Batten Board Directory Batten Board Directory A B C D E F G H J L M N O P R S V Y Facet Last Name - Board Facet Area of Focus - Board Facet UVA Partner - Board Facet Batten Department - Board Sarah Alexander Vice Chair, Alumni Advisory Board and Associate at Mindset Sarah Alexander is the Energy and Coastal Policy Advisor to Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. of Louisiana. Previously, Sarah served as a Professional Staff Member for the House Energy and Commerce Committee supporting the Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee and the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee. Prior to the Hill, Sarah worked as a Director at Mindset, a bipartisan advocacy and advisory firm in Washington, DC. Sarah joined the BAAB in 2021 to reengage with the Batten School and strengthen the connection between Batten alumni and current Batten students. She strongly believes in the importance of career support, alumni networking, and philanthropic endeavors and is thrilled to serve as Vice Chair this year. Sarah graduated from UVA in 2019 with a BA in Public Policy and Leadership from Batten and a minor in French. While at UVA, Sarah danced as a professional trainee with the Charlottesville Ballet, and she still takes ballet classes several days per week with the Washington Ballet. Read full bio Emily Barksdale Emily Barksdale is a 2021 MPP graduate, justice advocate, and former educator who currently resides in Richmond, Virginia. A native West Virginian, Barksdale spent 7 years teaching middle school in Dallas, TX after graduating with high honors from Furman University in 2012. She began working as a Budget and Policy Analyst for the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget in fall 2021. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, karaoke, and spending time outside. Read full bio Megan Barnett Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives, University of Virginia Megan Barnett joined the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost in June 2020 as Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives. She assists and advises the provost and other university leaders on academic and strategic initiatives and other special projects. She partners with the Vice President for Research on initiatives to support and enhance research across the University. Read full bio Frank Batten, Jr. Chairman, Landmark Media Enterprises L.L.C. Frank Batten, Jr. is the chairman of Landmark Media Enterprises L.L.C., which is based in Norfolk. Read full bio Mark T. Bowles Chairman of McGuireWoods Consulting LLC and a partner with McGuireWoods LLP Mark T. Bowles joins the Foundation Advisory Board as the Board of Visitors representative. Currently a Chairman of McGuireWoods Consulting LLC and a partner with McGuireWoods LLP, Bowles was one of the founding senior vice presidents when McGuireWoods Consulting started in 1998. Read full bio Shannon Bryan Head of North America Fuels Marketing for the Retail Business at Shell Shannon Bryan is the head of North America Fuels Marketing for the Retail business at Shell. He leads the team responsible for delivering Shell’s retail branded fuels marketing strategy, product portfolio, category plans, and supporting programs to drive the key customer metrics and achieve volume, share, and margin growth objectives for Shell-branded fuels in the U.S. and Canadian markets. Read full bio Carlos Enrique Cavelier President, CEO Alquería Dairy Carlos Enrique Cavelier has worked for the last 28 years in the private sector as President of Alquería Dairy, leading the company from one factory in Cajicá to seven plants nationally with 4,500 associates. Under his leadership, Alquería was the first milk processor in Colombia and became the largest in UHT milk production in the Andean group. Read full bio Tyler Chandler Research Specialist at EdPolicyWorks Tyler Chandler is a Research Specialist at EdPolicyWorks, a joint collaboration between the School of Education and Human Development and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He is currently involved in projects related to understanding the impacts teacher working conditions have on student outcomes, the impact of the pandemic on student achievement, and teacher retention trends. Before joining EdPolicyWorks, Tyler spent a year working for Eastern Shore Land Conservancy developing an educational workshop series designed to inform Eastern Shore residents about the impact’s climate change will have on their communities. During his master’s program, Tyler partnered with Richmond Public Schools on an applied policy project to canvas existing low-cost STEM programs and curricula that could be used to transform a city middle school into a STEM academy in an equitable manner. He earned his MPP from the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia and his BA in Government from the University of Virginia. Read full bio Theodore L. Chandler Co-founder and Managing Director of NRV Ted Chandler is Co-founder and Managing Director of NRV, a Virginia based venture capital firm that brings counsel, connections and capital to high growth early stage companies. He offers more than 30 years of C-suite experience, strategic leadership and board service. He serves or has served on the boards of directors of a number of NRV portfolio companies: WealthForge (fintech); Territory (health and wellness); ICX Media (digital marketing); Ario (augmented reality); Moonlighting (services marketplace); Red’s (health and wellness) and Health Warrior (health and wellness). Read full bio Morgan Courtney Director of Customer Success at TaskRabbit Morgan Courtney is Director of Customer Success at TaskRabbit, where she leads her dynamic Tasker Success team to ensure that Taskers are able to achieve their goals on TaskRabbit and have a great experience at every stage of the Tasker lifecycle. She was also the co-lead for TaskRabbit for Good for three years, which was created to make it easier for neighbors to give back locally and make a positive impact in communities around the world. Read full bio Allen C. de Olazarra President of Parkway Property Investments Allen C. de Olazarra is the President of Parkway Property Investments. Prior to joining Parkway, Mr. de Olazarra was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Equitable Real Estate Partners, a fully integrated private real estate investment and operating company active with the acquisition and redevelopment of Class B office buildings, Class B big box industrial and distribution facilities, and the ground up construction of Senior Housing Communities. Read full bio Mylan L. Denerstein Partner, Gibson Dunn Mylan L. Denerstein is a litigation partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a co-chair of the Public Policy Practice Group and a member of the Crisis Management, White Collar Defense and Investigations, Financial Institutions, Labor and Employment, Securities Litigation, and Appellate Practice Groups. Denerstein leads complex litigation and internal investigations, representing companies confronting a wide range of legal issues, in their most critical times. She is also global chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee and co-partner in charge of the New York office. Read full bio Anna Draganova Senior Manager, Monitor Deloitte Anna Draganova is a Senior Manager with Monitor Deloitte, where she has served federal, commercial, nonprofit, and international clients. She is a leader in Deloitte’s federal health practice, where she helps health sector clients address today’s pressing challenges. Draganova is a Double Hoo, having received her MPP from the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy in 2011 and a BA in Economics from UVA. While at Batten, she served as school president and has served on either the Advisory Board or Foundation Advisory Board ever since. Read full bio Jon A. Dyck President and principal owner of RS Materials Group, LLC and Rock Solid Stone Jon A. Dyck is an entrepreneur and attorney with more than 20 years of legal, management, policy and investing experience Read full bio Bill Evanow Director, Public Sector for Twilio Bill Evanow is a McIntire graduate and passionate alumnus. While at UVA in the early ‘80s, he was active on Grounds in the Residence Life Program, University Guide Service and as a fraternity leader with Phi Delta Theta (now Phi Society). Evanow is a seasoned technology executive who returned to Charlottesville from San Francisco in 2014. He is currently Director, Public Sector for Twilio, and has responsibility for the Fed and SLED organization. Read full bio Ned Flanagan Program Associate, National Democratic Institute (NDI) Ned Flanagan (BA ‘22) is currently a Program Associate with the Latin America and Caribbean team at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Washington D.C. Before starting at UVA, Ned spent a semester studying Spanish and traveling in Bolivia and Peru then went on to volunteer at an aid center for deported migrants and asylum seekers along the U.S./Mexico border in Nogales, Mexico. With deep interests and experience in humane migration, citizen security, and sustainable development, Ned has also interned for organizations including the United Nations International Organization for Migration, InterAction, and Results for America. Ned graduated from UVA with highest distinction in 2022 with a B.A. in Leadership & Public Policy and Global Development Studies, along with a minor in Latin American Studies. Read full bio William H. Fralin, Jr. Salem District Member on the Commonwealth Transportation Board William H. Fralin, Jr., was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 2004 - 2010. He represented the 17th District of Virginia, which encompasses portions of the Counties of Botetourt and Roanoke as well as a portion of the City of Roanoke. Delegate Fralin served on the Courts of Justice, Transportation, Education (chairing the Students and Daycare Subcommittee), Privileges and Elections Committees (chairing the Campaign Finance Subcommittee), and General Laws Committee. Read full bio Matt Gillam Teacher, Miner Elementary School Matt Gillam is from Long Island, NY and a 2021 graduate of the BA program. He has since joined Teach For America and is teaching first grade at Miner Elementary School in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC. While teaching, he is pursuing a MSEd from Johns Hopkins University. While at UVA, he served as Batten Undergraduate Council President, co-Director of UVA's Camp Kesem chapter and Chair of UVA's Hillel Jewish Leadership Council. Read full bio Langdon Greenhalgh CEO, Global Emergency Group and President & Founder, Global Emergency Relief Recovery & Reconstruction Langdon Greenhalgh is a professional international emergency response manager who is CEO of Global Emergency Group, a humanitarian consulting firm dedicated to enabling emergency humanitarian aid actors to respond to those most in need more effectively so as to save more lives and reduce suffering. Read full bio Victoria D. Harker Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for TEGNA Inc. Victoria D. Harker is Chair of the Batten Foundation Advisory Board. She serves as executive vice president and chief financial officer for TEGNA Inc., formerly Gannett Co., Inc. She was named chief financial officer at Gannett in July of 2012. Harker is responsible for all of TEGNA’s financial functions and operations. Read full bio Heather Higginbottom President, JPMorgan Chase PolicyCenter Heather Higginbottom is President of the JPMorgan Chase PolicyCenter, which develops and advances sustainable, evidence-based policy solutions to drive inclusive economic growth in the U.S. and around the world. Read full bio Frederick P. Hitz Adjunct Professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia Frederick P. Hitz is an Adjunct Professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. He is also a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Virginia’s Center for National Security Law and an adjunct Professor at the University of Virginia School of Law. Read full bio Rod Hunter Partner, Baker McKenzie Rod Hunter is a partner of Baker McKenzie. Among other previous roles, he served as Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Senior Director of the White House’s National Security Council, and as Special Counsel in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Read full bio Nicole Hurd President, Lafayette College Nicole Hurd is the 18th President of Lafayette College. Prior to her current position, she was the founder and CEO of College Advising Corps. A passionate advocate of post-secondary education, Hurd has led College Advising Corps from a pilot project in Virginia to the largest college access program in the country, placing hundreds of advisers in high-need schools from coast-to-coast. Read full bio Julian Jackson Assistant Vice President at Barclays Julian Jackson is the Assistant Vice President at Barclays where he is the HR Operations representative and lead to regional and global project streams such as ADP Ev5 system upgrades, time-keeping systems across HR platforms, and Barclays Global Payroll & Controls Forums. Read full bio Russell Libby Chairman of the Board, Directors at HF Foods Group Inc. Russell Libby is Chairman of the Board of Directors at HF Foods Group Inc. (NASDAQ: HFFG), a leading food distributor to Asian restaurants across the Southeast, Pacific and Mountain West regions of the United States. He has nearly 30 years of comprehensive global experience in mergers and acquisitions, strategy, business development, international business, corporate governance, and corporate social responsibility. Read full bio Diane Lim Director, Equity Hub, US Treasury Department Diane Lim became the inaugural Director of the Equity Hub at the U.S. Treasury Department in July 2023. She previously served as Policy Director for the U.S. House Select Committee on Economic Disparity & Fairness in Growth during the previous session of Congress (2021-22). An economist specializing in the distributional effects of public policies and programs, Lim has spent her 30-plus year career in prominent roles in the federal government, and nonprofit and academic sectors. Read full bio Clay Lowery Executive Vice