Our team consists of people from different backgrounds and different lived experiences. We hold wide-ranging political views, and we all value respectful and engaging debate. Divided We Fall’s team believes it is our duty to our readers to promote spirited debate and non-partisan news. Our organization needs reporters and editors, visual and graphics artists, and audience experts. Please contact us if you believe in our mission and you would like to become involved.
Ann DeFabio serves on the Divided We Fall Board of Directors, advising strategy and communications for the organization. Currently Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at The Pew Charitable Trusts, she previously served as Deputy Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and as Director of Communications at The Brookings Institution.
Anand Buch serves on the Divided We Fall Board of Directors, advising organizational growth and business development. Anand is a technology entrepreneur, most recently having served as Co-Founder and CEO of NetSapiens. Anand also serves as a Board Member and
Saira Blair serves on the Divided We Fall Board of Directors, advising on strategy and fundraising efforts. Saira previously represented the 59th Delegate District of West Virginia as a State Legislator, the youngest person elected to state or federal office in the United States upon her election. Saira currently serves as the Deputy Treasurer in the West Virginia State Treasurer’s Office and has previous non-profit experience with
Ambassador Charles Ray serves as a strategic advisor to Divided We Fall. Previously, he was appointed by both President Bush and President Obama to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia and U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe. A retired U.S. Army Officer of 20 years, decorated twice for his actions in combat during the Vietnam War, Ambassador Ray also served U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs.
Joe Schuman works to set the vision of Divided We Fall and to build the team to meet that mission. Joe works as a civilian for the Department of Defense promoting innovation and emerging technology. Joe is also an Officer in the Air National Guard and a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In his spare time he can be found reading non-fiction, playing piano, and running triathlons.
Laurence Tissot oversees all editorial activities, including article development and publication. As the former Managing Editor for Metro United Nations, she is passionate about ensuring open discourse and opposing views. Laurence holds degrees from France, Belgium, and Spain and has professional experience in several languages.
Alhassan Elbarasse is responsible for developing and executing human resource strategy for Divided We Fall. As a global HR leader, Alhassan has built and optimized teams to help people and organizations realize their potential and exceed expectations. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from George Mason University and an MBA from George Washington University.
Cyndi Sutton is responsible for all communications activities, including partnerships, media relations, and social media. Cyndi has a breadth of experience managing strategic communications from boutique marketing and communications firms to a global software and services company and national nonprofit organization. She holds a degree in Communication Studies with a minor in Marketing from Virginia Tech.
Violet Cavendish serves as the communications manager for the Marijuana Policy Project, where she has gained coverage for the organization in major media outlets including CNN, the New York Times, The Atlantic, Fox News, and more. Violet received her Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies and Psychology from James Madison University.
Andy Shi helps generate article ideas and works with our outside experts to provide balanced discussion. He received his B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Skidmore College and his M.A. in History from the Columbia University-LSE dual degree program.
Alara Abbasi serves as an editor and producer at Divided We Fall. She received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine before pursuing graduate studies abroad. She holds two master’s degrees in political science from Spain and Germany, specializing in human rights and international law.
Ben Baumann serves as an Associate Producer at Divided We Fall. He has a B.A. in History from Saint John’s University in Minnesota and an M.A. in Ancient Studies from the University of Amsterdam. He is passionate about bringing people together to heal political divides and currently works as a historian studying modern American politics.
Kenneth Wallace is an associate editor at Divided We Fall. He originally graduated from the De Vry Institute of Technology and began his career as an Electronics Technician. After returning to school, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Minor in Professional Writing from the University of Maryland.
Jessica Kings-Buckley received B.A.’s in Political Science and History from the University of Central Florida and an M.A. in Political Science from the University of West Florida. Jessica is active in her local community and passionate about civil rights and social equity, which can only be achieved through bipartisanship. She recently joined DWF as an Associate Editor, where she combines her deep understanding of the political landscape and her proven attention to detail.
Jenna Marcus assists with editing and publishing at Divided We Fall. She is a recent graduate of the University at Buffalo, where she studied political science and history. Jenna currently serves as editor-in-chief at Subject Media, and loves reading, writing, global affairs, and history. She is a strong believer that knowledge leads to meaningful change, and hopes that readers will come away from the site with more informed perspectives on politics.
Matthew Donnell is a junior in the School of Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington University studying political communication and English. Matthew writes opinions for The GW Hatchet and is the president and founder of the Irish-American Heritage Society at GW. As social media manager, Matthew hopes to provide Divided We Fall's readers with a diversity of perspectives on divisive issues in politics.
Bryan Pham is passionate about web development and has been making websites since high school. He likes designing, maintaining and building responsive websites with a variety of technologies such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and React.J,S. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in Information Science.
