About Our Board
In 2011, the JMU Department of Political Science established the Alumni Board to facilitate and strengthen relationships among the Department's students, faculty, staff and alumni through programming for students and alumni, career networking, and fundraising for Department scholarships and endowments. The board consists of 17 departmental graduates selected from among the three undergraduate majors in political science (POSC), public policy & administration (PPA), and international affairs (INTA). These 17 alumni serve in three-year terms as voting members. Several faculty members and student representatives of the Department, as well as key partners from JMU or our alumni network, sit on the Board to provide additional perspectives.
Since its establishment, the Board has significantly evolved in its structure and emphasis on signature programming and fundraising campaigns. The Board established three core committees to achieve its goals and objectives: Student Outreach, Alumni Engagement, and Fundraising. The Board is led by an Executive Committee, which is comprised of officers and faculty members. Finally, the Nominations Committee forms annually to oversee the process for accepting new alumni members to the Board.
Our Board Leadership
President: Taylor Barrett
Vice-President/President-Elect:
Past President: Donna Harris-Aikens
Communications Director: Braden Lawes
Alumni Engagement Committee Chair: Colleen Terry
Student Outreach Committee Chairs: Jacqlyn Schneider
Fundraising Committee Chair: Ryan Philbrick
Executive Member-at-Large:
Our Alumni Members
Donna Harris-Aikens
Past President
PUAD 1990
Donna Harris-Aikens is a senior executive with the federal government, and has held government relations, policy, strategy, and legal positions with labor unions, education associations, and a boutique law firm. She graduated from JMU with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration with a minor in Economics, and earned her law degree from Howard University School of Law. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the JMU Black Alumni Chapter, the Executive Committee of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, and the Stakeholders’ Advisory Committee of the Chesapeake Bay Program. She also served as a former Vice Chair of the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum, and former member of the Learning First Alliance Board.
Samantha (Sami) Noble
Samantha (Sami) Noble is Associate Vice President of Programs, Membership, and Engagement at Advocates for Community Health (ACH), a member-driven organization advancing federal policies that secure the future of the Community Health Center program. A social worker by trade, Sami's career has focused on human rights both in and outside of the United States, supporting high-impact projects within Latin America and international campaigns before the United Nations. Sami is a proud Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (2016 to 2018) in Costa Rica. Sami is a proud ‘Double Duke’ graduate of James Madison University, holding a master’s degree in Public Administration. When not wrangling her growing family of rescue animals, Sami is a passionate artist and loves camping and hiking with her husband.
Jasmine Rountree
Executive Member At-Large
MPA 2016, PPA 2014
Jasmine Rountree graduated from JMU with a B.S. in Public Policy and Administration in 2014 and Master’s degree in Public Administration in 2016. During her time at JMU, she was involved in several organizations to include Student Government Association and Judicial Affairs. Since graduating from JMU, Jasmine has held positions at the local, federal, and nonprofit level. Jasmine currently works for the Department of Justice.
Braden Lawes
Communications Director
POSC 2019
Braden Lawes graduated from JMU in 2019 with a BA in Political Science and a Minor in Music and is currently a Senior Government Affairs Analyst at Fisher & Phillips LLP, a labor and employment law firm. A member of FP's Government Relations Practice Group, Braden actively tracks federal and state legislation pertaining to labor and immigration issues for clients, drafts Insights on legislative and regulatory developments across the federal government, and is author of the firm's weekly "FP on the Hill"newsletter. Previously, Braden worked for a bipartisan lobbying firm, where he helped secure federal funding for clients in the health, cybersecurity, and transportation spaces and was as Account Executive at a K-Street based public relations firm. He also holds a Master's degree in Legislative Affairs from The George Washington University's School of Political Management.
Jacqlyn Schneider
Student Outreach Chair
POSC 2003
Jacqlyn Schneider is a Partner at FGS Global, a strategic communications and government relations firm in Washington, D.C., where she co-leads the firm’s Global Food and Agriculture Practice. Prior to joining FGS, Jacqlyn spent more than 16 years working on Capitol Hill, most recently serving as Deputy Staff Director for the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee for Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow. In her role leading the Committee, Jacqlyn oversaw the development and passage of key nutrition, food labeling and climate legislation, and spearheaded bills to reduce food insecurity, support local, regional and organic food systems, and improve support for underserved farmers. Jacqlyn graduated from JMU in 2003 with a major in Political Science and minors in Theater and Dance and Political Communications.
