JAG Board of Directors

Since taking office in 2007, Governor Mike Beebe has made improving education, expanding Arkansas’s economy and cutting taxes top priorities. He has guided the state through the worst economic downturn in two generations, resulting in Arkansas being one of only four states to enter the current fiscal year without a projected budget shortfall. Arkansas has avoided the massive cuts in services and tax increases suffered by other states while achieving more than a half-billion dollars in tax relief during Governor Beebe’s first term.

Thomas J. Tauke is executive vice president - Public Affairs, Policy and Communications, a position he has held since May 2004. In this role, Tauke oversees media relations, employee communications, reputation management, philanthropy, corporate responsibility and external relations for Verizon.  As the company’s senior policy executive, he is responsible for the development of Verizon’s public policy positions and advocacy at the national and international levels.  He serves as a member of Verizon’s Leadership Council.

China Miner Gorman is the Chief Executive Officer of the CMG Group.  China is a Global business leader experienced in managing high performing profit and non-profit organizations in the competitive human capital management marketplace.  She has consistently achieved sales growth and improved profitability.  Ms. Gorman is an expert at leading organizations through dramatic turnarounds and during periods of rapid growth and through economic recessions with exceptional results.  She has a strong reputation for recruiting, developing and retaining diverse, world class talent.

John Elias Baldacci served as the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of Maine from 2003 until 2011. A Democrat, he also served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003.

Currently, Governor Baldacci heads a Commission on Healthcare for the Future of Military Personnel at the Pentagon.

On January 5, 2011, John Hoeven was sworn in as North Dakota's 22nd U.S. Senator, after serving 10 years as Governor for the state of North Dakota.

As Governor, Hoeven worked to build North Dakota's future by focusing on six pillars of growth: education, economic development, agriculture, energy, technology and quality of life. Under his leadership, North Dakota expanded and diversified its economy and gained almost 50,000 new jobs. North Dakota's wages and personal income continue to grow faster than the national average, and in recent years, the state led the nation in export growth.

George V. Voinovich served more than 40 years in public office, though his leadership training came much earlier in his life. His peers have always placed their trust in George Voinovich, electing him senior class president for Collinwood High School, student body president at Ohio University and president of his graduating class at The Ohio State University School of Law.

Siegfried Behrens is the general manager for the U.S. Education business at Microsoft Corp. Behrens is responsible for supporting K–12 and higher education groups across the United States. He also oversees Microsoft’s U.S. Partners in Learning program. Behrens brings a wide range of experience to the position, including sales leadership, solutions and product development and design, partner recruitment, and a keen understanding of government and education institutional needs.

Experienced and Tenacious Leadership to Solve Arizona's Challenges
Janice K. Brewer took the oath of office as Governor of Arizona on January 21, 2009, upon the resignation of then-Governor Janet Napolitano, inheriting one of the worst fiscal crises in the country for any state.  And, she was again sworn in on January 3, 2011, following a convincing election in her own right, in November, 2010.

James H. Buford, a native St. Louisan, has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis since 1985.

Upon becoming the sixth president of the Urban League, Mr. Buford helped reorganized the League to meet challenges and opportunities of a changing social and economic climate. In 1986, the Urban League received its charter to establish the Urban League Guild, and in 1987, the agency’s Board of Directors accepted the first youth auxiliary, the Progressive Young Adults (ProYA). In 1998, Buford led the Urban League in redefining its service areas as service regions, becoming St. Louis County Region, St. Louis City Region and St. Clair County Region. Then in 2001, Mr. Buford piloted a partnership between the Urban League and the YWCA to run the national Head Start program in St. Louis City.

Mark Butler became Georgia’s ninth Commissioner of Labor on January 10, 2011.

A native of Carrollton, Commissioner Butler had served the previous eight years in the Georgia General Assembly, representing House District 18, comprised of Carroll and Haralson counties. During that time, he served as the Chairman of the House Appropriations Human Resources Sub-Committee, which oversees all operations of the budget for several of the largest state agencies, including the Departments of Labor, Human Services, and Behavioral Health.

Jim Cicconi, senior executive vice president-external and legislative affairs, is responsible for AT&T's public policy organization, and is chair of the AT&T Foundation. He has served in this capacity since November 2005, following the close of the merger between SBC Communications and AT&T Corp.

Michael D’Ambrose joined ADM as Senior Vice President-Human Resources in 2006. He serves on the Strategic Planning Committee and reports to ADM’s CEO and President Patricia A. Woertz. Mr. D’Ambrose brought to ADM significant leadership skills gained over 27 years of executive level human resource experience. He has served as the chief human resource leader for several global corporations including Citicorp/Citigroup and has a track record of accomplishments across the spectrum of HR functions. Mr.

