IAVA Staff & Board

Staff

Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director and Founder. Paul is the Executive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Paul served as a First Lieutenant and infantry rifle platoon leader in the Iraq war from 2003-2004. He is also the author of the critically-acclaimed Chasing Ghosts, and a nationally recognized authority on the war in Iraq and issues affecting troops, military families and veterans. Prior to going to Iraq, Paul worked as a high school football coach and an Investment Banking Analyst on Wall Street. He received a BA in Political Science from Amherst College in 1998 and lives in New York City.

Communications

Chrissy Stevens, Communications Director. Chrissy is responsible for increasing media outreach and executing the message of IAVA. Before joining IAVA, Chrissy spent two years working for Governor Eliot Spitzer, with one year on Spitzer’s 2006 Gubernatorial Campaign and the second as the Deputy Chief of Staff to the First Lady in the Governor’s Executive Chamber. Chrissy graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Legal Studies and a minor in Public Policy.

Michael Houston, Communications Associate. Prior to joining IAVA, Michael attended Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY. He graduated with a BA in History and Government. As Communications Associate, Michael is responsible for managing IAVA’s media relations and outreach.

Terrell Frazier, Communications Associate. Terrell is responsible for increasing IAVA’s media outreach and online presence. Prior to joining IAVA, Terrell completed a MA in the Sociology of Media at The New School for Social Research where he focused on using emergent media to spur social change, while also serving as a GLAAD National News Fellow. Terrell graduated from Michigan State University with a BA in Public Policy and Journalism.

Membership & Outreach

Paayal Mahajan, Membership Director. As Membership Director, Paayal is responsible for IAVA’s overall membership strategy, including building a 21st century model of membership that melds online platforms with local organizing. Prior to joining IAVA, Paayal managed diversity initiatives for the United States Tennis Association, and multicultural membership for the Girl Scouts of the USA. She also has an extensive background in radio and broadcast media. She graduated from Rutgers University with a BS in Environmental Policy, Institutions and Behavior.

Blake Henderson, Deputy Membership Director. Blake graduated with a BA in Political Science from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and earned a Masters of International Studies at the University of Sydney. Prior to joining IAVA, Blake was a legal assistant at a law firm in Seattle and volunteered his time as a youth basketball coach. As Membership Associate, Blake manages IAVA’s local events and serves as a liaison to IAVA’s civilian supporters and member veterans.

Cara Hammer, Veteran Support Associate. As Veteran Support Associate, Cara serves as liaison to veterans and their families, helping them resolve problems related to housing, legal issues, employment, physical and mental health, substance abuse, domestic violence, and financial planning. She enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves in 1997 as a Unit Supply Specialist, serving with the 348th Transportation Company based out of Phoenix, AZ and the 310th TACCOM in Ft. Belvoir, VA. In 2002, she joined the active army, serving with the First Infantry Division in Kitzingen, Germany before deploying to Tikrit, Iraq from February 2004 to February 2005 with the 1st Infantry Division. She is a 2009 graduate of Arizona State University where she received a degree in Family and Human Development. An Arizona native, she currently resides in New York City.

Adam Bryant, Membership Assistant.Working closely with the rest of the department, Adam supports Membership in event planning and execution, paperwork verification and document, and communication with civilian and veteran members. He enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard in September 2004 as an infantry soldier in New York’s 27th Brigade Combat Team. From January 2007 to January 2008 he served in Kabul on a civil military operations team, which completed and initiated more civil projects to build schools, roads, and wells than any other previous rotation. Adam also served in Herat on a 14 man Police Mentoring Team (PMT) and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal for his service. A prolific writer and photographer, he studied Communications at the University of Buffalo prior to his deployment. He is currently on active drilling status in the Army National Guard, and resides in Queens, NY.

Policy & Research

Jonathan Schleifer, Policy Director. As Policy Director, Jonathan is responsible for IAVA's legislative agenda and strategy. He also oversees IAVA's research projects and policy development. Jonathan most recently worked on former New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen's successful bid for the United States Senate. He had previously worked as Congressman Anthony Weiner's (NY-9) Senior Policy Adviser. Before earning his Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, Jonathan was a public school teacher in the Teach for America program. He taught middle school in the South Bronx for five years. Jonathan also holds an MA from Columbia University's Teachers College.

