Democracy Forward

About Us

Our Team

Our team of experienced lawyers and effective communicators challenge abuses of power that undermine good government, support advocates engaged in transformative work, and expose overlooked threats to democracy.

Skye Perryman

President and CEO

Laura Aguilar

Democracy 2025 Legal Fellow

Gaby Alvarado

Senior Digital Strategist

Laura Arandes

Deputy Managing Attorney

Amahree Archie

Press Secretary

Schuyler Asman

Director of Operations

Armond Baboomian

Chief of Staff and Operations & Deputy General Counsel

Dhanya Babu

Democracy 2025 Associate

Katherine Carranza Bahena

Content Strategist 

Will Bardwell

Senior Counsel

Brooke Bartschat

Policy and Public Affairs Associate

Kristin Bateman

Senior Counsel

Jacob Bernard

Deputy Press Secretary

Diana Blanco

Executive Assistant

Jake Blaut

Program & Special Projects Coordinator

Pooja Boisture

Senior Counsel

Andrew Bookbinder

Legal Fellow

Jason Bounds

Litigation Paralegal

Steven Bressler

Senior Legal Advisor

Toby Cain

Organizing Director for Civil Service Strong

Dawn Canady

Paralegal Case Manager

Catherine Carroll

Senior Legal Advisor

Gloria Chan

Senior Video and Digital Content Strategist

Maria Fernanda Chanduvi

Senior Communications Manager

Sunu Chandy

Senior Advisor

Natasha Chisholm

Legal Assistant

Nyaruach Chuol

Litigation Paralegal

Katherine Clugg

Research Assistant

Jennifer Fountain Connolly

Senior Legal Advisor

Christine Coogle

Counsel

Ryan Cooper

Senior Counsel

Julie Couchman

Director of Marketing & Special Projects

Anna Deffebach

Senior Counsel

Astrid Dorélien

Civil Service Fellows Program Director

Anashua Dutta

Senior Staff Attorney

Orlando Economos

Senior Staff Attorney

Mari Faines

Manager of External Affairs and Coalitions

Carrie Flaxman

Senior Legal Advisor

Hannah Flom

Director of Digital Strategy

Rachel Fried

Senior Counsel

Kevin Friedl

Senior Counsel

Emily Froude

Research Analyst

Sophie Gelber

Legal Fellow

Aman George

Senior Counsel

Lydia Gerike

Senior Content Strategist

Aleshadye Getachew

Senior Counsel

Bradley Girard

Senior Counsel

Maddy Gitomer

Senior Counsel

Sarah Goetz

Senior Counsel

Kaitlyn Golden

Senior Counsel

Elena Goldstein

Legal Director

David Graham-Caso

Associate Director of Communications

Juanita Greenfield

Senior Litigation Paralegal

Steven Guillen

Senior Litigation Paralegal

Tyler Hare

Graphic Designer

Rachel Hayden

Senior Advisor to the President

Darcey Hayes

Director of Finance

Steven Hemingway

Operations Associate

Cortney Robinson Henderson

Senior Counsel

Hanna Hickman

Senior Counsel

Anisha Hindocha

Oversight Attorney

Rachel Homer

Director of Democracy 2025 & Senior Attorney

Jennifer Horowitz

Research Analyst

Tsuki Hoshijima

Senior Counsel

Lydia Hubert-Peterson

Research Analyst

Keonnie Igwe

Education Research Analyst

Shin Inouye

Director of Communications

Dominick Jacobs

IT Specialist

Cecilia Jacobsen

Chief People, Culture, & Strategy

Jyoti Jasrasaria

Senior Counsel

Corenza Jean

Legal Analyst

Jess Blakemore

Principal Deputy General Counsel 

Priyanka John

Research Analyst

Kalli Joslin

Legal Analyst

Julia Kallaur

Democracy 2025 Associate

Louis Katz

Counsel

Kayla Minton Kaufman

Legal Fellow

Connor Kelly

Traveling Chief of Staff

Ayesha Khan