As Stanford’s senior public affairs official, David Demarest reports to the President of the University and is responsible for directing Stanford’s community initiatives, and overseeing communications, government relations and special events.

A lifelong resident of Washington state, Randy Dorn is an experienced educator and dedicated public servant committed to creating world-class schools for all of our children.

Dorn has spent much of his career in education. He received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Idaho and a master’s degree in education from Pacific Lutheran University. He taught at elementary and middle schools and served as elementary and a high school principal.

Julie Nixon Eisenhower is an author, editor, and public speaker who has lectured extensively throughout the United States. Julie is the younger daughter of 37th U.S. President Richard M. Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon, and sister to Patricia Nixon Cox. While her father served as President of the United States, she wrote several books and worked as Assistant Managing Editor of the Saturday Evening Post. Since her father left the White House in 1974, she has written a few more books and works to support her parents' legacy.

Steve is Chairman of Lee Hecht Harrison, one of the world’s largest and most respected global career management services companies. With over 240 offices in 36 countries, LHH specializes in providing outplacement, leadership consulting and career development services. Steve served as the Worldwide Chief Compliance and Human Resources Officer of Adecco the world’s largest HR solutions company and Lee Hecht Harrison’s parent. He is also a past member of Adecco’s Group Executive Management Committee.

Edward J. Hoff joined IBM as Vice President, Learning in May, 2001. In this role, Ted is responsible for leading learning initiatives across IBM, developing and delivering management training and giving functional guidance for employee, technical, and sales training, certification, and technology-enabled learning. He is a member of IBM's Senior Leadership Group and the HR Global Leadership Team.

Brian P. Malnak is the vice president, government affairs with responsibility for federal and state government relations. Malnak is based in Washington, D.C.

Scott Nelson assumed the role of Vice President of Marketing & Public Affairs (M&PA) at ETS in 2007. His responsibilities include overseeing ETS's efforts to expand the corporate brand, drive business opportunities, and establish the company's positions on education policy through communications, advocacy and outreach.

Richard Nordstrom serves as Chief Executive Officer of Northstream Communications. In 2005, he joined McCann Healthcare Worldwide (MHW) as its global Chief Executive Officer. Richard was also Executive VP and Board member of McCann Worldgroup and served on its Operating Committee. In his five years as Chairman and CEO of McCann Healthcare Worldwide, Richard transformed an amalgam of agency acquisitions into one of the largest and most heavily awarded healthcare communications networks in the world.

Prior to retirement, Cathy served as Senior Vice President & Director of Communication, Customer and Community Services at General Dynamics C4 Systems and member of its Leadership Staff. Cathy was responsible for: Business Support Services; Public Affairs & Issues Management; Internal Communication; External Communication & Brand Management; Community Investment & State Government Relations; Visual Media Communications; Publication Services; and the Customer Service Organization.

Janet Parker joined Regions in 2011 and provides strategic Human Resources direction to the Administrative, Finance, Legal and Risk Management groups at Regions Financial Corporation. Regions is a top U.S. bank-holding company headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, with $131 billion in assets, operating 1,800 banking offices in 16 states.

Major General David B. Poythress was the adjutant general of Georgia. In this position, he reported directly to the Governor with responsibility for providing command and control authority over the 12,000 personnel of the Georgia Army National Guard, the Georgia Air National Guard, and the Georgia State defense force.

Roger Sampson has had a distinguished career for more than 20 years in Alaska while earning a reputation for quality, innovation and increased student achievement. The State Board of Education & Early Development appointed Sampson as Alaska Commissioner of Education & Early Development in 2003. He resigned effective August 17, 2007 to take the position of president of the Education Commission of the States.

John M. Steele is Senior Vice President–Human Resources of Nashville, Tennessee-based HCA, Inc., the nation’s leading provider of healthcare services.

He is responsible for recruiting, benefits, compensation, employee relations, labor relations, employee development and HR administration for HCA. In addition, Steele has administration oversight for Corporate Services, the HCA Foundation and Community Relations.

In 2010, Michael Thurmond was the unsuccessful Democratic Party’s nominee for the U.S. Senate.

In 1986, he became the first African-American elected to the Georgia General Assembly from Clarke County since Reconstruction. Before that, he was the director of the state’s Division of Family and Children Services.

Family and community have always been at the center of Will Weatherford's life.  One of nine children, Will learned at an early age the time honored values of hard work, responsibility and commitment.