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Our People

Students, staff, board members, and trustees are the heartbeat of JSA. They work to develop our strategic goals and drive student engagement toward a better democracy.

Board of Directors

Vivian Ysai

President, Board of Directors

Beth Freeman

Vice President, Board of Directors

Shayna Van Hoften

Secretary, Board of Directors

Doug Wertheimer

Treasurer, Board of Directors

Laura Ansell

Member, Board of Directors

John Delk

Member, Board of Directors

Vishal Goradia

Member, Board of Directors

Stephen Gordon

Member, Board of Directors

Jeff Harris

Member, Board of Directors

Ena LaVan

Member, Board of Directors

Sabrina Lieberman

Member, Board of Directors

James Lintott

Member, Board of Directors

Dan Meyers

Member, Board of Directors

Tiziano P

Governor of Texas and Student Representative, Board of Directors

Gabriel Stempinski

Member, Board of Directors

Tom Warden

Member, Board of Directors

Trustees

John Abshner

Trustee

Scott Bekemeyer

Trustee

Linda Helen Bennett

Trustee

Marco Rios Bollinger

Trustee

David Carlson

Trustee

Toby Chaudhuri

Trustee

Angelica Chima

Trustee

Arnela Colic

Trustee

Suzanne Dale Estey

Trustee

Alex P. Evans

Trustee

Abe Friedman

Trustee

Dan Germain

Trustee

Tor Gronborg

Trustee

Karyn D. Harrington

Trustee

Kellie Hawkins

Trustee

Jennifer Bun Hayden

Trustee

Daniel Ingram

Trustee

Michael Linick

Trustee

Sergio Lopez

Trustee

Kermit Marsh

Trustee

Mike McCurry

Trustee

Lenny Mendonca

Trustee

Scott Miller

Trustee

Jerry Newfarmer

Trustee

June Thurber Paine

Trustee

Bob Rapp

Trustee

David Schellhase

Trustee

Maria Shim

Trustee

Mark Takano

Trustee

Thom Taylor

Trustee

Anna Waggener

Trustee

Alex Weingarten

Trustee

Staff

Jodi Wiseley

Chief Executive Officer

Andee Steinman

Chief of Staff

Colette Ankenman

Director of Programs

Tyler Morningstar

Director of Development

Eliana Rodriguez

Director of Marketing & Communications

Ed Banayat

Senior Program Officer, U.S. Territories & Free Associated States

Uday Sharad Joshi

State Director, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast

Kiki Michelbacher

State Director, SoCal and Pacific Northwest

Simon Muturi

Controller

Brittani Richardson

State Director, Midwest and Ohio River Valley

Emily Slater

Development Associate

Zhuai Wu

Accounting Clerk

Council of Governors

Arnuv B.

Governor of Mid-Atlantic

Soham G.

Governor of Ohio River Valley

Maia G.

Governor of Northeast

Mica J.

Governor of Northern California

Amir K.

Governor of Southern California

Jeff L.

Governor of Ohio River Valley

Nathaniel M.

Governor of Southeast

Tiziano P.

Governor of Texas and Student Representative, Board of Directors

Ian R.

Governor of Midwest

National Cabinet

Kristine A.

National Director of Grant Writing

Aditya B.

National Co-Director of Debate

Sara F.

National Co-Director of Fundraising

Abhinav G.

National Director of Technology

Serah J.

National Co-Director of Debate

Vishaal K.

National Director of Chapter Internal Affairs

Michelle L.

National Chief of Staff

Kasey L.

National Director of Activism

Sumedha M.

National Director of Activities

Misha P.

National Director of of Expansion

Ethan R.

National Director of Publicity

Ian R.

National Co-Director of Fundraising

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Vivian Ysai

President, Board of Directors

A senior leader in TIAA’s Education Savings business, Vivian leads the business unit’s Relationship Management team and is responsible for State and institutional relationship management. Her responsibilities include contract negotiations and oversight, ensuring client satisfaction, and driving plan growth and strategy across State 529 college savings plans which represent more than $38 billion in college savings managed by TIAA.

Prior to joining TIAA in 2014, Vivian spent nearly a decade with BlackRock in institutional product management and sales roles, leading the firm’s entry into the education savings and 529 plan marketplace in 2008. Vivian began her career in financial services in the wealth management businesses of Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch, and has worked in San Francisco, Hong Kong, Taipei, Los Angeles and New York. Vivian has been on the Board of the College Savings Foundation since 2011 and is currently the CSF Board Chair.

Vivian’s relationship with JSA began as a member of the Notre Dame High School JSA chapter in Belmont, California. An alumnus of JSA’s Stanford Symposium in 1983 and Washington DC Summer School in 1984, Vivian continued to support JSA through her own college years working as an office staffer and counselor for JSA’s summer programs, and has long attributed those experiences with creating the foundation for her own leadership and engagement skills. Vivian received her Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

Beth Freeman

VicePresident, Board of Directors

Beth Freeman was appointed a United States District Judge for the Northern District of California in February 2014. She was previously a Superior Court Judge in California’s San Mateo County for 13 years, handling family law, law and motion and general trial assignments. Freeman is a graduate of Harvard Law School and the University of California at Berkeley and was admitted to the Washington, D.C. Bar in 1979 and the California Bar in 1981.

Freeman served as an associate at the Washington law firm Fried Frank Harris Shriver and Kampelman and as an associate at the San Francisco law firm Lasky Haas, Cohler and Munter. She was a deputy county counsel in San Mateo from 1983-2000. She was the first woman to hold the position of JSA Board President.

Freeman attended Ravenswood High School in East Palo Alto, Calif., and was a member of the Junior State chapter there.

Shayna Van Hoften

Secretary, Board of Directors

Shayna (Mittler) van Hoften is a partner and lawyer at Hanson Bridgett LLP in California. Chair of her firm’s Public Transit and Transportation Practice, she counsels local governments on ethics and governance laws, civil rights law compliance, administrative procedures, constitutional matters, contracting and intergovernmental agreements, and more. She also assists private entities with government-related interests, including ballot initiatives and regulatory compliance.

Shayna credits JSA with providing the foundation upon which she has built her entire career advising public agencies and public officials. Shayna enjoyed four active years in JSA including terms as Chapter President, Golden Gate Region Vice Mayor and Northern State Chief of Staff, as well as recognition as Statesperson of the Year for Northern California in 1993. She attended and then worked at the JSA Summer Schools at Yale and Georgetown. Shayna earned her B.A. in Public Policy/Politics from Pomona College and then worked in political and policy communications in Washington D.C. before returning home to California to attend U.C. Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy and U.C. Berkeley School of Law, where she earned an M.P.P. and J.D.

Shayna, her husband and their two sons live in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Doug Wertheimer

Treasurer, Board of Directors

Doug Wertheimer has been a partner at Industry Capital since 2004. Industry Capital is a San Francisco based private equity firm focused on real assets globally. Prior to Industry Capital, Doug spent 10+ years as an entrepreneur, instrumental in starting several companies in industries ranging from new media technology to television production, and electronic payments to consumer wellness products. Notably, Doug was a member of the founding management team of pioneering electronic payments company, Size Technologies, acquired by First Data Corporation in 2006. Doug was also a Principal with Mark Burnett Productions, creators and producers of the original reality TV franchises “Survivor” and “Eco-Challenge”.

 

Doug has an AB from Princeton University and a JD from UCLA School of Law. In high school, Doug was an active member of the JSA Chapter at Palisades High School in Los Angeles, serving on a number of regional cabinet positions. He attended JSA’s UC Davis summer program in 1981. Doug resides in San Francisco with his wife, Beth Mitchner. They have three sons, Nathan, Samuel and Benny.

Laura Ansell

Member, Board of Directors

Laura is the President and CEO of Brand Alloy, a boutique brand strategy and market research agency based in New York City. Brand Alloy helps clients grow revenue, create a stronger bond with customers, and beat the competition. Her expertise includes brand strategy and positioning, bringing the brand to life at each touch point, creating brand sparks, portfolio optimization, channel planning, and market segmentation.

Previously, Laura was Head of Brand Strategy in the New York office of PSB, a WPP-owned market research agency. She also worked as a brand strategy consultant at the Zyman Group. Before joining the consultant side of the business, Laura spent 17 years at AT&T Corporation in a wide variety of branding, marketing and management roles.

Laura holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of California at Los Angeles. She lives in New York.

John Delk

Member, Board of Directors

John Delk is an attorney at law and brings decades of experience to his practice. Based in Texarkana, TX, John has successfully handled a wide range of legal issues for clients not only in Texarkana but also throughout the state. His practice areas include family law, criminal law, probate, and personal injury. With his extensive knowledge and expertise, John is well-equipped to navigate the complexities of these areas and provide top-notch legal representation to his clients. Whether it is a divorce case, a criminal defense matter, estate administration, or seeking compensation for personal injuries, clients can trust John to protect their rights and diligently advocate for their best interests. John is a graduate of Texas Tech University School of Law and Angelo State University.