Todd Bowers, Deputy Policy Director for Public Affairs. As Deputy Policy Director for Public Affairs, Todd works with the Chief Legislative Counsel as IAVA’s liaison to members of Congress, to Veterans Service Organizations, and to other government agencies. Todd served two tours in Iraq as a Civil Affairs Team Sergeant with the United States Marine Corps, and was awarded the Purple Heart and Navy Commendation medal with “V” device for Valor. He studied Middle Eastern Affairs and Arabic at George Washington University in Washington, D.C, and is currently serving his country as a Staff Sergeant in the Marine Corps Reserves in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

Patrick Campbell, Chief Legislative Counsel. Patrick serves as a congressional liaison for IAVA, working to advance the IAVA Legislative Agenda among members of Congress and Veterans Service Organizations. After returning from Iraq in October 2005 after one year of service, he was awarded the Combat Medical Badge and the Meritorious Service Medal. Patrick recently graduated Law School from the Catholic University of America, and is a combat medic with the Washington, D.C. National Guard.

Erin Mulhall, Deputy Policy Director for Research. As Deputy Policy Director for Research, Erin assists the Policy Director with the development of IAVA's annual Legislative Agenda, with a focus on employment, housing, and women veterans' issues. She is also a lead researcher and contributing writer of IAVA's Issue Reports, a series of in-depth policy papers on the most urging issues facing this generation of veterans. Prior to joining IAVA in June 2007, Erin received a B.A. from Boston College, where her concentration was Political Science and Communications.

Tom Tarantino, Legislative Associate. Tom is a former Army Captain who left service in 2007 after 10 years. He returned from Iraq in 2006 after one year of deployment with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment. Tom served in combat as both a cavalry and mortar platoon leader, and was awarded the Combat Action Badge and Bronze Star. Tom graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2002 with a degree in Global Studies and International Relations. As Legislative Associate, Tom assists with IAVA’s research and policy through coordination with Congress, Veterans Service Organizations and governmental organizations.

Jennifer Hunt, Project Coordinator. As Project Coordinator Jennifer oversees the day-to-day operations of the D.C. office, and supports the Deputy Policy Director for Research in production of IAVA’s Issue Reports. She is an NCO in the Army Reserves and serves as a Civil Affairs Specialist. Jennifer has served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and on both tours she worked closely with Iraqi and Afghan civilians to rebuild their country’s infrastructure. She has been awarded the Purple Heart and Combat Action Badge. Prior to her last deployment, Jennifer graduated from American University with a B.A in Political Science.

Online Strategy

Daniel Atwood, Director of Online Strategy. As Director of Online Strategy, Daniel is responsible for expanding IAVA’s online visibility to reach both veterans and civilian supporters using new media platforms. Prior to joining IAVA, Daniel worked as a legal assistant at a New York law firm and has held positions as a computer specialist and academic mentor. Daniel graduated from Trinity College with a BS in Computer Science.

Meghan Teich Rennstich, Online Strategy Associate. Meghan received her BA in Political Science from Fordham University at Lincoln Center and is the proud daughter of an Army Veteran. Before joining IAVA, she worked at the United Nations Association of the USA as an Editor and Publications Coordinator.

Michelle McCarthy, Online Strategy Associate. Michelle assists Online Strategy with social media outreach and managing the IAVA daily blog. Before joining IAVA, she worked as a reporter and editor covering Wall Street and the U.S. economy. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BA in Political Science, and is currently pursuing a Masters in Media Studies at The New School.

Jason Hansman, Online Community Manager. As Online Community Manager, Jason is responsible for maintaining and growing Community of Veterans, the first and largest social network exclusively for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Prior to joining IAVA, Jason completed an 8-year enlistment in the Army Reserves as a Civil Affairs Sergeant. From 2004 to 2005, he was deployed to Mosul, Iraq as the Operations NCO of a Civil Affairs company and helped manage hundreds of reconstruction projects. Jason graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Political Science, with a minor in Near Eastern Language and Civilization.

Edward Halman, Data and Technology Manager. As Data and Technology Manager, Edward manages IAVA’s databases and information systems technologies. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in computer science in 1997 and is a former Lieutenant in the US Navy. In 1998, he deployed to the Arabian Gulf aboard USS Normandy, a guided missile cruiser, to enforce UN sanctions against Iraq. In 2000 he reported as Navigator aboard USS Doyle, a guided missile frigate, to support drug interdiction operations in the Caribbean. Following his Naval Service, he worked as an information technology specialist and consultant for various commercial and non-profit organizations.

