Josh Bandoch
Head of Policy
Illinois Policy InstituTe
Session: Strategies to Fix Benefits Cliffs and Remove Barriers to Work (December 2 at 1:30 p.m.)
Josh Bandoch is the Head of Policy at the Illinois Policy Institute, where he directs research and strategic initiatives that promote opportunity, self-reliance, and fiscal responsibility across Illinois. With a background in political philosophy and applied policy research, Bandoch has worked extensively on welfare reform, workforce participation, and government accountability. He previously served as a research fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and has written widely on individual liberty and the moral foundations of public policy. Known for his clarity of thought and practical policy insights, Bandoch helps guide reform efforts that align compassion with effectiveness.
Rachel Barkley
Executive Director
Alliance for Opportunity
Session: Why the Time is Now for Safety Net Transformation (December 2, 9:00 a.m.)
Rachel Barkley is the Executive Director of the Alliance for Opportunity, a multi-state coalition dedicated to advancing upward mobility and transforming the safety net to promote work and independence. She also leads the Able Americans program at the National Center for Public Policy Research, where she directs national strategy and partnerships around disability and welfare reform. With a background in congressional outreach, coalition development, and issue advocacy, Rachel previously served with the Republican Study Committee and the State Policy Network. Her leadership is informed by her personal experience overcoming a spinal cord injury, which shapes her approach to empowering individuals through opportunity-focused policy.
Mary Bentley
Representative
Arkansas House of Representatives
Session: States Taking the Lead: A One Door, Work‑First System (December 2, 9:20 a.m.)
Mary Bentley is a Republican state Representative serving Arkansas’s House (currently representing District 54, previously District 73). She is a business owner (Bentley Plastics) and has deep roots in Perryville, Arkansas, where she resides. Throughout her tenure, beginning in 2015, she has focused on issues including public health, welfare, labor, and aging, and has served on multiple legislative committees related to those portfolios. Outside the legislature, she holds a background in nursing, having earned a B.S. in Nursing, and balances her legislative work with family life, being a mother and community member.
Mason Bishop
Principal, WorkEd consulting and
Senior Fellow, Alliance for Opportunity
Session: Driving One Door State Task Forces (December 2, 1:30 p.m.)
Mason Bishop is Principal of WorkED Consulting and a Senior Fellow with the Alliance for Opportunity. With more than 25 years of experience in workforce development and higher education policy, he has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Salt Lake Community College, and in senior leadership roles in Utah’s workforce system. His work centers on bridging education, training, and employment to equip states and institutions for future workforce challenges. He also serves as a Nonresident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
Aly Brodsky
Deputy Secretary
Louisiana Works
Session: Driving One Door State Task Forces (December 2, 1:30 p.m.)
Alyssa “Aly” Brodsky serves as Deputy Secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, where she plays a leading role in modernizing the state’s workforce and social services systems. Prior to this appointment, she served as Deputy Secretary and Assistant Secretary of Family Support at the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, overseeing initiatives that streamlined benefit delivery and launched major reforms such as the SUN Bucks summer EBT program. With a background in public administration, policy strategy, and community partnerships, she is recognized for her leadership in aligning human services with workforce outcomes.
Justin Brown
CEO
Global true North
Session: Opportunity Talk: The Science of Hope (December 2, 10:40 a.m.)
Justin Brown is the CEO of Global True North and the former Oklahoma Secretary of Human Services. He is a nationally recognized leader in human services transformation and public sector innovation. During his tenure in Oklahoma, Brown oversaw a historic modernization of the state’s safety net and championed reforms grounded in the “science of hope.” Through his company Global True North, he now advises state agencies, nonprofits, and private partners on organizational transformation, leadership development, and human-centered policy design. His work is known for merging data-driven strategy with compassion-based leadership to help communities thrive.
Nic Dunn
Vice President of Strategy and Senior Fellow
Sutherland Institute
Sessions: Strategies to Fix Benefits Cliffs and Remove Barriers to Work (December 2, 1:30 p.m.) and Strategies to Engage Americans Disconnected from Work (December 2, 3:30 p.m.)
Nic Dunn is Vice President of Strategy and Senior Fellow at Sutherland Institute, where he leads initiatives on economic mobility, poverty solutions, and civic leadership. With a background in public policy, communications, and social innovation, Dunn has helped shape the public policy message about Utah’s One Door and work-first models, emphasizing dignity, purpose, and community engagement. Prior to joining Sutherland, he served in public policy and communications leadership roles across nonprofit and public sectors, including state and local government. His work bridges policy research and storytelling to help communities reconnect to meaningful work.