Vishal Goradia

Member, Board of Directors

Vishal is an alumni of the JSA program and attended a JSA summer school session at Georgetown University. Vishal serves as a director of Indrani’s Light Foundation, his mother’s nonprofit dedicated to ending gender based violence. He has experience in reviewing budget and strategy for ILF and advising on hiring and organizational structure. Vishal also helped negotiate a $5,000,000 grant contract and steward the partnership between his mother and Population Services International, a Washington DC based NGO. This grant created start-up interventions towards ending gender based violence in India and Trinidad over a 5 year period.

Stephen Gordon

Member, Board of Directors

Stephen Gordon is a board-certified geriatrician with a lifelong passion for improving the care of older adults. He founded Edenbridge Health in 2016 after spending two years working as a primary care geriatrician at the Program for All- Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) at Upham’s Corner Health Center in Dorchester, Massachusetts, as well as director of the Iora Health Fellowship in Primary Care Innovation, where he specialized in clinical systems design, care planning, and provider development. He continues to practice on a limited basis at Upham’s Corner PACE. He is on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and holds clinical appointments at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Medical Center, and Hebrew SeniorLife, where he teaches in the Harvard Multi-Campus Fellowship in Geriatrics. He is a supervising physician for United Community Health Plan, where he oversees more than 30 nurse practitioners caring for nursing home patients across the Boston area.

Stephen’s career has spanned the worlds of medicine and business. After graduating from Harvard College, he spent four years as a consultant for the Advisory Board Company, where he worked on issues relating to hospital strategy and operations, including service line growth, facility design, primary care strategy, and physician-hospital relations. After a year at the Harvard Interfaculty Program for Health Systems Improvement, focusing on issues of healthcare leadership, he earned an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he double-majored in health care systems and operations. Subsequently, he attended the Yale School of Medicine. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, followed by a two-year fellowship in geriatrics at Harvard Medical School.

Stephen has consulted for the Leapfrog Group, the Clinton Foundation, the Governments of Ukraine and Nigeria, the City of Cape Town Clinics in South Africa, Renaissance Health, as well as hospitals and health systems across the U.S.

Jeff Harris

Member, Board of Directors

Jeff Harris is the former Chief Executive Officer of The Junior State of America Foundation, an organization that he was involved in for more than 25 years – as a high school student leader, program director, civic educator and mentor to students. Career highlights include creating the Junior State’s popular student-run Congressional simulation format, rebranding the organization and establishing evaluation systems for JSA’s programs to measure their impact against strategic mission-related goals. For more than a decade, Jeff worked directly with students in Southern California to create high quality political awareness and involvement programs. Jeff spearheaded JSA’s outreach efforts to low-income minority students in Los Angeles and expanded that pilot program nationwide. After serving as the Director of School and Community Partnerships for the Compton Unified School District, Jeff launched JB Harris Consulting supporting nonprofit organizations with strategic planning and organizational development. He currently serves on the boards of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, Food Forward and the Compton Education Foundation.

Ena LaVan

Member, Board of Directors

Ena LaVan is the chief accountability officer at YPI Charter Schools. She joined YPICS after several years of working alongside leaders of the charter school movement beginning in 2004. Ena brings a wealth of experiences to the organization, drawing from her participation in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s College-Ready Promise focus on educator effectiveness, to her consultancy with both districts and charter schools on school improvement. She has served in various capacities from founding school principal to area superintendent of schools at the Alliance College-Ready Public Schools charter management organization. Prior to her charter experience, she was a teacher and program coordinator at Foshay Learning Center in LAUSD. Ena is a proud graduate of UCLA, and earned her Masters in Educational Leadership from Pepperdine University.

Sabrina Lieberman

Member, Board of Directors

Sabrina Lieberman is an Associate in the Restructuring group at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in Chicago.

Originally from Los Angeles, Sabrina joined JSA as part of Marlborough School’s chapter. She is a member of Marlborough’s Young Alumnae Council.

Sabrina served as JSA’s Southern California Governor in 2013-2014, after serving as Angeles Region Mayor. She attended Georgetown Summer School, the Montezuma Leadership Summit, and several JSA Institutes. Sabrina earned her Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of Michigan and her Juris Doctor from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.

James Lintott

Member, Board of Directors

James W. Lintott founded and leads Sterling Foundation Management and has extensive business, management and philanthropic experience. Through his years as head of one of the nation’s largest private foundations and as Chairman of Sterling, Jim has acquired deep knowledge, valuable experience, tremendous problem-solving skills and sound judgement, which has earned him the reputation as a leading advisor in both the non-profit and for-profit worlds.

Prior to founding Sterling, Jim was an executive at the nation’s largest privately held company, where he worked closely with the principals and played a critical role advising the company’s leaders on various issues including their most important philanthropic endeavors.

Jim received his J.D. (with distinction) from Stanford Law School as well as an M.A. in applied economics and B.A. degrees (Phi Beta Kappa) in economics and political science from Stanford University. He was a senior editor of the Stanford Law Review and was instrumental in developing the non-profit Stanford Law School Asian Trade Consortium. Jim was also a founding member of the Law and Business Society.

Jim serves on the boards of several well-known national charities, including Children’s National Medical Center, the United States-Japan Foundation, the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art and Best Buddies International. He has chaired numerous select committees, national organizations and non-profit campaigns. Jim is a founder and director, along with his wife, of their family foundation.

Jim first got involved with JSA by attending the Junior Statesmen Washington, D.C. Summer School in 1981. He was an active member of the W.F. West High School JSA chapter in Chehalis, Wash. and served as Pacific Northwest director of debate in 1981/1982.

Dan Meyers

Member, Board of Directors

Dan Meyers is Deputy Managing Director of APCO’s Washington, D.C. office and global headquarters as well as a senior director in the Washington-based public affairs and campaigns and advocacy practices. He is a former Republican political operative and White House representative and specializes in public affairs and policy advocacy.

Prior to joining APCO, Mr. Meyers spent nearly 10 years with DCI Group, an independent public affairs firm specializing in issue advocacy and strategic communications. As a vice president in the firm, Mr. Meyers managed full-scale federal, state and local campaigns, overseeing strategy, messaging, research and polling, field operations, finance and compliance, online operations and paid media advertising. During his time with the firm, he also managed external consultants and served as the client relationship lead for several accounts.

Before joining the private sector, Mr. Meyers’ experience included serving as a press advance representative for the White House during the George W. Bush Administration, a special assistant to the political director of the Republican National Committee during the 2006 midterm elections, and a special assistant and personal aide for Rudy Giuliani’s 2008 presidential bid.

Mr. Meyers holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Capital University in Ohio and an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Mr. Meyers also serves on the Board of Directors of the Junior State of America, a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic engagement organization for high school students across the US and territories.

Tiziano P.

Governor of Texas and Student Representative, Board of Directors

Tiziano P. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) Council of Governors. He represents the JSA Texas region and is a senior at BASIS Shavano. As the JSA Texas Governor, Tiziano runs a 40-person cabinet supporting over 30 chapters statewide. Additionally, he oversees the National Director of Expansion whose role is to grow JSA nationally.

Tiziano has been an active JSA member of his high school chapter since 2019. He joined JSA because he was intrigued by the political engagement and education that JSA provided. While at JSA, Tiziano has held several roles, serving as co-chapter president of BASIS Shavano and Texas JSA National Director of Chapter Internal Affairs. He has been recognized with multiple best speaker awards, the “coolest dasher,” and student of the year in his comparative government and politics class.

Outside JSA, Tiziano is actively involved in the National Honor Society, Red Cross, Opt-For-Action, Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, and the Muslim Student Association. He is passionate about making a difference in combating climate change because he knows that the future of this world depends on its response to the devastating effects plaguing the globe. Tiziano looks forward to attending college and earning a political science and international relations degree.

Gabriel Stempinski

Member, Board of Directors

Gabriel Stempinski is the CEO of New Leaf Consulting, a Management Consulting firm which specializes in strategic transformation initiatives and tactical alignment post M&A for Fortune 500 clients. Prior to founding New Leaf, he was a program lead for RCI, responsible for auditing $7 billion of military contracts for Waste Fraud and Abuse during the War in Iraq. Prior to that Gabriel, served in the Reactor Laboratories division aboard the USS Enterprise. He is additionally an authority on the Sharing Economy and the Co-Author of a leading book on the topic: “It’s a Shareable Life.” He additionally invests in and advises startups in the Collaborative Consumption/Sharing Economy space.

Gabriel is an alumnus (Class of ’99) of the Claremont JSA chapter from Claremont California and re-engaged with Junior State of America in 2012 as a volunteer teaching debate workshops at the Northern California Fall State. Shortly before being asked to join the board in 2015 he led a group of JSA students in the design, building, and launch of JSA’s first ever mobile application for conferences. He is passionate about fostering a spirit of activism and volunteerism within the community.

Tom Warden

Members, Board of Directors

Tom Warden is an experienced leader of strategy and innovation across various complex business problems solved with data, analytics, artificial intelligence, and thought leadership.