President at the Institute of International Finance Clay Lowery is Executive Vice President at the Institute of International Finance, where he oversees the divisions that focus on sustainable finance, digital finance, financial regulation, sovereign debt analysis, and macroeconomics. Prior to this position, he had been the Managing Director and co-founder of Rock Creek Global Advisors – an international economic consultancy, and served in a Senate-confirmed post as Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of Treasury. Read full bio Michael Mallory President, Ron Brown Scholar Fund Executive Director, Ron Brown Scholar Program Michael Mallory is President of the Ron Brown Scholar Fund and Executive Director of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, where he demonstrates a profound commitment to increasing educational opportunities for young people. Since 1996, he has been instrumental in shaping a distinguished program named in honor of Ron Brown, former Secretary of Commerce. Read full bio Jahvonta Mason Law Clerk, United States District Court for the District of Columbia Jahvonta Mason (BA ‘17) is currently a Law Clerk for a Judge who sits on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Prior to clerking, Jahvonta served as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Jahvonta received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2021 where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Moot Court Board. Before law school, Jahvonta taught 9th grade English at the Casablanca American School in Casablanca, Morocco. Jahvonta graduated from UVA in 2017 with a B.A. in Leadership & Public Policy and a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. Read full bio Juliana McCormick Recruitment Manager, Teach For America National Team Juliana McCormick (BA ‘18) currently serves on the Teach For America National Team, where she works to mitigate the national teacher shortage as a Recruitment Manager. Her interest in education crystallized while in Batten, leading her to join the Teach For America Corps upon graduating. There, she taught 300+ DC middle schoolers English while earning her Master of Science in Education at Johns Hopkins. Following her tenure in U.S. classrooms, she had the privilege of teaching in Spain through the Fulbright Program. Read full bio Michael McKenzie Partner and Managing Director at Grain Management, LLC Michael McKenzie is a Partner and Managing Director at Grain Management, LLC, a leading private equity firm focused on investments in the global communications sector. He focuses on investments in communications infrastructure and technology, including fiber optic networks, spectrum, wireless towers, data centers and related technologies. Read full bio Erin Melly Economist, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C. Erin Melly (MPP ‘22) is an Economist at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C. In this role, she utilizes data to identify potential manipulation, anti-competitive behavior, and other anomalous activities in electricity markets. Erin earned a Master of Public Policy from Batten. During her time at Batten, Erin was a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, and Federal Service Intern for USAID where she worked on an electrification project in the Philippines region. Prior to her time at Batten, Erin was a Research Associate at a think tank, studying tax policy, paid family leave, and labor mobility. Erin received her B.A. in Economics and Sustainable Development from Columbia University in 2018. At Columbia, Erin was a Division I Cross Country and Track and Field athlete, where she was a three-time Academic All-American and Ivy League Champion in Cross Country. Read full bio Kyle Nevins Founding Partner of Harbinger Strategies Kyle Nevins is a Founding Partner of Harbinger Strategies, a federal government and political affairs firm based in Washington, D.C. He represents a wide variety of clients before the federal government, including Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, and issue advocacy campaigns, advising clients on the legislative process and political strategy. Read full bio Sofya Olenicheva Policy Advisor at the Zero Emission Transportation Association Sofya Olenicheva currently serves as a Policy Advisor at the Zero Emission Transportation Association, a federal coalition advocating for transportation electrification, and Pioneer Public Affairs, a climate- and renewable energy-focused lobbying firm. Sofya’s professional policy experience began at Batten with an assignment to conduct research for the Virginia gubernatorial transition team. Later, she worked as a Program Assistant at the Community Climate Collaborative, a nonprofit committed to facilitating environmental policy development in local government and encouraging residents to integrate sustainable solutions into their lifestyle. At UVA, Sofya earned a Bachelor of Arts with Highest Distinction in Public Policy and Global Environments & Sustainability. Read full bio Elena Olson Executive Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Massachusetts General Hospital Elena Olson is the Executive Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where she has worked for two decades. Read full bio Katherine Pajewski Secretary, Alumni Advisory Board and Healthcare Analyst for Huron Consulting Group In her professional life, Katie is a Care Transformation Associate at Huron Consulting Group, playing a pivotal role in reshaping healthcare systems for improved efficiency and patient outcomes. She has implemented transformative care models, developing solutions alongside clients and training clinicians on new health technologies and care models to increase hospital capacity and achieve organizational goals. In her previous role as a Policy Analyst with Federal Health Policy Solutions and Lincoln Policy Group, Katie worked on a variety of healthcare policies, navigating federal regulations and legislation. She assessed policy needs, risks, and opportunities to inform long-term planning for clients across the healthcare sector. Katie has been a member of the Batten Alumni Advisory Board since Fall 2020, acting as Chair since Spring 2023, shaping the alumni initiatives and fostering a community dedicated to impact in the leadership and public policy arenas, and beyond. Read full bio Irma Palmer Irma Palmer has more than a decade of experience working at the intersection of policy, politics and communications. Most recently, she was then-U.S. Senator Kamala Harris’s speechwriter, and previously her roles included Director of Constituent Services and Traveling Press Secretary for then-Governor of Virginia Terry McAuliffe. Read full bio Susan K. Payne President and Owner of Blue Ridge Group Susan K. Payne is President and Owner of Blue Ridge Group, a marketing firm located in Charlottesville. Prior to 2017, she was the President of Payne, Ross & Associates Advertising, Inc. Read full bio Catalina Perez Catalina Perez has been an active member of the Batten community for the past 3 years. Originally part of the Class of 2020 Bachelor's of Public Policy, she decided