Pamela Deese (Chair)

Partner, Arent Fox, PLLC

Pamela Deese is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Arent Fox, PLLC, a Washington, D.C., based law firm with offices in D.C. and New York. She has practiced law in the areas of international trade and litigation, both civil and administrative. Her intellectual property practice has combined several specialties to create a practice in advertising and licensing of trademarked and copyrighted materials.

Ms. Deese has uniquely blended her international trade experience with advertising and licensing expertise to offer clients a full complement of legal services including strategic planning for positioning and protection of intellectual property, evaluating merchandise and licensed property, drafting and negotiating license and related agreements including celebrity endorsements, advertising review as well as sweepstakes and promotions, advising on federal regulatory compliance including privacy issues related to the Internet, assisting in customs classification, importation, and related litigation.

Ms. Deese is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She is also admitted to practice before the U. S. Supreme Court and a number of federal courts including the Court of International Trade and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She is a member of both the Litigation and Intellectual Property law sections of the American Bar Association, the International Trade Commission's Trial Lawyers Association, the Licensing Executives Society, the American Intellectual Property Lawyers Association, and the Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association. She spent nearly six years in the United States Trade Representative's Office as the Assistant Director of the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences.

Ms. Deese is the author of numerous articles in the area of international trade and licensing and is a frequent participant in business and law conferences. She received her undergraduate degree from the School of Public Affairs at American University and her law degree from the Washington College of Law at American University. At American University, she is a member of the Board of Trustees, chair of the School of Public Affairs Advisory Council, a Past President of the Alumni Association, and past Chairman of the University's Annual Fund. Ms. Deese also serves on the Kennedy Center Circles Board, and is an Elder at Lewinsville Presbyterian Church.

Gina F. Adams

Senior Vice President for Government Affairs, FedEx Corporation

Gina F. Adams is the Senior Vice President for Government Affairs at FedEx Corporation. She is responsible for protecting and promoting the legislative interests of all FedEx Corporation operating companies, including FedEx Express, FedEx Ground, FedEx Freight and FedEx Kinko's in Washington, DC FedEx, a $35.2 billion company, serves more than 220 countries and territories with operations that include 672 aircraft and over 75,000 vehicles. More than 290,000 employees and contractors worldwide handle more than 7.5 million shipments each business day.

As a lawyer and the company's top lobbyist, Ms. Adams oversees the second largest corporate PAC in the United States and is the face of FedEx in Washington. She works with the White House, Administration officials, members of Congress, policy makers, the diplomatic community and industry associations on a wide array of business issues.

Ms. Adams is also extremely active in the Washington, DC community. She sits on a number of boards including the American University, the Town Hall Education Arts & Recreational Campus (THEARC), the Meridian International Center, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Beauvoir School (National Cathedral's Elementary School), the Washington Performing Arts Society, and the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. She is a former member of the Board of Governors of the American Red Cross. She has been instrumental in countless fundraisers in Washington, helping to raise money and support for a variety of projects focused on youth, health and education issues.

Ms. Adams has been honored by Girls Inc., a 140-year old philanthropic organization, for her commitment to promoting education and opportunities for young women of all socio-economic backgrounds. She was also awarded a lifetime achievement award from the National Women of Color and received honors from the Black Women's Agenda and the Jack and Jill Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting education, literary and scientific projects benefiting minority children. Most recently, Ms. Adams was named by The Network Journal as one of its "25 Influential Black Women in Business." The Minority Enterprise Executive Council also honored her as one of its 2008 "25 Powerful Minority Women in Business."

Ms. Adams joined the company in 1992 as the Managing Attorney of the International Regulatory Affairs Office. She's held a number of positions since that time, including Staff Director and Staff Vice President for International Regulatory Affairs. She was promoted to her current position in 2001. Ms. Adams is a two time recipient of the FedEx Five Star Award, which is the highest employee achievement award at FedEx. She began her career as a lawyer in the Attorney Honors Program at the U.S. Department of Transportation and spent nine years in the Office of the General Counsel.

She received a master's in international and comparative law from Georgetown University Law Center, her law degree from Howard University School of Law and a bachelor of science degree from American University. She currently serves as President of the Capital City Chapter of the Links, Inc.

Ken C. Biberaj

Vice President & Spokesman, RTR Funding Group, Inc.

