WHO we ARE

Kristy serves as the Chief Strategy and Operations Officer, overseeing The Policy Circle’s growing and diverse Membership and engagement programs, and expansion initiatives. Kristy has devoted her career to making an impact through her work in the non-profit sector, bringing more than 20 years of experience focused in organizational building, along with creation and implementation of programs, membership and engagement strategies. Her previous work has been focused in healthcare advocacy, where she successfully built a national organization from the ground-up as a founding staff member and spent 17 years helping to build a thriving and successful non-profit patient organization. Throughout her impressive tenure, Kristy was able to be an active part in key facets to non-profit development with specialized skills in community building, volunteer engagement and management, program creation and member mobilization.

Erica serves as the Director of Philanthropy and partners with The Policy Circle’s philanthropic partners to advance the organization’s priorities and grow TPC’s impact across the country.

Over the last 20 years, Erica’s career has focused on C-level business development and sales, stakeholder engagement, disruptive philanthropic fundraising and strategy, marketing and communications, and public policy. Erica is passionate about connecting, building, and stewarding partnerships that create lasting and outsized impact.

She began her career in sales and marketing for John Deere where she spent 10 years working in sales and marketing before transitioning to John Deere’s global Public Affairs team to manage the JDPAC and served as the Public Affairs representative for the Ag & Turf Division. Following her tenure at John Deere, she joined the National Association of Manufacturers, serving as the Southeast Membership Director, and then spent more than 4 years at Stand Together, focusing on development and executive partnerships. Most recently, she consulted on fundraising and partnership strategies.

Erica recently helped launch JUMPSTART North Carolina, an organization that partners with churches, donors, and community partners to disciple the incarcerated and assist returning citizens with re-entry services. She is also actively involved in her children’s school.

Erica is the proud mom of two children and lives in the Charlotte, North Carolina area with her husband.

Sara is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising where she studied to be an Inventory Planner and Buyer. Upon graduation, she started her career at Old Navy headquarters, a part of Gap Inc., in San Francisco and spent the first ten years of her career there. After five years as a Buyer for Old Navy’s international markets, she was then asked to join the Human Resources team where she specialized in organizational design, change management, and building emerging leader training programs. Following her time at Old Navy, she was CEO for her community’s Chamber of Commerce in California where she focused on rebuilding the Leadership Merced program to equip and train civic leaders. Sara then helped to start up three properties during the pandemic with Hyatt as Director of People and Community Impact for El Capitan in Merced, CA. Her time in California’s Central Valley is where she became engaged in civics and realized the importance of being involved at a local level.

As the Senior Manager of People and Leadership Development, Sara will manage all human resource functions for the organization and co-manage the execution and development of our leadership engagement programs. Sara herself is a graduate of CLER 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0, and is excited to be a part of an organization that makes a positive and productive impact in communities throughout our great country.

Sara and her husband split their time between their home in Cody, Wyoming, Northern California, or traveling in their Airstream. She spends as much time as she can outside going on several walks a day, and enjoys hiking, gardening, snow sports, road trips, and putting together agendas for gatherings with family and friends.

Kristen Williamson is Director of Communications and Engagement at The Policy Circle, where she leads brand strategy, marketing, and communications to elevate the organization’s national impact. In this role, she serves as the chief storyteller, highlighting the achievements of women civic leaders and showcasing how The Policy Circle’s community-driven model empowers engagement in public policy.

Previously, Kristen managed public relations at a Fortune 22 corporation and led communications for a public interest law firm, where she managed media for over 65 federal cases involving free speech and civil liberties. She also helped launch a nonprofit organization focused on civic leadership and public discourse. Kristen began her career in the U.S. Congress and served as a press secretary for a national policy organization. 

She holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of Illinois and an M.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University. Kristen lives in suburban Chicago with her husband and two children.

Kim currently serves as National Committeewoman for the great state of Kansas and is the President and owner of Bird Dog Recruitment and Consulting LLC. Kim’s firm focuses primarily on placement of senior talent at the highest levels of state and federal government along with management development. Prior to opening her firm, Kim was the Executive Director of Leadership Development at a national think, the Foundation for Government Accountability, where she created and launched the organization’s Talent Bank Project. Kim has spent 20 years in the grassroots movement starting as a young mom fighting pornography in her public library. She has served in a myriad of roles in politics, starting as a precinct committeewoman and most recently as Deputy Chief of Staff for Kansas Governor Sam Brownback’s administration. During Brownback’s tenure, she also served as his Director of Appointments for Boards and Commissions and the Director of Personnel for then Governor-Elect Brownback’s transition team. Upon graduation from the University of Kansas with a degree in Human Biology, Kim’s early career began in the healthcare industry working for TAP Pharmaceuticals. She also worked part-time in the radio business and was afforded the opportunity to create and host a local radio talk show program known as “News You Need to Know” on KMAJ 1440 AM.

