Our Team
- Laura & John Arnold
- Matt Alsdorf
- Afton Baily
- Elizabeth Banks
- Lesley Briones
- Stuart Buck
- Denis Calabrese
- Aminata Diop
- Meredith Johnson
- Josh McGee
- Anne Milgram
- Nellie Reed
- Karla Sainz
- Esther Tricoche
- Kerry Vaughn
- Heather Watkins
- Caprice Young
Laura & John Arnold
Co-founders
Laura and John established the Laura and John Arnold Foundation in 2008. They believe philanthropy should be transformational and should seek through innovation to solve persistent problems in society. As co-founders, Laura and John actively engage in the organization’s overall direction and daily execution.
Laura is an attorney and a former oil company executive. John is a hedge fund manager. They have 3 children and reside in Houston, Texas.
Matt Alsdorf, J.D.
Director of Criminal Justice
Matt is an experienced attorney who comes to the Laura and John Arnold Foundation from Jenner & Block LLP, where he represented both victims and defendants in federal white-collar criminal cases and litigated multiple high-profile cases of financial fraud. Matt also led the trial team that secured the largest arbitration award in the history of the Financial Institution Regulatory Authority.
While working at J&B, Matt taught criminal procedure at Fordham Law School and served as a visiting lecturer at Yale Law School, where he supervised students’ clinical work. During law school, Matt also developed and taught a Yale College seminar on constitutional law.
Matt served as a law clerk for Judge Denise Cote of the United States District Court in Manhattan. Before becoming a lawyer, Matt worked as a journalist, covering political stories such as the 2000 Democratic and Republican Conventions.
Matt holds degrees from Williams College and Yale Law School.
Afton Baily
Manager, Technology and Innovation
Afton is an experienced project manager having worked in various fields throughout her career. She came to the Laura and John Arnold Foundation from Texas Comptroller Susan Combs' political campaign where she worked her way up from a grassroots intern to campaign director. Afton spearheaded several large projects including public relations, fundraising, accounting, staff management, as well as the website and branding.
Prior to working for Comptroller Combs, Afton worked at the Texas General Land Office in Energy Resources assisting in the planning of the Border Energy Forum focusing on renewable energy awareness and accessibility co-hosted by Mexico and the United States.
Afton holds a degree in Corporate Communication from the University of Texas at Austin and is an American Academy of Project Management certified Master Project Manager.
Elizabeth Banks
Controller & Grant Manager
Beth is a certified public accountant with experience in budgeting, general accounting, and internal audit in the private sector. Prior to joining the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, Beth worked as a Financial Analyst III at an energy company where she was responsible for a wide range of financial management matters with a national organizational scope. Beth also worked as a Manager at Ernst & Young, LLP (E&Y). During her time at E&Y, Beth led internal audits and control reviews at several Fortune 500 companies. Beth was also an active participant in the E&Y People Advisory Council, E&Y Women's Advisory Group, and E&Y sponsored volunteer activities such as Junior Achievement and United Way.
Beth holds a B.S. and M.S. in Accounting from Louisiana State University and is a CPA with the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy.
Lesley Briones, J.D.
Vice President for Foundation Management & General Counsel
Lesley is responsible for overseeing the Foundation’s legal matters and assisting the President manage the Foundation’s day-to-day operations.
Before joining the Foundation, Lesley was an attorney at Vinson & Elkins, LLP, where her practice primarily focused on tax-exempt organizations. She assisted both public charities and private foundations with formation and compliance matters.
Lesley holds degrees from Yale Law School and Harvard University. At Yale Law School, she represented indigent defendants through the Criminal Defense Clinic, assisted domestic violence victims through the Temporary Restraining Order Project, and studied incarceration conditions through the Green Haven Prison Project.
Before becoming a lawyer, Lesley taught at-risk public high school and middle school students in Laredo, Texas, on the United States-Mexico border. She was also a Rotary International Cultural Ambassador to Italy and a Rotary Youth Ambassador to both Argentina and Spain. Lesley currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Bi-National Center for Research, Education, Leadership and Public Service at Texas A&M International University.
Stuart Buck
Director of Research
Stuart is an attorney and research expert with a background in education policy. Prior to joining the Foundation, he was a Distinguished Doctoral Fellow and Research Associate in the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas.
