Lindsay Craig
President
Lindsay Young Craig is the president of National Review Institute, the non-profit William F. Buckley Jr. founded in 1991 to complement the efforts of National Review magazine and promote the ideals of a free society he championed. Under Lindsay’s leadership, NRI has established sound fiscal footing, even while becoming the parent company for NR, Inc., expanding its donor base by a factor of ten; significantly enhanced its institutional support for National Review while establishing successful programs like Burke to Buckley, the Ideas Summit, and the William F. Buckley Prize Dinner; and broadened its strategic partnerships with policy organizations and policy makers across the country, raising awareness of the broader NR mission. She remains active in the conservative movement, organizing events, serving on advisory boards, and speaking at conferences. Lindsay serves on the Board of Trustees for The Fund for American Studies and on the Board of Directors for Young Voices, and is a member of Atlas Network’s Global Council of CEOs.
Prior to joining NRI in August of 2013, Lindsay spent 16 years at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, one of the country’s leading domestic-policy think tanks. As vice president of communications and marketing, she oversaw the development of the public-relations department, social-media and web development, and strategic marketing. In addition to her communications department duties, Lindsay spearheaded numerous other Manhattan Institute projects—leading special initiatives such as video and book projects, launching the Young Leaders Circle (an under-40 donor program), organizing major conferences, and overseeing MI’s internship program.
A Connecticut native, Lindsay lived in New York City for over two decades, after moving there to study photography and graphic design at the School of Visual Arts, with a focus on political art. She graduated from New York University with a B.A. in politics. She lives in the New York City suburbs with her husband and young daughter.
Claire Aguda
Project Manager
Claire Aguda serves as the Project Manager at National Review Institute. She was previously the Director of Alumni, Graduate Students, and Faculty at the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, where William F. Buckley Jr. served as its first president in 1953. She graduated from Florida State University where she studied literature and international affairs before earning a M.S. in education. She is currently pursuing a PhD in humanities with a focus on intellectual history in Faulkner University’s Great Books program. She serves as a Visiting Research Fellow with the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal, and was a Burke to Buckley fellow in Philadelphia in 2021. She was previously a fellow with the John Jay Institute, and serves on the Board of Advisors of the Ciceronian Society and as a trustee of the Philadelphia Society. A native Floridian, she currently lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Taisha Camacho
Director of Events
Taisha Camacho serves as the Director of Events for National Review Institute. Taisha comes to NRI from the Tocqueville Group (TQ), a technology company specializing in blockchain, consulting, research, engagement, open-source software, and community building. Previously, she served as the Events Director at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, where she worked for more than twenty years. Taisha is a native New Yorker and lives in Manhattan with her family.
Stephanie Cates
Regional Development Lead, Southwest
Stephanie Cates is NRI’s Regional Development Lead in the Southwest. Based in Phoenix, she fosters relationships with NRI friends and donors throughout the Southwestern U.S. Prior to NRI, Stephanie spent 24 years directing the marketing and communications for a consumer packaged goods manufacturer in Spokane, Washington.
Stephanie is excited to meet new people who are equally passionate about promoting the conservative movement, while being closer to family in Arizona and Southern California. In her leisure time, she enjoys reading, wine tasting, and exploring the unique beauty of the desert Southwest. She graduated from Grove City College with a B.A. in Communications, and laments that she missed having William F. Buckley Jr. as her commencement speaker by one year.
Margaret Farris
Regional Development Lead, Florida
Margaret Farris is NRI’s Regional Development Lead in Florida. With more than 30 years experience leading nonprofits and associations in the areas of marketing and development, Margaret looks forward to meeting both new and old friends of NRI alike, keeping William F. Buckley Jr.’s legacy of conservative, disciplined principles in the forefront of current and future generations.
A fifth-generation Floridian, Margaret comes from a family committed to public service. Recognized for her work with youth and education, she enjoys volunteering her time to the Big Bend of the United Way and Leon County schools. An avid cook, she and her husband enjoy entertaining with friends and family, and spoiling their two dogs, Jack and Emmy.
