Luc Bégin, Philosophy Professor, Laval University, and first Director, Institute of Applied Ethics

Luc Bégin is a professor in the Faculty of Philosophy at the Université Laval, where he was the first director of the Institute of Applied Ethics from 2004 to 2016. Since 2010, he has been director of Éthique publique, an international journal of societal and government ethics. Luc and a colleague were awarded the 2017 Research Prize by France’s Haute Autorité pour la Transparence de la Vie Publique. His teaching, research and publications are in the fields of public, organizational and professional ethics. 

Martine Valois, Law Professor, University of Montréal

Martine Valois is an associate professor at the Faculty of Law of the Université de Montréal. A graduate of both the Université de Montréal and Harvard University, she was awarded the distinction of Emeritus Lawyer of the Quebec Bar in 2017. Martine’s research interests include judicial and adjudicative independence, commissions of enquiry, public procurement and anti-corruption law, alternative dispute resolution in the public sphere, governance, refugee and immigration law, fundamental rights and social systems theory. 

Denis Gallant, Director of Penal and Criminal Prosecutions, Legal Affairs Department, City of Montréal

Denis Gallant is Director of Penal and Criminal Prosecutions for the City of Montreal. He was Montreal’s first Inspector General, with the mandate to promote integrity, prevent and fight against fraudulent practices in the awarding and execution of contracts at the City of Montreal. Previously, he was Assistant Chief Prosecutor of the Charbonneau Commission. Specialized in criminal law, Denis has a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Université de Sherbrooke and a Master of Laws degree from the Université du Québec à Montréal. 

Moderator: Jean-François Routhier, Commissioner of Lobbying for the Province of Québec

Hon. Lisa Raitt is the Vice-Chair, Global Investment banking, CIBC. She is a former federal Minister of Transport, Labour and Natural Resources.  

 Moderator: Darrin Lim, Co-Founder and Partner, Politicom Law LLP

Darrin Lim is Co-Founder and Partner of Politicom Law, a political compliance firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.  He is Co-Chair of this year’s COGEL Conference and received the organization’s Outstanding Service Award in 2021.

Commissioner Thomas Hicks, U.S. Election Assistance Commission

Commissioner Thomas Hicks currently serves as Chairman of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. He has over 30 years of election experience, including as a Commissioner at the EAC, as senior elections counsel and minority elections counsel on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on House Administration, and work at a nonpartisan, elections nonprofit.

Zabeen Hirji, Executive Advisor Future of Work, Deloitte

Zabeen is a strategic advisor on leadership, talent and culture to business and the public sector. Her roles include executive advisor Future of Work at Deloitte, senior advisor at Knockri, executive-in-residence at Simon Fraser University, and advisor to the Clerk of the Privy Council. She is the former Chief Human Resources Officer for RBC.

Wesley D. Bizzell, Esq., Senior Assistant General Counsel, Managing Director of Political Law & Ethics Programs, Altria Client Services LLC

Wesley Bizzell provides in-house legal counsel on matters relating to the political, legislative, and lobbying activities of Altria and its companies.  In this role, Mr. Bizzell is responsible for ensuring that Altria and its companies comply with all laws and regulations regarding federal, state, local, and international campaign finance, government ethics, gifts to government officials, lobbying disclosure and reporting, and charitable giving.  Overseeing a comprehensive compliance system covering the regulation of government affairs, Mr. Bizzell provides advice and guidance on political law compliance for more than 75 jurisdictions. 

Moderator: Shipra Verma, Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Manitoba

Shipra Verma is the Chief Electoral Officer of Elections Manitoba. A Chartered Professional Accountant with credentials in Canada, the United States and India, Ms. Verma has over 20 years of experience consisting of election administration, public accounting and professional services.  She is a former President of COGEL. 

Jared DeMarinis, Director, Division of Candidacy and Campaign Finance, Maryland State Board of Elections

Jared DeMarinis is the Director of Candidacy and Campaign Finance for the Maryland State Board of Elections. He helped draft a law completely overhauling campaign finance laws in Maryland, and recently assisted in shepherding the passage of revamping of the public financing program for gubernatorial elections. Jared was one of the first in the nation to draft and pass regulations regarding the use of social media, deep fakes, Internet advertisements by campaign accounts, and political contributions by text message. He also helped draft legislation and regulations providing greater transparency and accountability with bot usage and avatars by political committees, and funders of digital campaign ads.

Michael Canning, Senior Policy Analyst, San Francisco Ethics Commission

Michael Canning is the Senior Policy Analyst for the San Francisco Ethics Commission. Michael has been with the Commission since 2021. Prior to joining the Commission, Michael earned his Joint Master’s in Public Policy and Business Administration from Mills College, following early work on political campaigns and in the non-profit sector, where he worked on campaign finance and voter information issues. 

Jesse Schaffer, Director of Special Compliance, New York City Campaign Finance Board

Jesse Schaffer directs the New York City CFB's Special Compliance unit, which handles investigations, independent expenditures, and enforcement of the City's strong pay-to-play program. Prior to his 11 years at CFB, Jesse helped shape the pay-to-play law and was responsible for setting up the City's Doing Business Database that now contains 25,000 individuals covered by the law.  

Moderator: Matthew Bobys, Counsel, Skadden

Matthew Bobys is Counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Washington, D.C. He advises business clients across numerous industries on political law issues relating to government affairs and government procurement at the federal, state, and local levels, particularly on campaign finance, pay-to-play, lobbying, government ethics, gifts and entertainment, and conflict of interest laws. He repeatedly has been selected for inclusion in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. 

