The National Civic League is home to a diverse group of senior fellows who allow us to amplify our work and expand and scale our expertise. Currently, the League has 10 senior fellows who are passionate about guiding civic engagement in a variety of ways.
Senior fellows provide national expertise to support your local engagement efforts. National Civic League facilitates strategic planning processes, community engagement trainings, and development of local engagement plans and materials- helping local governments and institutions engage and involve residents in ways that lead to tangible outcomes. Contact the League to talk about local challenges and how engagement might help move the needle for your community.
Gretchen Armijo, AICP, LEED AP, is Founder & President of Equity Policy Solutions, LLC, with 20 years of experience as an urban planner and public health professional specializing in healthy and equitable community development.
Jan Brennan is a champion for equity and access in education, arts and civic engagement. In addition to being a Senior Fellow at the National Civic League, Jan is CEO of Forward LLC consulting and currently serves as the Mountain West Director for the Campus Election Engagement Project.
Joe Hoereth was appointed Director of the Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (IPCE) at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) in January 2009. IPCE creates opportunities for scholars, concerned citizens, students, and government to participate in public discourse and educational programs on current policy issues and social trends. As Director, he is responsible for the overall management of the Institute.
Mike Huggins is a retired Wisconsin city manager and community development director with over 40 years of leadership experience in local government and public engagement.
Benoy Jacob is the Director of the Community Development Institute, at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, Division of Extension. Benoy’s research focuses on the growth and governance of cities; in particular, he explores issues of public finance, state and local relationships, and social diversity and equity.
Dante James is the Co-Founder & Managing Partner of The Gemini Group, LLC. He has over 25 years of political and legal experience and has worked in senior leadership positions with government and civil society. He worked and traveled for the Clinton Administration for almost eight years leading Advance work nationally and internationally.
Angela Lawson was elected to the Aurora City Council in 2015. She was re-elected for a second term in 2019 which runs until November 2023 and was also appointed as the Mayor Pro Tem in December 2017 and served in that role until 2018.
David Luna the first Hispanic to serve on the Mesa City Council, was appointed to fill the vacant District 5 seat in September of 2013 before winning election for a full term in August of 2014. He was named the Vice Mayor on January 23, 2017, and served in that role until January 28, 2019. Luna was re-elected to a second term representing District 5 in August of 2018. His second term on the Mesa City Council runs until January of 2023.
Lindsay M. Miller is a community development professional and interdisciplinary researcher, writer, and teacher. Her work focuses on community development that is resident-driven, equitable, and environmentally sustainable.
Dr. Larry Schooler is a Senior Director at Kearns & West, where he provides mediation, facilitation, consensus-building, and public engagement consulting to local, state, and federal agencies and nonprofit organizations.
