THE advisory council - meet the team

  • Kellen Arno is the Chief Program Officer at Murmuration, a non-profit that equips community organizers and advocates with the data, tools, and insights needed to drive greater local-level engagement so that we can create an America that lives up to its founding promises and ideals. In his role as CPO, he leads Murmuration’s partnerships, communications, political, and development work and guides the organization’s strategy as a member of the executive leadership team.

    Kellen has two decades of developing successful political, communications, and public affairs on behalf of candidates, non-profits, foundations, and companies. Before joining Murmuration, he was the founder of Grandview Campaigns, an advisory firm that specializes in developing and implementing communications and engagement strategies for candidate, ballot initiative, and issue campaigns at local, statewide, and national levels. He also previously served as the Vice President of Strategy and Communications at StudentsFirst, a national education advocacy organization where he was responsible for developing and overseeing the organization’s national communications, membership, and electoral strategies.

    He loves anything outdoors, and in his free time, he and his wife can be found chasing their 11-year-old daughter around the beaches, trails, mountains, and soccer fields near their home in Southern California.

“We are all living through a difficult moment for our country. The division and anger we are inundated with can make it too easy to let cynicism and fear shape our views about the future. Despite this turbulence, I'm constantly reminded that most Americans still share the desire and values to make this a stronger and better country for everyone. Use Your Voice is a tremendous opportunity to lift up the voices of this majority and to remind us all of the creativity, optimism, and desire for progress that will help us all one day realize the promise of America."

  • John serves as a strategic advisor to entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors, and philanthropists. He is also a non-resident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). John served as a domestic policy advisor in the White House where he coordinated the Administration’s efforts during the credit crisis to stabilize $200 billion in student loans. He also served as a negotiator for the Trade Adjustment Assistance reauthorization. As Deputy Policy Director to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, John contributed to the first National Pandemic Strategy and the President’s package of high-skilled immigration reforms. He also served as Director of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education. John is a fellow and moderator in the Aspen Global Leadership Network. He serves on boards for Zearn Math, U.S. Digital Response, the Federation of American Scientists, and Pope Francis’ Scholas Initiative.

“I am excited for this project because it is more than just a campaign; it is a movement grounded in respect and hope. It is a call to revitalize the national conversation, bringing thoughtfulness and understanding back into the discourse. This is our chance to foster a community where every American feels seen, heard, and valued.”

  • I am a design fiction artist, stand-up comedian, co-founder of DÔEN, philanthropist, and mother. I am the creative director of ILY2 & ILY2 too, Portland based art galleries. My husband, daughter Dylan, and I split our time between Portland and Santa Monica. I have an MFA from Central Saint Martins and a bachelors in fine art from Reed College. I am currently pursuing a PhD in depth psychology at Pacifica in California. As the head of the Calligram Foundation, I have had the chance to nurture a number of exciting projects through the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art. Use Your Voice got my attention because the strategy of the contest is unifying not polarizing. I strongly feel that each American’s uniqueness is what we all have in common and our differences can bring us together.

“I am looking forward to a new way of communicating about politics and policy that will strengthen our country’s understanding that every person is equal and disagreements do not have to compromise the tie that binds us as Americans.”

  • Claudia Garofalo is an accomplished lifestyle host and anchor of at NBC 9 News in Denver Colorado. Prior to this position, she worked as the executive producer of 'Living Local' at Fox 21 in Colorado Springs.

    In addition to TV, Garofalo also has an extensive background in radio, and won a Marconi Award for her morning show on Y100 Country Radio in San Antonio.

    She is also a professional singer and songwriter who made it all the way to the Hollywood round of the seventh season of 'American Idol.'

    Garofalo grew up in Del Rio, Texas and has spent time living and going to school in Monterrey, Mexico and New York City, where she graduated from the New York Film Academy.

“Having spent my career talking with people, and to peoples about current events and politics at both the local and national level, I look forward to hearing from Americans as to how we might breath new life into the way that we communicate about each other and this country."

  • Megan is an educator focused on serving our most marginalized and underserved populations. Throughout her teaching career, she has worked as a high school English teacher, k-21 special educator, special education instructional coordinator and college professor. Regardless of her role, Megan’s work always reflects her belief that all students deserve equitable access to a quality education. She currently resides in Portland, Oregon with her husband and two children. In her spare time, Megan enjoys traveling, spending time with her family and celebrating her Polynesian culture through hula and ‘Ori Tahiti.

“She joined “Use your voice” because she believes that the only way we can be a truly inclusive country is to change the current narratives and appreciate all humans for what they can bring to the table.”

  • Stephanie Kelly is a proud primary caretaker of two children and a former attorney and real estate broker. She loves to dedicate her time to improving her community where she can make a tangible impact. She currently sits on the board of the Oregon Alliance of the National Museum of Women in the Arts and is the former board member of a parent-teacher club.

“As someone who is passionate about promoting critical thinking and meaningful discourse, I am excited to support Use Your Voice, a program designed to foster pluralistic thinking while forging common ground.”

  • Leighann Lenti serves as Chief of Partnership for the University of Virginia Partnership for Leaders in Education—a transformative and tailored leadership program for school and district transformation. Leighann has over 20 years of education policy experience at the state and federal levels. This includes as the deputy secretary of education at the New Mexico Public Education Department, where she oversaw college and career readiness, school accountability and transformation, teacher evaluation and the standards and assessment system.

“Working in public education underscores for me that the mission of Use Your Voice matters more now than ever before. As we prepare our next generation of K-12 students to be our future leaders, it is critical that we create space for honest, kind and divergent dialogue that welcomes all perspectives.”