Patrick Llewellyn, Director, State Campaign Finance, Campaign Legal Center

Patrick Llewellyn is Director, State Campaign Finance at Campaign Legal Center, where he directs CLC’s work with state and local stakeholders and policymakers to advance innovative campaign finance policies. Previously, he was a public interest litigator at Public Citizen Litigation Group and the Civil Rights Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center.

Jared DeMarinis, Director of Candidacy and Campaign Finance, Maryland State Board of Elections

Jared DeMarinis is the Director of Candidacy and Campaign Finance for the Maryland State Board of Elections. He helped draft a law completely overhauling campaign finance laws in Maryland, and recently assisted in shepherding the passage of revamping of the public financing program for gubernatorial elections. Jared was one of the first in the nation to draft and pass regulations regarding the use of social media, deep fakes, Internet advertisements by campaign accounts, and political contributions by text message. He also helped draft legislation and regulations providing greater transparency and accountability with bot usage and avatars by political committees, and funders of digital campaign ads. 

Dave Bainbridge, General Counsel, Fair Political Practices Commission of California

David Bainbridge is the General Counsel for the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Prior to heading the Legal Division, he worked in the FPPC’s Enforcement Division for six years as Assistant Chief and Commission Counsel.

Kristin Izumi-Nitao is the Executive Director for the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission since 2010.  She is a former prosecutor, deputy attorney general, and has served on COGEL’s Steering Committee, Program Committee, Membership Committee, and Nominating Committee.  She received a B.A. in Political Science and Art History from Wellesley College, and her J.D. from Santa Clara University School of Law.

Kevin Hancock, Director of Strategic Litigation, Campaign Legal Center      

Adam Barnes, Director of Investigations, Elections British Columbia

Jacob Siler, Assistant General Counsel for Litigation, Federal Election Commission 

Moderator: Jason Kaune, Senior Partner, Nielsen Merksamer

Dave Bainbridge, General Counsel, Fair Political Practices Commission of California

David Bainbridge is the General Counsel for the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Prior to heading the Legal Division, he worked in the FPPC’s Enforcement Division for six years as Assistant Chief and Commission Counsel.

Adav Noti, Legal Director, Campaign Legal Center

Adav Noti coordinates all of Campaign Legal Center’s programmatic activities, overseeing CLC's efforts to fix the campaign finance system, protect voting rights, ensure fair redistricting, and promote government ethics. He has conducted dozens of constitutional cases in district courts, courts of appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Prior to joining CLC, Adav served for more than 10 years in several capacities within the Office of General Counsel of the Federal Election Commission. 

Christopher Edwards, Chief of Staff & Counsel to the Chief Policy Officer, Coinbase

Chris Edwards works with Coinbase's Chief Policy Officer to develop and execute Coinbase’s strategic plan for public policy engagement throughout all levels of government.  He previously was an enforcement attorney for the Federal Election Commission in Washington, DC, where he led more than 50 administrative enforcement actions against political committees, including an action that resulted in the largest penalty in Commission history for foreign interference in US elections. Chris lives in Richmond, Virginia, and is a graduate of Washington and Lee University School of Law.

Moderator: Wesley D. Bizzell, Esq., Senior Assistant General Counsel, Managing Director of Political Law & Ethics Programs, Altria Client Services LLC

Wesley Bizzell provides in-house legal counsel on matters relating to the political, legislative, and lobbying activities of Altria and its companies.  In this role, Mr. Bizzell is responsible for ensuring that Altria and its companies comply with all laws and regulations regarding federal, state, local, and international campaign finance, government ethics, gifts to government officials, lobbying disclosure and reporting, and charitable giving.  Overseeing a comprehensive compliance system covering the regulation of government affairs, Mr. Bizzell provides advice and guidance on political law compliance for more than 75 jurisdictions.

Richard C. Miadich

Richard C. Miadich is the Chair of the California Fair Political Practices Commission, appointed by Governor Newsom in 2019. His focus as Chair has been improving transparency and enhancing public engagement. He previously was the managing partner with Olson, Hagel & Fishburn LLP focusing on litigation matters and assisted in the firm’s political advising.

Anne Lawson, Elections Canada

Claire Rajan, Partner, Allen & Overy

Moderator: Dan Weiner, Director Elections & Government Program, Brennan Center for Justice

Daniel Weiner co-directs the Brennan Center’s Elections and Government Program. He leads work on campaign finance, government ethics, voting and elections, and other democracy and rule of law issues. He previously served as senior counsel to a commissioner at the U.S. Federal Election Commission and as a litigator in private practice.

Jessica Selinkoff, Assistant General Counsel of Compliance Advice, Federal Election Commission

Jessica Selinkoff is Assistant General Counsel for Policy (Compliance Advice) at the Federal Election Commission.  Jessica joined the FEC in 2008 as an attorney in the Policy Division and has served as Special Counsel to the Associate General Counsel for Enforcement (2017 – 2022) and Special Counsel to the General Counsel (2012).   Jessica earned her law degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and Bachelor of Arts in economics from Brandeis University.