Ken Biberaj is a Vice President at Morgan Barrington Financial Services, Inc., a real estate investment firm based in New York City. The firm owns a variety of commercial real estate properties and businesses in New York. In his role with the firm Mr. Biberaj oversees investment sales and retail leasing, serves as the spokesman and coordinates business development for the Russian Tea Room and also sits on the Board of Directors of Hanover Community Bank on Long Island. He was admitted to the New York State Bar after receiving a JD from New York Law School, has a master's in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and received his BA in political science from American University. Mr. Biberaj is also active in various philanthropic efforts. He sits on the Dean's Advisory Council for the School of Public Affairs at American University, is a member of the Culinary Council for the Food Bank for New York City, serves as a Mentor for New York Needs You and is active with Democracy Prep Charter Schools in Harlem. Prior to joining Morgan Barrington in 2005, he worked for John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign, on Capitol Hill and also interned in President Clinton's office in Harlem during graduate school.

L. Thomas Block

Senior Partner and Consultant, Block Clabes, LLC

Tom Block served as Head of Government Relations for JP Morgan Chase and created a Washington Research product for the firm. For 17 years he served as the senior lobbyist responsible for managing political relationships with the US government, state and local governments, and the EU and its member states. He created the bank's EU Government Relations program.

During his years managing Government Relations Tom guided JPMorgan Chase and its predecessors through four large mergers without significant protest or controversy from any unit of government. He was responsible for the coordination of bank policy and strategy related to government and public policy. In his role as chief lobbyist, he secured passage of legislation that created business opportunities for the firm and worked to defeat legislation that would have increased business risk.

In 2005, Tom developed a new position as U.S. Government Policy Strategist. Working with the firm's analysts, bankers and clients he helps them to understand the direction of US Government policy and how it can impact capital markets.

Prior to joining the Bank in July 1987, Mr. Block was a vice president at Irving Trust Company where he started the Government Relations program for one of the nation's 20 largest banks. Previously, Mr. Block held several positions with members of the House and Senate, serving as Legislative Assistant and Chief of Staff in the House, and Legislative Staff Director in the Senate. Responsibilities included representing the Congressmen and Senator in negotiations with their colleagues, writing legislation, developing policy, representing the Member with constituent groups and steering the Member's legislation through the Congressional process. He has also worked on political campaigns both as a strategist and speech writer.

Tom served as a member and Vice Chairman of the Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy of the U.S. Department of State. Mr. Block is a trustee of Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest and holds a BA in political science from American University.

John Boyer

Chairman of the Board of Directors, MAXIMUS Federal Services

John Boyer currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of MAXIMUS Federal Services, a company headquartered in Virginia and operating with a mission of "Helping Government Serve the People." John has more than 35 years of experience in health care delivery, in both clinical and administrative settings. He has worked at MAXIMUS for the past 16 years, establishing and growing their health services business. For more than 35 years, the firm has assisted federal, state, and local government agencies in serving citizens who are eligible to receive publicly funded health and human services benefits via programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance.

John also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the MAXIMUS Charitable Foundation, a non-profit organization that awards cash grants to qualified charities throughout the United States. The focus of the MAXIMUS Foundation is primarily on youth-oriented programs that help the disadvantaged achieve self sufficiency and personal growth. Additionally, he serves on the Leadership Council of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights where he is also the Vice Chair of the Board of Advisors of Health eVillages. Health eVillages is a non-profit consortium of leading international healthcare advocacy organizations, mobile healthcare solutions providers, health information technology companies and public health foundations—all dedicated to providing the latest clinical decision support technology to medical professionals who are treating patients in poor, remote, and underserved areas around the world.

Prior to joining MAXIMUS, Dr. Boyer served as Director of Health Services Financing Policy at The Pentagon; as Director of the Health Manpower Division of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery; and in a host of clinical and academic positions over a 24-year career as a U.S. Navy Nurse. He completed his Ph.D. in Public Administration at The American University in 1989. Additionally, he holds master's degrees in both management and nursing, and a bachelor of science degree in mathematics education.

 

Theodore N. Carter

Executive Managing Director of Public Institutions and Education Solutions-The Americas, CB Richard Ellis

Theodore N. Carter currently serves as the Executive Managing Director of Public Institutions and Education Solutions-The Americas, CB Richard Ellis. Prior to returning to the Washington, D.C. area, he served as Senior Managing Director for South Florida at the company.. Through a combination of considerable market knowledge and experience analyzing current conditions and projecting future trends, his office provides the optimum solution to any real estate requirement.

He formerly served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Capital Revitalization Corporation (NCRC) and its subsidiaries, the RLA Revitalization Corporation (RLARC) and the Economic Development Finance Corporation (EDFC). Mr. Carter was responsible for planning and implementing initiatives that spur economic development through real estate, business attraction and retention, and job creation in the District of Columbia.