Development & Operations

Devon Collins, Director of Operations. Devon has been with IAVA since 2005, serving as IAVA’s Director of Operations for over three years. Devon is responsible for growing the organization through development initiatives and in-house management of IAVA. She graduated Rollins College with a degree in Sociology.

Miranda Payton, Development Associate. Miranda assists the Director of Operations through management of individual donations, foundation grants and corporate solicitations. She grew up in a military family in Texas, and in 2007 she graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a BA in Political Science and English.

Dawn Elizabeth Adams, Office Manager. Dawn joined IAVA to support our New York City headquarters. She has a B.A. in Hospitality & Facilities Management from Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA and is well versed in Office Management and Executive Administration. She has experience in the fields of technology, entertainment, finance and real estate and is eager to help IAVA grow.

Strategic Partnerships

Katie VanLangen, Director of Strategic Partnerships. As Director of Strategic Partnerships, Katie oversees all of the organization’s relationships with external partners, with a special focus on IAVA’s veteran outreach campaign with the Ad Council. Prior to joining IAVA, Katie managed marketing for teacher recruitment at the NYC Department of Education and directed the development and production of various PSA campaigns at the Ad Council. She graduated from New York University with a Masters in public administration and a BS in marketing, management and journalism.

Executive Management

Natasha Bridgelal, Executive Assistant. Natasha worked in a variety of industries, including finance and telecommunications, prior to joining IAVA. She received an MA in Psychology from The City College of New York, and a BA in English and Psychology from SUNY Albany.

Board of Directors

Mike Atkinson. Mike Atkinson has managed Palmer Square Partners LP since 1997. Prior to that, he was an analyst at Duncan Hurst Capital Management and a U.S. Navy SEAL veteran of the First Gulf War. Mike has an MBA from Columbia University and an undergraduate degree from The University of Pennsylvania, which he attended on an NROTC scholarship.

Les Gelb. Leslie (Les) Howard Gelb is a former correspondent for The New York Times and is currently President Emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Les was director of Policy Planning and Arms Control for International Security Affairs at the Department of Defense from 1967 to 1969, winning the Pentagon’s highest award, the Distinguished Service Award. Robert McNamara appointed Gelb as director of the project that produced the infamous Pentagon Papers, on the Vietnam War. He was an Assistant Secretary of State in the Carter Administration from 1977 to 1979, serving as director of the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs and winning the Distinguished Honor Award, the highest award of the US State Department.

He was a diplomatic correspondent at The New York Times from 1973 to 1977; between 1981 and 1993 he served in various positions, including national security correspondent, deputy editorial page editor, editor of the Op-Ed Page, and columnist. He was a leading member of the Times team that won a Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism in 1986 for a six-part comprehensive series on the Strategic Defense Initiative.

Les became President of the Council on Foreign Relations in 1993 and is now President Emeritus. He received a B.A. from Tufts University in 1959, and an M.A. in 1961 and Ph.D. in 1964 from Harvard University. From 1964-1967 he was Assistant Professor of Government at Wesleyan University.

Rosanne Haggerty. Rosanne Haggerty is the founder of Common Ground Community, a not-for-profit housing development and management organization in New York City, which provides innovative housing opportunities for homeless adults. Common Ground is the largest developer of supportive housing in the United States. The organization’s work has been widely imitated both in the US and abroad.

Rosanne received her BA from Amherst College and is currently pursuing an MA at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Historic Preservation. Prior to founding Common Ground in 1990, she was the coordinator of housing development at Brooklyn Catholic Charities. In addition to her role as executive director of Common Ground, Rosanne serves as a trustee of Amherst College and the Folger Shakespeare Library, a director of the Times Square Business Improvement District and of the Dwelling Place Women's Shelter. She is a board member of New York City’s Citizens Housing and Planning Council and the Centre for Urban Community Services.

Perry Jefferies. Perry Jefferies served as a First Sergeant with the Army’s 4^th Infantry Division in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. After deploying to Iraq and traveling with the cavalry through the Sunni Triangle, his unit moved to the Iran-Iraq border and set up Camp Caldwell, future home of the new Iraqi Army.

