Today’s guest is an author, leader, mission driven executive, podcaster, and an unabashed advocate for the future of agriculture and the people that educate those that feed us.

ABOUT the GUEST

Aaron Alejandro is Executive Director of the Texas FFA Foundation located in Austin, Texas. In his non-professional hours, Aaron consults with businesses, organizations, education, and youth clubs about ways to improve organizational and individual performance. He has more than 30+ years of experience in management, personal and professional training. As an inspirational speaker, his unique style of delivery transcends all age groups and corporate cultures offering a clear message of personal dynamics for success.

In his position with the Texas FFA Foundation, Aaron has established relationships with sponsors and individuals resulting in significant stakeholder engagement. With more than 270,000 students enrolled in agricultural science courses and Texas FFA membership with more than 170,000+ members, Aaron’s efforts are bringing much needed “fuel” - in the form of sponsorships - to help make dreams come true.

Thank you to our sponsor: Rap Index, tell them Roger sent you.

https://www.rapindex.com

This podcast is dedicated to the art of advocacy.

Contact Voices In Advocacy at:

www.VoicesinAdvocacy.com

480 488-9150

At Voices in Advocacy, we work with organizations that want to inspire, educate, engage, and activate their supports to become even better effective, influential advocates.

"As we paused to look back four score, to honor and reflect on the brave allied soldiers that liberated a continent, my mind advanced to November evaluating the reality that lies ahead for America’s future.

I am battling to find the right words to express my concern for the governing institutions of our nation."

Commentary from Roger Rickard, President and Founder of Voices in Advocacy.

ABOUT our HOST

Roger is the Founder & President of Voices in Advocacy®, author of 7 Actions of Highly Effective Advocates and host of the Voices in Advocacy® Podcast. He has more than 30 years of experience as an advocacy professional. As a recognized expert in advocacy engagement and grassroots activation, Roger works with a wide cross-section of organizations from diverse industries. His vibrant personality and a good sense of humor make for engaging and interactive programming that is packaged and delivered in an easy to understand, easy to apply format combining his education, experience, and enthusiasm to drive advocacy success.

Successful Meetings Magazine named Roger one of the Six People Worth Watching. Meetings Focus Magazine named him to their inaugural list of Meetings Trendsetters, and Connect Magazine named Roger to their inaugural Class of 15 over 50 influencers.

This podcast is dedicated to the art of advocacy.

Contact Voices In Advocacy at:

www.VoicesinAdvocacy.com

480 488-9150

At Voices in Advocacy, we work with organizations that want to inspire, educate, engage, and activate their supports to become even better effective, influential advocates.

Running a medical association comes with many challenges. Today’s guest confronts these challenges head on while leading this community with advocacy in an ever-changing world.

"The voices of those affected by cleft and craniofacial conditions are really the strongest in the room, without a doubt." - Adam Levy, CAE

ABOUT the GUEST

Adam Levy is the Executive Director of the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association. An experienced association executive and career nonprofit professional, Adam previously served as the Deputy and Interim Executive Director of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, and held roles at the National Restaurant Association, and SmithBucklin. He serves on the Board of Directors of Association Executives of North Carolina, and the Small Staff Associations Advisory Committee of ASAE. Adam was a recipient of Association Forum’s “Forty Under 40” award in 2022, and holds his CAE from ASAE. Adam is passionate about healthcare access and equity, in addition to mentorship and leadership. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English Education from Indiana University and completed the Strategic Leadership Program at Northwestern University. A native Chicagoan and Michael Jordan devotee, Adam lives in Chapel Hill with his wife and twin daughters, and their loving rescue dog, Mason.

Thank you to our sponsor: Rap Index, tell them Roger sent you.

https://www.rapindex.com

This podcast is dedicated to the art of advocacy.

Contact Voices In Advocacy at:

www.VoicesinAdvocacy.com

480 488-9150

At Voices in Advocacy, we work with organizations that want to inspire, educate, engage, and activate their supports to become even better effective, influential advocates.

Nine years ago, life threw our next guest a curve ball when she learned during her pregnancy that her baby would be born with a facial birth defect. Come with us as we learn about her fascinating journey that has led her to help other families by speaking out as an author and advocate.

ABOUT the GUEST

Amy Mendillo, MM, MPP, is a writer, author, and advocate. She has worked as a consultant on state-level (RI) Medicaid and social service issues, an advocate for local- and city-level policy, and as a writer-editor for the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association. She holds a Master of Public Policy from Brown University.

Amy started as a professional classical musician, studying oboe at the Oberlin Conservatory and Northwestern University. Described as “prodigious” by the Chicago Tribune, Amy played in professional symphony orchestras in Chicago, Milwaukee, and New York City, then taught music at Brown University for ten years.

A proud cleft parent and adoptive parent, Amy lives with her family in Providence, RI.

Thank you to our sponsor: Rap Index, tell them Roger sent you.

https://www.rapindex.com

This podcast is dedicated to the art of advocacy.

Contact Voices In Advocacy at:

www.VoicesinAdvocacy.com

480 488-9150

At Voices in Advocacy, we work with organizations that want to inspire, educate, engage, and activate their supports to become even better effective, influential advocates.