Mr. Carter served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Management Operations at the U.S. Department of the Treasury from 1997 to 2000. During his tenure, Mr. Carter was responsible for financial and management oversight of the Department's five law enforcement bureaus, a $4 billion portfolio, and played a key role in securing funding and site location for the new ATF Headquarters in Washington, DC.

Prior to joining the federal government, Mr. Carter served New York City Mayors Dinkins and Giuliani in several senior positions from 1993 to 1995. He managed the city and state legislative portfolio for nine economic development agencies and worked to obtain passage of legislation that reduced the New York State hotel tax. Mr. Carter was part of a team that developed a successful neighborhood retail initiative in Brooklyn and negotiated to create the $300 million Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Corporation.

Mr. Carter also served twice in the Government of the District of Columbia. Most recently, Mr. Carter served as Senior Advisor and Acting Chief of Staff to the Chief Financial Officer, where he streamlined the CFO's office and worked on Medicaid reengineering. Earlier in his career, Mr. Carter served as Assistant to the City Administrator, where he led the District's Strategic Facilities Plan that produced $3 million in savings.

In addition to his distinguished service in local and federal government, Mr. Carter served as the Director of the Public Sector, Global Markets at Freemarkets, a Pittsburgh based e-sourcing company. He drove the early identification and implementation of an e-sourcing strategy for local, state and federal agencies including the U.S. Postal Service, the State of Florida, Los Angeles County, and the Department of Defense. These initiatives generated an average procurement savings of 10 percent for Freemarkets' public sector clients.

Prior to joining NCRC, Mr. Carter served as Campaign Manager for Mayor Anthony Williams' successful write-in campaign in 2002, winning both the Democratic and Republican nominations for Mayor as well as the 2002 general election. He served as Deputy Campaign Manager and Chief Operating Officer for the Clinton/Gore Reelection Campaign in 1996, where he was responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of a $100 million enterprise.

Mr. Carter received his bachelor of science from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and his master's in public administration from American University. He completed the Government Finance Officers Association's Advanced Government Finance Institute and is a graduate of the Department of Treasury's Executive Leadership Institute. Mr. Carter serves as President of the Conference of Minority Public Administrators and is a National Councilperson for the American Society of Public Administrators. Currently, Mr. Carter serves as Vice Chairman of Jubilee Enterprises in Washington, D.C., and is a Board Member of the DC Marketing Center. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the British American Project, a member of the Board of Overseers for the John C. Whitehead School of International Affairs & Diplomacy at Seton Hall University, and is a former Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He has received several awards for his leadership and results with respect to small business development and access to capital. Mr. Carter has lived in the District for 14 years where he currently calls the Southwest Waterfront his home.

Stephen M. Daoust, Esq.

Vice President, Legal & Compliance, Iridium Communications, Inc.

Stephen Daoust currently is the Vice President Legal, Contracts and Compliance, Iridium Satellite LLC. In that capacity he is responsible for managing a team of 8 lawyers and contract professionals and providing daily legal, contracts and risk management advice to the company's executive management team. Mr. Daoust is also the Company's Chief Compliance Officer and manage Iridium's Security Department. Iridium is a publicly traded company that operates a satellite communication system consisting of 66 low earth orbit cross-linked satellites and offers its products and services to both commercial and government customers through thousands of satellite communication service providers (SP) value added manufacturers (VAM), valued added distributors (VAD) and value added resellers (VAR). Although predominantly a commercial service provider, Iridium's single largest customer is the Defense Information Systems Administration.

Prior to working at Iridium, Mr. Daoust worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP where at various times he acted as the chief counsel, Director of Contracts and Chief Compliance Officer for the Firm's Washington Federal Practice and assisted them in the formation, negotiation and administration of all of the Firm's contracts with federal, state, and local governments as well as international organizations such as the United Nations and the World Bank. Mr. Daoust's primary activities included counseling PwC's executive management on government contract matters including, GSA contracting, advisory and assistance contracting, commercial item contracting, subcontracting (including mentor/protégé programs), data rights, FOIA, organizational conflicts of interest, performance based service contracting, government contractor ethics and compliance, and mergers and acquisition.

Before joining PwC, Mr. Daoust was a Vice President, Group General Counsel for Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. -- a large public company specializing in information technology systems integration and business process outsourcing -- where he specialized in commercial contracts, federal procurement, software licensing, mergers & acquisitions, employment law and related litigation. Mr. Daoust also served as the Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer for ACS' federal services subsidiary - ACS Government Services, Inc. - during his seven-year tenure with ACS.