Josée Villeneuve, Senior Director, Political Financing, Elections Canada

Josée Villeneuve is the Senior Director, Political Financing, at Elections Canada, responsible for the administration of the political financing program and the registration of political entities. Josée holds a law degree from the University of Montréal and a post-graduate degree in management from l’École des Hautes Études Commerciales in Montréal. She is also a Certified Internal Auditor. 

Aaron McKean, Legal Counsel, State and Local Reform, Campaign Legal Center

Aaron McKean serves as Legal Counsel, State and Local Reform for the Campaign Legal Center.  Prior to joining CLC, Aaron was a legislative attorney at the Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau, a nonpartisan legislative service agency.

Moderator: Darrin Lim, Co-Founder and Partner, Politicom Law LLP

Darrin Lim is Co-Founder and Partner of Politicom Law, a political compliance firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.  He is Co-Chair of this year’s COGEL Conference and received the organization’s Outstanding Service Award in 2021. 

Amy Loprest, Former Executive Director, New York City Campaign Finance Board

Amy M. Loprest was named Executive Director of the New York City Campaign Finance Board in September 2006, after serving two years as the Board’s Assistant Executive Director. Previously, she 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. She has been an active member of the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) and served as its president. 

Shannon Kief, Legal Program Director, Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission

Bob Stern, Past President, Center for Governmental Studies

Moderator: Beth Rotman, Executive Director, New York City Campaign Finance Board 

Beth Rotman is the Executive Director of the New York City Campaign Finance Board. She also served as the founding director of the Connecticut Citizens' Election Program and the National Director of Money in Politics and Ethics at Common Cause. Rotman's appointment marks a return to the NYC Campaign Finance Board. She served as the Board's Deputy General Counsel earlier in her career, and before that she clerked for the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Noura Hayek, Intelligence Analyst, Public Safety Canada

Noura Hayek has been an Intelligence Analyst for 15 years. 

Jesse Littlewood, Vice President for Campaigns, Common Cause

Jesse Littlewood leads efforts to increase the size, political power and influence of Common Cause members and supporters and also leads the Stopping Cyber Suppression project. He has a background in grassroots organizing and digital strategy. Jesse has served as an Adjunct Lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Tufts University teaching courses on social change and digital media. Jesse received a B.A. in Political Science from Haverford College.

Michael McEvoy, Information and Privacy Commissioner, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC

Michael McEvoy was appointed to a six-year term as Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC by unanimous motion of the Legislative Assembly in 2018. Immediately prior to his appointment he helped lead the Information Commissioner’s Office of the United Kingdom’s investigation into Cambridge Analytica and Facebook. Commissioner McEvoy joined the OIPC in 2007, adjudicating more than 50 inquiries under provincial access and privacy law before his appointment as Deputy Commissioner in 2013. 

Moderator: Jodi Cooke, Executive Director, Electoral Finance Elections BC

Jodi Cooke is the Executive Director, Electoral Finance. Jodi has been with Elections British Columbia since 2005, in a variety of different roles supporting compliance with campaign financing provisions for elections at the provincial and local government levels. Jodi obtained a Charted Professional Accountant designation in 2012 and is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).  

Dorothy Rice, FCPA, Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Nova Scotia 

Dorothy Rice is currently the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO at Elections Nova Scotia (ENS).  Prior to her appointment as CEO, she was the Chief Financial Officer since 2011 and has led initiatives to modify the Elections Act streamlining processes and removing barriers for candidates to run in an election. With over 30 years of work experience in industry and government, Dorothy has had a wealth of experience in finance and operations.  For over 10 years, she served as a member of the national board of Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA). 

Peg Perl, Deputy Director of Elections, Arapahoe County 

Peg Perl is the Director of Elections for Arapahoe County, Colorado. Over the last 20 years, she has worked her way through all the COGEL disciplines as a nonprofit policy advocate, nonpartisan counsel to both the Federal Election Commission and the U.S. House Ethics Committee, and now a local election administrator. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Elections Technical Committee for the Colorado County Clerks Association and on the legislative committee of the National Association of Elections Officials (Election Center).

Adav Noti, Legal Director, Campaign Legal Center

Adav Noti coordinates all of Campaign Legal Center’s programmatic activities, overseeing CLC's efforts to fix the campaign finance system, protect voting rights, ensure fair redistricting, and promote government ethics. He has conducted dozens of constitutional cases in district courts, courts of appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Prior to joining CLC, Adav served for more than 10 years in several capacities within the Office of General Counsel of the Federal Election Commission. 

Moderator: Jodi Cooke, Executive Director, Electoral Finance Elections BC

Jodi Cooke is the Executive Director, Electoral Finance. Jodi has been with Elections British Columbia since 2005, in a variety of different roles supporting compliance with campaign financing provisions for elections at the provincial and local government levels. Jodi obtained a Charted Professional Accountant designation in 2012 and is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP).

Peg Perl, Deputy Director of Elections, Arapahoe County, CO

Peg Perl is the Director of Elections for Arapahoe County, Colorado. Over the last 20 years, she has worked her way through all the COGEL disciplines as a nonprofit policy advocate, nonpartisan counsel to both the Federal Election Commission and the U.S. House Ethics Committee, and now a local election administrator.

Anton Boegman, Chief Electoral Officer, Elections BC

Anton Boegman is the Chief Electoral Officer at Elections British Columbia. He has been with Elections BC since March 2004. Prior to joining Elections BC, Anton worked privately as a consultant, and for a variety of organizations including the Department of National Defence and Royal Roads University. He is a graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada, has an MBA, is a certified project management professional (PMP), and a former Treasurer of COGEL.

