Amy Loprest, President
Amy M. Loprest was named Executive Director of the New York City Campaign Finance Board in September 2006. Ms. Loprest had served as the Board’s Assistant Executive Director since 2004, and before that held a number of key positions at the CFB, including Chief of the Candidate Services Unit and Deputy General Counsel. Ms. Loprest has been a speaker and participant at forums nationally as well as internationally on campaign finance issues and is the author of a report for IFES, an international nonprofit organization that supports the building of democratic societies, titled Transparent Public Funding in Nigeria.
Ms. Loprest received her B.S. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business and graduated cum laude from Fordham University School of Law where she was a Stein Public Interest Law Scholar and a member of the Fordham International Law Journal. Ms. Loprest is a member of the Order of the Coif, clerked for the Honorable Denise Cote, United States District Judge for the Southern District of New York, and is an adjunct professor of Political Science at Fordham University.
Greg Essensa, President-Elect
Mr. Essensa has over 25 years of municipal, provincial and international election experience. He began his career as a student worker in the former City of Toronto’s election warehouse. Over the years, he took on positions of increasing scope and responsibility and prior to his appointment he served as the Director of Elections and Registry Services for the City of Toronto.
A dedicated election official, governments of all levels, associations and not-for-profit organizations have sought his election administration expertise. He has advised on municipal elections in British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec and New Brunswick and primary elections in Illinois, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas.
Born and raised in Toronto, Mr. Essensa studied economics at McGill University.
David Reisman, Treasurer
Coming Soon...
J. Shane Creamer, Jr., Esquire
Jennifer Hardin
Jennifer A. Hardin is the Chief Advisory Attorney for the Ohio Ethics Commission. She administers the Commission’s opinion functions, including drafting opinions, setting advisory priorities, and presenting opinions to the Commission, and supervises the advisory staff attorneys. She also teaches many classes on the law each year. Jennifer has been with the Ohio Ethics Commission since 1989. Prior to holding her current position, she was the Commission’s Communications and Education Liaison from April 1994 through April 1997. She served as a Staff Attorney from July 1989 to April 1994. Jennifer was graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1986 with a Bachelor's Degree cum laude in English Literature. She received her law degree from Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University in 1989. She lives in Northwest Columbus with her husband Rob, son Alex, and dog Ella.
Jane T. Feldman
Colleen Murphy
Colleen M. Murphy is the Executive Director and General Counsel of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission. She has held that position since 2005. Previously, Ms. Murphy served as Managing Director and Associate General Counsel of the Commission and was responsible for strategic planning and the legal and administrative operations of the Commission. For a period in 2005, she also served as the Interim General Counsel of Connecticut’s newly-formed Office of State Ethics. Ms. Murphy began working for the Commission as counsel, representing it in administrative proceedings and before the Connecticut superior, appellate and supreme courts.
Ms. Murphy is a frequent speaker on freedom of information, privacy and related issues both in the United States and abroad. She has travelled to both Mexico and China to consult, educate and advise officials in those countries on government transparency issues, based upon her knowledge of the U.S. experience.
Ms. Murphy was the General Secretary and a member of the Organizing Committee of the National Privacy and Public Policy Symposium. Ms. Murphy is also a Director of the Connecticut Foundation for Open Government, Inc. She has co-authored articles on access to the information superhighway, open and accountable government, the legacy of Watergate and freedom of information at middle age. Ms. Murphy has also taught a course on privacy law at the University of Connecticut and has co-taught a course on Comparative Freedom of Information Law at the University of Connecticut Law School.
Ms. Murphy is a member of the Executive Committee of the Connecticut Bar Association’s Administrative Law Section and a member of the association’s Media and the Law Committee.
In 2008, Ms. Murphy was acknowledged by the Connecticut Law Tribune as one of the high-achieving “Women in the Law” in Connecticut. And, in 2009, Ms. Murphy was awarded both the Bice Clemow Award by the Connecticut Council on Freedom of Information and the Business Leader of the Year Award (for the Public Sector) by the Hartford Business Journal, in recognition of her work on open and accountable government.
Ms. Murphy graduated from Providence College, magna cum laude, and from the Boston College Law School.
Mark Renaud
D. Mark Renaud is a partner in the law firm of Wiley Rein LLP in Washington, DC. As a member of the firm's Election Law and Government Ethics practice group, Mr. Renaud counsels corporations, trade associations, nonprofits, and other individuals and organizations in every aspect of federal, state, and local campaign finance, lobbying, and ethics law, including pay-to-play and procurement lobbying laws. Mr. Renaud also defends individuals, corporations, candidates and other political organizations in Federal Election Commission enforcement actions and other types of campaign finance litigation and conducts legal compliance audits and internal investigations in connection with PAC and lobbying activity.
Mr. Renaud, a native of Missouri, received his law degree from the University of Virginia and his undergraduate degree from Yale University. He is a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia bar associations.
Karen Shepard
Holding a Master's degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Carleton University and a Baccalaureate of Arts (B.A.) from Concordia University, Karen E. Shepherd has more than twenty years experience in the federal public service, where she has gained extensive administrative, policy and leadership experience.
Mrs. Shepherd was appointed as Commissioner of Lobbying on June 30, 2009. She has been with the Office (and its precursor the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists) since 2004. Mrs. Shepherd was instrumental in the creation of the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying, as well as the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists.
Prior to working in the area of lobbying, Mrs. Shepherd held a number of positions in the Industry Sector of Industry Canada, a sector primarily responsible for the development of programs, policies, strategies and services aimed at helping Canadian businesses and industries expand, compete, create and retain highly qualified jobs. One of the key positions she held was Director of Aerospace where she led a team tasked with the promotion of international competitiveness and sustainable growth in the Canadian aerospace sector.
Before joining Industry Canada in 1996, Mrs. Shepherd served in several positions with Revenue Canada, the Office of the Auditor General, the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources, and with Employment and Immigration Canada, gaining significant experience in human resources, policy and program management.