Stuart has written and co-written numerous scholarly articles on subjects such as teacher merit pay, the impact of vouchers on racial balance, special education scholarships, and an experimental evaluation of teacher risk averseness. His work has appeared in scholarly journals such as the Harvard Law Review, Education Next, Phi Delta Kappan, and Review of Public Personnel Administration. He has made presentations at major academic conferences such as the Association for Education Finance and Policy and the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. He is the author of a book on education in the African-American community, Acting White, and has given several lectures around the country for the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession.
Stuart holds a J.D. with honors from Harvard Law School, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music performance from the University of Georgia.
Denis Calabrese
President
Denis is a public policy and communications expert. He has advised senior elected officials at the federal, state and local levels as well as some of the largest and most high-profile corporations in the world, prominent international law firms, nonprofit foundations, professional associations, and many others.
As a policy analyst and media spokesperson, Denis is a frequent commentator for television, radio, print and Internet media. He also has extensive legislative experience, including having served as the Washington, DC based Chief-of-Staff for a United States Congressman.
Denis holds a degree in Economics from Rice University.
Aminata Diop
Office Manager for the New York City Office
Aminata supports the day-to-day operations of the LJAF New York office. Prior to joining the Foundation, she interned at the executive office of the EastWest Institute, a global think tank that focuses on national security policy. She is also a published author. Her novel, The Mirth of College, was published in March 2011 under the pseudonym Amy Barkham.
Aminata holds a degree in World Politics from Hamilton College and is a native of Senegal.
Meredith Johnson
Director of Communications
Meredith brings an extensive background in communications and government relations to the Laura and John Arnold Foundation. Her experience ranges from corporate relations to state and local policy work.
Before joining the Foundation, Meredith served as Executive Director of the Citizen Leader Alliance, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization committed to promoting self-governance. She was a leading player in the introduction and passage of major policy initiatives by acting as an expert witness in public hearings and as a spokesperson for the organization.
Prior to directing Citizen Leader Alliance, Meredith acted as Government Affairs Manager for one of the largest Fortune 500 construction companies in the United States, where she directed state and local policy initiatives and launched a federal Political Action Committee. She also previously worked as a legislative staff member for a Texas State Senator. Meredith currently serves on the Young Professionals Board of Directors for Easter Seals of Greater Houston.
Meredith holds a degree in Public Relations from The University of Texas at Austin.
Josh B. McGee, Ph.D.
Vice President for Public Accountability Initiatives
C.V.
Josh is an economist and public policy expert. Prior to joining the Foundation, he was a Doctoral Fellow and Research Associate in the Department of Education Reform at the University of Arkansas. He currently serves as an adjunct faculty member at Rice University where he teaches in the Summer Institute for the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program at the Jones Graduate School of Business. In addition to his experiences in academia, Josh brings multi-dimensional entrepreneurial and business skills to the Foundation, having spent some of his early career as a charter school administrator and engineering consultant.
Josh has produced high quality, policy relevant research spanning a number of important areas, including public pension cost and labor market effects and K-12 education policy. His work has appeared in scholarly journals such as Education Finance and Policy and Education Next. He has presented his work at several major academic conferences such as the meetings of the American Economic Association, the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, the Association for Education Finance and Policy, and the American Statistical Association.
Josh has also worked actively to shape public policy. While at the University of Arkansas, he provided expert testimony and policy advice in several states on the topics of K-12 education policy and public pension reform. During his tenure with the Foundation, Josh has focused primarily on addressing the public pension crisis by educating the public and policymakers throughout the country about the nature and size of the problem as well as potential structural reforms that would create a pension system that is comprehensive, sustainable, and fair.
Josh holds a B.S. and M.S. in Industrial Engineering and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Arkansas.
Anne Milgram, J.D.
Vice President for Criminal Justice
Prior to joining the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, Anne served as New Jersey’s Attorney General where she headed the 9,000-person Department of Law and Public Safety. As New Jersey’s chief law enforcement officer, she oversaw 21 prosecutors and approximately 30,000 law enforcement officers. Anne implemented a statewide program to improve public safety through prevention of crime, law enforcement reform, and re-entry initiatives. Anne also served as a member of the United States’ Attorney General’s Executive Working Group on Criminal Justice and as a co-chair of the National Association of Attorneys General Criminal Law Committee.
Prior to becoming Attorney General, Anne served as First Assistant Attorney General and, before that, was Counsel to a United States Senator.
Anne also previously served as a federal prosecutor in the Criminal Section of the United States Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, prosecuting complex international sex trafficking, forced labor, domestic servitude, and hate crimes cases. In 2004, Anne became the lead federal prosecutor in the country for human trafficking crimes. Anne was also awarded the United States Department of Justice Special Commendation for Outstanding Service and the United States Department of Justice Director’s Award.