Before joining ACS, Mr. Daoust practiced law for seven years in the Washington, D.C. office of McKenna & Cuneo in the areas of government procurement, compliance and complex litigation. Mr. Daoust represented the firm's Fortune 50 clientele in litigation before the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals, Army Corps of Engineers Board of Contract Appeals, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Mr. Daoust also performed internal civil and criminal false claims investigations and defended clients from government prosecution of white collar criminal and civil charges.

While attending George Washington University Law School, Mr. Daoust began his government contracts career by having the privilege of working in the Pentagon with lawyers in the Army Judge Advocate General's Office assigned to assist the Defense Supply Service - Washington.

Mr. Daoust has written and has provided extensive training materials to corporate audiences on topics involving, marketing and selling services to the Federal Government, federal outsourcing, ethics and compliance, business management, commercial contracting practices, mergers and acquisitions of federal contractors, GSA multiple award schedule contracts, TINA, contract claims, insider trading, anti-trust, organizational conflicts of interest, teaming agreements, effective review of government solicitations, drafting effective solicitation questions, and sexual harassment/discrimination. Mr. Daoust is a certified Zenger Miller business management facilitator and has authored an article for the National Contract Management Association entitled "Partnering with the Federal Government - A Contractor's Perspective."

Mr. Daoust is an active member of the American Bar Association's Public Contract Law Section. He is also actively involved in the National Contract Management Association and the Washington Metropolitan Association of Corporate Counsel of America. Mr. Daoust received his BS degree cum laude in the field of political science at American University and earned his Juris Doctorate at The George Washington University National Law Center. Mr. Daoust is admitted before the Bars of the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Virginia (corporate counsel), the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

 

Barbara Dyer

President and CEO, The Hitachi Foundation

As President & CEO of The Hitachi Foundation, Barbara Dyer has focused the Foundation at the intersection of the private and nonprofit sectors where path-breaking partnerships are underway. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ms. Dyer had an extensive career in public policy as co-founder of the National Academy of Public Administration's Alliance for Redesigning Government, Deputy Executive Director and Director of Policy Studies with the National Governors' Association affiliate, the Council of Governors' Policy Advisors, Special Assistant to the Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior in the Carter Administration, and Deputy Executive Director of the Western Regional Office of the Council of State Governments. Ms. Dyer served as chair of Independent Sector's 2003 annual conference planning committee, authored several books and articles, and is a member of the American University School of Public Affairs Advisory Council and a Principal of the Council for Excellence in Government. She is a graduate of Clark University and the John F. Kennedy School of Government's Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.

Robert Engel, SPA/BS '82, CAS/MA '04

Vice President for Domestic Policy, American Automobile Council

Rob Engel is Vice President Domestic Policy for the trade association representing the policy interests of American-based automakers Chrysler Group, LLC, Ford Motor Company and General Motors Company. For the past 30 years, he has worked for and with several members of Congress. His experience includes serving as a U.S. Senate staffer for Senators Adlai E. Stevenson III and Alan J. Dixon of Illinois and as a campaign aide to then Senators Joe Biden of Delaware and Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut. Engel also has impressive experience within the Democratic Party, having served as Political Director of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and as Executive Director of the Democratic National Committee.

Engel has also spent considerable time working in academia at two elite universities. He has served as an Adjunct Professor at American University's Center for the Study of Congress and the Presidency, teaching Congress and Legislative Behavior, and at George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management, teaching Strategic Planning and Management.

The AAPC represents the common interests of the three member companies, most prominently on international trade and economic policy, both in the United States and around the world.

Mr. Engel graduated from American University in 1982 with a bachelor of science in political science and urban affairs. He also received his master's in public affairs at American University.

S. David Fineman

President, Fineman, Krekstein, & Harris

S. David Fineman is the managing attorney and founder of Fineman Krekstein & Harris, P.C., a 25 attorney law firm located at 30 South 17th Street, 18th Floor, Philadelphia PA 19103. Mr. Fineman has an active law practice involving the representation of a wide variety of clients.

Mr. Fineman has served as special counsel to various federal, state and municipal candidates and elected officials. He is a former member of the Philadelphia Planning Commission, a member of Mayor Edward Rendell's Intergovernmental Task Force, a member of Governor Rendell's transition team, and a member of former Mayor W. Wilson Good's transition team in 1987. He has served as special counsel to the Philadelphia Parking Authority, the Secretary of Banking of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Insurance Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

On January 13, 1995, President Clinton nominated and on May 25, 1995, the United States Senate confirmed Mr. Fineman to a nine-year term on the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service, a nine member Board which directs and controls the expenditures, reviews practices and policies, and establishes basic objectives and long-range goals of the Postal Service. Mr. Fineman presently serves as Chairman of the Board. He has previously served as its Vice Chairman, Chairman of the Strategic Planning Committee, and Chairman of the Compensation Committee.

