McCourt School Advisory Board

Tami Buckner, Partner, Michael Best Strategies

As a partner with Michael Best Strategies (Strategies), Tami assists businesses and organizations with government relations and federal policy matters. She has significant expertise in agriculture, food, nutrition, energy and the environment. Tami leverages her 25 years of experience and the network she has developed to offer clients critical insights and actionable advice to help them deliver value for their shareholders and society.

Tami has spent more than two decades advising Fortune 500 companies and developing deep policy expertise on various issues. She joined Michael Best Strategies from Waste Management, where she led the federal legislative and political function in Washington, DC. Previously, Tami held corporate leadership positions in government and public affairs at Kraft Foods, Coca-Cola and DuPont Company.

Robert Doar, President and Morgridge Scholar, American Enterprise Institute

Robert Doar is the president and Morgridge Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), one of the nation’s oldest and most respected public policy think tanks.

Mr. Doar joined AEI in 2014 to create a new body of work on poverty studies after serving for more than 20 years in leadership positions in the social service programs of New York State and New York City under Gov. George Pataki and Mayor Michael Bloomberg. AEI’s poverty studies program and its scholars have since become leading voices in the national discussion on the importance of work, family and personal responsibility in human flourishing.

While at AEI, Mr. Doar has also served as a co-chair of the National Commission on Hunger and as a lead member of the AEI-Brookings Working Group on Poverty and Opportunity. He was the editor of A Safety Net That Works: Improving Federal Programs for Low-Income Americans (AEI Press, 2017) and a contributing author to This Way Up: New Thinking About Poverty and Economic Mobility (2018); Work, Skills, Community: Restoring Opportunity for the Working Class (2018); and Opportunity, Responsibility, and Security: A Consensus Plan for Reducing Poverty and Restoring the American Dream (2015).

David Fogel (F’93, L’97, MBA’97), Chief Executive Officer, NCCS (Coinmint)

David Fogel is the CEO of NCCS, the operating subsidiary of Coinmint, LLC, a leading crypto mining company, and a successful entrepreneur in the financial technology sector. He co-founded SmartPortfolio.com, Inc., which became a leading email financial newsletter business, and previously served as co-founder and president of IndexIQ, an innovative indexing business and exchange-traded fund issuer.

Fogel is an active venture investor, advisor and business executive, and a former corporate attorney with long-term experience and interest in public service, including appointments at the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. and the State Department. He is a non-resident senior fellow in the Forward Defense practice of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Fogel is a graduate of the Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, McDonough School of Business and the Georgetown Law Center.

Koonal Gandhi (MPP’05), Chief Investment Officer, Berggruen Holdings

Koonal Gandhi (MPP’05) is the chief investment officer for Berggruen Holdings, where he is responsible for the management and oversight of the global investment portfolio. Gandhi was previously the chief investment officer and senior vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation. He also served as a senior government appointee during both the Bush and Obama administrations, including at the Troubled Asset Relief Program at the United States Treasury. Gandhi earned a dual degree in economics and political science from the University of Michigan and a Master of Public Policy degree from the McCourt School.

Maria Ghazal (MPP’90), President and CEO, Healthcare Leadership Council

Maria Ghazal is the President and CEO of the Healthcare Leadership Council, the leading DC-based association of chief executives representing all disciplines of American health care.

Ghazal previously was senior vice president and counsel for Business Roundtable, a DC-based association of chief executive officers of America’s leading companies working to promote a thriving U.S. economy and expanded opportunity for all Americans through sound public policy. At Business Roundtable, she played a leadership role in the public policy work of the organization and directed membership outreach, recruitment and retention. In addition, she oversaw policy development and advocacy for the Business Roundtable Corporate Governance Committee. She led the Roundtable’s work on a new Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation which sparked a worldwide dialogue on the role of corporations in society.

Before joining Business Roundtable in 2005, Ghazal was director of health policy at the American Benefits Council, served as director of government relations at Verizon and worked as a legislative assistant at the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Her career began as an aide to then-Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY).

Ghazal earned a law degree from American University, Master of Public Policy degree from the McCourt School and a bachelor’s degree from Bates College. She is a member of the Massachusetts and District of Columbia Bar Associations, Health on Wednesday, the Tax Coalition and Women Corporate Directors. In addition, Ghazal serves on the board of advisors for the Wake Forest University Center for the Study of Capitalism.