Senior Legal Advisor

Olivia King

Legal Assistant

Jennie Kneedler

Senior Counsel

Shiva Kooragayala

Staff Attorney for Democracy 2025

Kim Lanoue

Practice Manager & Senior Paralegal

Jessica Lee

Legal Assistant

Cynthia Liao

Senior Counsel

Alissa Lopez

Deputy Director, Democracy 2025

Michael Martinez

Senior Counsel

Joel McElvain

Senior Legal Advisor

Dan McGrath

Senior Oversight Counsel

Nikki McKinney

Senior Advisor for Policy and Public Affairs

Brooke Menschel

Senior Counsel

Gracia Mirindi

People and Culture Associate

Sterling Moore

Counsel

Pablo Moraga

Legal Fellow

Jodie Morse

Chief Program and Strategy Officer and Senior Counselor

Jessica Morton

Senior Counsel

Sarah Myhre

Director of Partnerships

Brian Netter

Legal Director

Lisa Newman

Senior Counsel

Hannah Niles

Senior Project Manager, Office of General Counsel and Finance

Victoria Nugent

Director for State Litigation and Emerging Issues

Katie O’Connell

Senior Advisor

Beth Olson

Manager, Together for Democracy and State Engagement

Gilbert Orbea

Legal Analyst

Mya Pak

Director of People & Culture

Megha Patel

Senior Policy Manager

Melissa Pearson

People & Culture Manager

Adnan Perwez

Legal Fellow

Kate Peterson

Senior Attorney, Democracy 2025

Andrea Pino-Silva

Web Manager

Oscar Portillo

Democracy 2025 Research Analyst

Maxwell Poruban

Legal Administrative Assistant

Allison Price

Senior Advisor

Jyotsna Rathinam

Democracy 2025 Associate

Erez Reuveni

Senior Counsel

Anna “Athena” Reyes

Litigation Paralegal

Athena Reyes

Litigation Paralegal

Sarah Rich

Senior Attorney, Democracy 2025

Yenisey Rodriguez

Senior Counsel

Yomarilis Gueits Rodriguez

Democracy 2025 Associate

Grayce Romeo

Legal Secretary

Emily Ross

Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the President and CEO

Kyleigh Russ

Director of Democracy Works 250

Karla Salazar

Gift Processing Specialist

Josh Salzman

Senior Counsel

Mark Samburg

Senior Counsel

Kali Schellenberg

Senior Counsel

Ally Scher

Senior Counsel

Melissa Schwartz

Chief Public Affairs and Policy Officer

Joe Shantz

Senior Policy Counsel

Rob Shriver

Managing Director of the Civil Service Strong and Good Government Initiatives

Erin Simard

Legal Assistant

Simon Brewer

Counsel

Marcus Smith

Manager, Talent Acquisition

Leslie A. Smith

People Operations Manager

Ross Snyder

Legal Fellow

Jules Sofo

Program Specialist

Hesu Song

Legal Oversight Assistant

Kelsey Speers

Director of Oversight and Engagement

Anne Swift

Senior Counsel

Julia Szybala

Senior Director of Oversight, Regulatory Affairs, and Strategic Initiatives

Sharyn Tejani

Managing Attorney

Chelsey Thomas

Legal Assistant

Robin Thurston

Legal Director

Brishonne Tollie

Operations Associate

Michael Torcello

Senior Staff Attorney

Somil Trivedi

Director of Strategic Initiatives

Megan J. Uzzell

Director of Impact and External Affairs

Amy Vickery

Oversight Attorney

Kerri Wade

Director, Together for Democracy

Michael Waldman

General Counsel

Tanita Walker

Senior Litigation Paralegal

Sonia Weil

Senior Attorney, Democracy 2025

Lauren Wetzler

Senior Legal Advisor

Janice White

Community Office Assistant

Audrey Wiggins

Legal Director

Nicole Williams

Paralegal Case Manager

Paul Wolfson

Senior Legal Advisor

Josephine Zucker

Executive Research Associate