As a trusted advisor to C-suite executives in mid-sized and Fortune 100 companies, Tom develops plans and builds teams to improve the quality and efficiency of how data is used enterprise-wide across varying functions to make critical business decisions. Tom creates game-changing competitive advantages through emerging technologies to boost revenue and capture market opportunities.

Tom has had significant success throughout his career, formulating big data and artificial intelligence solutions to enable substantial business growth and increase shareholder value at Allstate, AIG, and Employers Insurance. He has also led the development of strategic plans, innovation capabilities, and digital products. Tom analyzes and solves problems holistically, considering all stakeholder perspectives, cultural considerations, essential emerging micro, and macro trends. As a Chartered Financial Analyst with experience in securities analysis and portfolio management Tom focuses on identifying and optimizing what creates value, and what destroys it, within companies.

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Tom currently is the Chief Insurance and Science Officer at CLARA Analytics, a creator of artificial intelligence-based software tools that enables claim adjusters to deliver better outcomes for insurance carriers and injured workers.
Tom earned his MBA at Harvard University in 1984 and graduated from The Ohio State University with a BS in Accounting in 1982. He is a non-practicing Chartered Financial Analyst.

Tom’s relationship with JSA began in 2011 as a member of a volunteer consulting team from Harvard Business School Community Partners, an HBS alumni group that donates time to Bay Area non-profits. The team was engaged to help JSA develop a new strategic plan that would guide the organization through the next five years. At the end of this engagement, Tom was asked to join the board of directors.

Tom lives in Reno, Nevada with his partner Becky. His daughter Elizabeth is a communications manager at The Education Trust, a Washington DC-based non-profit. Liz resides in Brooklyn, NY.

John Abshner

Trustee

John Absher is honored to give back to JSA because of the dramatic effect it had on his life. He grew up in a small town in Eastern Kentucky. His experience at the 1999 Stanford Summer School opened his mind to people, ideas, and opportunities that he did not know before. He later received his BA in History from Harvard University, and his JD from Tulane Law School.

John is now a private-practice real estate and business attorney in Austin, Texas. His practice is a natural application of his experience managing retail businesses and real estate on behalf of his family in Kentucky. He takes pride in giving practical advice to other business owners and making no-nonsense arguments in the way he first learned at Stanford Summer School.

One of John’s passions is to bring JSA to rural communities like his hometown. He hopes that young students like him can attend JSA Summer Schools and have experiences that drive them to great accomplishments.

Scott Bekemeyer

Trustee

Scott Bekemeyer is Chairman of PRE Diversified Holdings, an investment company which acquires and operates specialty manufacturing companies. Scott’s prior experience includes both real, responsible jobs (he was vice president of business development at ZipRealty) together with entrepreneurial pursuits (he co-founded Sierra Expressway, a commuter airline, and was part of the early team at Zillow). Personal passions include adventures with his family (daughters 16 and 1, son 13) and a love of travel. He holds an A.B. and an M.B.A. degree from Stanford University. He is a former JSAF trustee and sat on the CEO Search Committee.

Linda Helen Bennett

Trustee

Helen Bennett is a JSA alumnus (CID 1979-1982). Based in Albuquerque, Helen has practiced law in New Mexico and California since 1996. She has a broad base of experience in tort and business litigation, transactional legal services, and criminal defense. She has special training in mediation, settlement facilitation, arbitration, and collaborative legal practice. She holds degrees from Westmont College, Fuller Theological Seminary, and the University of Washington, and received her Juris Doctor degree from Northeastern University.

Marco Rios Bollinger

Trustee

Peruvian-American Marco Ríos Bollinger has directed projects for the UN Refugee Agency and Time Warner, and photographed celebrities including Beyoncé and Obama. He’s won several awards including Indie Fest’s Humanitarian Award and PDN’s Best Portrait of an Artist, produced award-winning social issue documentaries on subjects ranging from the plight of refugee kids (SAFE ZONE), to the impacts of tourism (2.5%). More recently he has moved to scale his empathy-building advocacy work by co-founding social enterprise Lokal Travel, and impact storytelling collective Lokal Stories.

David Carlson

Trustee

A professor at New York City’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law – a division of the Yeshiva University – since 1981, David Carlson is the author of more than 50 articles on the subjects of debtor-creditor law and legal philosophy.
Carlson recently published a revision of Gilmore’ classic treatise, now titled Gilmore and Carlson on Secured Lending: Claims in Bankruptcy.

Carlson has his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara and his law degree from U.C.’s Hastings College of Law. While attending the latter, he was editor-in-chief of the Hastings Law Journal. He later served as an associate at Cravath, Swaine & Moore.

Toby Chaudhuri

Trustee

Toby Chaudhuri has worked with political campaigns,major labor and progressive organizations, people in public office and historic movements around the world to motivate public action and influence public policy for the past two decades.
Chaudhuri most recently served on the leadership team as vice president of strategic communications and national partnerships at PBS and its member stations, which comprise America’s largest public media system.

Before joining PBS leadership, Chaudhuri directed communications and engagement for several of President Barack Obama’s White House race-based initiatives, successfully increasing access to federal benefits for underrepresented communities who needed them most, and he advised the U.S. State Department on engaging youth populations in the Middle East and North Africa.

Angelica Chima

Trustee

Angelica is currently a 2nd year MPH student at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health. She was born and raised in Los Angeles and graduated from Harvard University in 2019 with a degree in History of Science and a secondary in Global Health and Health Policy. Angelica is passionate about Black community health, health disparities, and nutrition/food access.

As an active member of St. Mary’s Academy’s JSA Chapter from 2011-2015, Angelica served on the Southern California and Angeles regional cabinet. She also attended JSA summer school at Stanford University in 2014. No other activity or program in high school had as great as an impact in shaping her into the confident leader and civically engaged person that she is today.

Arnela Colic

Trustee

Arnela Colic recently completed her Master’s in International Education Policy Analysis at Stanford University where she also served as the Academic Program Manager for the university’s Summer Session. Her research focuses on education’s role in conflict transformation and examines curriculum and policy as avenues for reform and progress. Prior to her time at Stanford, she served for two years in the United States Peace Corps as an English teacher and teacher trainer in rural Kosovo, which inspired her to pursue a career in education research and policy development. Arnela holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UC Berkeley and is fluent in Bosnian, Albanian, and Russian. In her time at JSA, Arnela served as the Golden Gate Region Mayor (2011-2012), Northern California Governor (2012-2013), and attended the JSA summer programs at Georgetown University (2011) and in Beijing, China (2012).

Alex P. Evans

Trustee

The president and co-founder of EMC Research, Alex P. Evans has extensive experience in the design and execution of all types of market research methodologies, from in-person surveys designed to test consumer interest in recycled building materials in Berkeley, Calif., to political surveys in Latin America.

Over the past 25 years, Evans has conducted thousands and thousands of public opinion studies. He has polled in every state and in every part of the western United States, from Whatcom County, Wash., to San Diego, Calif. He has done survey research at every level of politics and government and for large and small corporations, government institutions and universities. He has directed accounts for some of the nation’s largest corporations, presidential campaigns in this country and abroad, statewide elections, and hundreds of projects on regional and local issues.

Evans has a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Public Policy Degree from the University of Michigan, and he served as an elected member of the Richmond City Council in California (1995-2001). He was Speaker of the Junior State (1978-79) and attended JSA summer school (UC-Davis, 1977).

Abe Friedman

Trustee

Abe Friedman is a Partner at PJT Camberview, based in San Francisco. Mr. Friedman joined PJT Partners through the acquisition of CamberView in 2018. Abe founded CamberView in 2012 and served as its Chief Executive Officer through 2018.

Before founding CamberView in 2012, Mr. Friedman was Managing Director and Global Head of Corporate Governance and Responsible Investment at BlackRock. In that role, Mr. Friedman led a team of 18 professionals operating from six offices around the globe who were responsible for making proxy voting decisions on thousands of portfolio companies annually. Prior to that role, he served in leadership positions, including Global Head of Corporate Governance, at Barclays Global Investors from 2005 until the company merged with BlackRock in 2009.

In 2003, Mr. Friedman helped found Glass, Lewis & Co. As Chief Policy Officer and General Counsel, Mr. Friedman built and led Glass Lewis’s proxy research business from its inception and developed the voting guidelines that serve as the foundation for how the firm analyzes complex governance issues.

Mr. Friedman currently serves as co-director of the Stanford Institutional Investor Forum. The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and Directorship Magazine recognized Mr. Friedman as one of the 100 most influential leaders in corporate governance in 2012, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Mr. Friedman previously served on the SEC’s Investor Advisory Committee, a position to which he was appointed by Chairwoman Mary Shapiro. Mr. Friedman has also served as both a Council Member and Mayor of the City of Piedmont, California.

Mr. Friedman holds a JD, a Master’s in Public Policy and a BA, with honors, in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Friedman is a JSA Alum and a longtime JSA donor.