to make the switch to the Master's of Public Policy Class of 2021 program party because of her great interest in public policy but also because of her love of the Batten School. Former Women in Policy President and Batten Pillar Project founder, she pursues her future career in Law as a W&L law student, she still hopes to give back to the Batten school through BAAB in serving current Batten students and alumni. Read full bio Kenneth Redd senior policy director at the National Association of College and University Business Officers Kenneth Redd has been the senior policy director at the National Association of College and University Business Officers since 2008. Previously, he worked on the Council of Graduate Schools and was the Director of Research and Policy Analysis for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. Read full bio Donovan Rolle Executive Strategy and Project Management Analyst, Deloitte's Government and Public Service Donovan Rolle (BA ‘21) is an Executive Strategy and Project Management Analyst in Deloitte's Government and Public Service sector. His true passions are creating inclusive environments and any and everything sports. During his time at UVA, Donovan interned and worked with clubs to strategize on ways to make Batten, UVA, and Charlottesville more inclusive. He also played football, coached, and interned doing sports policy research for the NFL Players Association. As a Darden Future Years Scholar, Donovan plans to return to Charlottesville in a few years to attend UVA’s Darden School of Business. Read full bio Lauren Russell Secretary, Alumni Advisory Board and Health System Specialist for the Office of Health Equity at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Lauren Russell is currently a member of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Master of Public Health (MPH) class of 2022. In addition to her current role as a full-time student, Lauren serves on the Hopkins Student Outreach Resource Center (SOURCE) Student Governing Board, and she works part-time as a research assistant and teaching assistant at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Prior to returning to school, Lauren worked with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) New England Healthcare System. She began her career as a Presidential Management Fellow, then co-developed and co-led a multi-site health-related social needs screening and referral program known as the Assessing Circumstances & Offering Resources for Needs (ACORN) initiative. Outside of work, Lauren enjoyed serving as the Sports Chair for the UVA Club of Boston and as a mentor for four years with Minds Matter – Boston, an organization which “connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college, create their future, and change the world.” Her experiences at the VA and with Minds Matter – Boston fueled her interest in and commitment to developing programs and policies that promote health equity and led her to pursue an MPH. Lauren earned a Master of Public Policy (MPP) and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Linguistics and Philology and Interdisciplinary Global Studies – Public Health at the University of Virginia. Read full bio Daniel Sater Higher Education Policy Analyst, University of North Carolina System Office Daniel Sater (MPP ‘12) is a higher education policy analyst for the University of North Carolina System Office. He previously served as a senior fiscal analyst in the non-partisan Fiscal Research Division of the North Carolina General Assembly. As a board member he plans to focus on developing networks to provide job opportunities to current students and alumni. He was the first Batten alum hired by his current and previous employers and has helped multiple Batten alums launch their careers in North Carolina. Read full bio Hannah Semmes Consultant at Guidehouse State & Local Government Hannah Semmes is a consultant at Guidehouse State & Local Government. Prior to that, she was a consultant in the private sector for Salt Flats (née Optimity Advisors). She is an alumna of the State Department’s Critical Language Scholar in Indonesian, and previously worked as intern at the World Wildlife Fund, in the Office of Congressman Beyer (VA-08), and various political campaigns. At UVA, she served as Co-Captain of Women's Club Soccer. As a BAAB member, it is her goal to support and grow Batten’s entrepreneurial community. Read full bio Brian Siegel PRINCIPAL, DELOITTE CONSULTING, GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICES Brian Siegel is a Principal in Deloitte Consulting's Government and Public Services practice, with more than 25 years of public sector consulting experience focusing on a variety of strategy and management issues, including financial management, procurement, technology, and shared services. Read full bio Anne Martin Simonds Partner and Head of Global Development and Social Enterprise at Spencer Stuart Anne Martin Simonds, is a Partner and Head of Global Development and Social Enterprise at Spencer Stuart in Washington, DC. She helps organizations across all industries assess CEOs and build boards committed to the highest levels of impact. She has more than 25 years in leadership consulting with cross-industry knowledge and deep understanding of the current geopolitical landscape. Read full bio Malcolm Stewart Malcolm Stewart is a 2018 graduate of the Batten BA program, a current MBA student UVA’s Darden School of Business, and a former Product Manager for Makena Capital Management in Menlo Park, California. Read full bio Morgan Sword Executive Vice President, Baseball Operations at Major League Baseball (MLB) Morgan Sword is Executive Vice President, Baseball Operations at Major League Baseball, where he oversees the competitive system, including free agency, salary arbitration, the minor leagues, the draft and international player acquisition systems, as well as on-field issues including umpiring and rule changes. Read full bio Walter D. Valdivia Research Staff Member at the S&T Policy Institute of the Institute for Defense Analysis Walter D. Valdivia is a Senior Policy Editor at the Mercatus Center, a think tank housed at George Mason University. Read full bio Shannon Valentine Former Secretary of Transportation for the Commonwealth of Virginia Shannon Valentine served as Virginia’s Secretary of Transportation during Governor Ralph Northam’s administration (2018 to 2022), overseeing a $6 billion transportation system that includes the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Port of Virginia, Virginia Space Authority, Department of Aviation, Virginia Department of Transportation, and Department of Motor Vehicles. Read full bio Warner Young Partner at Allred, Bacon, HalfHill, and Young Warner Young is an experienced trial lawyer and a partner at Allred, Bacon, HalfHill, and Young. He represents businesses and corporations in complex business disputes, often offering success fee-based services. He has particular expertise in representing people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, and has obtained million-dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients in Virginia and nationally. Read full bio
