Staff Bios

The White House Project Staff Bios

Lara Cassell

Lara Cassell is the Communications Manager for The White House Project.  Prior to joining our team in 2007, Lara served a wide variety of non-profit, for-profit, and governmental organizations as a communications and development consultant.  Her clientele included the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Domestic Violence Solutions, the Marijuana Policy Project, and the City of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.  She also acted as Campaign Manager for Sensible Santa Barbara, where her efforts culminated in a 66 percent win for their 2006 citywide campaign. Lara has worked closely as a pro-bono advisor and volunteer with NARAL Pro-Choice NY, Haven Coalition, Dog Adoption and Welfare Group, Channel Islands Marine Wildlife Institute, and the Wildlife Conservation Society, and is currently illustrating a series of children’s books on environmental conservation.  She holds an M.A. from Rutgers University and dual B.A. degrees from Stony Brook University.

Tiffany Dufu

Tiffany Dufu is Director of Development.  Before The White House Project, Tiffany served as a Major Gifts Officer for Simmons College in Boston where she was responsible for raising all major individual gifts from Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.  She was also a fundraiser for the successful campaign to elect Deval Patrick governor, serving on the Young Professionals Committee. She is originally from Seattle, where she served as Associate Director of Development for a start-up girls' school, raising over $2 million in less than two years and securing an additional $2 million challenge grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation toward an endowment.  Her success is rooted in her passion for organizations that advance women and girls.  Tiffany holds a B.A. and M.A. in English and a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the University of Washington.  She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc.

Melissa Flores

Melissa is a recent graduate of Emerson College in Boston, MA where she earned a BS in Political Communication. As a student, Melissa had considerable experience with public affairs and public opinion research, including an internship with one of the premiere polling firms in Boston. Her work at the White House Project is driven by her passion to empower women and to be an agent of social change that brings more women into leadership positions in politics, business, and everywhere in between.

Kate Ford

Kate Ford is the Development Events Coordinator for The White House Project. In 2004, with more than 75 productions under her belt, Kate transitioned from the world of non-profit theatre management to work for Grassroots Campaigns, Inc. She became responsible for daily operations in the finance office as they grew to manage more than 80 fund raising and GOTV offices around the country for the DNC and MoveOn.org. After that election cycle she worked for Liz Page Associates planning transformative fund raising and corporate events for organizations including One Family Inc. and the MENTOR Network. In 2007 she consulted with the New York chapter of The Recording Academy on their GRAMMY celebration at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square and GRAMMY Career Day. Kate’s varied experience reinforces her belief that, as Ronald Heifetz wrote, “a successful adaptation enables a living system to take the best from its history into the future.” Kate has a B.F.A in Stage Management and Production from Emerson College.

Shannon Garrett

Shannon Garrett is the director of The White House Project's Michigan Field Office. A native of Holland, MI, Shannon recently returned home after spending more than a decade building her political, legislative and legal skills in Washington, DC and Minneapolis, MN. She is committed to amplifying the political voice of underrepresented constituencies, and has a particular passion for advancing women's leadership and civic engagement. To pursue these goals, Shannon has worked in a variety of government and nonprofit settings, including the Office of Congressman Sander Levin, the Institute for Women's Policy Research, Alliance for Justice and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. In her work with The White House Project, Shannon will invite and equip Michigan women of all political parties to run for office at all levels of government. Shannon graduated from Alma College in 1994, earned a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 2004, and is currently a member of the State Bar of Michigan.

Catherine Gray

Catherine Gray joined our staff as Associate Director of the Midwest Region to support our regional expansion, while also continuing her role as a communications and public speaking coach.

A screenwriter and filmmaker, Catherine is the recipient of several awards, including The Barry Morrow Screenwriting Fellowship in 2000 and Jerome Media Arts Grant in 2004.  She is an active member of Screenwriters' Workshop, Independent Feature Project, Women in Film and Television and serves on the board of TVbyGIRLS.  Currently she is in post-production on her short film, “Grace on a Stick.”