Dan Germain

Trustee

Dan Germain is a trial attorney and founding partner of the law firm of Rosman & Germain LLP in Los Angeles, California. Dan specializes in complex commercial litigation, including the representation of injured shareholders and consumers through the prosecution of class actions. Dan graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, Cum Laude, with a degree in Political Science in 1986. In 1989, Dan obtained his JD degree from Loyola of Los Angeles Law School. While attending Loyola, Dan served as Editor-in Chief, of the Loyola International and Comparative Law Journal. Dan was admitted to the State Bar of California upon graduation in 1989. He subsequently was admitted to the bar of the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, as well as the United States District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Central, and Southern Districts of California. Dan served as Governor of Junior State (1981-1982). Dan attended Davis Summer School in 1980 and Washington D.C. Summer School in 1981. Dan is married to Bonnie (Goldberg) Germain (Davis Summer School 1980) and is the father of two Summer School graduates.

Tor Gronborg

Trustee

Tor Gronborg is a Partner at Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, based in San Diego, CA, where he represents public and private pension funds and institutional investors in complex securities litigation.
Tor is a graduate of Torrey Pines High School, where he founded the JSA chapter and served as President. He served as Mayor of the Southern Empire Region, attended the Stanford University Summer School in 1985 and the Georgetown Summer School in 1986 and subsequently served as a counselor at the Georgetown Summer School. Tor received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and his law degree from Boalt Hall School of Law at University of California, Berkeley.

Karyn Dest Harrington

Trustee

Karyn Dest Harrington is currently Vice President for Strategic Communications at Coca-Cola North America. She has been at Coca-Cola since 2004 and has held a variety of management positions including Director of Public Affairs; Senior Manager of Public Policy Communications and Manager of Government Relations. Karyn began her professional career as a Congressional Page and then a TV reporter in both Missouri and Michigan. She has a Bachelors in Journalism from University of Missouri-Columbia and an MBA from the S.C. Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. She also holds a certificate in State and Local Government from The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Karyn is a JSA Alum from Georgetown Summer School 1995 and resides in Atlanta, Georgia.

Kellie Hawkins

Trustee

Kellie is an innovative and strategic health policy professional with over ten years of diverse experience in legislative affairs, community relations, policy development, and program management . Experienced in organizational leadership, she is currently Partner of Englander Knabe & Allen (EKA), a strategic communications firm specializing in government affairs, political campaigns, reputation and crisis communications, association management and litigation support. Kellie prides herself on being a visionary and strategic thinker with strong interpersonal and communication skills. In previous work, she has managed a national grantee program for the US Department of Health, as well as mid-sized city agencies in Los Angeles. During her time in these roles, she developed strategic plans, and created a stakeholder engagement strategy for local and national government programs. She is experienced in recruitment and engagement of volunteers, and successful in building relationships with philanthropy and corporations as well as securing financial support. Over the years, she has served on various non-profit and political boards.

Jennifer Bun Hayden

Trustee

Jennifer Bunn Hayden is a Senior Attorney at Southern California Edison. Ms. Hayden began her legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable Josephine Staton of the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Prior to law school, she was a Teach for America Corps Member in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she taught fifth grade. Ms. Hayden holds a BS from the Wharton School and a BA from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, a MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Nevada- Las Vegas, and a JD from Stanford Law School.

Ms. Hayden, a Los Angeles native, is a board member of Valiente College Preparatory Charter School in South Gate, CA and is an active member of the Junior State of America Alumni Association. Ms. Hayden was Governor of So-Cal State and Los Angeles Region Mayor during her time at West Torrance High School and attended Summer School at Stanford in 2000 and Georgetown in 2001.

Daniel Ingram

Trustee

Daniel Ingram is part of the Global Trade Marketing team at Anheuser-Busch InBev, responsible for draught beer projects and innovations, based in the New York and Belgium offices. He served as JSA New Jersey Region Mayor (2004-05) and Mid-Atlantic State Governor (2005-06) while a student at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Upon his high school graduation in 2006, he attended Johns Hopkins University. Daniel was a consultant with Deloitte in Washington, DC until moving to London, UK in 2014 to work for the non-profit, Teach First. He then completed his MBA with a focus in Operations and Marketing at The Wharton School in 2016. Daniel resides in New York City with his wife, Amanda.

Michael Linick

Trustee

Michael Linick is a retired Army Colonel with extensive experience in the areas of understanding and managing change in force structure, in force development and equipping processes, in understanding the Army as an institution, and in linking strategy to force requirements and capabilities.
Key positions included managing the Army’s Total Army Analysis process, managing the Army’s force structure and requirements demands as the Chief of Force Management in both OEF and OIF, and writing the Army’s first equipping strategy.

Currently Senior Defense Policy Analyst at RAND Corporation, he continues his emphasis on understanding the linkages between strategy, resources and organizational design.
A former Director of Debate in the SoCal Junior State, Linick graduated from El Camino Real High School in 1979.

Sergio Lopez

Trustee

Sergio Lopez is an author and civic leader. With a lifelong track record of public service, he currently serves as Councilmember for the City of Campbell. He is the son of two immigrants and, after attending public schools his whole life, was the first in his extended family to graduate from college. Over more than a decade, he has worked at all levels of government, from local politics to the White House, including drafting policy for Governor Gavin Newsom and Secretary Hillary Clinton. Previously he led organizing work for Rise, during which time it became the most successful legislative advocacy organization in modern history, and served as JSAF Director of Development. His work has been covered by the New York Times and Huffington Post, and he has been profiled by USA Today, Telemundo, and NBC Bay Area. A historian, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Campbell Historical Museum and has written two original book-length manuscripts on history and politics, while his writing has been published in the Sacramento Bee, Teen Vogue, and America magazine. Sergio Lopez graduated from Yale University with degrees in History and English and is pursuing his master’s at Duke Divinity School.

Mike McCurry

Trustee

Mike McCurry is a former chairman of the Junior Statesmen Foundation Board and a lifelong supporter of JSA since his time as a high school student when he was Governor of the Junior State in 1971-72. He served as Press Secretary to President Bill Clinton from 1995-98 after serving as the Spokesman at the U.S. State Department from 1993-94. He is now a Washington-based communications consultant and also serves as co-Chair of the Commission on Presidential Debates.

Lenny Mendonca

Trustee

Lenny Mendonca is a director emeritus (retired senior partner) from the Washington D.C. and San Francisco offices of McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm.

Lenny founded McKinsey’s U.S. state and local public sector practice. For many years Lenny led the Firm’s knowledge development efforts overseeing the McKinsey Global Institute and the Firm’s communications, which includes the McKinsey Quarterly, and served for a decade on the McKinsey Shareholder Council (its board of directors). His client work focused on service to public sector organizations, and over the course of his career he helped dozens of government, corporate, and nonprofit clients solve their most difficult management challenges.

Lenny is the Chair of Children Now, Co-Chair of California Forward, and founder and Chair of Fusecorps. He is the Chair Emeritus of the Bay Area Council and the Economic Institute of the Bay Area and was vice-chair of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council. He serves on the boards of The New America Foundation, The Committee for Economic Development, Common Cause, the Bay Area Science and Innovation Consortium, and The California Business for Educational Excellence Foundation. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Board of Trustees for Junior Statesmen of America.
He received his MBA and certificate in public management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He holds an AB, magna cum laude, in economics from Harvard College.

Lenny lives on the Half Moon Bay coast, south of San Francisco, with his wife and two daughters, where he is the founder and owner of the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company.

Scott Miller

Trustee

Starting his career in finance and operations management as a senior auditor and management consultant with Arthur Young & Co., Scott Miller performed and managed audits, including internal controls, and designed and implemented a variety of financial system.

As both a consultant and line operations manager, Scott has structured, implemented and maintained accounting and financial reporting systems, performed tax and treasury functions, coordinated corporate budgeting processes and obtain lines of credit. As co-founder and vice president of finance for a financial services firm, Scott managed all financial, sales and customer service functions, reporting systems, regulatory reporting, investor reporting, preparation and submission of tax returns as well as raising investment funds.

He also has helped finance, negotiate and manage contracts for offshore service projects involving foreign and domestic companies. As a consultant to Silicon Valley companies, ranging from successful start-ups to well-established high tech companies, Scott has developed and selected fully integrated, automated systems for financial and cost accounting, customer service, manufacturing and materials management.

Scott earned his master’s in business administration, emphasizing production management, at the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley and his bachelor’s of science in mechanical engineering and non-accounting major post-graduate certification from Northwestern University.

Jerry Newfarmer

Trustee

Jerry Newfarmer, retired President and CEO of Management Partners, a consulting firm helping government leaders improve how their organizations work. Prior to founding the company, Jerry served in public service positions with local governments in California and Ohio.

Jerry has counseled with local government leaders, elected and appointed executives alike, to help them solve problems and improve the effectiveness of their governments. With Management Partners, Jerry led a team of about 100 professionals to provide strategic and operational guidance for the leaders of many of the major cities and counties of the United States.

