Creating Space for Important Conversations
Commitment. Character. Action.
“More than 9 out of 10 respondents said it’s important for the United States to try to reduce our divisiveness. Figuring out how to have a constructive conversation with folks on the other side would be a good start, most said.”
– Public Agenda/USA TODAY/Ipsos poll December 2019
Founded to Make a Difference
With decades of experience in politics and law, Ambassador Allan Katz (Portugal 2010-2013) observed first-hand the increasing polarization of our two-party political system and the tribalization of Americans unwilling to talk to people with whom they did not agree.
Motivated to mitigate the chasm between extremes, Ambassador Katz founded American Public Square (APS) in Kansas City in 2013. Using civil discourse to bridge the partisan divide, APS engages in fact-based conversations about local, regional and national issues.
Learn more about APS’ impact in our 2023 Annual Report.
Our Approach to Civil, Fact-Based Conversations
To ensure APS-hosted conversations remain substantive, respectful and based on facts, APS uses Civility Tools, which include objective moderators, Fact Sheets provided before each program, in-program Fact Checkers and more.
APS Team
“Our Reserve of personal bonds and fellowship – is seriously depleted.”
–Robert Putnam, author of Bowling Alone
At American Public Square, we believe we must intentionally
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- re-build our personal bonds and fellowship
- re-weave the frayed and tattered fabric of our community
- re-commit to ourselves and our neighbors that we will face society’s most pressing issues together
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Claire Bishop
Executive Director
About
An experienced leader and organizational transformation expert, Claire believes in the power of community and advancing the missions of organizations. A proud Kansas City native, Claire has served as a marketing executive and board member in for-profit and nonprofit organizations. A seasoned communication professional, Claire brings clarity, organization and passion to the APS community.
Alana Muller
Community Development Director
About
Committed to relationship-building, entrepreneurship, leadership and community, Alana models respect, empathy and inclusion as tenants of a just society. A business owner, author and board member, Alana is founder of Coffee Lunch Coffee and KC Common Good, a 501(c)3 designed to give Kansas Citians access to hope and opportunity while reducing violence.
Tricia Maxfield
Program Director
About
A lifelong learner, Tricia graduated from Kansas State University followed by the University of Kansas School of Law. After living abroad and returning home to Kansas City, Tricia sought ways to give back to her community and country, which inspired her to earn a MEd and certification in middle school social studies, from Rockhurst University. Before joining APS, Tricia taught 7th and 8th grade social studies. Her passion for fostering critical thinking, civics engagement and media literacy skills for young people will come to life through APS’ civics education initiative. Tricia was born and raised in Kansas.
Robin Smith
Marketing & Communications
About
Bringing a background in organizational strategy and strategic communication at publicly traded and private corporations, as well as political and non-profit organizations, Robin’s colleagues tout her ability to understand audiences and reach them through communication and marketing campaigns, change management, and strategic programming. During her time as a William Jewell College undergrad, she developed deep respect for thoughtful discourse and critical thinking—something she has held onto it throughout her career and every day in her work with APS.
Jamie Schenck
Event Production Coordinator
About
In addition to her APS Internship, Jamie Schneck’s responsibilities include program development and event planning.
Jamie is a sophomore at William Jewell College. She is majoring in Political Science and International Relations, and she is a fellow of the Honor’s Institute of Critical Thinking. On campus, she is involved in the William Jewell Dance Team and Alpha Gamma Delta.
Ian Wooldridge
Membership & Data Coordinator
About
In addition to his APS Internship, Ian Wooldridge is responsible for the operational support of APS’ key internal systems and Membership information management. Ian is a consistent face at APS events and is known for his can-do attitude and passion for APS’ mission.
Ian is a Political Science major at William Jewell College and is in his senior year.
Board of Directors
Board Chair–Ambassador Allan Katz
Founding Co-Chairs–Peggy Dunn and Mary Bloch
Amb. Allan Katz
Board Chairman
Maggie Collins
Secretary of the Board
Bill Kort
Treasurer, investor
Rebecca Coulson
Program Officer at Hall Family Foundation
Ryan Bernsten
Writer, Author, Speaker & Creative
McClain Bryant-Macklin
VP of Policy and Impact
Judge Jon R. Gray
(Ret.) Partner, Shook, Hardy & Bacon, L.L.P.
Adam Hamilton
Sr. Pastor, United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
Mary Jorgenson
Community Volunteer
Ward Katz
Real Estate Investor
Tom McDonnell
Ret. DST Systems
Sue Nerman
Kansas City Art Institute
Greg Orman
Businessman, Entrepreneur, U.S. Political Reformer
Bill Pratt
Ret. Kirkland & Ellis LLP
Mary Sanchez
Senior Reporter, Kansas City PBS
Dr. Rodney Smith
William Jewell College
Shaun Stallworth
Holman Schiavone, LLC
Jamila Weaver
Chief Operating Officer, Mission Vision Project KC
Joni Wickham
Co-founder of Wickham James Strategies
APS National Steering Committee
Members of the national steering committee provide strategic support to the organization as it seeks to expand its impact through diverse programming formats, topics, panelists and more.
Each member brings a wide array of experiences and expertise, particularly in the national political landscape. They each serve in an advisory capacity to the organization’s Board of Directors, Executive Director and staff.
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- Sally Bradshaw, business owner and longtime conservative political advisor
- Jason Kander, President of National Expansion at Veterans Community Project, co-host of the Majority 54 podcast, bestselling author, and Founder of American Rescue Project
- Kevin Madden, senior partner – Penta; former senior advisor – Romney for President
- Colleen Nelson, executive editor of The Sacramento Bee and McClatchy Regional Editor for California
- Terry Nelson, founder and managing partner – FP1 Strategies; campaign and media strategy expert
- Deval Patrick, author, businessman, attorney and former governor of Massachusetts
- Margaret Talev, Founding Director of Syracuse University’s Institute for Democracy, Journalism & Citizenship, in Washington, DC, and senior contributor at Axios
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APS' Academic Partner
William Jewell College
American Public Square at Jewell is proud to be formally affiliated with William Jewell College, a 170-year-old private college and academic institution. We recognize William Jewell as a Founding Sponsor of the organization, and as American Public Square’s academic home. APS at Jewell maintains an office in the Yates-Gill Union on the William Jewell campus.
Because William Jewell is more focused than ever on advancing critical thinking and preparing students to connect their thinking with their purpose, this formal affiliation is a perfect alignment.
APS and William Jewell’s teams partner on a number of key initiatives, including our Civics Education Initiative.
Partner Organizations
The Bridge Alliance is a coalition of ~100 organizations working together to promote healthy self-governance in our democratic republic. Bridge Alliance members span ideological spectrums, but are unified to work efficiently, outside arbitrarily defined political lines. Learn more.
The KC Media Collective is a group of nonprofit and community-centered partners collaborating to make local news easily available, its coverage equitable and its operations sustainable. Learn more.