Frank Filocomo
Program Manager
Frank Filocomo is the Program Manager at National Review Institute. Frank graduated the Wilf Family Department of Politics at New York University. His focus was American government and U.S. trade policy. As an undergraduate student, he attended St. Francis College in Brooklyn Heights. There he chaired the St. Thomas Moore Pre Law Society’s Mock Trial Committee; founded the William McKinley Society, a free speech club and; is a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honor Society. In his free time, Frank is a jazz guitarist who plays at various restaurants and cafes throughout New York City. He was formerly an intern and development assistant at NRI.
Matthew Jean-Baptiste
Office Services Coordinator
Matthew Jean-Baptiste is the Office Services Coordinator at National Review Institute, where manages reception and provides administrative support. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. He holds a BA in Communications from Brooklyn College and has a wealth of office-support experience. He enjoys music and sports and currently resides in Brooklyn.
John Korpacz
Chief Financial Officer
John Korpacz is the Chief Financial Officer at National Review Institute. John was most recently the Vice President of Finance and Controller at Intermix Holdco, LLC. Prior to that, he was Vice President of Finance for Thomson Reuters and Vice President and Controller for Nielsen Business Media. He has extensive experience working in start-up environments as well as Fortune 200 sized organizations. He graduated from City University of New York with a BA in Accounting and Information Systems, and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Karlene Maharaj
Database Administrator
Karlene Maharaj is the Development Operations Coordinator at National Review Institute, responsible for managing the direct mail program, providing financial reporting and campaign analysis, and assisting the development staff in outreach, logistics, marketing, follow-up, and events. Karlene has worked in the development arena for almost 10 years. Her passion for fundraising began when she worked for an organization that served veterans and their families, a mission very close to her own story. Throughout her career, she has worked vigorously to connect donors to the stories of “why one gives” and to the messaging of an organization’s mission.
As both a wife and mother, Karlene pursued her academic goals online, attending the School of Professional Studies, CUNY in New York for her B.A. in Business Administration. Her personal and professional affiliations include sitting on the board of her children’s private school PTA since 2008, first as the PTA president and then as the Parent Teacher Liaison. She has also been a participating member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP).
Nicholas Mosvick
Manager, Buckley Legacy Project (Made possible by the Apgar Foundation), Regional Coordinator, Burke to Buckley Fellowship Program, Philadelphia
Nicholas Mosvick serves as the Buckley Legacy Project Manager at National Review Institute. He was previously a Senior Fellow in Constitutional Content at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Minnesota, where he studied history and political science, before getting his J.D. and M.A. at the University of Virginia in legal history in 2010 and his PhD in US history from the University of Mississippi in 2019. His research interests include nineteenth century American constitutionalism, the Lochner Era, the history of American military conscription, and originalism and the common law. He is currently under contract with the University of Kansas Press to publish his first book, Legalizing the Draft: Jacksonian Constitutionalism, the American Civil War, and the Legitimization of Military Conscription. He lives with his wife Lindsey and two sons Connor and Lincoln in Downingtown, Pennsylvania.
Hattie Murray
Development Assistant
Hattie Murray is the Development Assistant at National Review Institute. Hattie was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. She received her B.A. in Politics and Pre-Law with a minor in Philosophy from Palm Beach Atlantic University. There she was chosen as a Freidheim Fellow to research the constitutionality of the federal government’s use of nominally private entities to censor free speech. She has also been involved with The Fund for American Studies as a leadership scholar in their Washington D.C. program, where she interned with American Council of Trustees and Alumni, and in their international program in Prague.
Alexander Norton III
Student Outreach Coordinator
Alexander Norton III is the Student Outreach Coordinator at National Review Institute. He was born in Okinawa, Japan, raised in Las Vegas, NV, and lived in Montreal, Canada, where he received an MMus in Opera and Voice from McGill University. He now lives in New York, NY. Before joining NRI, Alexander sang professionally with opera companies based in Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, and Toronto, Canada. He also worked as a field representative by organizing college students and speaker events from Upstate to Downstate New York. In his free time, Alexander enjoys reading, attending classical music concerts, and learning about foreign cultures and languages—particularly French.
Aramis L. Perez
Manager, Burke to Buckley Fellowship Program
Aramis L. Perez is NRI’s Future of Freedom Fellow managing the Burke to Buckley Fellowship Program. He joins NRI after completing the Burke to Buckley Fellowship in his hometown of Miami in 2022 and serving as City Coordinator there in 2023. His prior experience includes managing communities, communications, and education for businesses and non-profit organizations, as well as university administration. Aramis is a lifelong learner with a strong interest in conservative social and political thought. He holds an AB in Government from Harvard and is a Professional Fellow to the Abigail Adams Institute in Cambridge.
