Our Leadership
NLC’s staff, board of directors, and senior volunteers provide support to our local chapters and direct the strategy for the organization.
Meet our Team
Our staff – the overwhelming majority who are alumni of the New Leaders Council Institute – supports our chapters, partners, volunteers, and Fellows across the country.
Board of Directors
Representing a wide-range of industries and experiences, our board of directors supports our national network of local changemakers.
Karen Pandy-Cherry
(She/Her/Hers)
NLC President and CEO
NLC Broward ’16
NLC Broward ’16
Michael Toland
(He/Him/His)
Interim NLC Board Chair
NLC Columbus ’18
Sr. Product Management,
Test Double
Founder of Converge Consulting LLC
NLC Columbus ’18
Sr. Product Management,
Test Double
Founder of Converge Consulting LLC
Adela Ghadimi
(She/Her/Hers)
NLC Executive Committee
NLC Board Governance Chair
NLC Tallahassee ’16
Executive Director, United Faculty of Florida
2023 Obama Leader USA
PhD, Public Administration & Policy
NLC Board Governance Chair
NLC Tallahassee ’16
Executive Director, United Faculty of Florida
2023 Obama Leader USA
PhD, Public Administration & Policy
Ty Lim
(He/Him/His)
NLC Executive Committee
NLC Board Treasurer
NLC San Francisco ’18
Chief of Staff & Head of Legal Ops, Lyft
NLC Board Treasurer
NLC San Francisco ’18
Chief of Staff & Head of Legal Ops, Lyft
Charisse Price
(She/Her/Hers)
NLC Executive Committee
NLC Board Advisory Council Chair
NLC Atlanta ’15
Senior Project Consultant, Philadelphia Water Dept
NLC Board Advisory Council Chair
NLC Atlanta ’15
Senior Project Consultant, Philadelphia Water Dept
Justin Braz
(He/Him/His)
NLC Board Member
NLC New Jersey Co-Founder
Managing Director, MAD Global Strategy
NLC New Jersey Co-Founder
Managing Director, MAD Global Strategy
Wendy Davis
(She/Her/Hers)
NLC Board Member
Sr. Adviser, Planned Parenthood Texas Votes
Former TX State Senate
Sr. Adviser, Planned Parenthood Texas Votes
Former TX State Senate
David Lee
(He/Him/His)
NLC Board Member
President & Co-Founder, Texas Signal
President & Co-Founder, Texas Signal
Tim Mason
(He/Him/His)
NLC Board Member
NLC Broward Co-Founder
Director, Energy & Mitigation, Energy & Environment Program, The Aspen Institute
NLC Broward Co-Founder
Director, Energy & Mitigation, Energy & Environment Program, The Aspen Institute
Liz McElroy
(She/Her/Hers)
NLC Board Member
Vice President, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
Vice President, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades
Nick Rathod
(He/Him/His)
NLC Board Member
President of Impact, People of Culture Studios
President of Impact, People of Culture Studios
Kellan White
(He/Him/His)
NLC Board Member
NLC Philadelphia ’13
VP Campaigns, Policy and Strategy, Groundwork Strategies
NLC Philadelphia ’13
VP Campaigns, Policy and Strategy, Groundwork Strategies
Advisory Council
Our Advisory Council is made up of cross-country, cross-sector leaders who bring their experience and perspectives to NLC and expand our network.
Raul M. Alvillar
(He/Him/His)
Executive Vice President at Resolute; Chair of the Sixteen Thirty Fund Board
Laphonza Butler
(She/Her/Hers)
President, EMILY’s List
Sandy Clark
(She/Her/Hers)
CEO of StoryCorps
Caroline Fayard
(She/Her/Hers)
Managing Member, Fayard Law Firm LLC
Suneel Gupta
(He/Him/His)
Author of “Backable”
Errin Haines
(She/Her/Hers)
Editor at large and founding mother of The 19th
Hari Kondabolu
(He/Him/His)
Comedian and Activist
Hanh Le
She/her
Vice President of if, A Foundation for Radical Possibility
Nasir Qadree
(He/Him/His)
NLC Boston ‘12; Founder of Zeal Capital Partners
Debra Schifrin
(She/Her/Hers)
Lecturer, Stanford Graduate School of Business
Invest in proximate, place-based leadership. Invest in NLC.
If we want to build the country we want to see, then we have to start by investing in leadership.