Scott Gottlieb, Special Partner, NEA; Resident Fellow, AEI; and Former Commissioner, FDA

Scott Gottlieb is a physician and served as the 23rd Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Dr. Gottlieb’s work focuses on advancing public health through developing and implementing innovative approaches to improving medical outcomes, reshaping healthcare delivery and expanding consumer choice and safety. He serves on the boards of Pfizer Inc. and Illumina, Inc., is a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a partner at the venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates.

Previously, Dr. Gottlieb served as the FDA’s deputy commissioner for medical and scientific affairs and before that, as a senior adviser to the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, where he helped advance policies to improve healthcare quality and promote the effective use of new medical technologies. Dr. Gottlieb is widely published in leading medical journals and periodicals, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post. He has held editorial positions at the British Medical Journal and the Journal of the American Medical Association and is a regular contributor to CNBC. Fortune Magazine recognized him as one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” in 2018 and 2019.

In 2018, 2019, and then again in 2020, Modern Healthcare named Dr. Gottlieb the “Most Influential Physician Executive and Leaders” in its annual survey of 50 physician executives. Time named him one of its “50 People Transforming Healthcare in 2018.” Dr. Gottlieb is the author of Uncontrolled Spread: Why COVID-19 Crushed Us and How We Can Defeat the Next Pandemic. Dr. Gottlieb is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. He lives in Westport, Connecticut, with his wife and three daughters.

Chanelle Hardy, Head of Civil Rights, Google 

Chanelle Hardy is a social justice, tech policy and civil rights expert, working to ensure that corporate and public policies benefit BIPOC and vulnerable communities. As head of civil rights for Google, she leads the company’s civil rights program and engagement with multicultural and civil rights organizations.

Over the past five years at Google, she has led signature initiatives including Google’s $1M donation, a 3-D installation built by Google Engineers and celebration of Founding Director Lonnie Bunch of the National Museum of African American History and Culture; a $1M donation and initiative in support of the Morehouse School of Medicine for COVID response and pandemic preparedness; and launching and leading Google’s Next Gen Policy Leaders Program, a learning community for multicultural leaders in tech policy.

Before joining Google, Chanelle served as a chief of staff on Capitol Hill, SVP of policy for the National Urban League and chief of staff to the first woman chair of the Federal Communications Commission. She is a former 5th grade DC Public Schools Teach for America teacher and Consumers Union Policy Fellow. She serves on the board of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.

James Healy (MBA’10), President, Digital Disbursements

James Healy (MBA’10) is president of Digital Disbursements, a digital payments provider and wholly owned subsidiary of Western Alliance Bank, and founder of JFH Capital, an investment firm focused on business services. Healy previously held various leadership roles at Icahn Automotive Group (IAG), including chief financial officer and senior vice president of corporate development and strategy. He also served as chairman of the Precision Tune Auto Care board and as a director of AAMCO Transmissions. Before IAG, Healy was vice president of business development at FastPay, a lending and payments company, and spent five years with GE Capital in various leadership roles. He started his career with Ford Motor Company.

Healy is the VanEck Digital Assets Initiative co-director and an adjunct professor teaching financial technology and blockchain at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business. He is a board member of Bingeable Network, an entertainment platform utilizing blockchain technology, an advisory board member at Arro, a fintech lender focusing on financial inclusion, chairman of The Healy Foundation and a member of the Young Presidents Organization. Healy is also a co-owner of the Phoenix Rising Football Club.

Healy earned his MBA from Georgetown University and his bachelor’s degree from Villanova University. He is a graduate of Choate Rosemary Hall.

Dan Helfrich (F’98, MBA’99), Chairman & CEO, Deloitte Consulting LLC

Dan Helfrich is chairman and chief executive officer of Deloitte Consulting LLP. As CEO, he leads a team of more than 50,000 professionals who help clients solve their most complex problems. Whether identifying new market opportunities or talent models, implementing a new cloud-based application or maximizing an existing one, Dan is focused on helping the team deliver measurable, lasting results for clients. Dan is also a member of the U.S. Executive Committee and the US Management Committee of Deloitte.

In his more than 20 years with Deloitte, Dan has led significant customer-centric transformations for both public and private sector clients. Previously, Dan led the 16,000-person Government & Public Services practice. He also served as Deloitte Consulting’s strategy & transformation leader and led the Civilian Government sector.