Jerry began his career with the city of Oakland, CA, where he served in a variety of management positions over a 10-year period, concluding as Assistant City Manager, the Chief Operating Officer role. Subsequent to his service in Oakland, Jerry served as the City Manager of the cities of Fresno, San Jose and Cincinnati. He also served as the leader of the State and Local Government Team in the National Performance Review. In addition to his public service, Jerry served as President of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

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Mr. Newfarmer is a graduate of San Jose State University with a degree in Business Administration. He received his Masters of Public Administration (with distinction) from the University of California at Berkeley. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy with the rank of Lieutenant after service on destroyers.

Mr. Newfarmer is a longtime supporter of Junior State of America. He attended JSA summer school in 1957, has served as board president, is a trustee member, chair of the audit committee, and strategic planning committee member.

He has also been active in professional organizations, as a member of International City/County Management Association, president of the California City/County Department of the League of California Cities, and as an active member of the Ohio and Florida managers associations. He has served as the Executive Director of the Large Cities Executive Forum, in which the top professionals in North America’s largest cities discuss matters of interest. He served as Chair of the ICMA Fund for Professional Management, and as President of the Charter Committee of Greater Cincinnati, and has received the ICMA designation as a Credentialed Manager. He is the immediate past president of the Seasongood Good Government Foundation Board.

June Thurber Paine

Trustee

Retiring from Southern California’s Temple City High School (TCHS) in 2006 after 33 years, June Thurber Paine taught English (both regular and honors) and U.S. History and coordinated the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Program, was teacher-on-special assignment for interdisciplinary instruction and was English Department chair.

June began her affiliation with Junior State of America as a chapter member at Monrovia High School in 1963-1964 and after beginning her teaching career in 1971, she became the Teacher Advisor (TA) for the TCHS JSA chapter. Following her retirement, she has continued to support TCHS JSA by assisting the TA and helping the students.

June has been an active member of the Junior State of America Foundation trustees and has served as a director since 2009. Through her connection with JSA and JSAF, she has become a supporter of the Montezuma Foundation and the training of TAs.

June has had a long involvement with The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens (“The Huntington”). While teaching at TCHS she obtained a grant for and was a leader in “The Dovetails,” a student docent program where TCHS students were trained and certified as docents for The Huntington for the Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and the Gold Rush Exhibits. In 2008, she became a docent at The Huntington for student tours on European art.

Bob Rapp

Trustee

Bob Rapp has spent his life working in new, difficult and different areas of the technology community. He’s a Global Vice President at IBM in the cloud business. He spent the last twenty-five years shaping innovative projects at the edge of computing for Microsoft, Vodafone, VMWare, and IBM in more than 150 countries. He was involved in Junior State in high school, college and as his first job – as an officer, attending the first DC summer school, as program director and summer school director for Yale and Georgetown – and as a trustee for many years. Bob lives with his wife Shari Smith and their two lovely dogs Dave and Ruby.

David Schellhase

Trustee

David Schellhase serves as General Counsel at Slack. He helped launch Peer.com, a Bay Area-based start-up that replaces traditional performance reviews with a smart-phone application that drives relevant and continuous peer feedback.

He’s the former General Counsel of Groupon and before that the EVP Legal of Salesforce.

He is the author of the Corporate Legal Department Handbook.
Schellhase has a JD from Cornell Law School and a B.A. from Columbia University. David is a Junior State alum from Berkeley who attended U.C. Davis Summer School in 1980. David worked as a JSA RA at UC Davis and in Washington D.C., both during the summer of 1984.

Maria Shim

Trustee

Maria Shim joined Google in 2005 and is currently a Director on the Corporate Development team, which is responsible for the evaluation, negotiation, and execution of Google’s mergers, acquisitions, and investments. She also leads outbound M&A initiatives and the Entrepreneurs@Google effort. Prior to this role, she joined Google as its first investor relations manager and was responsible for investor and analyst communications, building and maintaining Google’s relationships with shareholders as well as managing all investor events. During her tenure, she was the recipient of the first and second annual Google CFO Awards.

A native of San Francisco and a graduate of Lowell High School, Maria graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in economics and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
While in JSA, she served first as Director of Activities for the Northern State in fall of 1995, Assistant Convention Coordinator in the spring of 1996, and then won the election for Northern State Governor, serving from 1996-1997. She also served on the Board of Trustees the year that she was Governor.

Maria attended the UC Davis Symposium in 1995 and Georgetown Summer School in 1996. She was Assistant Speakers Program Director at Georgetown in 1997 and ran the Speakers Program at Stanford in 1998.

Mark Takano

Trustee

Mark Takano represents the people of Riverside, Moreno Valley, Jurupa Valley and Perris in the United States House of Representatives. He serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and as a member of the Education and Labor Committee.

Born and raised in Riverside, Mark’s commitment to public service began at an early age. His family roots in Riverside go back to his grandparents who, along with his parents, were removed from their respective homes and sent to Japanese American Internment camps during World War II. After the war, these two families settled in Riverside County to rebuild their lives. Mark attended La Sierra High School in the Alvord Unified School District, and in 1979 he graduated as the school’s valedictorian. Mark was introduced to JSA in 1976. He went to event at a high school across town hosted by a chapter there that featured Steve Ford, Gerald Ford’s son. He later formed a chapter at La Sierra High School in 1977 and attended JSA Summer school at UC Davis the following year. Mark served as Lt. Governor in what was then the California Junior State and would preside over a constitutional convention that would rename the organization The Junior Statesmen of America.

Mark attended Harvard College and received his bachelor’s degree in Government in 1983. Upon graduation, Mark returned home to Riverside and began teaching in the Rialto Unified School District in 1988. In 1990, Mark was elected to the Riverside Community College District’s Board of Trustees. At RCC, Mark worked with Republicans and Democrats to improve higher education for young people and job training opportunities for adults seeking to learn a new skill or start a new career. He was elected Board President in 1991 and helped the Board and the District gain stability and direction amid serious fiscal challenges. In 2012, Mark became the first openly gay person of color to be elected to Congress.

Thom Taylor

Trustee

Thom Taylor received his BA at UC Berkeley, then attended the American Film Institute, where he began writing for trade publications (such as Variety, Movieline, and Millimeter). Drawing on his early background in film journalism, Taylor and his wife Melinda co-wrote the book “Digital Cinema” as a follow-up to Taylor’s first book, “The Big Deal: Hollywood’s Million-Dollar Spec Script Market,” an analysis of the stories-behind-the-stories of landmark screenplay sales throughout the 1990s.

Thom started his finance career at Credit Suisse First Boston after receiving his MBA from the University of Southern California. Since 2002, Thom Taylor has been managing investments for individuals, non-profits, and small to mid-sized corporations. Prior to establishing Del Rey Capital, he was a Vice President at Morgan Stanley. Thom has built a substantial business through customizing portfolios at the individual, family, and group level.

Thom was re-elected and currently is serving his second term on the board of the Del Rey Neighborhood Council, in West L.A. He has served as an advisor to the Sarah Jones Film Foundation, to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s After-School All-Stars, and has volunteered on numerous political campaigns at the local, state, and national level. Thom was introduced to the Junior State by Ambassador John Emerson and Ambassador Frank Baxter. Thom has been a JSA supporter for a number of years and looks forward to using his substantial entertainment and business connections to support the work of the Foundation.

Anna Waggener

Trustee

Anna Waggener is a Senior Product Manager at Amazon within Worldwide Returns, Recommerce, and Sustainability. Here, she brings diverse teams together to deliver products and features that improve the experience of Amazon customers, sellers, vendors, and return center team members. Waggener is an alumna of Macalester College and holds an MBA from the Yale School of Management. She spent the first part of her career as a nonprofit fundraiser, including writing and developing campaign strategies for Northwestern University’s direct appeals team. She is a former JSA staff member, having worked on the development team from 2013-2016. Her partner is a former JSA Director of Debate for Southern California (2006-08).

Alex Weingarten

Trustee

Alex Weingarten is a Partner with national law firm Venable LLP. Mr. Weingarten represents clients in all facets of business, probate and entertainment litigation.

Alex has been named as one of the Top 20 Attorneys under the age of 40 in California by the Daily Journal and selected as a Southern California Super Lawyer for 2014 and a Southern California Super Lawyers Rising Star every year from 2008 through 2013. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley and the Georgetown University Law Center.

In addition to his role with JSA, Alex is a member of the National Young Leadership Cabinet of the Jewish Federations of North America, the Bet Tzedek New Leadership Council and is a Judge Pro Tempore with the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

As a student at University High School in Los Angeles, Alex served as the Southern California Speaker for JSA, attended the JSA Summer Schools at Stanford and Georgetown and the JSA Symposium at USC. As a college student, Alex served as a counselor at the Stanford Summer School in 1993.
Alex lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Heather, and their two children.

