Van Le
Program Associate
Van graduated from Harvard University in 2010 with a degree in Government. As an undergraduate, she focused on organizing and communications, campaigning with the Harvard College Democrats and writing for the campus daily newspaper, the Crimson. She has interned for former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic National Committee. Originally from Northern California, Van briefly worked as a union organizer before coming to America's Voice.
Pili Tobar
Press Assistant/Scheduler
As a Press Assistant/Scheduler, Pili balances her time between assisting Frank Sharry and doing press work in English and Spanish. Pili was raised in Guatemala City. She graduated from University of Miami with a Bachelor in Political Science and film, and a Masters in Public Administration. Previous to moving to D.C., Pili interned at non-profits and state official offices and was part of several political campaigns in Florida. She recently moved to Washington D.C., where she interned for the International Team at Greenberg Quinlan Rosner before coming to America's Voice.
Matt Hildreth
Manager of Online Communications
As the Manager of Online Organizing for America’s Voice, Matt spends his days at the intersection of technology and community change.
Raised on the northern plains in South Dakota, Matt got his start working in television on shows such NBC’s Three Wishes, ESPN’s Monday Night Football and ABC’s Good Morning America before making the jump into national politics. Prior to joining Americas Voice, Matt spent three years as the Interactive Media Producer for Sojourners -- the largest network of progressive Christians in America -- where he successfully developed innovative techniques for engaging online constituents.
Dara Lind
Communications Associate
As Communications Associate at America’s Voice, Dara Lind supports constituency outreach, publications, and new media operations. Dara comes to America’s Voice from Yale University, graduating in 2009 with a degree in Anthropology. As a student activist, she advocated for humane local and federal immigration policy, and conducted academic research on Immigration Court. Dara has written for various well-known print and online publications, and has also held internships in Nonprofit and Advocacy Communications at several national organizations, including the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Mahwish Khan
Manager of New Media and Online Content
Mahwish Khan has MA degrees in both Public Communications and Journalism. She is a published writer who has also designed publications both in the US and in her native country of Pakistan, where she also dabbled in filmmaking, Web design, advertising, and photography. While pursuing her Communications degrees here and abroad, she worked in the Publications Department of a prestigious Washington, DC think tank, as well as in an International NGO safeguarding the rights of Afghan Refugees in Pakistan. She also worked in the Communications and E-Outreach Department of a small nonprofit working to empower women in developing countries -- an experience that fostered her fascination with social media and online communications. Prior to joining America’s Voice, Mahwish played a similar role at a national coalition based in Washington, DC.
Maribel Hastings
Senior Advisor
A native of Puerto Rico, Maribel Hastings is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras campus, with a major in public communications and a history minor. Before joining America's Voice, she worked for La Opinión, the largest Spanish-language daily in the U.S. Ms. Hastings became La Opinión's first Washington, D.C. correspondent in 1993. Previously, she worked for the Associated Press, San Juan, Puerto Rico Bureau. During her career, Ms. Hastings has received numerous awards, including the 2007 Media Leadership Award from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) for her coverage of the immigration debate in the U.S. Senate. Ms. Hastings writes for our new web site www.AmericasVoiceEspanol.com, a Spanish-language news and analysis portal on the immigration debate, and is an expert on immigration issues.
Eric Norrby
Director of Operations
Eric Norrby, originally from Monterey, CA, graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1995 after a stint as a U.S. Army medic. He moved to Washington, DC in 1998 and shortly thereafter became involved in the Bill Bradley for President Campaign in 1999-2000. Upon completion of that campaign, he enrolled in the Democratic National Committee's training program for Campaign Finance compliance after which he worked as Comptroller and Compliance Director for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin during the 2000 election cycle. Upon returning to DC, Eric worked to help elect progressive candidates as Comptroller and Compliance Director of 21st Century Democrats. In 2004, Eric was Comptroller of the Thunder Road Group, helping that organization support groups such as America Votes, The Media Fund and America Coming together. Eric is currently the Operations Director for America's Voice.
María Ponce
Campaign Associate
María is a Campaign Associate for America's Voice. She assists in the management of various aspects of America's Voice campaign operations. As a Mexican immigrant to this country, María began her career as a community organizer early on as a teenager working with Catholic Charities serving the interest of recent immigrants from Mexico and the underpriviliged. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara in 2006, María moved to Washington D.C to intern and work for organizations such as the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund, the U.S. Committee for Refugee and Immigrant Children, and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Prior to coming to America's Voice, María worked for Senator Kennedy's H.E.L.P Committee in the Health policy office. Whether related to education, health or immigration issues that directly affect Latinos, María continues to advocate on behalf of all immigrants towards immigration reform.
Patty Kupfer
Managing Director
Patty Kupfer is the Managing Director at America’s Voice, where she helps guide and implement the organization’s online, Spanish language, and English language communications programs. She is also the organization’s primary liaison to leaders from the faith and law enforcement communities. Patty has years of experience as an organizer in the progressive faith community on issues ranging from global hunger and sustainable agriculture to health care and immigration reform. Before joining the team at America's Voice, Patty led the immigration campaign at Sojourners, where she directed organizing and media strategy to grow a network of faith leaders standing up for immigration reform. Patty is a native Californian and is proud to have begun her career there as a teacher. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia, an M.A. in Comparative Literature from Dartmouth College, and is fluent in Spanish.
Lynn Tramonte
Deputy Director
Lynn Tramonte is the Deputy Director at America’s Voice. She is the organization’s primary liaison to Capitol Hill and policy groups in Washington, DC. Prior to joining America’s Voice, Lynn worked at the National Immigration Forum for eight years doing legislative and communications work. She is a veteran of numerous legislative battles, including the comprehensive immigration reform debates in 2006 and 2007, and led the nationwide campaign to defeat federal legislation that would turn state and local police into immigration agents and undermine community policing. Lynn is a nationally respected advocate, coalition-builder, and writer. She started her career in immigration as a consultant to the Immigration and Naturalization Service, after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree from Denison University in Granville, Ohio.
Adam Luna
Political Director
As the Political Director at America's Voice, Adam coordinates our strategy to build a new majority for comprehensive immigration reform. Before joining the America's Voice team, Adam worked with community organizations and national leaders on immigration reform at the Center for Community Change. Adam is no stranger to winning national issue campaigns, having led the fight against Social Security privatization and other issues at the Campaign for America's Future and the 2030 Center. Adam has authored policy and political analyses that have garnered hundreds of news stories and has organized grassroots events that mobilized tens of thousands and online mobilizations that moved hundreds of thousands to action. Adam began his career in 1992, fighting anti-immigrant politics in California and looks forward to finishing the job at the national level with his colleagues at America's Voice.
Frank Sharry
Founder and Executive Director
Frank Sharry is Founder and Executive Director of America's Voice. With the support of allies in the immigration reform community, he created the new organization in early 2008 to focus on communications and media as part of a renewed effort to win comprehensive immigration reform. Prior to heading America's Voice, Frank served as Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum for 17 years. The Forum, based in Washington D.C., is one of the nation's premier immigration policy organizations, and has been at the center of every major legislative and policy debate related to immigration for the past quarter of a century.
Before joining the Forum, Frank was Executive Director of Centro Presente, a local organization working with Central American refugees in the greater Boston area. He initially became interested in immigrants and refugees while teaching in Singapore in the late 1970s. He was hired to assist with the rescue and relocation of boat refugees fleeing war-torn Vietnam and landing in Indonesia. Sharry is a native of Connecticut and a graduate of Princeton University.