In December, 1994, Mr. Fineman was appointed to the Industry Policy Advisory Committee (IPAC), a CEO-level committee which advises the Secretary of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative on international trade policy issues. Mr. Fineman has served as a member of various private company boards and has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Fineman also currently serves on the Board of Directors of the State of Israel Bonds, and is the founder of the Harry and Annette Fineman Scholarship Fund which benefits students of the Pennypacker Elementary School in Philadelphia.

He has been selected to "Who's Who in America Law," "Who's Who in Emerging Leaders in America", Who's Who in the World and in 1991, was selected by the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia county as one of forty lawyers to serve as a Judge Pro tempore. He has been chosen to be included in the Philadelphia Business Journal's "Who's Who in the Law." He has been chosen by the United States District Court as a Mediator for its Court-Annexed Early Mediation Program.

Mr. Fineman is a former lecturer of business law at Temple University and has been a lecturer throughout the country in the use of mock juries and strategy in selecting a jury.

He graduated from American University and received his law degree, with honors, from George Washington University. He is presently a member of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and American Bar Associations.

Betsy Fischer

Executive Producer, "Meet the Press"

Betsy Fischer has been Executive Producer of NBC's number one rated Sunday morning public affairs program, "Meet the Press," since July 2002.

As Executive Producer, Fischer has produced interviews with such key figures as President Barack Obama, former President George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, First Lady Laura Bush and all nine 2004 Democratic Presidential Candidates. She also created and produced an award winning series of special "Meet the Press" debates with the candidates from key 2002 and 2004 U.S. Senate races.

Additionally, she has served as Tim Russert's producer for NBC News' coverage of Special Events and the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Presidential Election, including the presidential primaries, party conventions, debates, and election night. In 2000, she produced NBC's highly acclaimed New York Senatorial debate between former First Lady Hillary Clinton and Representative Rick Lazio.

Prior to being promoted to Executive Producer, Fischer was the Senior Producer of "Meet the Press" and the NBC News Political/Polling Unit for five years. Fischer came to "Meet the Press" in 1992, starting as a political researcher. She became the Associate Producer in 1995 and a Producer in 1997. Fischer also contributed to the production and political research for NBC News' 1992, 1994 and 1996 election coverage. Her career at NBC News began with an internship at "Meet the Press" while in college.

A native of New Orleans, Fischer did her undergraduate and graduate work at American University in Washington, DC. She is a Cum Laude graduate of their School of Public Affairs and earned a MA degree in broadcast journalism from the AU School of Communications.

Fischer has been honored with several awards including a News and Documentary Emmy, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence Political Journalism and a Gracie Award from American Women in Radio and Television.

She is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the National Press Club, the Women's Forum of Washington, DC and the Junior League of Washington. Fischer lives in Falls Church, Virginia with her husband Gene Raineri and their four-year old daughter, Ella Elizabeth.

Charles P. Griffin, SPA/BA '94

CEO and Founder, Custom Scoop

Chip Griffin serves as CEO of CustomScoop, a media intelligence company he co-founded in 2000. CustomScoop provides a cloud-based subscription service that monitors, measures, and reports on traditional and social media coverage for Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations, public relations agencies, and small-to-medium sized enterprises.

For two decades, Chip has worked in the public affairs arena, including service in public and private sector organizations. He has co-founded more than half a dozen companies, and he writes and speaks frequently about the intersection of technology, media, and communications.

He is a graduate of American University where he is vice president of the Alumni Association. Chip lives in New Hampshire with his wife and two sons.

Gary M. Jacobs, SPA/MPA '76

Managing Director, Health Advisory Practice, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Gary M. Jacobs directs PwC's Health Industries Advisory practice as a managing director based in Washington, D.C. In his role with PwC, Jacobs leads an initiative to help healthcare providers, health insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies develop strategies for Medicare, Medicaid, shared-savings programs, state dual integration efforts and managed long term models.

Prior to joining PwC, Jacobs was Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Government Relations at Universal American Corp., a New York Stock Exchange-listed healthcare services company focused on serving the Medicare and Medicaid markets. Previously, Jacobs was the founder and president of CHCS Services, which was acquired by Universal American in 2000. Before founding CHCS Services, Jacobs was the executive director of Staff Builders Health Care Services, a Medicare-certified home health agency, and he previously served as president of HMI, a national health maintenance organization management and consulting firm.