Jodi Wiseley

Chief Executive Officer
Email: jwiseley@jsa.org
Phone: (510) 788-5307

John Absher is honored to give back to JSA because of the dramatic effect it had on his life. He grew up in a small town in Eastern Kentucky. His experience at the 1999 Stanford Summer School opened his mind to people, ideas, and opportunities that he did not know before. He later received his BA in History from Harvard University, and his JD from Tulane Law School.

John is now a private-practice real estate and business attorney in Austin, Texas. His practice is a natural application of his experience managing retail businesses and real estate on behalf of his family in Kentucky. He takes pride in giving practical advice to other business owners and making no-nonsense arguments in the way he first learned at Stanford Summer School.

One of John’s passions is to bring JSA to rural communities like his hometown. He hopes that young students like him can attend JSA Summer Schools and have experiences that drive them to great accomplishments.

Andee Steinman

Chief of Staff
Email: asteinman@jsa.org
Phone: (510) 788-5245

Andee joined Junior State of America in January of 2020 as Senior Program Director for Southern California. Andee was a passionate JSA Teacher Advisor for ten years at Palm Valley School in the Palm Springs area, where she also served as Head of Upper School. She taught ten different social studies courses to students from 6th-12th grade in her 15 years of educational experience. Prior to transitioning into education, Andee worked in local, regional, and national politics.

In addition to her work with JSA, Andee is the Founder and President of the College Admissions Partnership, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing quality college admissions guidance to underserved students in the Coachella Valley.

Andee started her own educational experience at College of the Desert where she served as the Vice President of the Associated Students, and was honored at the annual Women’s History Month celebration for her work in transforming the campus’s aging library into a Student Center. She later transferred to and earned her BA from UCLA in Political Science with an emphasis in American Government. In 2019, Andee completed her Doctorate in Education and Administration at UCLA.

Born in Los Angeles, Andee grew up in the great state of Alaska. She and her husband James later returned to Southern California where they currently reside. If you follow her on Instagram, you will see that beyond her passion for JSA and student activism, she is an avid knitter and cook.

Colette Ankenman

Director of Programs
Email: cankenman@jsa.org
Phone: (510) 788-5242

Colette joined Junior State of America in 2020. She has over a decade of experience in youth development and community engagement at various non-profits, non-formal educational organizations, and schools. Her roles have included: facilitator, mentor, teacher, community partner, student, coordinator, and researcher. She has had the opportunity to facilitate and teach service-learning and community engagement from elementary school to post-secondary education in school and out-of-school programming.

Colette’s personal early experience with community engagement in middle and high school was extremely transformative and shaped her education and career path. These community engagement opportunities lead her to found a non-profit, Baragwanath Blessings Inc., while in high school which she continues to run today. Colette is excited to join the JSA team and support youth in making a positive impact on local and global communities.

Colette was born and raised in the Bay Area. She has a Master’s of Science Degree in Child Development from UC Davis and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Human Development & Family Studies and Consumer & Community Studies from the University of Utah. Colette is also continuing her studies pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Saint Mary’s College of California. Her main areas of study and research are youth service-learning and community engagement, which align strongly with JSA’s work.

Tyler Morningstar

Director of Development
Email: tmorningstar@jsa.org
Phone: (619) 928-8299

Tyler Morningstar joined Junior State of America (JSA) as director of development in July 2022. As a member of the leadership team, Tyler is the frontline fundraiser responsible for leading major gift strategies, from identification through stewardship, and connecting the interests of donors with the needs of JSA. Tyler brings 7 years of experience leading fundraising efforts for students in K-12 international schools and at the University of California San Diego. He also brings 8 years of experience as an international social studies teacher where he served as Model United Nations advisor to student delegates in Athens, Greece.

Tyler has lived and worked as a collaborative fundraiser and educator in the U.S., Canada, Japan, The Republic of Panama, and The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He has studied in 3 countries and holds B.A.s in Geopolitics and Social Science and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. He has visited nearly 40 countries and discovered many more cultures and viewpoints in his travels. An avid learner and world traveler, Tyler brings a unique and global perspective to leadership and civics and honing the skills of a sound global citizen.

Tyler currently lives in San Diego with his wife and daughter and enjoys running outside while listening to podcasts and books.

Eliana Rodriguez

Director of Marketing & Communications
Email: erodriguez@jsa.org
Phone: (202) 591-3733

Eliana Rodriguez joined Junior State of America (JSA) as director of marketing & communications in April 2022. As a member of the leadership team, Eliana is responsible for developing marketing and communications strategies to advance the mission and impact of JSA. Those strategies include public relations, content marketing, website, advertising, and digital. Eliana brings over 12 years of experience leading the marketing and communications efforts for national and local nonprofits in San Antonio, TX. She has held positions at the Texas Research & Technology Foundation, San Antonio Botanical Garden, San Antonio Area Foundation, and NALCAB—National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders. Eliana is an active and founding board member of Promesa Academy Charter School, a public school delivering high-quality education rooted in equity, love, and innovation to one of San Antonio’s most underserved communities. Eliana is bilingual and received her B.A. in Communications Arts from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, TX.

Ed Banayat

Senior Program Officer, U.S. Territories & Free Associated States
Email: ebanayat@jsa.org
Phone:(650) 544-7334

Ed Banayat is a Senior Program Officer for the U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States.

Originally from Elk Grove, CA, he was the Chapter President of the Elk Grove High School JSA Chapter. He has worn many hats in his professional career, from matching funds auditing for presidential campaigns, working as a Marketing Director for Kaplan, Inc. to small business consulting. Prior to JSA, he was the President/CEO of the Millbrae Chamber of Commerce.
Ed received his B.A. in Political Science from UC Santa Barbara and an MBA from Notre Dame de Namur University. He likes to travel and enjoy the outdoors with his two dogs Parker and Juneau.

Uday Sharad Joshi

State Director, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast
Email: ujoshi@jsa.org
Phone: (650) 544-7334

Uday Sharad Joshi joined JSA in February 2023 as State Director for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast state regions. In this role, Uday supports student leaders and teacher advisors in planning and implementing JSA’s annual conventions and educational programming.

Previously, Uday has held positions with the Old Town School of Folk Music, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Alameda County Office of Education, and the Oakland School for the Arts. Additionally, he co-chaired the Education Committee for Project Enrich, a nonprofit arts collaborative dedicated to equity and inclusion for Chicago’s BIPOC youth communities. Uday is a TNTP Baltimore City Teaching Fellow, Kennedy Center Arts Management Institute Fellow, and an Americans for the Arts Emerging Leaders Scholar. He holds a Master’s in Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor’s in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University. Uday is passionate about empowering new generations for social change and impact. He is also an artist and performer.

Kiki Michelbacher

State Director, SoCal and Pacific Northwest
Email: kmichelbacher@jsa.org
Phone: (510) 754-9444

Kiki Michelbacher joined Junior State of America in November 2023 as State Director for Southern California and the Pacific Northwest. In this role, Kiki is responsible for helping to usher in a new generation of civic leaders. She supports student leaders and teacher advisors in developing meaningful civic education programming, helps to implement JSA’s annual conventions and works to engage a wide variety of politically passionate youth.

Prior to joining JSA, Kiki held positions with IGNITE National and numerous nonprofits with a shared mission of addressing recidivism. In each position Kiki has held, her mission has remained the same—investing in youth and ensuring everyone has access to a dignified human experience. Kiki is hoping to use her experience advocating for youth impacted by the justice system and her passion for youth leadership to help enrich her partnerships with JSA student leaders.

Kiki holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law and American Civilization from Towson University. As a dancer herself, Kiki is passionate about the arts and hopes to find ways to bridge that with her mission to contribute to comprehensive criminal justice reform.

Simon Muturi

Controller
Email: smuturi@jsa.org
Phone: (510) 788-5235

Simon Muturi serves as Controller at JSA. He has been with the organization for over a decade and has held various roles within JSA. In his current position as Controller, Simon is responsible for overseeing the organization’s daily accounting and financial operations, including accounts payable and receivables, audit performance, and producing financial reports. Simon holds bachelor’s degrees in Accounting, Corporate Management, and Taxation from California State University. He also has other key CRM accreditations. Before joining JSA, Simon worked with several internationally recognized nonprofit organizations overseas and locally. In his spare time, Simon enjoys crafting, biking, reading, word games, and volunteering in organizations that serve the community.

Brittani Richardson

State Director, Midwest and Ohio River Valley
Email: brichardson@jsa.org
Phone:(510) 754-2591

Brittani Richardson joined Junior State of America (JSA) in October 2023 as State Director for the Midwest and Ohio River Valley. In this role, Brittani supports student leaders and teacher advisors in planning and implementing JSA’s annual conventions and educational programming. She is hoping to use her over 15 years of experience as an educator to promote youth-adult partnerships.

Prior to joining JSA, Brittani was a high school English teacher in Corona-Norco Unified School District and Riverside Unified School District. During this time, she served as a class council advisor, Puente teacher, Umoja program coordinator, and 10th-grade team lead. She also previously worked at The Princeton Review as an SAT prep teacher and tutor.

