Building a stronger nation through stronger communities
Our Leadership
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
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- 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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Our Team
Claire Bishop
Executive Director
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
Tricia Maxfield
Program Director
Robin Smith
Marketing & Communications
Jamie Schenck
Event Production Coordinator
Ian Wooldridge
Membership & Data Coordinator