Kim’s work on the national level has led her to be recognized by the national Independent Women’s Forum(IWF) in their Champion Women’s Series and as a featured speaker for The Policy Circle’s 2018 Circle Leadership Summit in Chicago. She is also a mentor and coach for women in politics for Michigan’s Women’s League of our Own. 

Currently, Kim serves as a Director for Kansas Delta Dental, a board member for the Eisenhower in Public Service Series, a board member for Cair Paravel Latin School, a volunteer for Topeka Civic Theatre and as an advisor for an anti-sex trafficking task force Freedom Now-USA and JAG-K. Kim and her husband of 25 years, Tim, have three children and reside in Topeka, Kansas.

Kelsey Griffin serves as the Chief of Staff at The Policy Circle. Prior to joining The Policy Circle, Kelsey worked for a national nonprofit and gained experience in large-scale development efforts and data-driven development strategy. She brings her skills in data analysis, strategic research, and coordination of campaigns and communications to The Policy Circle, where her focus is on cultivating a robust network of support.

Kelsey earned her Bachelor of Arts from Harding University, where she concentrated her studies in Political Science and theological studies before graduating Summa Cum Laude and Honors with Distinction. Her passion for investing in communities of women first took off in college when she co-founded the first student-led women’s conference at her university. Kelsey now lives in Houston, Texas with her husband, Jarrod.

Ali is the Senior Manager of Events and Programming at The Policy Circle, where she leads the planning and execution of high-impact events that foster civic engagement and leadership. With a strong background in events, communications, marketing, and fundraising, Ali brings a decade of experience working with nonprofits of all sizes to build meaningful connections and advance mission-driven goals.

Prior to joining The Policy Circle, Ali held roles across the nonprofit sector, developing strategies that elevated organizational visibility and donor engagement. 

Ali holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Jessup University in northern California. She lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with her husband, Tyler, and their corgi, Scooby.

Beth McQueen brings years of experience in education, administration, leadership and outreach. After receiving her BA in Early Childhood Education from Clemson University, Beth began her career as a teacher and developed the prekindergarten program in her county, a first in the state of Florida. She later spent a semester studying literature and writing in Australia through a Michigan State University education abroad program. She then received an MEd in Educational Leadership from University of North Florida. Her passion for people and culture soon brought her to the nonprofit sector where she served as an outreach director for a multicampus, megachurch. Beth has experience developing partnerships, training volunteer teams and traveling globally to provide support and encouragement to missionaries and agency representatives. Beth is an avid reader, loves to travel and enjoys hiking and exploring her surroundings wherever she may be.

Haley serves as the Philanthropy Coordinator for The Policy Circle, where she manages and enhances donor data, coordinates impactful communications, and supports donor engagement initiatives. Prior to joining The Policy Circle, Haley served as Vice President of Development at The Steamboat Institute, successfully leading fundraising efforts, building strategic partnerships, and cultivating strong donor relations. Her passion for philanthropy and commitment to advancing policy initiatives drive her work in fostering meaningful connections within the community.

Haley earned her Bachelor of Arts from Creighton University, studying Political Science and History. Originally from the Midwest, she now resides outside of Nashville, TN, with her husband, Cody, and their dog, Gunner. In her free time, Haley enjoys reading, exploring farmer’s markets, perusing thrift stores, and baking.

Abigail serves as Policy & Programs Fellow at The Policy Circle. In this role, she researches, crafts, and develops policy materials for the Briefs and Programs teams. She holds a Master of Public Policy from Pepperdine University, specializing in international relations and applied economics. During her time in the program, she served as the Editor-in-Chief of the student journal and traveled locally and internationally to represent Pepperdine University.

Abigail grew up in Austin, Texas and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Philosophy from Texas A&M University. While at A&M, she found and develop her passion for research, which culminated in her thesis on the history of the Westphalian system as part of the Undergraduate Research Scholars program. She previously interned for USAID and the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Outside of work, Abigail is an avid reader and enjoys playing pickleball with her family, soccer, and hiking around her new home in eastern Tennessee.