Perry joined the Army after enlisting in the Texas National Guard and served in Korea, Germany, and the United States before deploying to Iraq. He was awarded the Bronze Star for service in Iraq. He has served in infantry, armor, and cavalry units as a cavalry scout, platoon sergeant, first sergeant, supply sergeant, and as an instructor at the ArmorSchool at FortKnox. He retired in 2004 and was awarded the Legion of Merit. He is a member of the Order of Saint George for service to Armor and Cavalry. A graduate of PierceCollege in Washington, he works with the Armed Services Blood Program at FortHood and is a founding member of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Gabe Kleinman. Gabe Kleinman is an executive in the CAA Foundation at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), an entertainment and sports agency based in Los Angeles, with offices in Nashville, New York City, London, and Beijing. Gabe works in the Los Angeles office, where he serves as a strategic advisor to clients across the entertainment, sports, and corporate landscapes with their philanthropic and cause-based initiatives.

In 2001, Gabe joined CAA to work in the Marketing Department, where he helped create entertainment-based marketing programs for major corporations including The Coca-Cola Company, Abercrombie & Fitch and Delta Air Lines, among others.

Gabe received a B.A. in Philosophy and Anthropology from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, where he was the recipient of the Harrop and Ruth Freeman Prize in Peace Studies for his work on international law and the Middle East. He currently serves as the Young Leadership Co-Chairman within the Entertainment Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.

Yannick Marchal. Yannick Marchal is currently an exotic derivatives trader at Deutsche Bank in London in the Foreign Exchange Complex Risk group. He co-founded IAVA with Paul in 2004 and acted as IAVA’s Chief Operating Officer through December 2005. Prior to his time at IAVA, Yannick worked in the Investment Banking and Equity Research divisions at JPMorgan for over three years. He graduated cum laude from Stern Undergraduate Business School in January 2000 and received an MBA from INSEAD, class of December 2006, with distinction.

Wes Moore. Wes Moore is an investment banker with Deutsche Bank’s prestigious Global Markets Division in New York and London. His work focuses on structuring and procuring a range of complex transactions in emerging markets in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Wes, a paratrooper and Captain in the United States Army Reserves, recently returned from a combat tour of duty in Afghanistan where he served as the Director of Information Operations with the elite 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division.

Prior to his career in finance, Wes completed an MLitt in International Relations from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. His thesis topic, “The Rise and Ramifications of Radical Islam in the Western Hemisphere” has earned him praise as one of the foremost experts on the topic. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University and was awarded by the Maryland College Football Hall of Fame. He is also authoring a book about African-American involvement in international affairs, and serves as a White House Fellow in the Department of State.

Craig Newmark. A web-oriented software engineer by training, with 30 years of IT experience at companies such as IBM and Bank of America, Craig Newmark [20] now spends his days working as a customer service rep at Craigslist.org.

In 1995, while Craig was working at Charles Schwab, he started craigslist as an email list for friends and co-workers about events going on in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1999, Craig retired from IT consulting to work full-time on craigslist. What started as a fun side project in Craig’s living room has since grown into one of the busiest sites on the internet, helping people with basic day-to-day needs such as finding a job, an apartment and a date, all within a culture of trust.

Craig is involved with a variety of community efforts and is particularly interested in organizations promoting public diplomacy, Middle East peace and new forms of media such as participatory journalism. He sits on the boards of Sunlight Foundation, OneVoice, FactCheckED, and VotoLatino. Craig graduated from Case Western University.

Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director. Paul Rieckhoff, a graduate of Amherst College (B.A. in Politics, 1998), enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves on September 15, 1998. In June of 2002, he volunteered for active duty and a place in the pending war in Iraq. Rieckhoff was working as an investment banker at JPMorgan prior to his deployment to Iraq. Rieckhoff was released from active duty in March 2004 and now serves in the New York Army National Guard. Paul Rieckhoff is the founder and Executive Director of IAVA.

Edward Vick, Board Chairman. Edward Vick is a former Naval officer who served two tours of duty during the Vietnam War and received two Bronze Star Medals with Combat “V”, the Combat Action Ribbon, the Presidential Unit Citation and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. His business career was spent in the marketing communications business, including most recently, the chairmanship of Young & Rubicam Advertising and its parent, Young & Rubicam Inc.