Navigating Election Season

Moderator:

Indra Acharya, HGSE Academic Coach and Practitioner of Policy, Advocacy, and Strategy

Indra was born and raised in a Bhutanese refugee camp in Nepal, where his family sought refuge from ethnic cleansing. As a child in exile, he led several advocacy and leadership initiatives focused on children's and human rights, and educational opportunities, starting at the age of five. Indra resettled in Vermont in 2012 and has since been involved in various local, statewide, and national policy and advocacy initiatives. He completed his higher education at Georgetown University (BA) and Harvard GSE (M.Ed.).

Currently, Indra serves as consultant/instructor of practice on policy, advocacy, and strategy with several organizations. Previously, he designed and implemented various statewide programs and projects, such as Co-Director of the HRSA Rural Behavioral Health Workforce Centers grant, the Covid Equity Fund for Vermonters without documentation (Vermont Community Foundation), engagement and empowerment of low-income individuals on climate justice (Community Action Partnership agencies), BIPOC outreach for state budget priorities (Fund Vermont’s Future campaign), and as an Integrator for Vermont Community Health Equity Partnership grant in central Vermont (THRIVE). Indra also serves as a consultant, coach, and facilitator for various non-profit and for-profit organizations, political campaigns, and educational institutions on policy, strategy, community engagement, and DEIB initiatives at the local and national level. He is currently a board member of ACLU-Vermont and a public engagement consultant/facilitator at the Vermont Climate Council.

Giulia McPherson is the Executive Director of the Global Campaign for Education-US, a broad-based coalition dedicated to ensuring universal quality education for all children. She has 20 years of leadership experience in the humanitarian and development sectors and most recently served as Vice President of Advocacy and Operations at Jesuit Refugee Service/USA.

Giulia has a Bachelors in Political Science from Villanova University and a Masters in International Development Studies from The George Washington University. She serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Educate2Envision International, Chair of the Board of Directors for AMP Global Youth, a program of Americans for Informed Democracy, Treasurer of the Board of Directors for American Jesuits International, and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Nourishing Bethesda. Giulia received the 2022 Distinguished Alumna Award from her alma mater, the Academy of the Holy Cross, and was honored as a Top 20 in 2022 Advocacy Professional from the Advocacy Association and one of The Hill’s Top Lobbyists in 2023.

Reed Howard is the Chief Strategy and Public Affairs Officer at Future Caucus, the largest bipartisan organization of young lawmakers in the United States. He is a former local elected official himself, taking office at 20 years old. Reed is committed to developing the next generation of effective and ethical civic leaders.

He also serves as a United Methodist minister-in-residence at Georgetown University, where he lives in an interreligious community of imams, rabbis, Buddhist monks, and Jesuit priests.

Reed specializes in connecting values-based leadership and effective policymaking, helping young elected leaders build bridges through shared values and work on policy solutions together, so that political polarization is not an obstacle to solving big problems.

Reed served as a legislative advisor in the Virginia state senate. He previously was the head of communications at Georgetown University’s Institute of Politics and Public Service at the McCourt School of Public Policy.

He has been featured in outlets like National Public Radio, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Hill, and The Richmond Times-Dispatch, as well as a speaker at the Aspen Institute, The Moth Radio Hour, George Washington University’s School of Political Management, the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, and the American Democracy Summit.

Reed has a Master of Divinity with a focus on ethics and moral leadership from Emory University and a Bachelor of Science in Culture and Politics from Georgetown University.

Dr. Steffen Gillom, MFT,  Psychotherapist
and Clinical Director, Cumberland Counseling, LLC

Dr. Steffen Gillom holds a BS in Political Science (Pre-Law) from Southern IL. University Edwardsville, an MA in Peacebuilding and Conflict Transformation from the School of InternationalInternational's Training, a post-master certificate in Couples and Family Therapy, and a Ph.D. in Couples and Family Therapy from Antioch University New England.

Dr. Gillom currently serves as a psychotherapist, conflict resolution specialist, professional mediator, DEI consultant, and adjunct professor. His diverse roles reflect his commitment to social justice and mental health advocacy. He is also a proud AmeriCorps VISTA service Alum, former commentator for Vermont Public Radio (VPR).

Dr. Gillom's professional journey is driven by his passion for social justice and mental health advocacy. He is dedicated to increasing awareness concerning disability rights/accessibility and providing quality mental health services to communities of color, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized people. His work with organizations - big and small - to increase their multicultural competency on all eco-systemic levels is a testament to his commitment. In 2019, he was recognized with the Vermont Business Magazines 40 under 40 'Rising Star' Award for his significant contributions to the state of Vermont.

Dr. Gillom also participates in many pro-bono work, using his professional skills to give back and enhance capacity in his community. Most recently, the bulk of this work has been via the NAACP, where he previously served as President of the Windham County Vermont Branch of the NAACP. Via his presidency, Dr. Gillom played an influential role in local and state-wide change by raising awareness in several justice areas and influencing the crafting of policy to include the voices and perspectives of the most marginalized. Dr. Gillom now serves as First-Vice President of the New England Area Conference of the NAACP (NEAC).