Colleen Terry
Alumni Engagement Chair
POSC 2019
Colleen is the Director of Advocacy for the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), where she combines her passion for policy with her desire to bring together spirits lovers by leading the distilled spirits industry’s grassroots platform, Spirits United. She also works to advance the interests, influence and reputation of DISCUS in the federal and state government by serving as the voice of craft distillers in congressional engagement and implementing policies and strategies to guide advocates for the distilled spirits industry up the advocacy ladder of engagement. Colleen graduated from JMU in 2019 earning a B.A. degree in Political Science with a minor in Business and Spanish.
Ryan Philbrick
Fundraising Chair
INTA 2012
Ryan Philbrick is a Senior Program Management Analyst with MetaPhase Consulting, where he supports the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in advancing cybersecurity, data modernization, and enterprise IT program performance. Philbrick previously served as Chief of Staff for Disney’s Global Information Security team, where he supported strategic planning, cross-functional prioritization, and enterprise compliance initiatives across Disney’s Corporate and Experiences business units. Before transitioning to the private sector, Philbrick served as Deputy Chief of Staff for International Operations at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). During his tenure, he helped stand up the agency’s stakeholder engagement division, supported the creation of the Federal Government’s first cyber-diplomatic workforce, led international cybersecurity public awareness initiatives, and coordinated with federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and international partners during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While at JMU, he was a rower, an ISAT Senator in the Student Government Association, and a DJ at WXJM. They graduated in 2012 with a B.A. in International Affairs and a B.S. in Psychology.
Eric Kaufmann
POSC 2019
Eric Kaufmann is a PMP-certified Senior Business Development and Capture Manager for Credence Management Solutions, a government contracting firm, where he leads and architects business development and growth across Federal government agencies. His particular focus is with the DoD & the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA); in this role he leads the entire contracting lifecycle from opportunity identification to execution. Eric graduated from JMU with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Political Communications, was a member of Student Government, and participated in the Washington Semester.
Elisabeth Gagnon
INTA 2009
Elisabeth Gagnon is President & CEO of eMentum, Inc., a consulting firm supporting Federal, State and Local, and private sector clients to solve complex business challenges through transformative solutions and technologies. She has expertise in partnering with government agencies and private businesses on large-scale, mission critical programs to drive business results across various functions including Information Security, HR, Finance, and Procurement. Collaborative in approach, she facilitates partnerships between diverse stakeholder groups to craft and deliver business-driving IT services. Elisabeth graduated from JMU with Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs, Bachelor of Science in Anthropology, and a minor in Spanish. She earned her Master’s Degree in Ancient History from the University of St Andrews. She serves as the Program Committee Chair for the Shared Services Lead Coalition (SSLC), a non-partisan, non-profit organization focusing on accelerating the federal government’s efficiency and effectiveness through the consolidation of common services and functions through the adoption of shared services business models. In her local community of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, Elisabeth serves as Co-President of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for the Capitol Hill Cluster School, providing leadership and advocacy for student education and enrichment, teacher and staff needs, and fundraising for the community.
Judge Owen Wilson
POSC 1987
Judge Owen Wilson received a B.S. in Political Science in 1987 from James Madison University and a J.D. from the College of William and Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law in 1991. He served as a Law Clerk at the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals from 1991 to 1993. Upon leaving the Board, he joined the Office of the General Counsel for the Navy and reported to the Military Sealift Command as an Assistant Counsel (1993 – 1998) and later appointed Associate Counsel (1998 – 2006) for the Special Missions and Prepositioning programs. He transferred to the Naval Sea Systems Command where he provided advice on major weapons systems procurements (electronic warfare and naval gun programs) and the Deactivated Ship Donation program. He received the Navy’s Procurement Excellence Award in 2005 and the Navy’s Superior Service Award in 2006. On September 17, 2007, he was appointed to the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals. On August 6, 2017, he was promoted to Vice Chairman.
Bennett Resnik
POSC 2011
Bennett Resnik is a senior vice president in the critical infrastructure practice at Venn Strategies. In this role, he leads private sector client engagements on legislative advocacy, competitive funding, and regulatory matters with Congress and the Departments of Transportation and Energy, among other federal agencies. Formerly counsel for a federal advisory group handling transportation, infrastructure, and economic development issues, Bennett has also held roles in the Office of Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and at the U.S. Department of Energy. At James Madison University, Bennett was a member of the Student Government Association and Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity, participated in the JMU Washing Semester Program and London Study Abroad Program where he interned with UK Parliament. Bennett received his J.D. from Vermont Law School, where he focused on energy and environmental law, and a B.A from James Madison University. He is an active member of the DC Bar.
Leenah Hegazy
POSC 2021, EUPS 2022
Caitlyn Schira-Barton
INTA 2019
Leenah is the Grassroots Manager at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), where she oversees grassroots initiatives and coordinates outreach efforts to enhance political engagement. In her previous role as the Leadership Programs Manager at the National Association of Counties (NACo), she developed leadership training programs and workshops.