Sarah Alexander Vice Chair, Alumni Advisory Board and Associate at Mindset Sarah Alexander is the Energy and Coastal Policy Advisor to Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. of Louisiana. Previously, Sarah served as a Professional Staff Member for the House Energy and Commerce Committee supporting the Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee and the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee. Prior to the Hill, Sarah worked as a Director at Mindset, a bipartisan advocacy and advisory firm in Washington, DC. Sarah joined the BAAB in 2021 to reengage with the Batten School and strengthen the connection between Batten alumni and current Batten students. She strongly believes in the importance of career support, alumni networking, and philanthropic endeavors and is thrilled to serve as Vice Chair this year. Sarah graduated from UVA in 2019 with a BA in Public Policy and Leadership from Batten and a minor in French. While at UVA, Sarah danced as a professional trainee with the Charlottesville Ballet, and she still takes ballet classes several days per week with the Washington Ballet. Read full bio
Emily Barksdale Emily Barksdale is a 2021 MPP graduate, justice advocate, and former educator who currently resides in Richmond, Virginia. A native West Virginian, Barksdale spent 7 years teaching middle school in Dallas, TX after graduating with high honors from Furman University in 2012. She began working as a Budget and Policy Analyst for the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget in fall 2021. In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling, karaoke, and spending time outside. Read full bio
Megan Barnett Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives, University of Virginia Megan Barnett joined the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost in June 2020 as Vice Provost for Academic Initiatives. She assists and advises the provost and other university leaders on academic and strategic initiatives and other special projects. She partners with the Vice President for Research on initiatives to support and enhance research across the University. Read full bio
Frank Batten, Jr. Chairman, Landmark Media Enterprises L.L.C. Frank Batten, Jr. is the chairman of Landmark Media Enterprises L.L.C., which is based in Norfolk. Read full bio
Mark T. Bowles Chairman of McGuireWoods Consulting LLC and a partner with McGuireWoods LLP Mark T. Bowles joins the Foundation Advisory Board as the Board of Visitors representative. Currently a Chairman of McGuireWoods Consulting LLC and a partner with McGuireWoods LLP, Bowles was one of the founding senior vice presidents when McGuireWoods Consulting started in 1998. Read full bio
Shannon Bryan Head of North America Fuels Marketing for the Retail Business at Shell Shannon Bryan is the head of North America Fuels Marketing for the Retail business at Shell. He leads the team responsible for delivering Shell’s retail branded fuels marketing strategy, product portfolio, category plans, and supporting programs to drive the key customer metrics and achieve volume, share, and margin growth objectives for Shell-branded fuels in the U.S. and Canadian markets. Read full bio
Carlos Enrique Cavelier President, CEO Alquería Dairy Carlos Enrique Cavelier has worked for the last 28 years in the private sector as President of Alquería Dairy, leading the company from one factory in Cajicá to seven plants nationally with 4,500 associates. Under his leadership, Alquería was the first milk processor in Colombia and became the largest in UHT milk production in the Andean group. Read full bio
Tyler Chandler Research Specialist at EdPolicyWorks Tyler Chandler is a Research Specialist at EdPolicyWorks, a joint collaboration between the School of Education and Human Development and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. He is currently involved in projects related to understanding the impacts teacher working conditions have on student outcomes, the impact of the pandemic on student achievement, and teacher retention trends. Before joining EdPolicyWorks, Tyler spent a year working for Eastern Shore Land Conservancy developing an educational workshop series designed to inform Eastern Shore residents about the impact’s climate change will have on their communities. During his master’s program, Tyler partnered with Richmond Public Schools on an applied policy project to canvas existing low-cost STEM programs and curricula that could be used to transform a city middle school into a STEM academy in an equitable manner. He earned his MPP from the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia and his BA in Government from the University of Virginia. Read full bio
Theodore L. Chandler Co-founder and Managing Director of NRV Ted Chandler is Co-founder and Managing Director of NRV, a Virginia based venture capital firm that brings counsel, connections and capital to high growth early stage companies. He offers more than 30 years of C-suite experience, strategic leadership and board service. He serves or has served on the boards of directors of a number of NRV portfolio companies: WealthForge (fintech); Territory (health and wellness); ICX Media (digital marketing); Ario (augmented reality); Moonlighting (services marketplace); Red’s (health and wellness) and Health Warrior (health and wellness). Read full bio
Morgan Courtney Director of Customer Success at TaskRabbit Morgan Courtney is Director of Customer Success at TaskRabbit, where she leads her dynamic Tasker Success team to ensure that Taskers are able to achieve their goals on TaskRabbit and have a great experience at every stage of the Tasker lifecycle. She was also the co-lead for TaskRabbit for Good for three years, which was created to make it easier for neighbors to give back locally and make a positive impact in communities around the world. Read full bio
Allen C. de Olazarra President of Parkway Property Investments Allen C. de Olazarra is the President of Parkway Property Investments. Prior to joining Parkway, Mr. de Olazarra was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Equitable Real Estate Partners, a fully integrated private real estate investment and operating company active with the acquisition and redevelopment of Class B office buildings, Class B big box industrial and distribution facilities, and the ground up construction of Senior Housing Communities. Read full bio
Mylan L. Denerstein Partner, Gibson Dunn Mylan L. Denerstein is a litigation partner in the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. She is a co-chair of the Public Policy Practice Group and a member of the Crisis Management, White Collar Defense and Investigations, Financial Institutions, Labor and Employment, Securities Litigation, and Appellate Practice Groups. Denerstein leads complex litigation and internal investigations, representing companies confronting a wide range of legal issues, in their most critical times. She is also global chair of the firm’s Diversity Committee and co-partner in charge of the New York office. Read full bio