Brittani holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a Single-Subject Teaching Credential from the University of California, Riverside. Brittani is passionate about her family, personal and professional growth, and fostering and supporting student leadership.

Emily Slater

Development Associate
Email: erodriguez@jsa.org
Phone: (202) 591-3733

Emily joined Junior State of America as Development Associate in April of 2023. Emily comes to JSA with a background in nonprofit development and fundraising. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.A. in English, she worked at Seedling, a Central Texas nonprofit that leads a school-based mentoring program for children who have an incarcerated parent. Emily is passionate about working for organizations that have a youth-focused mission and give the next generation the resources they need to succeed in the future. Outside of work, Emily loves to cook, read, and volunteer at her local animal shelter.

Zhuai Wu

Accounting Clerk
Email: zwu@jsa.org
Phone: (510) 588-5238

Zhuai joined JSA in 2017. She was born in China and lived in Hong Kong for several years. She brings a different perspective to the working environment. She graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor degree in Accounting.

Zhuai is very passionate about giving back to the community, and she loves volunteering and helping elderly with their daily cooking/ grocery shopping. In her free time, she likes going to movies and doing yoga/ aerobic exercise. Due to Covid-19 social distancing, she discovered that gardening has been fun and rewarding.

Arnuv B.

Governor of Mid-Atlantic

Arnuv B. is a member of Junior State of America’s (JSA) Council of Governors. He represents the JSA Mid-Atlantic State (MAS) region and is a senior at Edison Academy Magnet School. As the JSA MAS Governor, Arnuv is responsible for managing debate, public relations, activism, and conventions within the state.
Arnuv has been an active JSA member of his high school chapter since 2020. He joined JSA because of his long-standing interest in debate and leadership. During his time at JSA, Arnuv has held several roles serving as his chapter’s president and his region’s chief of staff. He has been recognized with numerous state Best Speaker awards and currently serves as the Council of Governors’ vice chair.

Outside JSA, Arnuv is actively involved in soccer, both as a fan and a player, and Model United Nations. He is passionate about making a difference in youth civic engagement, one of the main focuses of JSA itself. Arnuv looks forward to attending college and earning a degree in engineering.

Soham G.

Governor of Ohio River Valley

Soham G. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) Council of Governors (CoG) and serves as its secretary. He represents the JSA Ohio River Valley (ORV) region and is a New Albany High School senior. As the JSA ORV Governor, Soham is responsible for managing all major initiatives in the ORV state, leading the cabinet, and creating a plan for the state’s future. Furthermore, as Council of Governors Secretary, Soham facilitates discussion while developing documentation and notes for the council.

Soham has been an active JSA member of his high school chapter since 2021. He joined JSA because he wanted to contribute to the civic discourse and discussion of the youth. He loved public speaking and policy, so he joined an organization that stands on the pillars of debate and activism. At JSA, Soham has held several roles, serving as New Albany activism director, Winter Congress chair, Winter Congress equity council, ORV convention specialist, ORV convention coordinator, and now governor and CoG secretary. He has been recognized with multiple best speaker awards.

Outside JSA, Soham is actively involved in DublinTOP Inc. (a regional nonprofit), basketball, Taekwondo, and others. He is passionate about making a difference in technology ethics because he has a deep interest in the individual fields and is even more interested in exploring the intersection of both. Soham looks forward to attending college and earning a computer science or data science degree.

Maia G.

Governor of Northeast

Maia G. is a member of the Junior State of America (JSA) Council of Governors and serves as its chair. She represents the JSA Northeast State (NES) region and is a senior at Staples High School. As the JSA NES Governor, Maia is responsible for organizing the Council of Governors, leading her state, and acting as the bridge between the national cabinet and the Council of Governors.
Maia has been an active JSA member of her high school chapter since 2020. She had always wanted to be part of JSA since she had first heard about it from a friend in another school. While at JSA, Maia has held several roles, including chapter president, NES director of logistics, and NES lieutenant governor.
Outside of JSA, Maia is actively involved in her local government, serving as the student representative on the prevention coalition and the Rowan Center’s student representative. She also works as a camp counselor throughout the summer. She is passionate about making a difference in special needs education; as a special needs counselor, she wants to increase their resources and access. Maia looks forward to the year to come, and she is very excited to work with all the other amazing governors and every other member.

Amir K.

Governor of Southern California

Amir K. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) Council of Governors. He represents the JSA Southern California (SoCal) region and is a senior at Temple City High School. As the JSA SoCal Governor, Amir oversees a cabinet of roughly 100 members to lead the largest state in the JSA Nation.
Amir has been an active JSA member of his high school chapter since freshman year. He learned about JSA in middle school through a partnership with his then-future high school chapter. Amir joined JSA during COVID and he was quickly addicted to the vibrance of JSA’s delegates and the discussions of urgent issues that did not disappoint with the transition to in-person events. Amir has held several roles serving as a party councilmember, angeles region senator, and deputy director of expansion. He has been recognized for passing record legislation as a senator and as expansion’s most productive member during his time in the department.

Outside JSA, Amir is actively involved in Temple City’s Youth Committee, Temple City Unified School District, and California High School Democrats. Throughout the past few years, he has interned with Congresswoman Judy Chu, California State Senator Anthony Portantino, and California Assemblymember Mike Fong, building an impressive repertoire of experience in government. He is passionate about making a difference by increasing youth civic engagement because he believes in the importance of engaging in community organizing and the positive impact of such actions. Amir looks forward to attending college and earning a degree in political science.

Jeff L.

Governor of Pacific Northwest

Jeff L. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) Council of Governors. He represents the JSA Pacific Northwest region and is a senior at Liberty High School. As the JSA PNW Governor, Jeff oversees his state cabinet to plan conventions, expand the state, and ensure everything runs smoothly. He also works with the National Director of Chapter Affairs, ensuring chapters get the support they need and working with other departments to do so.

Jeff has been an active JSA member of his high school chapter since 2020. He joined JSA because he wanted a club to practice debating and to make an impact on his community. During his time at JSA, Jeff has held several roles, serving as Liberty’s chapter vice president and greater Pacific region mayor. He has been recognized with best speaker awards, hailed as the best rap debater, and has had a song produced by supporters about him during his JSA campaign.

Jeff is actively involved in his high school swim team and DECA chapter outside JSA. He is passionate about making a difference in educational opportunity because he’s personally experienced the difference a quality education can make. Jeff looks forward to attending college and earning a degree in economics with a minor in data science.

Kristine A.

National Director of Grant Writing

Kristine, A. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) National Cabinet. She represents the JSA Ohio River Valley (ORV) region and is a senior at Olentangy Liberty High School. As the JSA National Director of Grant Writing, Kristine is responsible for researching and securing grants and scholarships for JSA.

Kristine has been an active JSA member of her high school chapter since 2021. She joined JSA because she wanted to immerse herself in world affairs and democracy. During her time at JSA, Kristine has held several roles serving as chapter director of publicity, chapter president, and ORV director of technology. She has been recognized as an OSU Humanities & Cognitive Science Scholar, National Honor Society, and National English Honor Society member.

Outside of JSA, Kristine is actively involved in Student Council, Yearbook committee, Diversity Club, and she writes for her local newspaper. She is passionate about making a difference in domestic violence awareness because it affects people regardless of gender or economic status. Kristine looks forward to attending college and earning a degree in journalism.

Aditya B.

National Co-Director of Debate

Aditya B. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) National Cabinet. He represents the JSA Mid-Atlantic State (MAS) region and is a senior at the Edison Academy Magnet School. As one of JSA’s National Directors of Debate, Aditya is responsible for crafting impactful resolutions, enhancing debate quality nationwide, and collecting data on prevalent political ideologies in students across the US.

Aditya has been an active JSA member of his high school chapter since 2020. He joined JSA because of his ardent interest in current affairs and political discourse. During his time at JSA, Aditya has held several roles serving as vice president of his school’s chapter and a director of debate for the Mid-Atlantic State. He has been recognized with several Best Speaker awards and has extensive experience moderating at conventions.

Outside of JSA, Aditya is actively involved in volunteering as a docent at his local museum and playing soccer for his school. He is passionate about making a difference in environmental conservation because he believes that preserving our planet’s natural resources is vital for future generations. Aditya looks forward to attending college and earning a degree in computer science.

Sara F.

National Co-Director of Fundraising

Sara F. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) National Cabinet. She represents the JSA Mid-Atlantic State (MAS) region and is a senior at Freehold Township High School. As one of JSA’s National Directors of Fundraising, Sara is responsible for executing initiatives to raise money for JSA’s national funds which are granted back to the state, chapter, and individual level.

Sara has been an active JSA member of her high school chapter since 2020. She joined JSA because of her love for debate as well as learning more about political and social advocacy. During her time at JSA, Sara has held several roles serving as a Mid-Atlantic State fundraising agent, the New Jersey region director of fundraising, and as a co-president in her chapter. She has been recognized as a Montezuma Leadership Summit representative, a HOBY representative for her school, and is a research assistant for a Cornell Honors Program student.