Join us as we explore the importance of advocating with today’s guest - the Director of Advocacy Engagement for the well-known organization – who is committed to supporting policies and initiatives that make a positive impact on the lives of children and adults living with neuromuscular diseases.

ABOUT the GUEST

Mark Fisher is the Director of Advocacy Engagement at the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In this role, Mark leads MDA’s grassroots program and advocacy volunteer efforts. He works to empower advocates and connect them with key decisionmakers in order to advance public policies that improve the lives of the neuromuscular disease community. He previously served as the Digital Grassroots Manager at the American Heart Association and was also a field organizer on a U.S. Senate campaign. Mark earned his Master of Public Policy from American University and is originally from Pittsburgh, PA.

Thank you to our sponsor: Rap Index, tell them Roger sent you.

https://www.rapindex.com

This podcast is dedicated to the art of advocacy.

Contact Voices In Advocacy at:

www.VoicesinAdvocacy.com

480 488-9150

At Voices in Advocacy, we work with organizations that want to inspire, educate, engage, and activate their supports to become even better effective, influential advocates.

Today we speak to the leader of an organization that has received more than $250 million dollars voluntarily from the nation’s leading distillers to fight drunk driving and underage drinking and promote responsible decisions about beverage alcohol. Stay tuned as we learn about their dedication to advocacy.

ABOUT the GUEST

Chris Swonger serves as the President & CEO of both the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS) and Responsibility.org. Responsibility.org was founded in 1991 and has received more than $250 million dollars voluntarily from the nation’s leading distillers to fight drunk driving and underage drinking and promote responsible decisions about beverage alcohol. DISCUS is the leading voice for distilled spirits in the U.S. market and serves as the industry’s advocate in state capitals, the nation’s capital and foreign capitals around the globe.

Chris has extensive experience guiding corporations to lead in business while playing a positive role in communities through proactive engagement. In this capacity, Chris focuses on breaking down the traditional barriers that exist between corporations, non-government organizations and activist groups by facilitating consensus-based outcomes which are deliverable, actionable and measurable.

A native Texan, Chris received his bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and lives in McLean, Virginia, with his wife Amy and their two sons Holden and Beckett Boone.

Chris’ favorite drink? Bourbon on the rocks.

Thank you to our sponsor: Rap Index, tell them Roger sent you.

https://www.rapindex.com

This podcast is dedicated to the art of advocacy.

Contact Voices In Advocacy at:

www.VoicesinAdvocacy.com

480 488-9150

At Voices in Advocacy, we work with organizations that want to inspire, educate, engage, and activate their supports to become even better effective, influential advocates.

Today we speak to the leader of an organization that empowers young adults to advocate for higher education, health care, and economic policies.

ABOUT the GUEST

Kristin McGuire is the Executive Director for Young Invincibles. Kristin assumes this role having most recently served as YI West Regional Director, where she empowered young adults to advocate for higher education, health care, and economic policies. Kristin brings years of community organizing and policy change expertise to her role as Executive Director. As a first-generation college student from a single-parent household – she is driven by a deep understanding of the needs of under-resourced communities and has helped shift power to young adults from these communities over the last decade.

Kristin’s accomplishments include shaping policies that do just that, such as the College Student Hunger Relief Act, the California Student Borrowers’ Bill of Rights, and the Student Civic and Voter Empowerment Act. Currently, Kristin is leading the national charge to cancel student debt. Keeping true to her commitment to civic engagement, Kristin is the first African-American elected to the school board in Covina. While very proud of her work, Kristin's most prized accomplishment is not her own, it is her mother’s, who integrated her school in Alabama at the age of seven. Kristin is a proud alumna of California State University Dominguez Hills, wife, mother, and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Thank you to our sponsor: Rap Index, tell them Roger sent you.

https://www.rapindex.com

This podcast is dedicated to the art of advocacy.

Contact Voices In Advocacy at:

www.VoicesinAdvocacy.com

480 488-9150

At Voices in Advocacy, we work with organizations that want to inspire, educate, engage, and activate their supports to become even better influential advocates

Whistleblowers have been at the top of the news lately. Today’s special guest is the founder of the leading nonprofit dedicated to protecting and rewarding whistleblowers around the world. You do not want to miss this episode as we explore the importance of advocating for stronger whistleblower protection laws and educating the public about whistleblowers’ critical role in protecting democracy and the rule of law.

ABOUT the GUEST

Stephen M. Kohn is a founder and Chairman of the Board at the National Whistleblower Center (NWC) and founding partner of Kohn, Kohn, and Colapinto LLP. Steve is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading qui tam and whistleblower attorneys, and is an active voice in the whistleblower community, having helped draft key whistleblower legislation and regulatory rules. Steve has led a handful of pro bono efforts, and is currently supporting the push to make National Whistleblower Day permanent via a Presidential Executive Order. He is the author of the first legal treatise on whistleblowing and is the world’s most published author on whistleblower protection. His most recent book is Rules for Whistleblowers: A Handbook for Doing What’s Right (Lyons Press 2023).

Thank you to our sponsor: Rap Index, tell them Roger sent you.

https://www.rapindex.com

This podcast is dedicated to the art of advocacy.

Contact Voices In Advocacy at:

www.VoicesinAdvocacy.com

480 488-9150

At Voices in Advocacy, we work with organizations that want to inspire, educate, engage, and activate their supports to become even better influential advocates