Michael Boda, Chief Electoral Officer, Elections Saskatchewan

Dr. Michael D. Boda has served as Saskatchewan’s Chief Electoral Officer since 2012, conducting two general elections, eight by-elections, and introducing the province’s new permanent register of voters.  Previously, Dr. Boda has served on the senior staff of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), an international non-governmental organization dedicated to facilitating improved election administration worldwide and has been a visiting research fellow at the Brookings Institution and the National Endowment for Democracy. 

Moderator: Catie Kelley, Senior Director, Policy & Strategic Partnerships, Campaign Legal Center

Catie Kelley is the Senior Director of Policy & Strategic Partnerships at the Campaign Legal Center where she oversees policy work at the federal, state, and local levels. She is leading CLC’s work to address the emerging threats of election sabotage. Ms. Kelley is a former COGEL Program Committee member. 

Angela J. Brereton, Chief, Enforcement Division, Sacramento CA Fair Political Practices Commission

Angela Brereton is the Chief of Enforcement for the California Fair Political Practices Commission. She has over fifteen years of experience with the Commission’s Enforcement Division and was a civil litigator prior to joining the Commission

Stephen Littlejohn, Counsel, Inquiries and Investigations, Toronto Lobbyist Registrar’s Office

Mr. Littlejohn, is the Inquiries & Investigations Counsel for the Toronto Lobbyist Registrar’s Office (the TLR) and is responsible for providing advice on compliance issues, conducting inquiries and investigations and developing policies and procedures to support the inquiries and investigations process for the largest municipal lobbyist registry system in Canada. He has a keen interest in administrative law with a particular focus on administrative investigations and prosecutions. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 2000 and is a long-standing member of the Canadian Bar Association's Administrative Law Section, Law of Lobbying and Ethics Committee and was most recently a Member-at-large of the National Executive Committee of the CBA Administrative Law Section.

Morgan Hill, Special Investigator, Missouri Ethics Commission

Morgan Hill is an Investigator with the Missouri Ethics Commission with ten years’ experience conducting administrative, civil and criminal investigations. 

Moderator: Brian Hamilton, General Counsel, Missouri Ethics Commission

Brian Hamilton is the General Counsel for the Missouri Ethics Commission. Mr. Hamilton oversees the planning, direction, and coordination of the Commission’s legal actions. He also provides legal representation as well as legal advice to the Commission. 

Gary Kam, General Counsel, Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission

Gary Kam is general counsel for the Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission and has been in that position since February 2011.  He previously held positions ln Hawaii as a state deputy attorney general and county deputy prosecuting attorney. 

Galena West, Executive Director, California Fair Political Practices Commission 

Galena West is the Executive Director of the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Prior to her appointment, she served as the Chief of Enforcement, Senior Commission Counsel for the Enforcement Division, and Commission Counsel for the Legal Division. She has been with the agency for over 20 years.

Moderator: Ashley Kemp, Executive Director, Oklahoma Ethics Commission 

Jin Lee.  Deputy Associate General Counsel for Enforcement, Federal Election Commission

Jin Lee is the Deputy Associate General Counsel for Enforcement at the Federal Election Commission.  She joined the Commission in 2005 and has served in numerous roles, including as staff attorney in the Enforcement Division, special counsel to the General Counsel, and counsel to a Commissioner. 

Sarah Hartry, General Counsel, Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance

Sarah Hartry was named the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance general counsel in November 2021.Sarah has been an OCPF attorney since 2005, focusing for several years on resolving “dark money” cases where donors attempted to hide the true source of contributions. She is also OCPF’s primary witness in grand jury proceedings. Prior to joining OCPF, Sarah served as a prosecutor for over eight years in Massachusetts. She graduated from the Boston University School of Law and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester in New York.

Kenneth Hardy, Director of Enforcement, Los Angeles City Ethics Commission

Kenneth leads the Enforcement Division of the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission, which investigates and administratively prosecutes suspected violations of City of Los Angeles law relating to governmental ethics, lobbying, and campaign financing. Kenneth has many years of experience providing legal advice to California counties and cities on ethics and open government laws, and in representing agencies in administrative proceedings and litigation.   

Genevieve Currie, Director of Investigations and Counsel, Office of the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario

Genevieve Currie is Director of Investigations and Counsel for the Office of the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario. Previously, she was Ombudsman Investigations Counsel for the City of Toronto Ombudsman, General Counsel to Ontario’s Patient Ombudsman, Counsel to the Ontario Ombudsman, an Assistant Crown Attorney and a litigator with McCarthy Tétrault. Genevieve has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators since 2020. She was called to the bar in 2001, after clerking for the Ontario Court of Appeal.

Moderator: Erin Lama, Partner, Politicom Law

Erin Lama is a partner with Politicom Law LLP. Ms. Lama guides clients through federal, state and local lobby reporting, campaign finance, “pay-to-play,” governmental ethics and conflict of interest matters.  Ms. Lama plays a key role on the Politicom Law team with the development and administration of comprehensive, multi-jurisdictional political compliance programs, including compliance with the Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) as well as with the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007 (HLOGA). 