On podcasts and through other media, Dan regularly shares his perspectives on leadership and building a purpose-driven and inclusive culture and challenging traditional business orthodoxies. Dan holds a B.S. and a Master of Business Administration degree from Georgetown University. He is also the voice of the 2019 NCAA Champion Georgetown University men’s soccer team. Dan lives near Washington, DC, with his wife, Kristie, and their four children.

Jim Hock (MPP’96), Managing Director, External Affairs, PSP Partners

Jim Hock serves as managing director of external affairs for PSP Partners, where he works on business development, marketing, network support, and public affairs. Before joining PSP Partners, Hock served in the Obama Administration as chief of staff to Secretary Penny Pritzker at the U.S. Department of Commerce. He also served as senior advisor and director of public affairs at the Department. In these roles, Hock was instrumental in managing the agency, creating and framing the Department’s “Open for Business Agenda” and serving as the Department’s key liaison to the White House and other federal agencies and stakeholders.

Prior to that, Hock founded 463 Communications (now called VRGE), a communications agency for technology and clean energy firms within the Next 15 family of companies. Before launching 463, Hock served as spokesman and advisor to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein.

He serves on the advisory boards for the McCourt School, the Mobility Innovation District and the Mixing Board, a network of leading marketing and communications executives. Hock is the author of Hollywood’s Team and served as a Jesuit volunteer high school teacher in Los Angeles. Hock has a Master of Arts in Public Policy from Georgetown University and a B.A. from Fordham University.

Michele Jawando, Senior Vice President of Programs, Omidyar Network

As Omidyar Network’s first senior vice president of programs, Jawando oversees the global mission of the program teams — responsible technology, reimagining capitalism and pluralism — as the organization attempts to tackle the biggest, most intractable challenges facing the planet in the decades ahead.

Before joining Omidyar Network, Michele Jawando was head of U.S. strategic engagement and public policy partnerships at Google. As an executive leader and senior member of their public policy team, she was responsible for developing strategic relationships and partnerships with elected officials, think tanks, nonprofits and thought leaders across the U.S. In that role, she helped to direct resources on issues related to elections, cybersecurity, gender equity, disability rights and more.

Before Google, Michele Jawando served as vice [resident at the Center for American Progress, a think tank dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action. Building on the achievements of progressive pioneers such as Teddy Roosevelt and Martin Luther King, her work at CAP addressed 21st-century challenges such as national security, climate, race and gender equity, economic growth and opportunity, civic participation and health care.

Michele Jawando has also served as General Counsel and Senior Advisor to United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Foreign Relations Chair, Congressman Gregory Meeks, where she spearheaded bipartisan legislative achievements on behalf of each of the members, including passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Repeal Act ( DADT), and the confirmations of Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan among others.

Jawando is an author, serial entrepreneur and afro-tech futurist who believes we can create and build our desired future across our differences. She received her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law and her B.A. from Hampton University. She is the wife of Honorable William Jawando, Esq., of Maryland and the mother of four children.

Regina Johnson (MPM’20), Senior Manager, Microsoft

Regina is currently a senior manager at Microsoft. She plays a crucial role in shaping initiatives and partnerships aligned with the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program. She leads training and spearheads go-to-market (GTM), sales and business strategies to influence the success of various small businesses, referred to as “partners” within Microsoft’s global ecosystem. Regina serves as a director of the Microsoft Black Partner Growth Initiative and acts as a partner channel strategy sponsor and liaison. She manages key collaborations with nonprofit organizations known as Partner-led Associations. These partnerships are instrumental in business enablement, paving the way for new market opportunities and propelling tech business owners toward revenue generation and economic advancement.

Joe Lockhart (C’81), Managing Director, Rational 360

Lockhart is perhaps best known for his service as White House press secretary under President Bill Clinton from 1998 to 2000. During this time, he managed daily press briefings, provided senior counsel to the president and managed communications through the president’s impeachment proceedings.

Lockhart developed his knack for steering the conversation during his early career as an award-winning journalist, political strategist and public relations consultant. Lockhart held posts as assignment editor at ABC News, deputy assignment manager for CNN and foreign producer reporting on the Gulf War for Skye News. He served as a press secretary for the presidential campaigns of Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis, an aide to Senator Paul Simon, a senior advisor to the John Kerry campaign and an executive vice president at Bozell Sawyer Miller, where he advised a range of high-profile corporations and institutions on media relations and political strategy.

In 2011 Lockhart was named vice president of Global Communications at Facebook, just as the rapidly expanding enterprise prepared to go public. Lockhart helped the company mitigate initial public backlash to its IPO, take ownership of its story and refortify its brand.