Most of her adult life, Catherine lived in Houston, Texas where she founded two companies – Artemis Enterprises, a construction services firm, and OneTV, an innovative video-magazine for nationwide GLBT audiences.

Catherine attended Scripps College and earned a Bachelor in Fine Arts from Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

Elizabeth Hines

Elizabeth G. Hines is The White House Project’s Communications Director. She is also co-author of the bestselling biography, Black Titan: A.G. Gaston and the Making of a Black American Millionaire, winner of the 2004 Non-Fiction Book Honor from the American Library Association. Formerly the COO & Editor-in-Chief of ADOTAS.com – home of the nation’s premiere online advertising publications – Elizabeth has worked on the editorial staff at the Random House/ Ballantine Publishing Group and as an assistant producer of Harvard University's benefit performance of Eve Ensler's Obie Award winning play "The Vagina Monologues." Prior to joining The White House Project, she served as the Senior Communications Manager for the Ms. Foundation for Women.

Throughout her career Elizabeth has been the recipient of several fellowships and awards, including a Richard L. Shinn Fellowship from Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, a Richter Fellowship from Yale University, and summer studies grant from the Johns Hopkins University Executive Leadership Alliance Program.

Elizabeth earned her B.A. from Yale University and did her graduate work in Harvard University’s Department of English and American Language and Literature. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Independent Media Institute (parent company of AlterNet.org) and serves on the Advisory Board of The Women’s Media Center. Elizabeth is also a Trustee of The Hotchkiss School in Lakeville, CT, where she serves as the chair of their Gender Task Force.

Liz Johnson

As The White House Project’s Midwest Regional Director, Liz Johnson manages the Vote, Run, Lead program in this area. She is a seasoned organizer and is dedicated to building community and women's organizations, focusing on welfare reform and housing. She was a Program Officer for the Women's Foundation of Minnesota. Since graduating from Grinnell College, where she was elected Student Body President in 1988, she has served as a Legislative Consultant to the Minnesota Welfare Rights Coalition, directed Low Income People Organizing for Power in Duluth and organized for both the Duluth and St. Paul Tenants Unions. Liz is the 1992 recipient of the Minnesota Housing Partnership Right to Housing Award. Most recently, Liz was honored by The Minnesota Women's Press and given the 2006 Changemaker Award for her work to advance women leaders in Minnesota.

Lorelei Kelly

Lorelei is a national security specialist focused on helping citizens and elected leaders "reframe" security for the challenges revealed by 9/11. She is the Policy Director of the Real Security Initiative at The White House Project, an organization whose mission is to elevate women's voices in culture, media and politics -- specifically to bring more women into national security decision making. In addition to working with the underground democracy movements of eastern Europe throughout 1989, Lorelei's professional background includes teaching at Stanford University's Center on Conflict and Negotiation, Senior Associate at the Henry L. Stimson Center, a DC think tank, and nearly a decade working on bipartisan national security education in Congress. She has a Grinnell College BA and a Stanford MA. Lorelei has been trained as a professional mediator in both domestic and international conflict resolution settings. She also attended the Air Command and Staff College program of the US Air Force and continuing education programs at National Defense University and Army War College. Her latest publication is a guidebook for citizens entitled "Policy Matters Educating Congress on Peace and Security" which is available online. She  blogs regularly at The Huffingtonpost.com and democracyarsenal.org

Nevada Littlewolf

Nevada Littlewolf joins the White House Project staff as the Rural Leadership Field Organizer. She works as part of our Midwest Regional office and expands our presence in greater Minnesota. Her focus is to further leadership opportunities for women in the rural areas. As women in rural communities face distinctive challenges, The White House Project rural initiative aims to bring unique guidance and support to women throughout rural America. Nevada is a member of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and a mother of two children. She has been an advocate for youth, American Indian issues, and her community for years. She currently serves on the Virginia, MN City Council. She is passionate about strong leadership opportunities and community building for all people. She has participated the NTIC Community Organizer’s training in Chicago, IL and in 1994 was awarded Minnesota Governor’s Award for Excellence for development of VISIONS youth programming. She is a graduate of Mesabi Community and Technical College and is finishing her studies in studio art at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Nevada lives on the Iron Range of Minnesota with her family.

