TFAS alumni working and volunteering with nonprofit organizations gathered for a thought-provoking Curriculum of Liberty Seminar on “Philanthropy and Liberty” from Jan. 27–29. Co-sponsored by Liberty Fund, Inc., alumni participants discussed ideas during the five session seminar in Arlington, Virginia.
Their conversations focused on how the philanthropic resolve is part of the American character, something that is demonstrated not only by monetary donations, but also through generosity of spirit and the giving of time. Though open debate was encouraged, the rules of civility were respected, fostering a sense of civic friendship. As Colleen Maleski (IPJ 08) noted, “What I appreciated most was the space to disagree—to debate, respectfully and factually—which I fear our country is shying away from.”
The discussions were led by Dr. Richard Gunderman, a professor of radiology, pediatrics, medical education, philosophy, liberal arts, and philanthropy, and vice-chair of the radiology department, at Indiana University. Alumni scholars were given required readings to complete prior to the conference to serve as a basis for the discussions. Authors from the readings included: Bernard Mandeville, Adam Smith, Arthur Brooks, Alexis de Tocqueville, Marvin Olasky and more. Dr. Gunderman prompted the students to discuss the important issues that were raised in the readings and encouraged students to bring in their own narratives and experiences into the discussion as well.
To learn more about this continuing education opportunity for alumni, please visit the TFAS Curriculum of Liberty Seminars page.
Meet the Philanthropy and Liberty TFAS alumni scholars
Philip Applebaum (ICPES 12) works for the Charles Koch Institute where he serves as outreach coordinator for their new free speech and toleration initiative. He graduated from Tulane University with degrees in economics and legal studies in business and served as an officer for the Tulane Rowing Club for two years. He is originally from Baltimore, Maryland.
Katie Boothroyd (IPVS 08) works as the national director of communications for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She received a master’s degree in media entrepreneurship from American University, Washington, D.C. and a Bachelor of Arts in English and speech studies from Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, Michigan.
Andrea Browne-Phillips (ICPES 04) is a dynamic authority on strategic approaches to diversity and inclusion from a values based leadership perspective. Andrea is committed to developing sustainable approaches for public and nonprofit organizations with a focus on inclusion, equity, economic development and care for the environment. Andrea has served as the director of inclusion and engagement at Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) where she oversaw the Racial Equity and Diversity Professional Interest Group. Prior to joining CCUSA, Andrea was with the Aspen Institute for almost a decade and served as the assistant director of the Aspen Environment Forum, a public forum dedicated to our shared natural environment presented in partnership by The Aspen Institute and National Geographic. Andrea has served as a special advisor to the chief diversity officer of the Democratic National Committee and conducted workshops for the Municipal Transport and Port Authority of Shanghai, China on, “Using Clean Energy in Public Transportation” and “The Ecosystem and Conservation.” She has also presented on, “The Renaissance of the Business Value Chain – The Next Step in the Evolution of the Free Market Economy Apotheosis” for the Academy of Management. Andrea is a Ph.D. candidate in Values Driven Leadership at Benedictine University, and a graduate of Georgetown University and St. Francis College. She also serves as a fellow of the International Career Advancement Program, a TFAS Leadership Fellow and Alumni Council member, and a board member of the Caribbean Satellite Television Network.
Kristen Cambell (IPJ 03, EJI 04) is executive director of PACE (Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement). PACE’s mission is to inspire interest, understanding and investment in civic engagement within philanthropy and to be a voice for philanthropy in larger conversations taking place in the fields of civic engagement, service and democratic practice. Previously, Kristen was an independent consultant, focusing primarily on civic engagement, education and leadership. She was chief program officer for the National Conference on Citizenship, where she served for six years, and prior to that, was a member of the social investment team at the Case Foundation. She originally launched her career in the nonprofit sector with a year of national service as an AmeriCorps*VISTA at the Points of Light Foundation. Kristen serves on the Alumni Council of TFAS, and is on the advisory boards of several national nonprofits. Kristen’s hometown is Norman, Oklahoma, and she is a graduate of East Central University in Ada. She currently resides in the Washington, D.C. area.
Ryan Elizabeth Cinney (CSS 14) received her Bachelor of Arts degree in communication from Flagler College in December 2013, with a minor in advertising. Ryan is currently working as the marketing manger at the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA) in Washington D.C.,. She is working on implementing the new branding, overall social media strategy and email marketing efforts. Prior to joining SOCMA, Ryan was a marketing specialist for Adecco Group North America, Fortune 500 brands. Most of her time was spent working on email marketing and social media strategy for the six national finance, office and legal brands supported by Adecco. Before Adecco, Ryan was working in Washington, D.C. within the public relations and advocacy sectors, as a part of the Capital Semester TFAS program. Ryan also has experience in both corporate and nonprofit public relations – she has helped several St. Augustine nonprofits with their social media outreach, truly enjoying giving back to the community in this way. Specifically, Ryan has worked with a Jacksonville, Florida nonprofit organization to manage and implement its first annual campaign to significantly reduce overall bike and motorist accidents in Duval County, Florida. The One Road campaign was later implemented by the Jacksonville Transit Authority and is currently being used to better serve the city’s cyclist community.