Kellie Johnson, Deputy Chief Ethics Officer, Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority

Kellie Johnson is a graduate of University of Oregon Law School. Professionally, Ms. Johnson has served thirteen years as an Oregon state prosecutor, eight years as an Assistant Disciplinary Counsel for Oregon State Bar, four years as the City of Oakland’s Ethics Commission Chief of Enforcement, and recently served as the Executive Director of the City of Oakland’s Public Ethics Commission. Kellie’s refreshing approach to reforming culture in the legal profession and public ethics has made her a sought-after speaker on subjects ranging from criminal prosecution to ethics and regulation.

Abel Salinas, Ethics Officer, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

Abel Salinas is the Ethics Officer at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.  Previously, he served 26 years at the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigating: waste, fraud and abuse in government programs and operations; labor trafficking; and combatting the influence of labor racketeering and organized crime in the nation’s labor unions. In addition, he served as Special Agent in Charge of the OIG Los Angeles Region and led investigative teams in multi-state offices on the west coast of the United States. 

Mia Watson-Good, Chief Compliance Officer, Office of Ethics and Compliance, County of San Diego

Mia Watson-Good has been with the County a little over a year. Previously, she was at AMN Healthcare as the lead Compliance Regulatory Analyst, specifically tracking COVID-19 federal and state regulatory changes, and coordinating licensure requirements and training for FEMA-East vaccination events. She is a retired Naval Intelligence Officer and a certified ethics and compliance professional. A graduate of Santa Clara University School of Law with a Master of Legal Studies in Corporate Compliance.  

Moderator: Krystle Baker, Deputy Chief Integrity Officer, City of Philadelphia

Krystle Baker is the Deputy Chief Integrity Officer for the City of Philadelphia. Prior to this, Krystle served in several roles as an attorney investigator with the City of Philadelphia Office of Inspector General. During that time, she specialized in contract fraud, complex investigations, and compliance related issues. Krystle holds bar admissions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and is a Certified Compliance and Ethics Professional (CCEP) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). 

Steve Berlin, Executive Director, City of Chicago Board of Ethics

Paul Nick, Executive Director, Ohio Ethics Commission

Paul M. Nick is currently the Executive Director of the Ohio Ethics Commission and has worked at the Commission in various roles since 1995.  He has been a member of COGEL for 27 years and has served as President and Treasurer.  He received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a B.S. in Forensic Accounting from Franklin University, and his J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law.

Kedric Payne is General Counsel and Senior Director of Ethics at Campaign Legal Center in Washington, DC.  He is the former deputy chief counsel of the Office of Congressional Ethics and has specialized in political law for nearly twenty years in government and private practice.

Michael Aquilino, Legal Counsel, Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner (Ottawa)

Michael Aquilino is legal counsel for the federal Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner since April 2016. His practice focuses primarily on administrative law issues in the context of investigations conducted by the Commissioner.

Charles Ricciardelli, Counsel, Political Law, Skadden

Charles Ricciardelli advises clients on government affairs compliance at the federal, state, and local levels. He has significant contact with various ethics and elections commissions, including the Federal Election Commission. Mr. Ricciardelli regularly counsels individuals who are entering into or returning from holding government office on laws and regulations regarding conflicts of interest, financial disclosure and divestment, and “revolving door” restrictions. 

Guy Giorno leads the Political Law practice of Fasken. He is co-author of the legal text Lobbying in Canada and a former Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister.  He is an adjunct professor at Carleton University, teaching “Ethics in Political Management,” and on a part-time basis is the appointed "integrity commissioner" of several Ontario municipalities.

Danielle Caputo works on ethics watchdog and policy reform efforts at all levels of government. Her expertise encompasses a wide range of ethics issues, including congressional stock trading reform.

Moderator: Thomas Klemm, Senior Staff Attorney, Philadelphia Board of Ethics

Tom Klemm is a Senior Staff Attorney at the Philadelphia Board of Ethics.  He joined the Board of Ethics in 2015 and works with the Board’s General Counsel Staff.

Steve Berlin, Executive Director, City of Chicago Board of Ethics

Paul Nick, Executive Director, Ohio Ethics Commission

Paul M. Nick is currently the Executive Director of the Ohio Ethics Commission and has worked at the Commission in various roles since 1995.  He has been a member of COGEL for 27 years and has served as President and Treasurer.  He received a B.A. in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a B.S. in Forensic Accounting from Franklin University, and his J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. 

Justin Gordon, Open Records Division Chief, Office of the Texas Attorney General

Justin Gordon is the chief of the Open Records Division of the Office of the Attorney General of Texas. Previously, he was an assistant general counsel in the General Counsel Division of the Office of the Governor of Texas. Before joining the governor’s office, Justin served as a senior attorney and a drafting attorney in the Open Records Division of the Office of the Attorney General of Texas.  Justin earned a B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin in 2002 and a J.D. from Baylor Law School in 2005. 

Lisa Thornton, Public Records Officer, University of Oregon

Lisa Thornton is the Public Records Officer for the University of Oregon, where she oversees response to public records requests made to the University. Prior to joining the University in 2011, Lisa worked as a Records Specialist for the Eugene Police Department, where she, in part, responded to public records requests for law enforcement records.

Casey Carmody, Senior Policy Analyst, Minnesota Department of Administration, Data Practices Office

Casey Carmody is a Senior Policy Analyst for the Data Practices Office at the Minnesota Department of Administration. His background is in media law and ethics, and he previously served several years as the editor of the Silha Bulletin, a publication of the Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law. 

