Get to know our moderator and panelists:
Rebecca Koenig (ΦΒΚ, the College of William & Mary) is an Editor and Senior Reporter at EdSurge, a national nonprofit newsroom exploring the future of education, where she writes and edits stories about higher education, K-12 schools and early learning. Koenig is a 2020 Higher Education Media Fellow of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars and was a 2018 fellow of the National Press Foundation. Previously, she worked as a reporter for U.S. News & World Report, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, and The Chronicle of Higher Education. Her story about innovative adult education at the D.C. jail won the 2020 Dateline Award for best online feature from the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Jon Goldstein (ΦΒΚ, Trinity College) is the Senior Director of Regulatory Affairs at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). In his current role, he leads EDF’s efforts to improve regulation of the oil and gas industry and protect air and water resources at the state and federal level. Goldstein previously served as Cabinet Secretary of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department and Deputy Secretary of the state’s Environment Department. He received a Masters in Public Policy and a certificate in Science, Technology and Environmental Policy from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.
Alanah Odoms (ΦΒΚ, Rutgers University)is the Executive Director at ACLU Louisiana. As the first Black woman to lead the ACLU of Louisiana in its 66 year history, she has answered the call to defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights by challenging systemic racial and gender injustice. Through ACLU of Louisiana’s “Justice Lab: Putting Racist Policing on Trial” initiative, Odoms and her team lead law firms and law school legal clinics from across the country in representing plaintiffs who’ve experienced racially motivated police misconduct. In July 2018, she graduated from the prestigious Presidential Leadership Scholars Program. Odoms is a graduate of Rutgers School of Law- Newark.
Aimee Olivo (ΦΒΚ, Trinity Washington University) is the Executive Director at Art Works Now, a Maryland-based non-profit that works to build and nurture community through inclusive visual arts and social justice experiences. Prior to joining Art Works Now, Olivo served as the Chief of Staff for a Prince George’s County Council Member and spent nearly two decades working as a professional fundraiser. Olivo is a passionate community builder and, in 2012, she was recognized by the Prince George’s County Social Innovation Fund as a member of their inaugural “Prince George’s 40 Under Forty” cohort. She earned her Master’s in Business Administration from Marymount University.
Shayna Strom (ΦΒΚ, Yale University) is the President and CEO at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing evidence-backed ideas and policies that promote economic growth. Previously, Strom served as the chief deputy national political director at the ACLU. Strom also had a significant government career, serving on the Biden-Harris transition team, working as an adviser to the head of the Office of Management and Budget, and as the chief of staff and senior counselor at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs during the Obama administration. Strom received a law degree from Yale Law School and an M.Sc. from Oxford University.