Collin Figley (CSF 12) is the domestic fundraising coordinator for the Eisenhower Memorial Commission. He works to coordinate two fundraising companies in efforts to raise funds for the next presidential memorial to President and General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Colin completed graduate school in May 2016 with a degree in strategic intelligence studies from the Institute of World Politics. He has a big interest in sports; especially snowboarding in the winter months, and he loves socializing and getting to know new people. Colin’s personal goal is to serve our country in the federal government with the hopes of making this country and the world a better place.
Remley Johnson (ICPES 11) works in the personal office of former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld as his chief of staff. Remley oversees projects including the Rumsfeld Papers online archive and the Rumsfeld collection at the Library of Congress. She assisted the national promotional tour and media roll-out of Mr. Rumsfeld’s New York Times bestselling book, “Rumsfeld’s Rules.” In 2013, Remley graduated from Texas Christian University (TCU) with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and minor in political science. She attended the TFAS Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems (ICPES) in 2011 and returned the following summer as the ICPES Program Advisor. She loves politics and TCU football.
Colleen Maleski (IPJ 08) is the senior manager of continuous improvement at StriveTogether, a national network of cradle to career collective impact partnerships. Colleen builds the capacity of local leaders and practitioners to use data and continuous improvement tools and processes to improve cradle to career outcomes. She also manages the Cradle to Career Accelerator Fund to expedite the progress of local partnerships. Maleski earned her Master of Public Policy degree at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College where she served as a research assistant for the Accelerated Academic Achievement Research Center and the Tennessee Consortium on Research, Evaluation and Development. She served as a consultant for the Tennessee Department of Education and led the expansion of Colorado State Senator Mike Johnston’s Urban Leaders Fellowship to Nashville. Maleski earned a Bachelor of Arts in strategic communications and business marketing from The Ohio State University and worked previously in public affairs and corporate social responsibility for Raytheon.
LeeAnna Matarazzo (ICPES 14) works as the human resources associate for the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), a public policy research think tank. In her role, she is responsible for recruiting and selecting candidates for AEI’s full-time opportunities and working on benefits administration for the think tank’s 230+ employees. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Human Resources Management at Georgetown University. LeeAnna is an alumna of Elon University in North Carolina where she majored in religious studies and minored in Spanish and Middle East studies. LeeAnna is also a graduate of the TFAS Institute on Economics and International Affairs and the Public Policy Fellows programs at TFAS.
Eleanor O’Neil (IPJ 11) graduated from Southwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a minor in Spanish. She is currently a research assistant in American politics and public opinion at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI).
Haley Sisler (IBGA 07) serves as the program manager for planning and outreach at the Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE) and is responsible for organizing outreach efforts, managing university relations and planning logistics for the Economics for Leaders programs. Prior to joining FTE last spring, Haley served as a recruiter for the Hajoca Corporation, where she recruited and coordinated the organization’s Management Development Program. She also previously worked in program management for TFAS, serving as the program manager for the ICPES and IEIA programs, as well as working in the recruitment and admissions department. Haley is a graduate of the University of Oregon where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration, emphasizing in marketing. She is also an alumna of the Institute on Business and Government Affairs (IBGA) TFAS program. Haley resides in Sacramento, California with her husband and enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling and exploring the outdoors.
Robin Wilkins’ (ICPES 10) commitment to working with service members and philanthropy was instilled in her from an early age, as her family includes generations of military heroes. She was raised to always help, give back and serve in any way that she can. Boots Up was inspired by Robin’s military friends, who confided in her the troubles they faced in their transitions from service. Some of the stories were grim and shocking. Many of these men and women who honorably and selflessly served our country returned to a country that they had a great deal of trouble fitting into. She saw firsthand how illustrious military careers did not translate to success in the civilian world, and she recognized a disconnect that she was able to address and fix for numerous veteran friends. Robin began her career working with and for the U.S. Military as an investigator for NEXCOM aboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola. She also volunteered for the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS) as a financial counsellor. Robin’s work with the military and government agencies led her to Washington, D.C. where she formed close working relations with many high-ranking agency leaders and officials while there as a government relations analyst. After leaving D.C., she transitioned to a career in banking and worked her way up to leadership positions. She was an anti-money laundering officer/analyst, head of the New York metro region’s wealth management for The Bank of New York Mellon; she also worked in consulting for European Institutions and as an international ambassador for the WIN program. Robin studied global enterprise risk management at NYU. She received her bachelor’s degree from Florida Gulf Coast University in criminal justice through combined coursework at the University of Florida and University of West Florida. Robin is married with two sons. They are her “amazing distractions who keep her on her toes and motivated to do something meaningful that they can see.” In addition to work and family, she keeps a busy social calendar with 90 percent of events she participates in benefiting charities. She serves on several boards in an advisory capacity and is proud to be named a Women of Power for the NYC Metropolitan area. Her positions and circles of friends allow her to network in a way where Boots Up has new supporters and people offering assistance each week. Robin is confident that the partnerships formed and Boots Up’s initial “A-team” will contribute to what will become a meaningful and impactful charity that can help our veterans and positively impact our economy with the ripple effect.