Allison Knight, Senior Director of Investigations, Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada

Allison Knight is the Senior Director of Investigations (Priority Cases, Historical Documents and Intelligence) at the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada. She has over 15 years of experience in access to information law in Canada, at both the provincial and federal levels. 

Kristin O'Neill, Assistant Director and Director of Training, New York State Committee on Open Government

Kristin O’Neill is the Assistant Director and Director of Training for the New York State Committee on Open Government.  She has been with the Committee since 2015 and prior to that served in Counsel’s Office for the New York State Office of Mental Health and was the agency’s Freedom of Information Law records access officer. 

Eliza A. Saunders, Director, Office of Public Records and Open Public Meetings, University of Washington

Eliza A. Saunders is the chief compliance officer and the architect of the University’s freedom of information structures. Ms. Saunders is considered an expert in Freedom of Information and speaks internationally on the subject. She is a former Secretary of the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL).  Prior to joining the University, Ms. Saunders worked in private industry at Putnam Mutual Funds, at Boston University and at Harvard Medical School.  Ms. Saunders holds a B.A. in American History from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a M.S. in Public Relations from Boston University.

Moderator: Laurie Beyer-Kropuenske, Chief Data Practices Compliance Officer, University of Minnesota

Laurie Beyer-Kropuenske is the University of Minnesota's Chief Data Practices Compliance Officer. Additionally, Laurie spent more than 20 years working in Minnesota state government including serving as the MN Department of Administration’s General Counsel and Director of the Community Services Division, which included the MN Data Practices Office. 

Taya Moxley-Goldsmith, Director of the Data Practices Office of Minnesota

Taya Moxley-Goldsmith is the director of the Data Practices Office at the Minnesota Department of Administration, a statewide resource for government and members of the public. She has over 14 years’ experience interpreting and providing guidance on Minnesota’s government records and open meeting laws. 

Christopher Widdop, Program Associate, University of Oregon

Chris Widdop is a program associate in the Office of Public Records at the University of Oregon. He holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology and his background is in behavioral health science research and data analysis. 

David Goodis, Partner, INQ Law

David Goodis is a partner at INQ Law, specializing in privacy and access. For over 30 years, David was a senior information and privacy lawyer with Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner. Most recently he held the role of assistant commissioner. He is an experienced litigator, having appeared at all levels of court in Ontario.

Moderator: Perry M. Tapper, Compliance Officer, Office of Public Records and Open Public Meetings, University of Washington

Perry Tapper is a Compliance Officer at the University of Washington Office of Public Records and Open Public Meetings.  He heads a group of expert analysts ensuring the University’s compliance with Washington State Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act.

Danielle L. McGee, Staff Attorney, Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission

Danielle L. McGee is a Staff Attorney at the Connecticut Freedom of information Commission, an independent agency that adjudicates disputes and issues binding decisions regarding public access to government records and meetings.  In that role, Ms. McGee serves as a hearing officer, mediator, and appellate counsel. Prior to her time at the Commission, Ms. McGee represented parents of children with special needs in education matters, including in administrative hearings, in Connecticut and New York.

David Goodis, Partner, INQ Law

David Goodis is a partner at INQ Law, specializing in privacy and access. For over 30 years, David was a senior information and privacy lawyer with Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner. Most recently he held the role of assistant commissioner. He is an experienced litigator, having appeared at all levels of court in Ontario.

Martha Wagner Murphy, Deputy Director, Office of Government Information Services National Archives and Records Administration

Martha Wagner Murphy is the Deputy Director of the Office of Government Information Services, which serves as the Freedom of Information Act Ombudsman for the United States Federal Government. Prior to joining OGIS in 2018, Martha was the Access and FOIA Program Manager for the accessioned federal holdings of the National Archives and Records Administration. She has over 20 years of experience in US Federal FOIA Administration. 

Colleen Murphy, Executive Director and General Counsel Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission

Colleen M. Murphy is the Executive Director and General Counsel of the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission, an independent agency that adjudicates disputes and issues binding decisions regarding public access to government records and meetings. Ms. Murphy is a frequent speaker at national, state and provincial programs on government transparency, privacy and data protections, and electronic information issues. She has served on the COGEL Steering Committee and was the proud recipient of COGEL’s Outstanding Service Award in 2018. 

Thomas Hennick, Public Education Officer Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission

Thomas Hennick is the Public Education Officer at the Freedom of Information Commission. In that role, Tom travels around the state, conducting FOI seminars and workshops, educating members of the public as well as public officials about their rights and duties under the Act. He was a newspaper reporter and editor from 1976-2001. He is the former chairman of the Regional School District 13 Board of Education and a former member of the Board of Selectmen. He also is a member of the Nutmeg Financial MHC Board of Corporators. He is a 1972 graduate of the Taft School in Watertown, Ct. and a 1976 graduate of Brown University in Providence, R.I.

Galena West, Executive Director, California Fair Political Practices Commission

Galena West is the Executive Director of the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Prior to her appointment, she served as the Chief of Enforcement, Senior Commission Counsel for the Enforcement Division, and Commission Counsel for the Legal Division. She has been with the agency for over 20 years.

Daniel Carlton, Executive Director, Wisconsin Ethics Commission

Kedric Payne, General Counsel, Campaign Legal Center

Kedric Payne is General Counsel and Senior Director of Ethics at Campaign Legal Center in Washington, DC.  He is the former deputy chief counsel of the Office of Congressional Ethics and has specialized in political law for nearly twenty years in government and private practice.