Jane English
Senator
Arkansas Senate
Session: States Taking the Lead: A One Door, Work‑First System (December 2, 9:20 a.m.)
Senator Jane English represents North Little Rock in the Arkansas State Senate, where she has championed workforce development, education reform, and economic opportunity initiatives. Known for her bipartisan leadership, she was instrumental in shaping Arkansas’s workforce reorganization and One Door policy model, which integrates training and assistance programs to better serve job seekers. Before her time in the legislature, she held leadership roles in business, community development, and state workforce projects, earning recognition as one of the state’s most respected reform advocates.
Daniel Erspamer
CEO
Pelican Institute
for Public Policy
Sessions: States Taking the Lead: A One Door, Work‑First System (December 2, 9:20 a.m.), Driving One Door State Task Forces (December 2, 1:30 p.m.)
Daniel Erspamer is the Chief Executive Officer of the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, Louisiana’s leading free-market think tank. Under his leadership, Pelican has become a driving force for state-level reforms in education, criminal justice, and workforce policy, including Louisiana’s adoption of One Door and work-first initiatives. With two decades of experience in nonprofit leadership, strategic philanthropy, and policy advocacy, Erspamer previously served with the State Policy Network and the Charles Koch Foundation. He is recognized nationally for his ability to build coalitions that unite policymakers, business leaders, and community organizations around practical solutions that expand opportunity.
Caryn Hederman
Principal
Hederman Consulting
Session: Solving Data & Eligibility System Disconnects (December 2, 1:30 p.m.)
Caryn is an Ohio attorney and a recognized leader at the intersection of law, science, and public policy, with deep expertise in regulatory frameworks and evidence-based policymaking. Her career spans government, law, academia, and advisory roles, shaping national perspectives on care and emerging technologies that support health and protect American freedoms. As a health care consultant, she leads consensus-building initiatives at the Convergence Center for Policy Resolution in Washington, D.C., to improve American health and wellbeing. Caryn serves on nonprofit and start-up boards and holds degrees from Smith College and the University of Virginia School of Law.
Randy Hicks
President and CEO
Georgia Center for Opportunity
Session: Why the Time is Now for Safety Net Transformation (December 2, 9:00 a.m.)
Randy Hicks is the President and CEO of the Georgia Center for Opportunity, a nonprofit think tank focused on expanding access to education, meaningful work, and healthy family life. Under his leadership, GCO has become a national voice for practical policy solutions that strengthen pathways out of poverty. He oversees initiatives such as Better Work and Benefits Cliffs research, helping communities and policymakers align economic mobility and workforce programs. With a background in organizational leadership and public policy, Hicks is recognized for building cross-sector coalitions that drive measurable social change.
Jason janz
Ceo
CrossPurpose
Session: Opportunity Talk: Ascending from Generational Poverty to Generational Wealth (December 2, 3:10 p.m.)
Jason Janz is the CEO and co-founder of CrossPurpose, a Colorado-based nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals and families rise out of poverty through career training, mentorship, and community empowerment. Having grown up in poverty himself, Janz brings a deeply personal perspective to his work, combining faith-based values with practical workforce solutions. Under his leadership, CrossPurpose has become a national model for relational, community-driven approaches to poverty alleviation. Janz is also a frequent speaker on leadership, social entrepreneurship, and breaking cycles of generational poverty.
Robert MCGough
Chief Data Officer
State of Arkansas
Session: Solving Data & Eligibility System Disconnects (December 2, 1:30 p.m.)
Robert McGough is the Chief Data Officer for the State of Arkansas, where he leads statewide efforts to modernize data infrastructure and improve interagency data sharing. His work focuses on using technology and analytics to streamline eligibility systems, enhance program accountability, and support the implementation of the One Door approach. With a background in information systems, analytics, and data governance, McGough is recognized for his ability to bridge technical innovation with public-sector reform. He previously served in technology leadership roles across multiple Arkansas state agencies and is known for building data solutions that empower better decision-making.
Karen Phillips
Chief Operating Officer
Restore HOpe
Session: Strategies to Engage Americans Disconnected from Work (December 2, 3:30 p.m.)
At Restore Hope, Karen‘s role centers on enhancing community and family success through strategic partnerships and innovative program design. At the core of her mission is the empowerment of families facing adversity and child welfare involvement, a commitment rooted in personal experience as a foster parent. Leveraging skills in nonprofit leadership and program development, the team has expanded the 100 Families Initiative, a testament to its collaborative approach and dedication to community service. Karen also assists other for-profit and nonprofit developers facilitate the creation of affordable housing solutions and contribute to the overall well-being of communities across Arkansas and beyond.
