Addy Allegretti serves as Project Manager for the America First Transition Project at AFPI. She previously worked as a Regional Field Director for Georgia Trump Victory in 2020. Most recently, Addy served as the Legislative Director for Congressman Warren Davidson (OH-8), where she focused on foreign affairs and defense policy. She was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Georgia.

Marjorie Baker was born and raised in Northern Virginia. She attended the University of Virginia and studied Foreign Affairs and Slavic Studies. She taught English in Ukraine and Poland and currently works in defense contracting. In her spare time, Marjorie enjoys running, reading, and spending time with her friends.

George Barber serves as a Staff Assistant for Representative Warren Davidson (OH-08). A proud native of Georgia, he graduated from the University of Georgia in 2023, where he studied History and International Affairs. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, reading history, and watching college football.

Daniel Bring is managing editor of American Affairs. Daniel first joined American Affairs as associate editor in 2023, after spending two years as the research and writing assistant to Robert Doar, the president of the American Enterprise Institute. Daniel has also worked as a political risk consultant at Baron Public Affairs. Daniel’s writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, New Criterion, American Conservative, and Modern Age, among outlets. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 2021, where he studied history.

Roy Mathews is a National Security Legislative Correspondent for Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). He previously worked for Congresswoman Erin Houchin (R-IN), and as press secretary for former congressman Bruce Poliquin (R-ME). Roy’s writing has been published in the Wall Street Journal, Law & Liberty, The American Mind, and various other outlets. He is a Fulbright Indonesia alum, 2023 Claremont Publius Fellow, and is currently pursuing a commission with the Virginia Army National Guard. He holds a BA in history and politics from Bates College.

Arjun Singh is a journalist for The Epoch Times and J.D. candidate at The George Washington University Law School. He has extensively covered the U.S. Congress, presidential elections, natural disasters, and mass shootings, among other major national and international events – both on air and in print. His opinion columns and/or reporting have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, National Review, The National Post, The Daily Caller, The Center Square, and many other publications. He has previously been a political speechwriter, legal adviser, a political & economic affairs analyst with the U.S. Mission to Canada, and a Hertog Fellow. He holds a B.A. (Honors) with high distinction from the University of Toronto and is an old boy of The Doon School. He lives in Washington, D.C. Find him on X @arjunswritings.

Juan Pablo Villasmil is a student in Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program, serving as the program’s Senator in student government, as the Deputy Director for Labor Rights, and as an Associate Editor (Western Hemisphere) for the Georgetown Security Studies Review. He also currently serves as a research fellow at the Center for a Secure Free Society and an editorial assistant at The Spectator. His features include Foreign Policy Magazine, Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, and The Wilson Center’s New Security Beat.

Andrew Garcia is a Legislative Assistant in the United States House of Representatives for Congressman Josh Brecheen (OK-02) where he handles a variety of policy issues. Prior to working for the congressman, Andrew worked for the Republican Study Committee. A native of Northern California, Andrew received his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California Davis in 2017. 

Grayson Quay is News & Opinion Editor at the Daily Caller and previously worked as Weekend Editor at The Week. His writing has appeared in The American Conservative, The American Mind, National Review, Modern Age, and other outlets.

Hattie Troutman is a Media Relations Specialist at Alliance Defending Freedom handling issues specific to freedom of conscience and parental rights. She previously served as a scheduler for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Hattie holds a BS in Journalism from Liberty University where she was the editor-in-chief of the Liberty Champion. She is originally from Wichita, Kansas. 

Heather Cordasco is advisor to the president Russ Vought at the Center for Renewing America where her focus is development. She isoriginally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is now from Williamsburg, Virginia. She is a graduate of Nyack College with a BA in English. She has deep roots in the community including serving on the Williamsburg/James City County Board of Education as an elected member, chairing the Educational Foundation for New Horizons Regional Educational Center and is the President of the Grove Community Garden. She has worked in development for The American Red Cross, The Family Foundation of Virginia, The Williamsburg Symphony League Board, Network Peninsula and the Capital Research Center and the Center for Renewing America In her spare time she is also a fitness consultant and enjoys all types of fitness activity. She is married to Carlo Cordasco and the mother of three adult children and two grandchildren.