Heather Lurie

Heather Lurie is the Director of Strategic Development for The White House Project.  She is also a lawyer, consultant and volunteer working with grassroots nonprofits and political organizations on strategic planning, board development, fundraising, organizing and providing administrative support. She started her political career as the Deputy Finance Director on Rollie Heath’s 2002 campaign for Governor of Colorado. Prior to that she was the staff attorney at Project Safeguard and argued restraining order and dissolution cases for indigent battered women. Lurie currently serves on the Steering Committee of the Center for Women’s Health Research, the board of the NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado Foundation and is a founding board member of the Rocky Mountain Riveters. She is the Vice President of Public Policy on the board of the Junior League of Denver. Lurie was the co-chair for The Women’s Foundation of Colorado’s 2005 Gender Matters Luncheon and is currently serving on the Women’s Foundation’s 20th anniversary celebration committee. Lurie earned her BA in English Literature with a minor in Women’s Studies from Miami University in Ohio, her law degree from The Ohio State University and is licensed to practice law in Colorado. She is from Ann Arbor, Michigan and lives in Denver with her husband, James and dog, Liberty.

Monica Mendoza

Monica Mendoza is the assistant organizer for the Colorado Field Office of The White House Project. She first became interested in politics while working as a Legislative Aide to former State Representative Angie Paccione. Monica graduated from the Metropolitan State College of Denver with a BA in Journalism and a minor in Marketing. She is a strong advocate of children’s and women’s issues. Monica lives in Adams County with her husband and two daughters.

Jaime Peters

Jaime Peters is the Program Associate for The White House Project.  She supports the National Program Director and the White House Project’s regional organizers with the Vote, Run, Lead program and the Real Security Initiative.  Prior to The White House Project, Peters spent two years as a national field organizer for the MoveOn PAC.  Peters first book, “Biting Back at International Law,” will be published in May 2007.  She is a volunteer with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, The Susan G. Komen Foundation and MoveOn. She graduated from Syracuse University with a BS in Mathematics and BA’s in Political Science and Public Policy. She lives in Brooklyn with her puppy, Scarlett.

Erin Vilardi

Erin Vilardi is the National Program Director at The White House Project. She directs the Vote, Run, Lead program, training women to run for political office, and the Real Security initiative focusing on women and security. Vilardi was a part of Global Youth Connect’s first youth delegation to Bosnia this summer to study human rights and post-conflict resolution. This March, she will appear on “Spotlight 25,” a Lifetime Television special on young women and the quarter-life crisis.  She is a member of the Younger Women’s Task Force NY Metro Chapter and has been recognized as an emerging progressive leader. Vilardi graduated from New York University with a BA in Politics and Gender Studies. As a student leader, she was involved with various organizations, served as a Resident Assistant, volunteered with the Future Voters of America Youth Party, and interned at The White House Project prior to joining the staff.

Faith Winter

Faith Winter is the Training and Outreach Director for the White House Project.  Winter provides training, inspiration and empowerment to promote women's political leadership in Colorado and the Southwest region.  Winter has helped train women who are now serving on city councils, school boards and state legislatures. Winter has been organizing and working on campaigns for the past six years. Doing environmental work, she lead a team of over 100 young people that turned out 93,000 young voters in 2004. Winter also led over a dozen clean energy campaigns that generated 2 million dollars to purchase wind and solar power. In 2004 Winter was named one of 30 people under 30 showing political leadership by the Youth Vote Coalition. Winter loves organizing because she believes the best way to create change is by building power through people. She also has fun doing it, because a job isn't worth doing unless you laugh once in a while.