Jacobs is a board member of the Primary Care Development Corp. and Medicaid Health Plans of America, and also serves on the policy committee of America's Health Insurance Plans. In addition, he serves as a member of the executive committee for the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative, co-chair of the Center to Promote Public Payer Implementation, board member of the Coral Springs Museum of Art, and member of the Business Advisory Board of the National Hispanic Council on Aging. Jacobs received a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Boston University and a master's degree in public administration from American University.

James J. Hill

James J. Hill is a Managing Director of Morgan Stanley in the Global Credit Trading Group. James is leading the Global Credit Trading Group’s efforts around the development of central counterparties/clearing houses for over-the-counter derivatives, responding to, and developing business strategies relating to, legislative and regulatory changes affecting the over-the-counter derivatives markets, and developing market infrastructure solutions to reduce operational and systemic risk in the over-the-counter derivatives markets. James has led Morgan Stanley’s efforts with respect to numerous industry initiatives relating to the development, growth and overall improvement of the over-the-counter derivatives and corporate credit default swaps market and is a key member of several important industry working groups, including the European Commission Working Group on Derivatives, and The Federal Reserve Bank of New York Working Group on Buy-Side Access to Central Counterparties, The Federal Reserve Bank of New York OTC Derivatives Market Transparency Working Group and the International Swaps and Derivatives Association Credit Steering Committee. James was a senior member of the team that developed and launched the first credit default swap index transactions and developed the Morgan Stanley's multi-billion dollar basket default swap note issuance program. In addition, in his capacity as a member of Morgan Stanley’s Credit Derivatives Products team, James develops, structures and executes innovative credit and derivative solutions for corporate and institutional clients of Morgan Stanley.  

Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 1996, James was an attorney with the Washington DC office of Cadwalader, Wickersham and Taft. James has a BA in Political Science from American University and a JD from Cornell University. James is a member of the Cornell Law School Dean's Advisory Council and is Co-Chair of the Cornell Law School Dean's Special Leadership Committee.

Robert Johnson

Chief Attorney - Environmental & Safety, Exxon Mobil Corporation

Rob Johnson is Chief Attorney - Environmental & Safety for Exxon Mobil Corporation, located in Houston, Texas. He has overall responsibility for the attorneys and staff providing legal support on environmental and safety issues to all of ExxonMobil's businesses and operations in the United States, and to ExxonMobil affiliates operating around the world. His team is responsible for legal advice and support in connection with environmental and safety compliance issues, as well as legal support on environmental and safety policy and advocacy matters. 

Rob previously served as Assistant Chief Attorney for ExxonMobil Production Company, where he was responsible for legal advice to ExxonMobil production operations and affiliates operating in the United States, West Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Prior to the merger of Exxon and Mobil, Rob was General Counsel of Mobil Exploration and Producing, U.S., Mobi's domestic upstream affiliate. He also held several litigation and environmental counsel positions at Mobil. Prior to joining Mobil in 1990, Rob was an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Hunton & Williams.

Rob is a former President of the Houston Chapter of ACC. He is active in pro bono and community work, including the Boy Scouts of America.

Rob received a BS in political science and economics from American University and his law degree from Georgetown University School of Law.

He lives with his wife Christine and two sons, Matt and Danny, in The Woodlands, Texas.

Elizabeth Kellar

Deputy Executive Director, International City/County Management Association

Ms. Elizabeth Kellar is Deputy Executive Director of the International City/County Management Association, the professional association of 8,000 local government chief administrators. Ms. Kellar launched ICMA's international programs, which help support local democratic efforts and municipal development programs around the world. She also has overseen ICMA's programs on ethics, public policy, publishing, marketing, technology, and professional development.

She is a frequent speaker on ethics topics and writes monthly ethics column for Public Management magazine. She has developed a number of ethics-related products and services, including an interactive training program on CD ROM, handbooks, case studies, and a book of readings. She served as editor for Managing with Less, and Effective Communication: Getting the Message Across.

Ms. Kellar is a Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration and has served as chair for NAPA's Standing Panel on the Federal System. She currently serves as chair for the Montgomery County Ethics Commission. She has also served as a Community Relations Officer, Sunnyvale, California and was a member of the Montgomery County Commission on the Future.

Ms. Kellar has a master's degree in journalism and political science from Ohio State University.

Betsy Mangone

Before her retirement in January of 2009, Betsy Mangone was vice president of the Philanthropic Services Group for The Denver Foundation. She was in the major gift and planned giving field for 26 years. During that time she served as vice president of the University of Colorado Foundation and as a national and international consultant to philanthropic families, colleges and universities and other nonprofit organizations.