In 2016, the National Football League named Lockhart executive vice president overseeing communications, government affairs, social responsibility and philanthropy. He spearheaded the NFL’s response to a series of public challenges.

A graduate of Georgetown University, Joe is a native of New York City, New York.

Craig Newmark, CSR & Founder, Craig Newmark Philanthropies (craigslist, founder)

Craig Newmark is a Web pioneer, philanthropist and leading advocate for civic and social justice causes. Most commonly known for founding the online classified ads service craigslist, Newmark works to support and connect people and drive broad civic engagement.

In 2016, Newmark founded Craig Newmark Philanthropies to advance people and grassroots organizations that are “getting stuff done” in areas that include trustworthy journalism, voter protection, women in technology, and veterans and military families. At its core, all of Newmark’s philanthropic work helps to strengthen American democracy by supporting the values that the country aspires to: fairness, opportunity and respect.

Newmark serves on the board of directors of several organizations, including Blue Star Families, the Center for Public Integrity, Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, Girls Who Code, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of American, Poynter Foundation, Sunlight Foundation, VetsinTech and Women in Public Service Project. He also serves on the board of overseers of the Columbia Journalism Review and on the advisory board of nearly 20 other nonprofit organizations. Newmark founded the Newmark Scholarship at the McCourt School,  which aims to increase access to a McCourt School education for active-duty service members, veterans and military-connected students, and to deepen the impact they have in public policy. 

Born in Morristown, New Jersey, Newmark earned degrees in computer science from Case Western Reserve University. He lives in San Francisco and New York City and travels the country speaking about the initiatives he supports.

Clint Odom, Vice President of Strategic Alliances & External Affairs, T-Mobile

Clint Odom is the vice president for policy and advocacy at T-Mobile. Previously, Odom led policy and advocacy for the National Urban League while simultaneously serving as executive director of their Washington Bureau. Odom served for a decade in the U.S. Senate as legislative director for Senator Kamala Harris of California and general counsel to Senator Bill Nelson of Florida.

Odom also served as a senior advisor at the Federal Communications Commission and practiced law at Dow, Lohnes & Albertson (now Cooley LLP). Odom served as a law clerk to the Honorable Henry T. Wingate of the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Mississippi and is a graduate of Louisiana State University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Geoffrey Okamoto, Managing Director, Goldman Sachs

McCourt School alum Geoffrey Okamoto (MPP’11) joined Goldman Sachs as a managing director in the Office of Government Affairs in 2022. He leads the firm’s efforts on international public policy, coordinating cross-jurisdictional issues and engaging with global policymakers. Okamoto previously served as the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where he managed relationships with G-7 and G-20 nations and oversaw institutional strategy, lending policies and risk management. Okamoto also oversaw economic surveillance and use of IMF resources by large economies and the IMF’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the IMF, Okamoto served as acting under secretary of the U.S. Treasury for International Affairs and acting assistant secretary for international finance. He also served on the Senate Banking Committee and House Financial Services Committee’s senior staff and was a KPMG consultant. Okamoto is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a member of the Economic Club of New York and the Bretton Woods Committee. He also sits on the Dean’s Advisory Council for California State Polytechnic University Pomona’s College of Business Administration. 

Okamoto earned a master’s degree in public policy from the McCourt School of Public Policy and a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from CalPoly Pomona. He was also a visiting student at Corpus Christi College Oxford.

Luke Schoenfelder (C’12), Founder, Latch

Luke Schoenfelder is the founder of Latch. As the former chief executive, Luke guided the vision and mission for Latch, helping to create better experiences for everyone at a modern building. Under his guidance, Latch evolved from an industry-defining smart access company to a powerful software and hardware ecosystem that empowers building owners, property managers and residents with more flexibility and convenience in interacting with their space.

From launching Latch’s first access device to partnering with technology leaders like Google Nest, Luke expertly expanded Latch’s presence in the market. As a partner to the country’s top developers, including Brookfield, RXR and Alliance Residential, Luke guided the Latch team in developing and deploying comprehensive solutions that surpassed customer expectations and continually defined the brand as an industry innovator. Luke spearheaded Latch’s fundraising efforts and his leadership helped Latch increase its revenue, bringing in more than $319 million in booked revenue since launch. ‍

As a seasoned entrepreneur, Luke has extensive experience reimagining how people interact with their environments. Before founding Latch, he partnered with the Clinton Global Initiative and Habitat for Humanity to deploy his modular homes in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. He also founded GridPotential, a company that developed smart electricity meters with built-in SIM cards designed to track energy usage and charge users through their mobile phones. Luke also spent four years at Apple in the retail and worldwide government affairs departments, working directly with the executive team, leading sales in the DC metro region and supporting international market expansion.