Jeffrey Clark is an associate editor with Fox News Digital. He previously served as the primary speechwriter for the 53rd Secretary of the Interior, David Bernhardt. In that position, Jeffrey wrote remarks, op-eds, and edited proclamations on behalf of the secretary and other senior level officials in the government. After graduating from the University of Iowa in 2019, he received a Fulbright scholarship and lived in South Korea for two years as an English conversation teacher, during which time he volunteered with Liberty in North Korea, the Korea Hana Foundation, and the U.S. Embassy.

Lauren Hickey is a legislative correspondent for Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) focusing on education, labor, values, government reform, and tax policy. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana where she focused her studies on American History from the Founding era to the pro-life anti-Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) movement in the 1970s. She was awarded the Charles and Mary Beard Senior Seminar Prize from the DePauw History Department for exceptional research on the grassroots anti-ERA movement in the state of Indiana during the 1970s. Lauren is originally from Kokomo, Indiana and is pursuing her Master’s in Public Policy with a focus in social policy at American University, she will graduate this spring. In the little free time she has, Lauren enjoys playing tennis and continuing her appreciation for art whether it’s drawing or visiting art museums.

Michael Hensley is an Account Executive at ATHOS, a leading public relations and literary firm based in Washington, DC. He was previously the deputy communications director for Arizona Senatorial candidate Blake Masters. Originally from Florida, Mr. Hensley earned his BS in Political Science from Florida State University with a minor in Business and a certificate in U.S. Intelligence Studies. 

Steven Sullivan is a Policy Analyst for the National Religious Broadcasters. He previously worked on the Communications team at the Republican Governors Association in the 2022 election cycle which covered 36 races. He graduated from Hillsdale College with a double major in Politics and Philosophy & Religion. As a student, Steven interned with the Claremont Institute, Family Research Council, a congressional campaign, a state party, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Ximena Barreto currently serves as Dr. Rand Paul’s External Affairs Director for both Dr. Paul’s Personal Office and his office as Ranking Member for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. In this role, she represents Dr. Paul in front of various professional groups and manages stakeholder relationships and external communications.

Barreto served as the Director of Communications in California as well as a media surrogate for the 2016 GOP presidential candidate. As a Communications Director for the Campaign in California and a media surrogate, she was instrumental in obtaining $33.2 million in earned media value and $20.3 million in online impressions through social media.

She was later appointed by President Trump to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as Director of Communications and Specialty Media. She has led major efforts in recruiting, training, managing, and mobilizing large grassroots advocacy campaigns for many conservative candidates. Ximena is a seasoned campaign veteran, with over two decades of experience on Presidential, Congressional, and Senate campaigns, including extensive work as a spokesperson, speech writer, policy, and communications advisor.

Ximena is part of the Leadership Institute Alumni and has served as a volunteer faculty member since 2020. Ximena was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia.

Asher Allman is a Professional Staff Member for the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. His portfolio includes toxic exposure issues, VA’s National Cemetery Administration, Arlington National Cemetery, adaptive sporting programs, service dogs, and Second Amendment rights. Previously, he worked for Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO), the Missouri House Republican Campaign Committee, and as an intern in the U.S. House of Representatives. Asher is a graduate of Missouri State University and holds a M.A. in International Affairs, a Graduate Certificate in Homeland Security & Defense, and a B.S. in Cultural & Regional Geography with a minor in Political Science. Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, outside of work he enjoys weightlifting, camping, new cigars, and cheering on the Chiefs from D.C.

Teresa Schuster is a legislative correspondent for Senator JD Vance (R-OH). She previously worked for Representative Chip Roy (TX-21) and interned for The Heritage Foundation. Teresa has participated in programs with the Hertog Foundation, the Tikvah Fund, the Witherspoon Institute, and the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. She grew up in Miami, Florida.

