Meet the NCDD Team
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Keiva Hummel, Executive Director Keiva Hummel (she/her) is an equitable engagement practitioner and has served the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD) since 2014. She supports the NCDD community by growing and strengthening connections in the network, coordinating communications on the NCDD Blog and social media, and supporting the last three National Conferences on Dialogue & Deliberation. She graduated cum laude from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in Communication Studies, Minor in Global Peace, Human Rights and Justice Studies, and a Certificate in Conflict Resolution Studies. Keiva can be contacted at keiva [at] ncdd [dot] org. Courtney Breese, Director Emeritus (former E.D.) Courtney has been involved with NCDD since 2010 in various roles, including Executive Director, Program Director, Conference Manager, and serving on the NCDD Board. She supports NCDD now on specific projects, most notably the American Library Association's Libraries Transforming Communities Initiative. She is a trainer, mediator, and facilitator with a passion for helping people connect and learn from one another. Courtney was introduced to dialogue & deliberation as a student at Franklin Pierce University, where she received a Bachelors in Social Work and Counseling. Courtney can be contacted at courtney [at] ncdd [dot] org. Roshan Bliss, Director of Democracy Innovations Roshan Bliss is NCDD’s former Youth & Student Engagement Coordinator, and in his current role, he is leading the charge on a project to bring the transformative work of our field to television audiences around the country via the Democracy TV project. Based in Denver, Roshan is a certified mediator and has over a decade of experience in public engagement and deliberative process, including helping launch and manage Denver’s first-ever participatory budgeting processes. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Religious Studies from Purdue University, and did his graduate studies in conflict resolution at the University of Denver with a focus on civic theory, participatory democracy, and collaborative governance. Roshan can be contacted at roshan [at] ncdd [dot] org. Ismael Cordová-Clough, Director of Communications Ismael Cordová-Clough (he/him) is a LA-based strategic leader committed to advancing equity and systemic change, particularly for marginalized communities. With expertise in communications, community engagement, and coalition-building, he applies data-driven strategies to enhance inclusivity and program impact. Currently pursuing an MPPA at Northwestern University, Ismael blends nonprofit and government experience with policy insights. He has led initiatives improving healthcare access, civic engagement, and stakeholder collaboration. A passionate advocate, he has served on DEI and civic boards and received awards for his public service. At NCDD, he refines communication strategies to foster inclusive dialogue and empower diverse communities. Ismael can be contacted at ismael [at] ncdd [dot] org. Joy Williams, Bookkeeper NCDD has grown from a Coalition of 50 in late 2002 to a Coalition of more than 700 members and 28,000 subscribers. Processing new members and renewals, coordinating and managing our database, member directory and listservs, and managing our financial records are critically important to NCDD’s effectiveness, and Joy has managed all of these things swimmingly since early 2006. Joy can be contacted at joy [at] ncdd [dot] org. Jason Vadnos, Executive Assistant Jason Vadnos (he/him) is a junior at Vanderbilt University majoring in Human & Organizational Development and Culture, Advocacy & Leadership, with a minor in Business. A former NCDD student intern, in his current role Jason supports NCDD's Executive Director with high-level administrative and organizational tasks, ranging from schedule management and communications to membership engagement and grant writing. Jason is a leader in the higher education dialogue and civic engagement spaces, serving as Vice President of Every Vote Counts, a Student Advisor for Dialogue Vanderbilt, and a member of the National Humanities Leadership Council. Jason can be contacted at jason [at] ncdd [dot] org. Awa Harris, Communications Assistant
Awa Harris is a Communication Arts and Sciences major at Penn State and the newest Nevins Fellow with the National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation (NCDD). Hailing from North Wales, Pennsylvania, Awa is passionate about fostering inclusive community dialogue and civic engagement. Through the prestigious Nevins Fellowship, she combined academic insight with hands-on experience to amplify diverse voices and promote collaborative problem-solving. Committed to strengthening democracy through meaningful conversation, Awa represents the next generation of leaders dedicated to building vibrant, engaged communities. Seonbin Song, Programs Assistant Seonbin is a rising senior at the University of Virginia. He is studying Commerce and Economics with a Minor in Public Policy. In his free time, he enjoys reading the news, writing stories, and watching old movies with friends. He started with NCDD as a Program Development intern because of his interest and experience in engaging in and organizing nuanced discussions on important issues between diverse groups of people. Dawn Harfmann, Programs Assistant Dawn brings specialized expertise in political bridge-building and environmental conflict resolution to NCDD. She specializes in using her research, bridge-building practice, and educational background to develop research-backed, hands-on, experiential training and learning opportunities for organizations, communities, and individuals. Dawn has served as lead researcher on projects including identifying innovative ways for clean energy advocacy organizations to work across political and rural-urban divides, and she co-founded Central Oregon's local Braver Angels alliance.
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Meet Our Interns
Click on the intern image to learn more about our cohort!
Past Interns
- Duffy Bowman
- Rachel Erdmann
- Hannya Gonzalez Serrano
- Dawn Harfmann
- Awa Harris
- Imre Huss
- Sydney Huynh
- Carson Mounce
- Christian Ohonba
- Ronald Peterson
- Jacob Potter
- Francesca Rambaldi
- Olivia Ramos
- Ruksana Ruhee
- Seonbin Song
- Lizbeth Varela
- Jason Vadnos