Anna Draganova Senior Manager, Monitor Deloitte Anna Draganova is a Senior Manager with Monitor Deloitte, where she has served federal, commercial, nonprofit, and international clients. She is a leader in Deloitte’s federal health practice, where she helps health sector clients address today’s pressing challenges. Draganova is a Double Hoo, having received her MPP from the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy in 2011 and a BA in Economics from UVA. While at Batten, she served as school president and has served on either the Advisory Board or Foundation Advisory Board ever since. Read full bio
Jon A. Dyck President and principal owner of RS Materials Group, LLC and Rock Solid Stone Jon A. Dyck is an entrepreneur and attorney with more than 20 years of legal, management, policy and investing experience Read full bio
Bill Evanow Director, Public Sector for Twilio Bill Evanow is a McIntire graduate and passionate alumnus. While at UVA in the early ‘80s, he was active on Grounds in the Residence Life Program, University Guide Service and as a fraternity leader with Phi Delta Theta (now Phi Society). Evanow is a seasoned technology executive who returned to Charlottesville from San Francisco in 2014. He is currently Director, Public Sector for Twilio, and has responsibility for the Fed and SLED organization. Read full bio
Ned Flanagan Program Associate, National Democratic Institute (NDI) Ned Flanagan (BA ‘22) is currently a Program Associate with the Latin America and Caribbean team at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in Washington D.C. Before starting at UVA, Ned spent a semester studying Spanish and traveling in Bolivia and Peru then went on to volunteer at an aid center for deported migrants and asylum seekers along the U.S./Mexico border in Nogales, Mexico. With deep interests and experience in humane migration, citizen security, and sustainable development, Ned has also interned for organizations including the United Nations International Organization for Migration, InterAction, and Results for America. Ned graduated from UVA with highest distinction in 2022 with a B.A. in Leadership & Public Policy and Global Development Studies, along with a minor in Latin American Studies. Read full bio
William H. Fralin, Jr. Salem District Member on the Commonwealth Transportation Board William H. Fralin, Jr., was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 2004 - 2010. He represented the 17th District of Virginia, which encompasses portions of the Counties of Botetourt and Roanoke as well as a portion of the City of Roanoke. Delegate Fralin served on the Courts of Justice, Transportation, Education (chairing the Students and Daycare Subcommittee), Privileges and Elections Committees (chairing the Campaign Finance Subcommittee), and General Laws Committee. Read full bio
Matt Gillam Teacher, Miner Elementary School Matt Gillam is from Long Island, NY and a 2021 graduate of the BA program. He has since joined Teach For America and is teaching first grade at Miner Elementary School in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC. While teaching, he is pursuing a MSEd from Johns Hopkins University. While at UVA, he served as Batten Undergraduate Council President, co-Director of UVA's Camp Kesem chapter and Chair of UVA's Hillel Jewish Leadership Council. Read full bio
Langdon Greenhalgh CEO, Global Emergency Group and President & Founder, Global Emergency Relief Recovery & Reconstruction Langdon Greenhalgh is a professional international emergency response manager who is CEO of Global Emergency Group, a humanitarian consulting firm dedicated to enabling emergency humanitarian aid actors to respond to those most in need more effectively so as to save more lives and reduce suffering. Read full bio
Victoria D. Harker Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for TEGNA Inc. Victoria D. Harker is Chair of the Batten Foundation Advisory Board. She serves as executive vice president and chief financial officer for TEGNA Inc., formerly Gannett Co., Inc. She was named chief financial officer at Gannett in July of 2012. Harker is responsible for all of TEGNA’s financial functions and operations. Read full bio
Heather Higginbottom President, JPMorgan Chase PolicyCenter Heather Higginbottom is President of the JPMorgan Chase PolicyCenter, which develops and advances sustainable, evidence-based policy solutions to drive inclusive economic growth in the U.S. and around the world. Read full bio
Frederick P. Hitz Adjunct Professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia Frederick P. Hitz is an Adjunct Professor at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. He is also a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Virginia’s Center for National Security Law and an adjunct Professor at the University of Virginia School of Law. Read full bio
Rod Hunter Partner, Baker McKenzie Rod Hunter is a partner of Baker McKenzie. Among other previous roles, he served as Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Senior Director of the White House’s National Security Council, and as Special Counsel in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Read full bio
Nicole Hurd President, Lafayette College Nicole Hurd is the 18th President of Lafayette College. Prior to her current position, she was the founder and CEO of College Advising Corps. A passionate advocate of post-secondary education, Hurd has led College Advising Corps from a pilot project in Virginia to the largest college access program in the country, placing hundreds of advisers in high-need schools from coast-to-coast. Read full bio
Julian Jackson Assistant Vice President at Barclays Julian Jackson is the Assistant Vice President at Barclays where he is the HR Operations representative and lead to regional and global project streams such as ADP Ev5 system upgrades, time-keeping systems across HR platforms, and Barclays Global Payroll & Controls Forums. Read full bio
Russell Libby Chairman of the Board, Directors at HF Foods Group Inc. Russell Libby is Chairman of the Board of Directors at HF Foods Group Inc. (NASDAQ: HFFG), a leading food distributor to Asian restaurants across the Southeast, Pacific and Mountain West regions of the United States. He has nearly 30 years of comprehensive global experience in mergers and acquisitions, strategy, business development, international business, corporate governance, and corporate social responsibility. Read full bio
Diane Lim Director, Equity Hub, US Treasury Department Diane Lim became the inaugural Director of the Equity Hub at the U.S. Treasury Department in July 2023. She previously served as Policy Director for the U.S. House Select Committee on Economic Disparity & Fairness in Growth during the previous session of Congress (2021-22). An economist specializing in the distributional effects of public policies and programs, Lim has spent her 30-plus year career in prominent roles in the federal government, and nonprofit and academic sectors. Read full bio