Christian Alexandrou is an Associate at Communio, a faith-based consulting group who works with churches equipping them with proven data technologies and project management strategies to solve our nation’s family and faith crisis. Prior, he served as the Assistant Director of External Relations at The Federalist Society. He holds a B.A. in politics and international affairs with a focus on poverty studies from Furman University (Greenville, SC). In his free time, Christian loves serving his parish, Holy Transfiguration Melkite-Greek Catholic Church in McLean, VA. He is originally from Worcester, MA.

Elise Amez-Droz is the Program Manager of the healthcare policy program at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. She is also a Senior Contributor with Young Voices and frequently comments on health policy in outlets such as the American Conservative, The Hill, and the Washington Examiner. Prior to entering the field of public policy, she worked at a startup in the pharmaceutical industry. She graduated from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of St. Gallen in Switzerland.

Michael Turchetti is a senior director of public policy at Eli Lilly and Company. At Eli Lilly, Michael leads policy analysis and development efforts on a range of federal and state policy issues. Michael has nearly a decade of health policy experience across industry, associations, and consulting. He holds an M.P.P. in public policy from George Mason University and a B.A. in psychology from American University.

Lily Mullen is the Donor Relations Specialist for the Institute for Humane Studies. Lily graduated with a B.A. in Economics from Belmont Abbey College. As a student, she was highly involved in her school’s Great Books program, founded an Intercollegiate Studies Institute chapter, and worked for several local, economic development organizations. Lily originally hails from the great state of New Jersey.

David Paschane is the Health Science Administrator and National Data Coordinator for the Division of Behavioral Health for the U.S. Indian Health Service. Previously, he held leadership roles in private and public sector science and technology operations applied to public policy. He holds a Ph.D. in Human Geography from University of Washington, a MS in Behavioral-Organizational Research from University of Alaska Anchorage, and a B.A. in Psychology from George Fox University.

Natalee Allenbaugh is a clerk for Judge M. Miller Baker on the United States Court of International Trade. Natalee completed a fellowship at the District of Columbia Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, and previously clerked for Judge Gregory E. Maggs on the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. She also previously participated in the James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions’ Moral Foundations of Law Seminar. She earned her B.A. from Pepperdine University in History, Sociology, and Political Science and her J.D. from The George Washington University Law School. She is originally from Valparaiso, Indiana.

Ian Banks is a research assistant for Science, Energy, and Environment Policy at the American Enterprise Institute where he reads and writes about the intersection of science, politics, and philosophy. Previously he served as a staffer on Capitol Hill in the House of Representatives. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in chemistry with minors in mathematics and philosophy from Covenant College. His other interests include backpacking, calligraphy, and chemistry.

Benjamin Crocker hails from Australia and is an inaugural Ramsay Centre (Sydney) for Western Civilisation Scholar in Washington DC, where he is examining the foundations of the United States’ constitutional order. He has written on US Politics and Australian Conservatism for The Spectator Australia, and currently studies in the Graduate Institute at St John’s College, Annapolis. He is also an established conductor and classical musician, having recorded for radio with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and lectured in music at the University of Sydney. He holds a B.A. in music from Griffith University and a Master of Music in Conducting from the University of Sydney.

Alex Vershinin is a retired US Army officer with twenty years of service. He has four combat tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan in jobs ranging from tank company commander to managing CERP reconstruction fund for northern Afghanistan. Alex has a B.A. in History and Political Science from Miami University and a Master’s degree in Modeling and Simulations from University of Central Florida. He is a husband and a father of three amazing children.

Samuel Lucas currently serves as an aide in the U.S. Supreme Court. He gained an interest in the Constitution after working for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and participating in a public policy fellowship with The Fund for American Studies. He holds a B.A. in pre-professional studies and anthropology from the University of Notre Dame. He originally hails from outside of Peoria, Illinois.

Cayden Connally is a Legislative Correspondent for Senator Ron Johnson. Previously he was a staff assistant and legislative correspondent in the office of Congressman Kevin Brady (TX-08). He holds a B.A. in government with a minor in philosophy of law from the University of Texas at Austin. Outside of his studies, Cayden volunteered in Texas politics and was also an active member and officer in the Young Conservatives of Texas. He is originally from the West Texas town of Midland.