ABOUT US
KEY STAFF
The American Democracy Institute is comprised of a small, experienced core staff augmented by nationally respected advisers, consultants and fellows. We operate with a focused, proactive approach to tackling issues, recognizing that our greatest assets are our intellectual capital and strategic knowledge management.
Our leadership team includes:
John Hart, Founder + CEOAmy Cress, Director of Partnerships + Development
Christofer Nelson, Director of Programs
Russell Krumnow, Federal Program ManagerErin Mann, Women's Leadership Program ManagerKateleigh Hewins, Special Assistant to the CEO
For over three
decades John Hart has been a leader in the public, private, and nonprofit
sectors addressing some of our nation's most difficult problems on issues from
healthcare and education to crime and community policing. John believes in
collaboration, and recognizes that the strongest force in our democracy are
leaders who understand the levers of power, are able to innovate, and actively
work together to create change.
It is this
principle that led John to found the American Democracy Institute (ADI), a
nonprofit organization empowering leaders by providing skills, resources, and
access to a network of peer leaders committed to strengthening our democracy.
In the four years since ADI's founding, John has built a tremendous
organization which has inspired and engaged over 20,000 young activists through
youth summits and online programs. Under John's direction, the organization has
identified and recruited over 500 top young professionals throughout the nation
to join ADI's National Leadership network which is a growing resource for these
emerging leaders.
Prior to founding
the American Democracy Institute, John served as Director of Policy
Implementation for the James B. Hunt Institute for Educational Leadership and
Policy at the
During the Clinton
Administration, John served for four years as Deputy Assistant to the President
and Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. In that capacity, he served
as President Clinton's representative to state and local elected officials on
federal-state policy, and acted as the President's liaison to the Catholic
community. Under Attorney General Janet Reno, Hart was appointed as Principal
Deputy Director at the United States Department of Justice, Office of Community
Oriented Policing Services (COPS). At COPS, he was responsible for the
management and administration of a $1.4 billion annual budget and a 250 member
staff which was responsible for coordinating between federal, state, and local
governments to institute community policing initiatives.
John played a key
role during the 1992 presidential transition, acting as Special Assistant to
Transition Directors Warren Christopher and Thomas "Mack" McLarty.
Prior to the election, he served as Deputy Director of the Clinton/Gore
Transition Planning Foundation, the pre-transition organization that he formed
during the general election campaign. John also served as Secretary to the
Foundation's Board of Directors. During the 1992 primary campaign, John was the
John is a
recognized expert on leadership, he has appeared on national television, spoken
to audiences across the world, and served on official delegations to foreign
countries as an advocate for the importance of developing young leaders in a
democracy. In a 2007 address, President Clinton said: “I was looking at John
and thinking of all the contributions he's made...and I marvel at all the
wonderful things he's done with this life.”
An attorney by
training, John practiced law in
AMY CRESS
Director of Partnerships and Development
Amy Cress brings fresh enthusiasm to her role as Director of Partnerships and Development at ADI, going beyond traditional fundraising methods to ensure a sustainable future for the organization.
Amy has a long history of developing strong, collaborative relationships. As Executive Director of the I Do Foundation, she easily established and managed relationships with key funders, board members, corporate partners and the couples who participated in the I Do Foundation programs. She has 14 years of strategic planning experience that spans several different industries, including packaged goods, financial services, and non-profits. This has required a keen understanding and analysis of economic influences, competitive situations and emerging trends.
Throughout her career, Amy's peers and superiors have lauded her high productivity and ability to quickly adapt to change. In 2001, Amy received two Cannes Gold Lions and Media Week's Media Plan of the Year Award for strategic planning while working with Nintendo of America.
In addition to the breadth and depth of her experience, Amy brings a commitment to ADI's mission and values to our organization. She looks forward to bringing her high level of passion and determination to the team.
CHRISTOFER NELSON
Director of Programs
Christofer Nelson has extensive experience leading projects that require a great deal of collaboration among diverse partners, competing vendors, community organizations and government entities. He believes in the power of collaboration-within teams, across divisions, and among organizations-and brings this passion to helping clients accomplish complex projects. In his role at ADI, Christofer is responsible for designing and developing ADI Leadership Programs and other initiatives. Christofer also directs the day-to-day marketing operations for the organization as well as ADI initiatives.
Christofer has also worked as a communications consultant in the private and nonprofit sectors where he helped specialize in delivering messages by harnessing interactive platforms through digital and live media. This has included developing websites and online communities, as well as producing 3,000+ person events that combine live performance, video, and other multimedia elements.
He previously worked as the Resources Manager for Washington DECA, an educational-service non-profit in the Seattle area, where he was responsible for forging partnerships with businesses and community organizations, planned and facilitated numerous events, and worked on policy issues.
Christofer is native of Washington State and a graduate of American University.
RUSSELL KRUMNOW
Federal Program Manager
Russell Krumnow is the Federal Fellow at American Democracy Institute, managing all of ADI's federal programs.
Russell joined ADI after designing and implementing educational student programs that bring American civics to life and promote public service. He has written interactive government curricula and non-partisan voter education materials aimed at students and helped organize a large educational conference during the week of the Presidential Inauguration in January 2009 building and maintaining relationships with dozens of speakers and performers during this historic week.
Prior to that, Russell served as Program Manager for the Annenberg Speakers Bureau at the non-profit Partnership for Public Service. Launching and overseeing this outreach initiative, Russell guided an effort to place talented, young federal employees on college campuses to inspire students to make a difference through public service. The program consistently increased interest in federal service and reached over 5,000 students in its first year. Previously, Russell served as Director of the National Young Leaders Conference, a high school leadership program in Washington, D.C. attended by outstanding students from across the country which fosters understanding of American government through experiential learning. Through four years working on the program at various levels, Russell gained extensive experience as a facilitator, team leader, curriculum designer, and budget manager often serving as the face of the program to a variety of stakeholders from parents to vendors to government officials.
Russell received his M.A. in Political Science from the University of Mississippi and taught American Government as a graduate student. Russell is a native of Texas and received his undergraduate degree in Political Science at Baylor University.
ERIN MANN
Women's Leadership Program Manager
Erin is responsible for managing the Women's Fellowship Program as well as expanding the reach of ongoing Pathways to Power programming including the annual Pathways to Power conference.
Erin comes to ADI from the public affairs firm Conkling Fiskum & McCormick, where she provided comprehensive legislative and administrative support to DC Federal Affairs team. Erin also serves as the Finance and Development Director of the Younger Women's Task Force DC Metro Chapter. In this capacity she works with organizations and individuals in the Washington, DC area to promote the interests of younger women in the community. Erin is looking forward to building on the existing Pathways to Power programming and is dedicated to ensuring a positive and fulfilling experience for each of you.
Erin received a B.A. in International Relations with a minor in French from the University of California, Davis.
KATELEIGH HEWINS
Special Assistant to the CEO
Kateleigh Hewins currently serves as Special Assistant to the CEO for the American Democracy Institute. In this capacity, she is responsible for overseeing the overall operation of ADI, including staffing the CEO and supporting him with day-to-day activities.
Prior to joining ADI, Kateleigh served as an assistant in the Entertainment department at the USO, where she supported the production of celebrity tours for service members and their families and staffed the Senior Vice President of Entertainment. She also assisted in legislative research, constituent outreach, and communications for various Congressional internships.
Kateleigh is a recent graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, where she received a degree in Political Science with a concentration in Asian Studies.