The Democracy Fund team is a group of remarkably passionate and dedicated people from all walks of life and across the political spectrum. As we face new challenges and embrace new opportunities, we are proud to welcome three outstanding additions to our team. Spanning a wide range of experience and interests, we are confident that these individuals will bring the skills and diverse perspectives that are critical to our work to help strengthen democracy.
On the program side, please join us in welcoming Laura A. Maristany, the Democracy Fund’s new Associate Director for Constructive Politics in the Governance Program. A seasoned advocate with extensive Capitol Hill and legislative experience, Laura previously served as chief federal advocate and Director of the Washington, D.C. office for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO). Laura also served as Executive Director of Legislative Affairs for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). At both organizations, Laura played a key role in developing and implementing their respective legislative agendas and developing relations with Congress, the Administration, federal agencies, and other national organizations. At the Democracy Fund, Laura will lead the Governance Program’s efforts to strengthen the congressional political system by fostering more constructive political engagement and a healthy two-party system.
“We so grateful to have Laura join our team,” said Betsy Wright Hawkings, Director of the Democracy Fund’s Governance Program. “With her strong organizational skills, experience developing relationships with leaders on both sides of the congressional aisle and across the federal government, and proven ability to partner with other national organizations, Laura will be a tremendous asset in helping the Democracy Fund promote the ability of elected officials to cooperate and find common ground.”
Our Operations team has been growing as well. Bringing an extensive background in financial management, auditing, compliance, and operations management for nonprofit organizations, we are delighted to welcome our new Controller, Robin Thompson, to the team. Robin will plan and oversee the Democracy Fund’s financial resources, including implementing and managing new, more efficient systems for our complex and growing organization.
We are also happy to welcome Lorna Kerr, our new Human Resources Associate. Focusing specifically on diversity and inclusion, performance management, learning and development, and a host of other human resource functions, Lorna will help us cultivate a values-driven culture at the Democracy Fund that brings out the best in our rapidly growing, diverse staff.
“Robin and Lorna both bring deep experience in their respective fields and a passion for motivating people and implementing best practices,” said Tony Bowen, Director of Grants Management and Operations. “We are very excited to have them join our growing organization and help us professionalize our internal operations so we can better serve our partners and support our teams as we work to make democracy better.”
To learn more about our staff, please visit www.democracyfund.org/about-us. We will keep you updated as we continue recruit for several open positions at the Democracy Fund.