Anne began her prosecution career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. She graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers and holds a masters of philosophy degree in social and political theory from the University of Cambridge in England. She received her law degree from New York University School of Law and clerked for United States District Court Judge Anne E. Thompson in Trenton, New Jersey from 1996 to 1997.
In addition to her work with the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, Anne serves as a Senior Fellow at the NYU Law School Center on the Administration of Criminal Law and teaches a seminar course on Human Trafficking at the Law School. Anne is also a member of the Covenant House International Board of Directors.
Nellie Reed
Office Manager
Nellie supports the day-to-day operations at the Laura and John Arnold Foundation’s Houston office. Before joining the Foundation, she spent several years as a paralegal specializing in civil and federal litigation.
Nellie actively volunteers in the Houston nonprofit community. She serves as a Friends of DePelchin Children’s Center Young Professionals Board Member and is also involved with the Casa de Esperanza, Herman Park Conservancy-Urban Green, and The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research at the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System.
Nellie holds a degree in Art History, with a minor in Business Administration, from Texas Tech University.
Karla Sainz
Research & Policy Analyst, Public Accountability
Karla is a research and policy analyst for the Foundation’s public accountability initiative. Prior to joining the Foundation, she provided research and outreach support as the graduate intern for the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (PICC) where she advocated for legislative change in Pennsylvania. Karla was also recognized as a Fels Public Policy Challenge finalist for her proposal on improving the walkability of Philadelphia for senior citizens.
Prior to working with PICC, Karla was an integral part of the management team of The Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations of Philadelphia. She spearheaded projects such as strategic planning, board relations, staff and volunteer recruitment, grant writing, and outreach. During the 2010 Census and in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, she helped coordinate a campaign to engage the Latino community.
Karla holds a liberal arts degree from Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, Venezuela and an M.S. in Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania.
Esther Tricoche
Education Program Manager,
Social Innovation & Education Technology
Prior to joining the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, Esther worked as a policy researcher for a Fortune 500 company focusing on international human rights and corporate sustainable development. She also served as a cultural affairs policy researcher through a partnership with the Houston Mayor's Office and is a former member of a Rice University research team that focused on memory and cognition in relation to learning.
As a Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans National Scholar, community volunteer, and speaker for at-risk students, Esther brings deep passion to the Laura and John Arnold Foundation to transform the United States’ public education system.
Esther holds a degree in Cognitive Science from Rice University, with a concentration in Neuroscience.
Kerry Vaughan
Manager, Technology and Innovation Projects
Kerry manages the Foundation’s portfolio of innovative technology-based philanthropic projects, including the ERIN Project and the Giving Library. He is also responsible for providing the Foundation with ideas for new technology-related innovation projects that align with its overall strategic goals.
In addition to his work at the Foundation, Kerry is a Ph.D. candidate in philosophy at Rice University. His work focuses on ethical issues involving the intersection of behavioral economics and health care.
Kerry holds a joint degree in philosophy and psychology from Trinity University.
Heather Watkins
Project Manager, Giving Library
Heather manages the Laura and John Arnold Foundation’s Giving Library, an online philanthropy video project that features nonprofits from across the country. Before joining the Foundation, she spent several years in the staffing and recruiting industry. Additionally, she has a background in nonprofit fundraising and has owned and operated several small businesses.
Heather holds a degree in Communications from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.
Caprice Young, Ed.D.
Vice President for Education
Caprice is a nationally respected education innovator. She has held top leadership positions in technology, education, government, and business, including serving as the Assistant Deputy Mayor of the City of Los Angeles; a Manager in IBM’s eBusiness consulting practice; founding CEO/President of the California Charter Schools Association; CEO/President of KC Distance Learning, an instructional technology company serving over 170,000 students; and, most recently, as CEO of the Inner City Education Foundation Public Schools and CEO/President of EnCorps, a nonprofit organization recruiting and training new STEM teachers.
Caprice has served on numerous boards, including the Board of Education of the Los Angeles Unified School District, on which she presided as President, as well as the Governor’s Advisory Committee on Education Excellence (California), the Fordham Foundation, and the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, and Apple Academy Charter Public Schools, among others. She is a recipient of the Coro Foundation Crystal Eagle Award for Achievement in Public Service.
Caprice holds a bachelor’s degree from Yale University, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California, and a Doctorate of Education from the University of California, Los Angeles.