Lindsay Craig

President

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.

Rachel Dynkin

Marketing Coordinator

Rachel Dynkin is the Marketing Coordinator at National Review Institute, responsible for promoting events and news related to the organization via social media and email. Rachel graduated from NYU with a B.S. in Media, Culture and Communication. Prior to joining NRI, she was the Marketing Coordinator at FuturePay, a fintech startup, as well as a social media marketing intern at Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. and a public relations intern at Rubenstein PR. Rachel lives in the Upper East Side with her husband, Sam.

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 Buckley’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

Development Assistant

Frank Filocomo is the Development Assistant 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 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).

Miranda Melvin

Director of External Affairs

Miranda Melvin is the Director of External Affairs at National Review Institute. She has spent the majority of her career working in the grassroots departments of the National Rifle Association and the National Federation of Independent Business. She was born and raised in Ohio and like many young conservatives, she moved to Washington, D.C. to work at the Leadership Institute. At LI she trained college students to start independent publications on their campuses. Prior to that, she worked on several advocacy and political campaigns in Ohio, Texas, and Colorado. Before beginning her work in politics, she was a Reporter at the Toledo Free Press in Ohio and was Managing Editor of her college newspaper at Bowling Green State University, where she studied Print Journalism and Political Science. Currently, she resides in Richmond, Virginia with her husband Robert, who is a lobbyist, and their daughter.

Nicholas Mosvick

Buckley Legacy Project Manager (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.

Ariadne Reiman

Vice President of Development

Ariadne Reiman serves as the Vice President of Development at National Review Institute. Currently based in Palm Beach, Florida, Ariadne (pronounced “air ree add knee”) is a nationally known strategist and philanthropy consultant to large scale nonprofits, corporate foundations, and educational institutions. Prior to joining NRI, Ariadne was the CEO & Principal Partner of The Nizhny Group for almost 30 years. She founded the firm and directed all operations with offices across the U.S. focused on advising and transforming nonprofit organizations and foundations, leading them to a higher level of financial stability. Ariadne has been a keynote speaker nationally and internationally on innovative approaches and processes for improving the fiscal health and long-term stability of nonprofit organizations.

Born in Buffalo, New York (go Bills!), to parents from South Africa and Croatia, Ariadne has two adopted children from Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, and she continues to aid orphanages in Russia, Australia, South Africa, Moldova, and France.

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.

Manfred Wendt

Student Outreach Coordinator

Manfred Wendt is the Student Outreach Coordinator for National Review Institute. He is responsible for the NRI on Campus program and the WFB Communicators program, building relationships between the Institute and college students and recruiting for internships and fellowships. He is a proud graduate of Trinity University with a political science degree in 2018. His previous experience includes serving as Executive Director for the Young Conservatives of Texas Foundation, Congressman Chip Roy, and the Texas Public Policy Foundation. He is a proud member of the Philadelphia Society. In his spare time, he enjoys Crossfit, country western dance, sports, and slowpitch softball. His teams of choice are the Green Bay Packers, TCU Horned Frogs, Texas Rangers, and Trinity Tigers.

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

Manager, Burke to Buckley Fellowship Program

Lynn Gibson serves as the Manager of 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.

Michael Brakey

Regional Coordinator, Burke to Buckley Fellowship Program, Dallas 

Michael Brakey is a Managing Director and the Head of Strategic Client Solutions for Rockefeller Capital Management. Mr. Brakey also serves on the Rockefeller Capital Management Committee. Prior to joining Rockefeller, Mr. Brakey was a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley, which he joined in 2011 to accelerate the firm’s banking growth strategy. At Morgan Stanley, he developed and led the High Net Worth lending and Private Banking Group strategy. Previously, Mr. Brakey spent 17 years at Merrill Lynch, later Bank of America Merrill Lynch, where he finished as a Managing Director and Head of Global Wealth Credit Strategy and Investment Lending. Mike is an accomplished public speaker and graduate of the Wharton Securities Industry Institute. He began his career in the Corporate Lending unit of Bank One (now JPM) and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

Mike received his MBA from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Mike and his wife of 32+ years, Gigi, have recently moved back home to Dallas from New York. They have 2 children, Jolie and Chris, both serving as officers and on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Aramis L. Perez

Regional Coordinator, Burke to Buckley Fellowship Program, Miami

Aramis L. Perez is an independent consultant based in Miami, the natural crossroads between the United States, Latin America, and Europe. He provides clients strategic communications management services, as well as custom research and writing products. His other areas of work include media relations and advocacy, as well as financial services, having recently served the anti-financial crime community by creating learning opportunities for industry professionals. He is a native Miamian and supporter of the Free Cuba cause. Aramis holds an A.B. in Government from Harvard and considers political philosophy and theory among his enduring interests.

Fun fact: Aramis enjoys volunteering for the Church and frequents Miami’s cultural scene, particularly musical events. He has been known to utter such witticisms as, “If it ain’t baroque, it should be,” and, “Early modern is plenty modern,” between turns on the dance floor. He loves to play tour guide and is always ready with recommendations for a concert to enjoy, a historical site to visit, and art to appreciate.

David J. Mulvihill 

Regional Coordinator, Burke to Buckley Fellowship Program, Chicago

David Mulvihill is Vice President and Lead Counsel in the Commercial Banking Division of Wells Fargo’s Legal Department, supporting commercial deposits, payments, and treasury management services. David earned his B.A. in Politics from The Catholic University of America, and his J.D. and LL.M. in Financial Services from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

He is actively involved with the Federalist Society Chicago Lawyers Chapter, the Hugh O’Brian Youth Foundation of Illinois, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. David lives in Glenview, Illinois with his wife, Ellen, and daughters Alexandra, Christiana, and Zoe.

Matt Driskill

Regional Coordinator, Burke to Buckley Fellowship Program, New York City

Matt Driskill proudly hails from Birmingham, AL. He has spent 20 years serving the country, first as a Naval Flight Officer and now as an Air National Guardsman with the 117th Air Refueling Wing in Birmingham. Matt has accrued over 2,000 flight hours in the F/A-18F and EA-18G, flying in Operations such as Iraqi Freedom, Odyssey Dawn, and Enduring Freedom, while also leading government/industry teams in the development and application of emerging technologies. After active duty, Matt entered the private sector as the Director of Strategic Growth for Modern Technology Solutions Inc, a technology services company. Some of his other affiliations include co-founding a military & veterans initiative with the Milken Institute, the Presidential Leadership Scholars program, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the Council on Foreign Relations, the Carrington Charitable Foundation, along with his church and other non-profit endeavors. His educational affiliations include degrees from Vanderbilt, Auburn, and the Naval War College.