Betsy is a founding member and past president of the National Committee on Planned Giving, the national organization of gift planning professionals. She served as vice chair of the American Council on Gift Annuities, the national organization providing charitable gift annuity services to charities across the country. She is an original author of the widely adopted Model Standards of Charitable Giving, which defines the ethics of planned giving professionals.

She continues to speak locally and nationally on philanthropic topics. Betsy also continues to mentor philanthropically inclined families who wish to explore their philanthropic values. She has taught, and continues to teach, at the graduate level at the College of William & Mary, Regis University, and the University of Denver. She is co-author of a book, The Ultimate Bequest Program Book, as well as the author of many published philanthropic articles and chapters. She is quoted in local and national publications such as Smart Money magazine, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and Non-Profit Times.

Betsy has received distinguished service and performance awards from the Mayor of Denver and the City of Denver (Betsy Mangone Day in Denver, October 29, 2008) and other national and local professional associations. She received The Denver Foundation's "Professional Advisor of the Year" award in 2008, The "Betsy Mangone Lifetime Achievement" award from the Colorado Planned Giving Roundtable in 2009 and was a recipient of the Mile High Girl Scout Council "Women of Distinction" award for 2009.

She currently serves as an Advisor to the Aspen Institute. She also serves on The University of Colorado Foundation Board of Trustees, and as a member of its Development Committee; the Craig Hospital Board of Directors, where she chairs its Development Committee; The Center for Women's Health Research Board of Directors where she serves as Vice Chair, and the Junior League of Denver Foundation Board of Trustees where she chairs the Planned Giving Committee. She is also an Honorary Trustee of the Women's Foundation of Colorado and a member of its Major Gifts Committee. She is an active member of The Denver Foundation's Professional Advisor Committee and the Philanthropic Services Committee. Currently she is co-chair of the Iliff School of Theology's Philanthropy Project.

Katherine Pringle

Partner, Litigation Department, Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman LLP

Katherine L. Pringle practices in the areas of complex commercial litigation, securities and white-collar crime. Her recent matters have included the representation of 7 World Trade Company, L.P. and Silverstein Properties Inc. in a series of insurance and tort litigations arising out of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, recovery by finance professionals following the failure of representations and warranties in a merger agreement, and the recovery of more than $77 million from major broker-dealers relating to their liquidation of complex derivative securities in the Granite Funds collapse.

Ms. Pringle regularly represents clients in investigations by federal and state prosecutors, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and other regulatory bodies. She also served as co-counsel to the Kerry for President Campaign in litigation concerning the 2004 Florida election ballot, as well as co-counsel to plaintiffs in Jacobs v. Seminole County, concerning the 2000 Florida presidential election count. In addition, Ms. Pringle has an active pro bono practice, which has included litigation involving a religious organization's First Amendment right to conduct outreach to the homeless, and representation of families before the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund.

Ms. Pringle graduated with honors from American University in 1990 and cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 1993. She served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Georgetown Law Journal, and was the author of Silencing the Speech of Strangers: Constitutional Values and the First Amendment Rights of Resident Aliens, 81 Geo. L.J. 2073 (1993). Prior to joining Friedman Kaplan, Ms. Pringle clerked for Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. when he was a Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and practiced at Miller, Cassidy, Larroca & Lewin, LLP in Washington, D.C. Ms. Pringle is also admitted in the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania. She is a member of the New York City Bar.

Ms. Pringle has been selected for inclusion by Law & Politics in Super Lawyers® 2010 New York Edition for having attained the highest degree of peer recognition and professional achievement in the multiphase Super Lawyers selection process which includes, among other factors, peer evaluation. She also received this designation in 2009.

Samantha Sackin

Executive Vice President, GolinHarris

Samantha Sackin is the Executive Vice President of GolinHarris, one of the world's leading full-service public relations firms. GolinHarris is truly a global firm with reach to more than 4,000 multinational, regional, and local clients in 130 countries around the world.

Prior to joining GolinHarris, Sackin served as Senior Vice President at Rogers and Associates in Los Angeles, where she ran the agency's consumer marketing practice. Los Angeles-based Rogers & Associates provided strategic communications to business, government and non-profit organizations.

Ms. Sackin served as a senior vice president at Fleishman-Hillard/Los Angeles, prior to Rogers and Associates, where she managed the marketing communications practice. During Sackin's 10 years at Fleishman-Hillard, she provided strategic counsel to a wide range of companies and organizations including Baskin-Robbins International, Iomega, Johnny Rockets, LSG Sky Chefs, Luxor Las Vegas, MGM Grand Hotel, Casino & Theme Park, Nestle USA, Pioneer Electronics USA and Sony Computer Entertainment America (overseeing the launches of both the PlayStation game console and PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system).