Outside of JSA, Sara is actively involved in cross country, track, speech and debate, Generation Ratify, and Habitat for Humanity. She is passionate about making a difference in women’s rights and health due to the regressions in the cause despite women’s fight for equality. Sara looks forward to attending college and earning a degree in international relations/diplomacy.

Abhinav G.

National Director of Technology

Abhinav G. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) National Cabinet. He represents the JSA Mid-Atlantic State (MAS) region and is a senior at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North. As the JSA National Director of Technology, Abhi is responsible for overseeing technology initiatives and projects across the country.

Abhi has been an active JSA member of his high school chapter since 2021. He joined JSA because he has a genuine passion for leadership and civic engagement, which he seeks to pursue in a later point of his life. During his time at JSA, Abhi has held several roles serving as the New Jersey Region (NJR) director of technology and the NJR mayoral chief of staff. He has been recognized with multiple Best Speaker awards.

Outside of JSA, Abhi is actively involved in robotics, class council, and soccer (both as a player and as an avid Bayern Munich fan). He is passionate about making a difference in data assimilation because he’s interested in the future implications of machine learning and AI on people’s everyday lives. Abhi looks forward to attending college and earning a degree in computer science.

Serah J.

National Co-Director of Debate

Serah J. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) National Cabinet. She represents the JSA Pacific Northwest (PNW) region and is a senior at the International School of Beaverton. As the JSA National Director of Debate, Serah is responsible for delivering national resolutions to JSA regions and planning national conferences with the help of her co-director.

Serah has been an active JSA member of her high school chapter since 2020. She joined JSA because of a preexisting interest in debate and activism. During her time at JSA, Serah has held several roles serving as a debate agent, the PNW director of debate, and president of her school chapter. She has been recognized with over 12 Best Speaker awards, the Journalistic Learning Institute’s Commentary Award for 2023, President’s Award, the student advisor for her school and district, and the IB Profile Award for Thinker.

Outside of JSA, Serah is actively involved in track and field. She is passionate about making a difference in the civil liberties of incarcerated people because of personal connection to the conflict and aspirations to become a criminal defense lawyer. Serah looks forward to attending college and earning a degree in political science and international relations.

Vishaal K.

National Director of Chapter Internal Affairs

Vishaal K. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) National Cabinet. He represents the JSA SoCal region and is a senior at Arnold O. Beckman High School. As the JSA National Director of Chapter Internal Affairs, Vishaal is responsible for overseeing and managing the hundreds of chapters across the nation. Some of his duties include supporting chapter presidents, processing convention registration, promoting chapter growth and increasing the number of involved students, and collaborating with other National Cabinet departments to provide new resources and programs for JSA students.

Vishaal has been an active JSA member of his high school chapter since 2020. He joined JSA because he sought ways to become involved in politics and was enamored by the passion he saw in every student. During his time at JSA, Vishaal has held several roles serving as an SER Region Senator, SoCal Chapter Convention Coordinator, and SoCal Director of Chapter Affairs. He has been recognized a number of times, including dozens of best speaker gavels and an award for exemplary bill writing.

Outside of JSA, Vishaal is actively involved in debate, mock trial, and other outlets of political expression; in his free time, he enjoys cooking, singing, traveling, and chasing sunsets. He is passionate about making a difference in expanding access to educational resources, specifically in debate and public speaking, having experienced the plethora of benefits that one receives from participating in the activity. He hopes to empower a new generation of students to discover the potency of their voices and utilize them to promote positive change through his nonprofit organization, Debate 4 All. Vishaal looks forward to attending college and earning a degree in political science, economics, and/or business administration.

Michelle L.

National Chief of Staff

Michelle L. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) National Cabinet. She represents the JSA Ohio River Valley (ORV) region and is a senior at Farragut High School. As the JSA National Cabinet Chief of Staff, Michelle is responsible for working closely with the Council of Governors to manage all of National Cabinet as a whole.

Michelle has been an active JSA member of her high school chapter since 2021. She joined JSA because of her passion for public speaking, current events, and the opportunity to engage with diverse perspectives. During her time at JSA, Michelle has held several roles, serving as the Ohio River Valley director of expansion, expansion specialist, and as an officer of her chapter. She has been recognized with numerous Best Speaker awards, served as the Winter Congress party chair, and was selected to attend the 2022 JSA Montezuma Leadership Summit.

Outside of JSA, Michelle is actively involved in her community, providing free tennis lessons for kids and holding positions as her school’s student body president and on the town’s education relations committee. She also enjoys playing violin in the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra. With a strong dedication to ensuring a safe and equitable educational environment, Michelle is passionate about making a positive impact on our youth. She looks forward to attending college and studying in the fields of public policy and economics. Michelle feels incredibly grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with bright minds nationwide and effect meaningful change in JSA and beyond.

Kasey L.

National Director of Activism

Kasey L. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) National Cabinet. She represents the JSA Southern California (SoCal) region and is a senior at Sunny Hills High School. As the JSA National Director of Activism, she is responsible for organizing the annual Be the Vote campaign, coordinating the Political Pen Pal system, leading the state directors of activism from the various regions within JSA, and planning monthly activism initiatives for members from across the country.

Kasey has been an active JSA member of her high school chapter since 2020. She joined JSA because she wanted to become more civically engaged and explore youth involvement in politics. During her time at JSA, Kasey has held several roles serving as her chapter’s director of fundraising and her state’s regional director of activism and senator. She has been recognized with Best Speaker awards and the Best Committee Chair award at JSA’s Southern California Winter Congress 2023.

Outside of JSA, Kasey is actively involved in Key Club, California High School Democrats, and Echo Initiative. She is passionate about spreading awareness of the injustices that elderly immigrants face because they often lack the necessary platform to voice their challenges and advocate for themselves. Kasey looks forward to attending college and earning a degree in political science and pursuing law after graduating.

Sumedha M.

National Director of Activities

Sumedha M. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) National Cabinet. She represents the JSA Texas (TX) region and is a senior at Carnegie Vanguard High School. As the JSA National Director of Activities, Sumedha is responsible for serving as a liaison between State summer program directors and JSA staff members, and playing an integral role in informing JSA delegates of the opportunities that JSA summer institutes and online JSA programs provide. On behalf of the National Cabinet, she also closely coordinates with state convention organizers across the country.

Sumedha has been an active JSA member of her high school chapter since 2020. She joined JSA because she is very passionate about public speaking, activism, and politics, which are all a huge part of JSA. During her time at JSA, Sumedha has held several roles serving as chapter treasurer, chapter vice president, Texas Gulf Coast region senator, and Texas deputy director of fundraising. She has been recognized with the International Diana Award for her community service, is a Citgo Distinguished Scholar for Leadership, and has received 2nd prize in the National Coolidge Cup Speech and Declamation Contest.

Outside of JSA, Sumedha has founded the Bellaire Youth Council and is actively involved in Amnesty International, High School Democrats of America, and March for Our Lives. She is passionate about making a difference in policy policy because she believes that a society can progress in the true sense only when appropriate frameworks exist that ensure inclusivity, uniformity and rewards for industry. Sumedha looks forward to attending college and earning a degree in political science.

Misha P.

National Director of of Expansion

Misha P. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) National Cabinet. She is a part of the JSA Mid-Atlantic State (MAS) region and is a senior at Edison Academy Magnet School. As the JSA National Director of Expansion, Misha is responsible for overseeing the formation, sustainment, and growth of JSA chapters across the nation.

Misha P. has been an active JSA member of her high school chapter since 2020. She joined JSA for its emphasis on civic engagement and activism initiatives. During her time at JSA, Misha has held several roles serving as a chapter internal affairs agent, director of expansion, and chapter president. She has been recognized with multiple Best Speaker awards.

Outside of JSA, Misha enjoys playing soccer and finding new ways to engage with her community. She is passionate about fostering environments for discussion because she believes this is central to fighting political apathy. Misha looks forward to attending college and pursuing the biomedical or health sciences.

Ethan R.

National Director of Publicity

Ethan R. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) National Cabinet. He represents the JSA Southern California (SoCal) region and is a senior at La Canada High School. As the JSA National Director of Publicity, Ethan is responsible for leading nationwide social media, marketing, and media efforts.
Ethan has been an active JSA member of his high school chapter since 2021. He joined JSA because he was interested in finding a space for debate that emphasizes compromise and open discussion. During his time at JSA, Ethan has held several roles serving as a state convention coordinator and as his chapter’s co-president. He has been recognized with Best Speaker awards and has led various advocacy workshops in partnership with JSA.

Outside of JSA, Ethan is actively involved in debate, fencing, and student journalism. He is passionate about making a difference in the world of media and believes that we cannot create a productive democracy without solving the hyper-polarization and bias within our mass communications. Ethan looks forward to attending college and earning a degree in American Studies. 

Ian R.

Governor of Midwest

Ian R. is a member of the Junior State of America’s (JSA) Council of Governors. Ian represents the JSA Midwest region, which includes the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and the western half of Indiana.