Danielle Caputo works on ethics watchdog and policy reform efforts at all levels of government. Her expertise encompasses a wide range of ethics issues, including congressional stock trading reform.

Nancy Bélanger, Commissioner, Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada

Nancy Bélanger was appointed Commissioner of Lobbying in late 2017. Prior to her appointment, she was Deputy Commissioner, Legal Services and Public Affairs with the Office of the Information Commissioner, and she also spent six years as General Counsel with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

Tremayne Bunaugh, General Counsel, Secretary of the U.S. Senate

Tremayne Bunaugh is currently General Counsel to the Secretary of the U.S. Senate, the chief administrative, legislative, and financial officer of the United States Senate. Tremayne has dedicated the past 15 years of his professional career to federal service to include stints at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Air Force, Corporation for National and Community Service, and the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee. Tremayne has a BS in Finance from Virginia Commonwealth University, a JD from The George Washington University Law School, and is licensed to practice in Maryland. 

Ken Gross, Senior Counsel and Consultant, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP

Ken Gross is a nationally recognized expert in campaign finance, lobby disclosure, and gift compliance. Formerly, he was the Associate General Counsel of the Federal Election Commission, where he headed enforcement. 

Moderator: Matthew Bobys, Counsel, Skadden

Matthew Bobys is Counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Washington, D.C. He advises business clients across numerous industries on political law issues relating to government affairs and government procurement at the federal, state, and local levels, particularly on campaign finance, pay-to-play, lobbying, government ethics, gifts and entertainment, and conflict of interest laws. He repeatedly has been selected for inclusion in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. 

Guy Giorno, Partner, Fasken

Guy Giorno leads the Political Law practice of Fasken. He is co-author of the legal text Lobbying in Canada and a former Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister.  He is an adjunct professor at Carleton University, teaching “Ethics in Political Management,” and on a part-time basis is the appointed "integrity commissioner" of several Ontario municipalities.

oline Twiss, Deputy Registrar of the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists and Deputy Commissioner, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia

oline Twiss is the Deputy Registrar of the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists and the Deputy Commissioner at the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC. She joined the Office in 2014 and was Director of Investigations before being appointed Deputy. Deputy Twiss has worked on privacy and digital issues at the House of Commons of Canada and at the Samuelson-Glusho Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic at the University of Ottawa. Deputy Twiss holds civil and common law degrees from McGill University, was called to the bar in Ontario in 2011 and is now a member of the Law Society of British Columbia. She is a Fellow of Information Privacy with the International Association of Privacy Professionals and holds certifications in privacy for Canada (CIPP/C), Europe (CIPP/E) and in privacy management (CIPM). 

Moderator: Matthew Bobys, Counsel, Skadden

Matthew Bobys is Counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Washington, D.C. He advises business clients across numerous industries on political law issues relating to government affairs and government procurement at the federal, state, and local levels, particularly on campaign finance, pay-to-play, lobbying, government ethics, gifts and entertainment, and conflict of interest laws. He repeatedly has been selected for inclusion in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.  

Ariane Charbonneau, Executive Director of Éducaloi

Ariane Charbonneau has been Executive Director of Éducaloi since 2017. A lawyer with an MBA from HEC Montréal, this entrepreneur is committed to fostering and contributing to the development of the legal skills of the population of Quebec through public legal education and clear legal communication.

Elizabeth Ziegler, Executive Director of the Missouri Ethics Commission

Elizabeth Ziegler is the Executive Director of the Missouri Ethics Commission where she oversees the Commission’s statutorily required activities and services. She previously served as the Commission’s General Counsel, the State Director for Missouri Prosecutors and as a Missouri Assistant Attorney General.  Liz has been an active member of COGEL for 16 years, during which time she served as a member of the Program Committee for four years, served on the Awards Committee, and moderated or participated in a number of conference panels. Liz earned her undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati and a J.D.  from the University of Akron School of Law. 

Nick Rowlands, Policy Analyst, Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists for British Columbia

Nick Rowlands is a policy analyst at the Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists for British Columbia. He has a BA in History from the University of Washington and a Master's in Library and Information Studies from the University of British Columbia. 

Scott Whamond, Policy Analyst with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada

Scott Whamond is a policy analyst with the Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada. He started working there in early 2018 to support education and outreach , following several years working at Justice Canada in the areas of electronic discovery as well as policy responses for victims of crime. 

Moderator: Nancy Bélanger, Commissioner of Lobbying of Canada

Nancy Bélanger was appointed Commissioner of Lobbying in late 2017. Prior to her appointment, she was Deputy Commissioner, Legal Services and Public Affairs with the Office of the Information Commissioner, and she also spent six years as General Counsel with the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. 

Winnie Ng, Art Director, NYC Campaign Finance Board

Winnie Ng provides creative direction for the NYC Campaign Finance Board's voter education and engagement efforts on multi-channel platforms with over 20 years experience in digital and print design in the government space. She creates resource materials for candidates running for City office, designs custom data visualizations for the CFB's publications, and directs engaging multimedia visuals to provide information to the public and getting New Yorkers to the polls. Winnie most recently led the development of the NYC Votes rebrand in collaboration with renowned agencies Big Duck and Pentagram.  