Sherri Rowton
Regional Development Lead, Southeast
Sherri Joullian Rowton is NRI’s Regional Development Lead for the Southeast. She joined NRI after retiring from her alma mater, Auburn University, where she spent over two decades as a development officer with the College of Sciences and Mathematics. Her career in fundraising began at The Dallas Arboretum as its membership manager. Sherri is involved in several community organizations, including the Opelika Historic Preservation Society and East Alabama Youth for Christ. She is based in Opelika, Alabama, and she and her husband Philip are parents to two sons, both of whom are current Auburn students.
Kristen Welch
Executive Assistant
Kristen Welch is the Executive Assistant at National Review Institute, responsible for maintaining Lindsay Craig’s schedule and for completing administrative tasks around the office. Kristen graduated from Grove City College in Western Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Political Science and Economics.
Lydie White
Board of Trustees Liaison
Lydie White is the Board of Trustees Liaison, responsible for updating, coordinating with, and providing information to NRI’s board. Previously, she worked as the Director of Finance and Operations at NRI, overseeing internal operations, accounting, and event planning and providing administrative assistance directly to NRI’s president. Prior to joining NRI, Lydie worked in operations and finance for the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. Originally from Georgia, Lydie earned her B.A. in History from Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina and her J.D. from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama. She and her husband, John Anderson, reside in Georgia.
Jason Wise
Regional Development Lead, Northwest
Jason Wise is the Regional Development Lead for the Northwestern United States, managing and facilitating donor outreach and development. Having read National Review since the early days of the website, his association with the magazine started in 2002 when he sailed the Mediterranean on what was to become the first of many NR cruises—now up to 17. He served as an NRI trustee from 2005 to 2015. Prior to joining NRI, Jason worked as an equity trader in the hedge fund industry for 19 years in San Francisco, New York City, and Connecticut. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Washington. He now lives in his hometown of Seattle.
Ilana Wolf
Accounting and Operations Manager
Ilana Wolf is the Accounting and Operations Manager at NRI. In this role she is responsible for NRI’s accounting and finance, manages human resource-related functions, and supports management and development operations. Ilana came to NRI from Airline Pros in New York City, where she was responsible for all accounting duties for many of their foreign and domestic entities. She has payroll and HR-related experience with former employers. She majored in Accounting at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Ilana lived in Russia and Israel before moving to the U.S. She and her family live in New Jersey.
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Lynn Gibson
Senior Adviser, Burke to Buckley Fellowship Program
Lynn Gibson serves as a Special Adviser to the Burke to Buckley Fellowship Program—a multi-session program that consists of in-person meetings around the country, as well as two levels of virtual courses. Her professional career has spanned the academic, governmental, nonprofit, and private sectors. She currently works for a small family foundation. Her previous employers and/or consulting clients have included the National Math and Science Initiative, The Philanthropy Roundtable, the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Senate, The Heritage Foundation, and her alma mater, Grove City College. Lynn has a B.S. in Biology from Grove City College and a Master’s degree in Student Personnel from Slippery Rock University. She is from Youngstown, Ohio.
Shannon Cagnina
Regional Coordinator, Burke to Buckley Fellowship Program, Dallas
Shannon Cagnina serves as General Counsel for a family office that oversees real estate operating companies and philanthropy. She also serves on multiple values-aligned nonprofit boards. She earned a B.A. in Economics from Wellesley College, a J.D. from Boston University, and began her career at an economic consulting firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Shannon loves spending time with her three wonderful children and their families. You might also find her at an exhibit at the Meadows, the Kimbell, or the Dallas Museum of Art. Shannon can be reached at dallas@nrinstitute.org.