Clay Lowery Executive Vice President at the Institute of International Finance Clay Lowery is Executive Vice President at the Institute of International Finance, where he oversees the divisions that focus on sustainable finance, digital finance, financial regulation, sovereign debt analysis, and macroeconomics. Prior to this position, he had been the Managing Director and co-founder of Rock Creek Global Advisors – an international economic consultancy, and served in a Senate-confirmed post as Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of Treasury. Read full bio
Michael Mallory President, Ron Brown Scholar Fund Executive Director, Ron Brown Scholar Program Michael Mallory is President of the Ron Brown Scholar Fund and Executive Director of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, where he demonstrates a profound commitment to increasing educational opportunities for young people. Since 1996, he has been instrumental in shaping a distinguished program named in honor of Ron Brown, former Secretary of Commerce. Read full bio
Jahvonta Mason Law Clerk, United States District Court for the District of Columbia Jahvonta Mason (BA ‘17) is currently a Law Clerk for a Judge who sits on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Prior to clerking, Jahvonta served as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Jahvonta received his J.D. from New York University School of Law in 2021 where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Moot Court Board. Before law school, Jahvonta taught 9th grade English at the Casablanca American School in Casablanca, Morocco. Jahvonta graduated from UVA in 2017 with a B.A. in Leadership & Public Policy and a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. Read full bio
Juliana McCormick Recruitment Manager, Teach For America National Team Juliana McCormick (BA ‘18) currently serves on the Teach For America National Team, where she works to mitigate the national teacher shortage as a Recruitment Manager. Her interest in education crystallized while in Batten, leading her to join the Teach For America Corps upon graduating. There, she taught 300+ DC middle schoolers English while earning her Master of Science in Education at Johns Hopkins. Following her tenure in U.S. classrooms, she had the privilege of teaching in Spain through the Fulbright Program. Read full bio
Michael McKenzie Partner and Managing Director at Grain Management, LLC Michael McKenzie is a Partner and Managing Director at Grain Management, LLC, a leading private equity firm focused on investments in the global communications sector. He focuses on investments in communications infrastructure and technology, including fiber optic networks, spectrum, wireless towers, data centers and related technologies. Read full bio
Erin Melly Economist, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C. Erin Melly (MPP ‘22) is an Economist at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in Washington, D.C. In this role, she utilizes data to identify potential manipulation, anti-competitive behavior, and other anomalous activities in electricity markets. Erin earned a Master of Public Policy from Batten. During her time at Batten, Erin was a Graduate Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, and Federal Service Intern for USAID where she worked on an electrification project in the Philippines region. Prior to her time at Batten, Erin was a Research Associate at a think tank, studying tax policy, paid family leave, and labor mobility. Erin received her B.A. in Economics and Sustainable Development from Columbia University in 2018. At Columbia, Erin was a Division I Cross Country and Track and Field athlete, where she was a three-time Academic All-American and Ivy League Champion in Cross Country. Read full bio
Kyle Nevins Founding Partner of Harbinger Strategies Kyle Nevins is a Founding Partner of Harbinger Strategies, a federal government and political affairs firm based in Washington, D.C. He represents a wide variety of clients before the federal government, including Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, and issue advocacy campaigns, advising clients on the legislative process and political strategy. Read full bio
Sofya Olenicheva Policy Advisor at the Zero Emission Transportation Association Sofya Olenicheva currently serves as a Policy Advisor at the Zero Emission Transportation Association, a federal coalition advocating for transportation electrification, and Pioneer Public Affairs, a climate- and renewable energy-focused lobbying firm. Sofya’s professional policy experience began at Batten with an assignment to conduct research for the Virginia gubernatorial transition team. Later, she worked as a Program Assistant at the Community Climate Collaborative, a nonprofit committed to facilitating environmental policy development in local government and encouraging residents to integrate sustainable solutions into their lifestyle. At UVA, Sofya earned a Bachelor of Arts with Highest Distinction in Public Policy and Global Environments & Sustainability. Read full bio
Elena Olson Executive Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion at Massachusetts General Hospital Elena Olson is the Executive Director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), where she has worked for two decades. Read full bio
Katherine Pajewski Secretary, Alumni Advisory Board and Healthcare Analyst for Huron Consulting Group In her professional life, Katie is a Care Transformation Associate at Huron Consulting Group, playing a pivotal role in reshaping healthcare systems for improved efficiency and patient outcomes. She has implemented transformative care models, developing solutions alongside clients and training clinicians on new health technologies and care models to increase hospital capacity and achieve organizational goals. In her previous role as a Policy Analyst with Federal Health Policy Solutions and Lincoln Policy Group, Katie worked on a variety of healthcare policies, navigating federal regulations and legislation. She assessed policy needs, risks, and opportunities to inform long-term planning for clients across the healthcare sector. Katie has been a member of the Batten Alumni Advisory Board since Fall 2020, acting as Chair since Spring 2023, shaping the alumni initiatives and fostering a community dedicated to impact in the leadership and public policy arenas, and beyond. Read full bio
Irma Palmer Irma Palmer has more than a decade of experience working at the intersection of policy, politics and communications. Most recently, she was then-U.S. Senator Kamala Harris’s speechwriter, and previously her roles included Director of Constituent Services and Traveling Press Secretary for then-Governor of Virginia Terry McAuliffe. Read full bio
Susan K. Payne President and Owner of Blue Ridge Group Susan K. Payne is President and Owner of Blue Ridge Group, a marketing firm located in Charlottesville. Prior to 2017, she was the President of Payne, Ross & Associates Advertising, Inc. Read full bio