He is a graduate of Georgetown University and also holds a Master’s degree from the Imperial College of London, where he studied as a Marshall Scholar.

Shéhérazade Semsar-de Boisséson (SFS/G’90), CEO, McCourt Global

Shéhérazade Semsar-de Boisséson (SFS/G’90) is the CEO of McCourt Global, a private family company committed to building a better future through its work across the real estate, sports, technology, media and finance industries, as well as its significant philanthropic activities. 

Previously, Shéhérazade served as the inaugural executive director of Project Liberty‘s McCourt Institute , which was established with founding partners Georgetown University, Stanford University and Sciences Po in Paris, to advance effective digital governance by supporting cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary cooperation. 

Shéhérazade was the founding CEO of POLITICO Europe from 2015 to 2021 and owner and publisher of European Voice, the leading media outlet in Brussels covering E.U. policy, which she acquired from the Economist Group in 2013.

Shéhérazade graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in 1990 with a B.A. and an M.S. in International Finance; she later served as a member of Georgetown’s board of directors from 2013 to 2019. She currently serves on the advisory board of Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security and on the board of directors of the French-American Foundation.

Therese Shaheen (F’80), President, USAsia International, Inc.

Therese Shaheen is the co-founder and president of USAsia International, an investment and consulting firm. Throughout her career in international relations, Shaheen has supported the interests of populations across Asia. She previously lived in Japan, where she worked with Refugees International on issues related to resettlement across Asia, and has been a longtime advocate for Southeast Asian refugees.

Shaheen has served as chairman and managing director of the American Institute of Taiwan and as chief operating officer of USAsia Commercial Development Corporation. She frequently writes and speaks on Asia economics, markets and policy and contributes to National Review. Shaheen is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

Nicholas Thompson, CEO, The Atlantic

Nicholas Thompson is the CEO of The Atlantic, a position he has held since 2021. In 2022 and 2023, The Atlantic earned the top honor for magazines, General Excellence, at the National Magazine Awards. Under his leadership, the magazine received three consecutive Pulitzer Prizes, was named Digiday’s Publisher of the Year (2022) and increased both the number of subscribers and revenue to the highest numbers in the publication’s history. 

Previously, Thompson was editor-in-chief of WIRED. He helped transform the business model and had a front-row seat covering some of the most important technological stories of our time. Thompson wrote many features for the publication, including a cover story on Facebook that became one of the most-read pieces in the magazine’s history and has been cited multiple times in Congress. He also wrote a story about a missing hiker who erased his digital identity, which will soon be a documentary available to stream on Max. Thompson is a former contributor to CBS News, where he regularly appeared on CBS This Morning and CBS Sunday Morning. He is a co-founder of The Atavist, a National Magazine Award-winning digital publication and multimedia content management system that was sold to WordPress in 2018.

Thompson previously served as editor of NewYorker.com. Before The New Yorker, Thompson was a senior editor at WIRED, where he assigned and edited the story that was the basis for the Oscar-winning film Argo. In 2009, his book, The Hawk and the Dove: Paul Nitze, George Kennan, and the History of the Cold War, was published to critical acclaim. Thompson has long been a competitive runner; in 2019, he was ranked as one of the top 20 master marathoners in the world, and in 2021, he set the American record for men 45+ in the 50K race.

Georganne Vartorella (C’73, M’82)

Dr. Georganne Vartorella (C’73, M’82) is a physician and graduate of Georgetown University and Georgetown School of Medicine. After a successful private practice in internal medicine, Vartorella focused her expertise and experience on advocating for equitable access, delivery and payment of optimal care. As president and founder of Patient Advocacy MD, Vartorella works with employers and human resource teams, insurance payers and brokers, large health care systems and small concierge care groups, as well as directly with patients and families.

Currently, she is working with community organizations in Northeast Ohio to develop programs that support and provide resources for caregivers of the elderly and patients with chronic and advanced illnesses. She and her husband, Richard, who has a lifelong interest in and love of the ocean, are also directing their efforts and energy to explore and support solutions that ensure the sustainable health and preservation of the deep sea.