Todd Drake
Regional Coordinator, Burke to Buckley Fellowship Program, New York City
Todd Drake has over two decades of experience in the commercial and residential real estate industry. He has built and operated multiple business enterprises, including residential, multifamily, and hospitality assets. Those enterprises encompass the full development cycle from construction to management and eventual sale of the assets. Before embarking on these projects, Todd had the benefit of a background which included consulting for business entities requiring his expertise in underwriting, servicing, and managing commercial real property of various types. His wide-ranging experience includes time as a Financial Consultant at Merrill Lynch, as a restaurant and banquet facility owner, a CMBS loan consultant, as well as various business enterprises. Currently, Todd is a locally elected county legislator, where he works consistently to keep the county make fiscally responsible decisions and to stand athwart and shed light upon the often egregious acts of a government body emboldened by one-party rule. Most recently in business, Todd has focused on the acquisition, refurbishment and operation of traditional Adirondack style cabin and camping resorts in the Lake George & Lake Placid regions of New York State. Todd can be reached at newyork@nrinstitute.org.
Chris Myers
Regional Coordinator, Burke to Buckley Fellowship Program, Chicago
Chris Myers is a partner in Ernst & Young’s merger and acquisition (M&A) consulting practice where he specializes in complex, international M&A transactions. He also serves as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserves based out of Fort Sheridan, IL where he currently supports US European Command. Outside of his day job and his military responsibilities, Myers serves as board chairman of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. chapter, as President of his 207-unit condo board, and as an Adjunct Professor of Management at DePaul University. Politically, Chris is the elected 34th Ward Republican Committeeman and serves as the Director of the Chicago GOP Policy Committee. Chris has been a fellow at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (2021), the National Review Institute Burke-to-Buckley Fellowship Program (2019), Leadership Greater Chicago (2019), and World Business Chicago (2017). Myers holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, an MA in International Relations from American University, a certificate in National Security Studies from the US Naval War college, and a BS in Computer Engineering from Penn State University. He has been actively learning the Polish language since 2017. Chris can be reached at chicago@nrinstitute.org.
Helena Ramírez Richardson
Regional Coordinator, Burke to Buckley Fellowship Program, Miami
Helena Ramírez Richardson is a national coalition builder, outreach specialist, and programming advisor. Helena spent ten years in Washington, D.C. in government affairs, led youth efforts at The Heritage Foundation, and brought Hispanics and Latinos into the liberty movement when at The LIBRE Initiative. She is now a full time mother of three who advises liberty-minded organizations and causes. Helena formerly led the Heritage Foundation’s efforts to develop college campus outreach, young professional engagement, the prestigious internship program, and launched The Academy, a virtual leadership program that reached over 1,000 young professionals in its first year. She also worked at The LIBRE Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting free market principles in the Hispanic community. Helena oversaw coalition building with students, young professionals, and families in North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. Helena worked in a boutique government relations firm, and in the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute where she oversaw leadership development and congressional outreach. It was through her work at LIBRE that in 2015, she was named to Forbes “30 Under 30” in Law and Policy. She was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, grew up in Miami, Florida, and is fluent in Spanish. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at Florida International University where she served as a University Trustee representing 44,000 students her graduating year. Helena can be reached at miami@nrinstitute.org.
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Luiza Guimaraes
Intern
Luiza Guimaraes is a fall intern for National Review Institute. Originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she is currently living in New York City pursuing a dual major in Theatre and Performing Arts and Film and Media Studies at Columbia University. She has produced, directed, and edited digital content that increased visibility and engagement for various initiatives, including a Web Series for Northern Virginia Community College. Additionally, as an Afro-Brazilian immigrant, stand up comedian and military spouse, she brings a diverse perspective to her work. Through her studies, Luiza explores the intersection of storytelling, media production, and social change. Her work with the Armed Services Arts Partnership, where she assisted in leading improv classes for U.S. military veterans, reflects her commitment to using the arts to empower underrepresented communities and connect people. In her free time, she takes comedy classes at Upright Citizens Brigade, learns how to play video games with her husband, goes to the beach or complains she misses summer.
Jack Kontarinis
Intern
Jack Kontarinis is a fall intern for National Review Institute. He is currently pursuing a Master of History Degree at New York University. He intends to focus his research on contemporary American foreign and domestic policy issues through historical lenses. He earned his BA in History, with Latin Honors, from the University of Colorado Boulder. He published his first paper on the early history of English trade in Southeast Asia in the 17th century through CU Boulder’s Honors Journal. Jack lives in Manhattan and is from Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Prior to working with the NRI and studying at NYU, he bought, handled, and sold crabs and oysters on Tilghman Island, Maryland, during his gap year.