Catalina Perez Catalina Perez has been an active member of the Batten community for the past 3 years. Originally part of the Class of 2020 Bachelor's of Public Policy, she decided to make the switch to the Master's of Public Policy Class of 2021 program party because of her great interest in public policy but also because of her love of the Batten School. Former Women in Policy President and Batten Pillar Project founder, she pursues her future career in Law as a W&L law student, she still hopes to give back to the Batten school through BAAB in serving current Batten students and alumni. Read full bio
Kenneth Redd senior policy director at the National Association of College and University Business Officers Kenneth Redd has been the senior policy director at the National Association of College and University Business Officers since 2008. Previously, he worked on the Council of Graduate Schools and was the Director of Research and Policy Analysis for the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. Read full bio
Donovan Rolle Executive Strategy and Project Management Analyst, Deloitte's Government and Public Service Donovan Rolle (BA ‘21) is an Executive Strategy and Project Management Analyst in Deloitte's Government and Public Service sector. His true passions are creating inclusive environments and any and everything sports. During his time at UVA, Donovan interned and worked with clubs to strategize on ways to make Batten, UVA, and Charlottesville more inclusive. He also played football, coached, and interned doing sports policy research for the NFL Players Association. As a Darden Future Years Scholar, Donovan plans to return to Charlottesville in a few years to attend UVA’s Darden School of Business. Read full bio
Lauren Russell Secretary, Alumni Advisory Board and Health System Specialist for the Office of Health Equity at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Lauren Russell is currently a member of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Master of Public Health (MPH) class of 2022. In addition to her current role as a full-time student, Lauren serves on the Hopkins Student Outreach Resource Center (SOURCE) Student Governing Board, and she works part-time as a research assistant and teaching assistant at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Prior to returning to school, Lauren worked with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) New England Healthcare System. She began her career as a Presidential Management Fellow, then co-developed and co-led a multi-site health-related social needs screening and referral program known as the Assessing Circumstances & Offering Resources for Needs (ACORN) initiative. Outside of work, Lauren enjoyed serving as the Sports Chair for the UVA Club of Boston and as a mentor for four years with Minds Matter – Boston, an organization which “connects driven and determined students from low-income families with the people, preparation, and possibilities to succeed in college, create their future, and change the world.” Her experiences at the VA and with Minds Matter – Boston fueled her interest in and commitment to developing programs and policies that promote health equity and led her to pursue an MPH. Lauren earned a Master of Public Policy (MPP) and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish Linguistics and Philology and Interdisciplinary Global Studies – Public Health at the University of Virginia. Read full bio
Daniel Sater Higher Education Policy Analyst, University of North Carolina System Office Daniel Sater (MPP ‘12) is a higher education policy analyst for the University of North Carolina System Office. He previously served as a senior fiscal analyst in the non-partisan Fiscal Research Division of the North Carolina General Assembly. As a board member he plans to focus on developing networks to provide job opportunities to current students and alumni. He was the first Batten alum hired by his current and previous employers and has helped multiple Batten alums launch their careers in North Carolina. Read full bio
Hannah Semmes Consultant at Guidehouse State & Local Government Hannah Semmes is a consultant at Guidehouse State & Local Government. Prior to that, she was a consultant in the private sector for Salt Flats (née Optimity Advisors). She is an alumna of the State Department’s Critical Language Scholar in Indonesian, and previously worked as intern at the World Wildlife Fund, in the Office of Congressman Beyer (VA-08), and various political campaigns. At UVA, she served as Co-Captain of Women's Club Soccer. As a BAAB member, it is her goal to support and grow Batten’s entrepreneurial community. Read full bio
Brian Siegel PRINCIPAL, DELOITTE CONSULTING, GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICES Brian Siegel is a Principal in Deloitte Consulting's Government and Public Services practice, with more than 25 years of public sector consulting experience focusing on a variety of strategy and management issues, including financial management, procurement, technology, and shared services. Read full bio
Anne Martin Simonds Partner and Head of Global Development and Social Enterprise at Spencer Stuart Anne Martin Simonds, is a Partner and Head of Global Development and Social Enterprise at Spencer Stuart in Washington, DC. She helps organizations across all industries assess CEOs and build boards committed to the highest levels of impact. She has more than 25 years in leadership consulting with cross-industry knowledge and deep understanding of the current geopolitical landscape. Read full bio
Malcolm Stewart Malcolm Stewart is a 2018 graduate of the Batten BA program, a current MBA student UVA’s Darden School of Business, and a former Product Manager for Makena Capital Management in Menlo Park, California. Read full bio
Morgan Sword Executive Vice President, Baseball Operations at Major League Baseball (MLB) Morgan Sword is Executive Vice President, Baseball Operations at Major League Baseball, where he oversees the competitive system, including free agency, salary arbitration, the minor leagues, the draft and international player acquisition systems, as well as on-field issues including umpiring and rule changes. Read full bio
Walter D. Valdivia Research Staff Member at the S&T Policy Institute of the Institute for Defense Analysis Walter D. Valdivia is a Senior Policy Editor at the Mercatus Center, a think tank housed at George Mason University. Read full bio
Shannon Valentine Former Secretary of Transportation for the Commonwealth of Virginia Shannon Valentine served as Virginia’s Secretary of Transportation during Governor Ralph Northam’s administration (2018 to 2022), overseeing a $6 billion transportation system that includes the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, Port of Virginia, Virginia Space Authority, Department of Aviation, Virginia Department of Transportation, and Department of Motor Vehicles. Read full bio
Warner Young Partner at Allred, Bacon, HalfHill, and Young Warner Young is an experienced trial lawyer and a partner at Allred, Bacon, HalfHill, and Young. He represents businesses and corporations in complex business disputes, often offering success fee-based services. He has particular expertise in representing people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, and has obtained million-dollar verdicts and settlements for his clients in Virginia and nationally. Read full bio