatives aimed at promoting compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act and improving child welfare outcomes. Previously, he served as executive director of the Association on American Indian Affairs and as director of the Albuquerque-based Western Area Office for the Save the Children Federation. Trope holds degrees from Rutgers College and Harvard Law School.  

Beau Whitney is the chief economist for the National Industrial Hemp Council and the National Cannabis Industry Association. He is a member of the American Economic Association, the Oregon chapter president of the National Association of Business Economics and a participant in meetings of the Oregon council of economic advisors. Whitney is also a registered member of the European Industrial Hemp Association and several local regulatory advisory committees throughout the U.S.

Angela Andrews is the senior professional development partner with NCSL’s Legislative Training Institute, where she designs and delivers soft-skill trainings to legislators and legislative staff. She has worked in or for legislatures for almost 20 years, including as an aide in the Massachusetts House and the U.S. Senate. Andrews received her Master of Public Administration from Suffolk University and holds a training and facilitation certificate from the Association for Talent Development.

Helen Brewer works on statewide ballot measures and focuses on a wide array of elections and redistricting topics as part of the Elections and Redistricting Program. Prior to joining NCSL, she worked in policy and litigation capacities for nonpartisan voting rights and redistricting organizations. Brewer has appeared in The Washington Post, has a J.D. from William & Mary, a bachelor’s from the University of Northern Colorado, and is a member of the Colorado bar.

Mick Bullock is NCSL’s director of public affairs, responsible for digital media, video, podcasts, media relations and member outreach. Previously, he worked as communications director for Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant. Bullock earned a bachelor’s in communications from the University of Southern Mississippi and an MBA from Belhaven College.  

NCSL Training Specialist Jessica Hoffman helps to design and deliver custom training on a wide range of topics and skills. She has 13 years of experience in education, working with AmeriCorps, public schools and higher education programs. She is dedicated to providing high-quality professional development to legislators, legislative leaders and legislative staff.

Katie King is a policy analyst in the Elections and Redistricting Program, researching election administration, statewide ballot measures, redistricting and campaign finance. Previously, she worked in U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet’s office as a constituent advocate. King earned a bachelor's degree in political science and sociology from the University of Colorado.

Annie Kitch is a senior policy specialist in NCSL's Transportation Program, responsible for analyzing state legislation on a variety of traffic safety issues, including impaired and distracted driving. Previously, she served as a research analyst and constituent services representative for the Colorado Legislative Council. Kitch earned a bachelor's in political science and government from Northern Arizona University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado-Denver.

Emily Sampson is a policy analyst for NCSL's  Environment, Energy and Transportation Program, where she researches environmental health and resilience issues. Previously, she served as a legislative assistant and committee clerk with the Hawaii State Senate. Sampson earned her bachelor’s in political science from the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.

Carrington Skinner is an NCSL senior policy specialist who supports the Center for Results-Driven Governing’s work of helping states use data and evidence to inform decisions. Previously, he was an assistant attorney general for the North Carolina Department of Justice and a session counsel for the Washington State House of Representatives' Office of Program Research. Skinner earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Wendy Underhill is the director of NCSL's Elections and Redistricting Program, leading a team of policy analysts focused on voting, election administration and politics. In 11 years with NCSL, she has expanded her portfolio to include campaign finance, redistricting, the census, ballot measures and election outcomes. Underhill is sought after for her expertise by major media outlets, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Amber Widgery serves as program principal in NCSL’s Criminal and Civil Justice Program, tracking and analyzing legislation, testifying for legislative bodies and writing on criminal justice legislative trends and hot topics. She earned a bachelor’s in political science and history from Colorado State University, holds a law degree from the University of Colorado, and is a member of the Colorado bar.

Ben Williams covers redistricting, alternative voting systems and partisan composition of legislatures as part of NCSL’s Elections and Redistricting Program. Previously, he worked as a public policy researcher at Princeton University. Williams holds a law degree from William & Mary and a bachelor’s from Tulane University, and is a member of the Colorado bar.