Leadership and Staff

Independent Sector is run by a talented staff, experienced Board of Directors, and a remarkable group of diverse changemakers.

Team Members

Board of Directors

Team Members

Dr. Akilah Watkins

President and CEO

Jeffrey Moore

Chief Strategy Officer

Jennifer Mellen

Vice President of Institutional Advancement

Michael Bochnovic

Chief of Staff

Dr. Rashid Mosley

Vice President of Programs

Rick Robinson

Chief Operating Officer

Aida Gueye

Director, People and Culture

Ben Kershaw

Director, Public Policy and Government Relations

Danese White

Senior Staff Accountant

Debra Rainey

Manager, Communications

Edom Alagaw

Executive Assistant

Elyse Harrington

Director, Operations and Administration

Emily Rogers

Manager, Policy Research

Hannah Freedman

Senior Associate, Digital Content and Engagement

Dr. Heather MacIndoe

Visiting Scholar 2023-2024, University of Massachusetts Boston

Jess Payton

Manager, Database

Jessi Mitrovich

Associate, Marketing and Communications

Dr. Kevin Miller

Director, Research and Policy Analysis

Mankaa Ngwa-Suh

Manager, Conference and Events Programs

Manuel Gomez

Manager, Public Policy

Michelle Vallar

Manager, Conference and Events Logistics

Nancy Barry

Manager, Special Initiatives, Public Policy

Neisha McGee

Manager, Advocacy, Engagement & Mobilization

Nina Ford

Director, Strategic Communications and Public Relations

Raynice Day

Associate, Programs and Policy

Rhea Ilagan

Director, Finance

Stuart Hewitt

Manager, Partnerships

Travis Swanson

Manager, Government Relations

Andrea Risotto

Vice President of Communications

Board of Directors

Rev. Adam Russell Taylor

President, Sojourners

Ann Mei Chang

CEO, Candid

Fred Blackwell

CEO, San Francisco Foundation (Chair)

Hilary Pennington

Executive Vice President for Programs, Ford Foundation

Jen Ford Reedy

President, Bush Foundation (Treasurer)

Dr. John Brothers

President, T. Rowe Price Foundation and President of T. Rowe Price Charitable

Julie Gehrki

Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Walmart Foundation

Lysa Ratliff

CEO, KABOOM!

Dr. Manuel Pastor

Distinguished Professor, Equity Research Institute, University of Southern California

Michael McAfee

President & CEO, PolicyLink (Secretary)

Nicole Anderson

AVP Social Innovation and President, AT&T Foundation

Phoebe Boyer

President and CEO, Children’s Aid

Sarah Kastelic

Executive Director, National Indian Child Welfare Association (Vice Chair)

Sonya Campion

President, Campion Advocacy Fund

Suzanne McCormick

President and CEO, YMCA

Our Community

Independent Sector leadership and staff are deeply collaborative with individuals and organizations across the social good space.

Cookie	Duration	Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional	11 months	The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance	11 months	This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy	11 months	The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Leadership and Staff

Our Community

Sign Up For Our Emails