Derek Barker
Program Officer
We Are a Dedicated Team
We are a group of researchers, communicators, and thought leaders who are ready to meet this moment and protect democratic ideals.
Our People
Jamaal Bell
Creative Strategy Manager
Lisa Boone-Berry
Content Development Specialist, Democracy around the Globe
Laura Carlson
Director, Kettering Democracy Prize
Tayo Clyburn
Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Advisor to the President
Damien Conners
Senior Program Officer for Defending Inclusive Democracy
Angel George Cross
Executive Assistant to the President & CEO
Sarah Dahm
Strategic Project Manager
Paloma Dallas
Senior Program Officer for Democracy around the Globe
Sharon L. Davies
President and CEO
John R. Dedrick
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Joni Doherty
Senior Program Officer for Democracy and the Arts
Thomas Fryman
Controller
Mark Garey
Facilities Maintenance Technician
Melinda Gilmore
Director of Communications
Elizabeth Gish
Senior Program Officer for Democracy and Community
Amanda Grant
Executive Assistant to the Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Kathy Heil
Administrative Assistant
Mindy LaBreck
Vice President for People and Culture
Valerie Lemmie
Senior Advisor for State and Local Government
Alex Lovit
Senior Program Officer and Historian
Phillip Lurie
Program Officer for Democracy around the Globe
Ileana Marin
Program Officer for Democracy around the Globe
James Martin
Treasurer & Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
Collette McDonough
Archivist and Library Manager
Darla Minnich
Senior Fellows Coordinator
Manal Moreb
Executive Assistant to the Vice President for People and Culture
Sarah Murphy
Communications Manager
Terry Nichols
Facilities Manager
Kelly Palmer
Administrative Assistant
Isabel Pergande
Research Assistant
Caroline Perrotti
Executive Assistant and Office Manager
Donna Robinson
Senior Accounting Manager & Program Liaison
Brad Rourke
Chief External Affairs Officer and Director, DC Operations
Kate Schneider
Meeting and Logistics Coordinator
Maxine S. Thomas
Director of International Programs, Vice President, and General Counsel
Saravia Williams
Administrative Assistant
Bettina Wright
Executive Assistant and Paralegal for the Offices of General Counsel and Finance
Board of Directors
Sharon L. Davies
Ed Dorn
Beverly Wade Hogan
Les Ihara, Jr.
Peter Levine
Sherry Magill (Chair)
Hank Meijer
Suzanne Morse Moomaw
Roberto Saba
Our History
Since the foundation was established almost 100 years ago, we have been committed to the advancement of human knowledge; the progress of the arts and sciences; and the endowment of public, educational, and other charitable projects. Our fellows and partners today conduct cutting-edge research and lead innovative programs to advance and protect inclusive democracies around the globe.
The Charles F. Kettering Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit, operating foundation engaged in research for the improvement of society. Founded in 1927 by Charles F. Kettering, best known for inventing the automobile self-starter, the foundation carries on his legacy of rigorous research and his steadfast belief that progress and a better future are attainable through change and innovation.
Since our founding, the foundation has undergone two major changes in how we do our work: In the late 1960s, Kettering shifted from being a grant-making foundation to an operating foundation. In the 1980s, the foundation decided to center all our research and programming on the project of strengthening democracy, both in the U.S. and around the globe, with a special emphasis on the role of citizens in democracy. Over the course of more than four decades, Kettering has earned a distinguished reputation in the field of deliberative democracy, guided by the belief that democratic societies advance through mechanisms and rights that foster citizen engagement.
Now, under Sharon L. Davies’ leadership and working against the backdrop of rapidly evolving global threats to democracy, Kettering is widening our aperture. This new focus enables the foundation to tackle the most pressing challenges to democracy today and contribute to a future where people are informed and engaged in shaping their collective future.