Angela Rachidi
Senior Fellow and Rowe Scholar
American Enterprise Institute
Session: Strategies to Fix Benefits Cliffs and Remove Barriers to Work (December 2, 1:30 p.m.)
Angela Rachidi is a Senior Fellow and Rowe Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, where she studies poverty, safety-net programs, and employment policy. Her work focuses on how federal and state welfare systems can better promote upward mobility and strengthen families. Before joining AEI, Rachidi served as Deputy Commissioner for Policy Research at New York City’s Department of Social Services, where she led groundbreaking research on employment outcomes and program participation. A respected national voice on anti-poverty policy, she frequently advises lawmakers and think tanks on evidence-based approaches to reducing poverty through work.
Erik Randolph
Director of research
Georgia center for Opportunity
Session: Strategies to Fix Benefits Cliffs and Remove Barriers to Work (December 2, 1:30 p.m.)
Erik Randolph is Director of Research at the Georgia Center for Opportunity, where he leads economic and policy analysis focused on welfare reform and upward mobility. A veteran economist and fiscal analyst, Randolph previously worked for the Pennsylvania legislature, the Illinois Policy Institute, and as an independent policy consultant. His work examines how benefits cliffs and program design affect incentives to work and save, and he provides technical support to states pursuing One Door and workforce integration efforts. Randolph is known for translating complex data into actionable insights that improve policy effectiveness.
Susie Schowen
Secretary
Louisiana Works
Session: States Taking the Lead: A One Door, Work‑First System (December 2, 9:20 a.m.)
Susie Schowen is Secretary of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, where she oversees statewide workforce strategy, program alignment, and the implementation of reforms under the One Door initiative. She previously served as Deputy Secretary of the Louisiana Works system, leading efforts to integrate education, training, and employment services. Before joining state government, Schowen held leadership positions in workforce and economic development, with a focus on employer engagement and skills-based training solutions that support Louisiana’s evolving economy.
Daniel Sparks
Chairman
Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee (Mississippi)
Session: States Taking the Lead: A One Door, Work‑First System (December 2, 9:20 a.m.)
Senator Sparks is Chairman of the Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee, and serves as Vice Chair of the Judiciary: Division B committee. An attorney by trade, Senator Sparks has served in the Miss. Senate since 2020, and attended Belmont High School, Northeast Mississippi Community College, and the University of Mississippi. Senator Sparks is a member of the NRA, Police Benevolent Association Attorney, Mississippi Bar Association, Federalist Society, Farm Bureau. Senator Sparks was born in Cleveland, MS. He is married to the former Anna C. Moak of Brookhaven, MS. They reside in Belmont, MS. He is a member of the Liberty Church of Christ.
Greg Sindelar
CEO
Texas Public Policy Foundation
Session: Introduction at Keynote Luncheon (December 2, 12:00 p.m.)
Greg Sindelar is the Chief Executive Officer of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, one of the nation’s largest and most influential state-based think tanks. In his role, he oversees strategic operations, policy development, and national partnerships advancing liberty-minded solutions. Since joining TPPF in 2007, Sindelar has led its growth from a regional organization into a national powerhouse shaping debates on energy, education, workforce, and safety-net reform. Known for his operational excellence and collaborative leadership, he continues to drive the foundation’s mission of expanding freedom and opportunity for all Americans.
Dr. Steve C. Taylor
Policy Director and senior fellow
Stand Together Trust
Strategies to Engage Americans Disconnected from Work (December 2, 3:30 p.m.)
Dr. Steve C. Taylor is Policy Director and Senior Fellow for Economic Mobility at Stand Together Trust, where he leads efforts to advance policies that empower individuals through work, education, and community. With a background in economics, nonprofit management, and social impact strategy, Taylor has advised numerous foundations and policy groups on poverty alleviation and workforce reform. Prior to joining Stand Together, he held leadership roles in research and philanthropic organizations dedicated to improving opportunity ecosystems. He is known for his data-informed, values-driven approach to strengthening human flourishing.
Matt Weidinger
Senior Fellow and Rowe ScHOLAR
American Enterprise Institute
Session: Strategies to Fix Benefits Cliffs and Remove Barriers to Work (December 2, 1:30 p.m.)
Matt Weidinger is a Senior Fellow and Rowe Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, where he researches social welfare policy, work incentives, and income support programs. His work focuses on improving how federal safety-net systems promote employment and economic mobility. Before joining AEI, Weidinger served as deputy staff director for the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means and played a key role in developing major welfare reform legislation. He is widely respected for his expertise in federal benefits design, work requirements, and anti-poverty program evaluation.