Claire Taylor Hansen, Creative Director, Big Duck

Claire is Creative Director at Big Duck, a worker-owned cooperative and creative agency that partners with nonprofit organizations and governments on developing strong brands, campaigns, and teams. In addition to speaking and facilitating conversations that provoke new ways of thinking about branding, Claire has collaborated on crafting dozens of brands, capital and fundraising campaigns, and much more since joining Big Duck in 2016. When she’s not at her computer, Claire’s likely to be found exploring Toronto (where she’s recently moved), or on a canoe trip in the Canadian wilds with her spouse and kids. 

Alex Kipp, Director of Education & Engagement, New York City Conflicts of Interest Board

Alex Kipp is Director of Education & Engagement at the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board where he leads a team that teaches classes, creates videos, print, social media, and eLearning content and conducts lots and lots of webinars for New York City’s 325,000+ public servants. His work has been described by at least one elected official as “impeccably deranged,” which, Alex hopes, is supposed to be a compliment. 

Philippe Tardif, Brand Lead, Canadian Digital Service

Philippe Tardif has vast expertise in branding and content design. A digital pioneer, he worked as a Data storyteller, UI/UX Designer, Teacher, Journalist and Interactive Art director. Today, Philippe helps the Government of Canada design accessible products and services for everyone as Brand Lead at the Canadian Digital Service (CDS).

 Moderator: Darrin Lim, Co-Founder and Partner, Politicom Law LLP

Darrin Lim is Co-Founder and Partner of Politicom Law, a political compliance firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.  He is Co-Chair of this year’s COGEL Conference and received the organization’s Outstanding Service Award in 2021. 

Daniel Cho, Assistant Executive Director for Candidate Guidance & Policy, New York City Campaign Finance Board 

Dan Cho serves on the executive team at the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB) and manages policies and procedures that affect candidates and their campaign staff in complying with the New York City Campaign Finance Act and Board Rules. He has served in various roles at the CFB as Director of Candidate Services, Payment Coordinator, Auditor, and Compliance Analyst. Dan is a past Co-Chair of the Program Committee for COGEL and currently serves on its Steering Committee.

Susan Willeke, Education & Communications Administrator, Ohio Ethics Commission

Susan Willeke is an accomplished government-relations professional with more than 30 years’ experience in public affairs, communication, and public speaking.  Susan joined the Ohio Ethics Commission in 2005 as the Education and Communications Manager.  In that position, Susan presents approximately 200 speeches annually, develops information strategies regarding agency programs and represents the Ethics Commission to Ohio citizens, the media, and the Ohio legislature. Prior to joining the Commission, Susan served in the communications office at the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and as a legislative aide in the Ohio House of Representatives.

Moderator: Darrin Lim, Co-Founder and Partner, Politicom Law LLP

Darrin Lim is Co-Founder and Partner of Politicom Law, a political compliance firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area in California.  He is Co-Chair of this year’s COGEL Conference and received the organization’s Outstanding Service Award in 2021. 

Jennifer Thorne, Director of Values, Integrity & Workplace Policies and Programs, Canada Revenue Agency

Jennifer Thorne is the Director of the Canada revenue Agency’s Values, Integrity and Workplace Policies and Programs Division. Jennifer has worked for the Public Service of Canada for over 20 years where she has developed expertise in policy, program management, communications, engagement, governance and client service. Since 2018, she has been a full-time virtual employee; living, playing and working in Mont-Tremblant Quebec. 

Judith Brunet, Ombuds for Small Departments and Agencies, Public Services and Procurement Canada 

Judith Brunet is the Ombuds for Small Departments and Agencies, operating from Public Services and Procurement Canada. She is specialized in organizational development and change management. Throughout her career, Judith has held numerous management and leadership positions in the areas of change management, workplace intervention and executive development. 

Simon Gascon, Senior Director with Employment and Social Development Canada

Simon Gascon works at Public Services and Procurement Canada as the Senior Director of Workplace Strategy and Interior Design. Simon is specialized in people management and change in the workplace. When not working, Simon is likely on the ski hill in the winter or in the mountain bike trails in the summer where he races against/with his wife and two kids. 

Shane Creamer, Executive Director, Philadelphia Board of Ethics

Shane Creamer is the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Board of Ethics, which administers and enforces the City's ethics, campaign finance, lobbying and political activity laws. He has been the Board's Executive Director since it was established in 2006. He is a past member of COGEL's Steering Committee.  

Eric Friedman, Assistant Executive Director for Public Affairs, New York City Campaign Finance Board 

Elizabeth Ziegler, Executive Director of the Missouri Ethics Commission

Elizabeth Ziegler is the Executive Director of the Missouri Ethics Commission where she oversees the Commission’s statutorily required activities and services. She previously served as the Commission’s General Counsel, the State Director for Missouri Prosecutors and as a Missouri Assistant Attorney General.  Liz has been an active member of COGEL for 16 years, during which time she served as a member of the Program Committee for four years, served on the Awards Committee, and moderated or participated in a number of conference panels. Liz earned her undergraduate degree in Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati and a J.D.  from the University of Akron School of Law. 

Moderator: Michelle Renaud, Manager of Outreach and Communications, Office of the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario

Michelle Renaud is Manager, Communications and Outreach at the Office of the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario. She has more than 20 years of government and public sector experience in Canada and internationally and has spent more than half that time working in government ethics, providing policy advice and leading communication and outreach activities on conflict of interest and ethics rules, lobbyist registration and whistleblowing. She holds a Master of Arts in International Affairs and is a part-time instructor at Carleton University’s School of Public Policy and Administration.