Additionally, Leenah contributed to the transatlantic partnership project, TRACK-STAR EU, and gained experience as a researcher during her internship at the Department of Homeland Security. She is a "Double Duke," holding both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master’s degree in Political Science from James Madison University. Leenah completed her MA through the JMU EUPS program in Florence, Italy.
Caitlyn Schira-Barton is a Management Analyst in the U.S. Department of State, where she manages and leverages operational resources to achieve strategic priorities within the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. In her over ten years of experience, Caitlyn has operated in corporate, federal, and non-profit spaces. Prior to joining the U.S. Department of State, she worked in the Embassy of Canada’s International Trade & Development Department, mobilized a team to address the needs of low-income and HIV-affected communities with Heartland Alliance, and more recently developed and oversaw the implementation of innovative corporate solutions as a Project Manager with Carahsoft. Caitlyn earned her Master’s in Human Security and Post-Conflict Stabilization and Reconstruction Operations from the University of Denver in 2023, and graduated from JMU with her B.A.’s in International Affairs & Global Justice in 2019.
Zach LeMaster
PPA 2012
Zach LeMaster is a Government Affairs Manager with Gentry Locke Consulting. In this capacity, he provides strategic advice to clients regarding the political and legislative realities of the Commonwealth. At James Madison University, Zach was a member of College Republicans and participated in the JMU Washington Semester. This "study abroad" program includes internships, panel discussions by people in various professions, classes, and cultural activities. Zach interned in the Office of Congressmen Darrell Issa in the Fall of 2010 . Before joining Gentry Locke, he served as Legislative Aide and Chief of Staff to Majority Leader Thomas K. Norment, Jr. During his eight years with the Senator's office, he oversaw all office operations, including policy development, staff recruitment, and constituent services. Additionally, he led the Senator's Political Action Committees, raising over $4 million during this time. Zach earned his Public Policy and Administration undergraduate degree from James Madison University (B.S, 2012); he has been with Gentry Locke since November 2021.
Christopher Perez
Chris is the Head of International Programs at Ginkgo Biosecurity, the biosecurity business unit of Ginkgo Bioworks where he leads the company’s development and deployment of international biosecurity solutions. Prior to his current role, Chris was the regional General Manager for Ginkgo Biosecurity’s mid-Atlantic region where he oversaw the company’s biosecurity programs in North Carolina and Maryland, including Baltimore City Public Schools. Prior to Ginkgo, Chris worked in a variety of roles serving the US federal government in the tech, defense and intelligence industries as both a federal public servant and private sector business leader. Chris holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from New York University’s Stern School of Business and his undergraduate degree in International Affairs from James Madison University.
Elizabeth Villarroel
INTA 2003
Taylor Barrett
President
INTA 2018
Taylor Barrett currently works in Business Development for Anduril Industries, a defense technology firm. She supports Air Defense & Counter Unmanned Aerial Systems (CUAS) growth initiatives across multiple campaigns within the Department of Defense (DoD), Intelligence Community (IC), and international markets. Prior to her role at Anduril, Taylor worked for Northrop Grumman's Space Systems sector. She graduated from JMU with a B.A. in International Affairs and minors in French and Middle Eastern Communities and Migrations.
Elizabeth Villarroel graduated from JMU in 2003 with BAs in International Affairs, Russian and Spanish Languages and earned her MA in Central and Eastern European Political and Economic Studies from the Jagiellonian Uniwersytet in Krakow, Poland. Currently, Elizabeth is a Senior Manager at Deloitte Consulting LLP, where she helps drive the adoption of Generative AI within commercial mergers & acquisitions as well as the integration of emerging technology and cybersecurity in the federal space. She has over two decades of global experience leading donor and multi-donor international development and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programming with multiple firms; as well as experience with the United Nations serving as a Governance Affairs Officer for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and as a Supply Chain Pipeline Manager for the World Food Programme (WFP) in Sudan. Elizabeth is a leader in digital and AI transformation, political transition, governance, reform and climate resilience programming with global on the ground experience. Her expertise lies in managing complex, multimillion-dollar portfolios and leading cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions in challenging environments. She also holds Cybersecurity certificates from Georgetown University and the National Defense University (NDU). After many years of living overseas she now resides in Washington, DC with her partner and her dog Duke.
Other Members & Partners
Faculty Representatives
Dr. Melinda Adams
Dr. Jennifer Taylor
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Student Representatives
Emma Llewellyn
Naomi Minwalla
Omer Mutlu
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Partners