Ms. Sackin began her professional experience as a reporter for Thomson Newspapers in Washington, D.C. and received her undergraduate degree in political science and communications from the School of Public Affairs at American University.

Ms. Sackin is an active volunteer for The Los Angeles Free Clinic, the oldest continuously operating free clinic in the nation, serving as co-chair of one of their largest fundraising events of the year, "The Extravaganza of the Senses." Sackin is also a board member for the Women's Leadership Council. In 2000, Sackin was selected by PR News as one of the publication's "15 to Watch" in public relations.

Ms. Sackin is married to Thomas Fassbender, co-owner of independent crime publishing company UglyTown. They are parents to Francesca and live in Los Angeles.

Susan L. Spagna, Esq.

Executive Vice President and Legal Counsel, David Yurman Jewelers

Susan Spagna is general counsel to David Yurman, a major American designer and manufacturer of luxury jewelry and Swiss made timepieces. She has worked as counsel to David Yurman since 1993 and took on the responsibilities of V.P. Human Resources in 2003.

Ms. Spagna started her legal career with the AT&T companies, specializing in corporate and labor and employment counseling and litigation. At the beginning of her career she traveled throughout the United States handling labor arbitrations, administrative agency and Federal Court litigation for AT&T Long Lines Division. In 1981 Ms. Spagna transferred to the then New York Telephone Company where she specialized in labor and employment counseling and litigation and was responsible for complex employment discrimination litigation and labor arbitrations. At New York Telephone Company, in 1986, she was named legal counsel to the company's collective bargaining team for one of its largest unions, The Telephone Traffic Union.

After ten years of specializing in the communications industry labor and employment law, she started a private legal practice building on her established expertise as well as expanding into the area of art law. During her private practice, she was introduced to the thriving arts and artist community in New York City, representing world-class Pop artists, printers and publishers of fine art projects. This specialty led her to the eventual representation of David Yurman and her current roles of in-house counsel, handling employment, contracts and intellectual property matters, including trademark and copyright matters before the federal courts in New York, heading the company's Human Resources department and Senior Executive team member.

Ms. Spagna is a long time member of the American Bar Association and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York as well as a past member of the Association's Art Law and Arbitration Committees. She was also a lecturer at the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations and a guest lecturer at Hofstra University School of Law. She is admitted to practice before the bars in New York and New Jersey and their respective federal bars.

Ms. Spagna received her undergraduate degree from the School of Public Affairs at American University and her law degree, cum laude, number 1 in the Day Division, from the Widener University School of Law. She resides in Manhattan and Sag Harbor, New York with her husband, Fred Dorfman, a graduate of the American University's School of Communication and owner/director of Dorfman Projects, a gallery and publisher of fine art projects by established artists in the Chelsea district of Manhattan and Bridgehampton, New York. They are parents to Blake Dorfman.

Gwendolyn Sykes

Chief Financial Officer, United States Secret Service

As Morehouse College's CFO, Ms. Sykes is responsible for budgeting, accounting and financial reporting, student financial services, financial aid, human resources, auxiliary services, investment management, internal control and the integrity of financial information. She previously served as Yale University's Chief Financial Office, the first in that university's 306-year history. Prior to Yale, she held the position of CFO at NASA, a Presidentially appointed position. Her government career also included experience in the Department of Defense and the Congressional offices of Senator Ted Stevens from Alaska. She holds a BA in accounting from Catholic University and an MPA from American University. Ms. Sykes now serves as an Adjunct Professor in American University's School of Public Affairs. She has been recognized for her achievements by Black Enterprise, Newsweek, and the National Black Caucus of State Legislators.

Nancy E. Tate

Executive Director, The League of Women Voters

Nancy E. Tate is the Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of the United States, the nation's premier nonpartisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation of citizens in government.

Prior to joining the League in 2000, Ms. Tate was the Chief Operating Officer of the National Academy of Public Administration. The National Academy of Public Administration is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization chartered by Congress to examine the emerging issues of governance and to improve the effectiveness of government at all levels.

Previously, Ms. Tate was a project director in the consulting firm of Irving Burton Associates, managing a large multi-year contract with the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. Before joining the private sector, Ms. Tate had a distinguished career in the federal government, in the Department of Energy and the Department Education and the Office of Economic Opportunity. Ms. Tate has a BA in political science from Stanford University and a master's degree in public administration from George Washington University.