About UAUnite AmericaUA_11dd2852-1c2c-11e8-b571-32be5e556326Unite America is a movement of Democrats, Republicans, and independents who are committed to bridging the growing partisan divide in order to tackle our largest challenges and leave a better country to future generations.Charles WheelanFounder -- Charles is the author of Centrist Manifesto, which helped launch Unite America in 2013. He is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Dartmouth College. Charles formerly ran for Congress as a Democratic candidate in Illinois in 2009. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling books Naked Economics, Naked Statistics and Naked Money.Nick TroianoExecutive Director -- Nick Troiano has been involved in the political reform movement for over a decade, including running for U.S. Congress in 2014 as an independent candidate. Nick previously ran a bipartisan fiscal reform advocacy organization called The Can Kicks Back. In 2016, he was named to the "Forbes 30 Under 30" for Law & Policy. He is from Milford, Pennsylvania and graduated from Georgetown University with a Master's Degree in American Government.UA Board of DirectorsOur Board of Directors is comprised of business and civic leaders who govern our organization and ensure we are effectively allocating our resources to achieve our mission.Charles WheelanCharles is the author of Centrist Manifesto, which helped launch Unite America in 2013. He is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Dartmouth College. Charles formerly ran for Congress as a Democratic candidate in Illinois in 2009. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling books Naked Economics, Naked Statistics and Naked Money.Lisa D. T. RiceLisa is a political and external affairs strategist and marketing executive with comprehensive experience in corporate, nonprofit and trade association settings. She volunteers as a women's leadership mentor and cancer patient advocate.Marc MerrillMarc Merrill is the Co-Chairman and Co-Founder of Riot Games, the game developer and publisher behind League of Legends, the most-played online game in the world and a key driver of the growth of esports.Ben GoldhirshBen is the co-founder of GOOD, a global community of, by, and for pragmatic idealists working towards individual and collective progress. Outside of GOOD, Ben is the Chairman of The Goldhirsh Foundation, an organization built to help social innovators implement and scale solutions to critical societal challenges. A co-founder and board member of City Year Los Angeles, Goldhirsh graduated from Brown University and currently resides in Los Angeles.Katherine GehlKatherine is a pragmatic business leader who cares deeply about U.S. competitiveness and the state of our democracy. As the fourth-generation President and CEO of Gehl Foods, Katherine led an aggressive growth strategy, driving transformations across the company–from management and processes, to facilities and information systems.UA StaffOur staff includes former Republicans, Democratic, and independent political strategist who are committed to building a new electoral vehicle for independent candidates.Nick TroianoExecutive Director -- Nick Troiano has been involved in the political reform movement for over a decade, including running for U.S. Congress in 2014 as an independent candidate. Nick previously ran a bipartisan fiscal reform advocacy organization called The Can Kicks Back. In 2016, he was named to the "Forbes 30 Under 30" for Law & Policy.Joel SearbySenior Strategist -- Joel Searby is a veteran consultant with over 10 years' experience in the realm of political campaigning, government affairs, corporate and non-profit strategic planning, leadership development, and faith-based initiatives. In 2016 he ran Evan McMullin's independent campaign for President and soon after founded The Sycamore Lane Co.Kelsie Hower SandbergFinance Manager -- Kelsie has worked in fundraising at all levels for Republican candidates, in Colorado and across the country. She most recently was a Principal at Crimson Strategies, an all-inclusive political and non-profit consulting firm.Dominick ScafidiDigital & Field Manager -- Dominick has worked on political campaigns for both major parties at multiple levels. Past experience includes time on Capitol Hill, at non-profits, and volunteer recruiting for UFCW Local 881. He has degrees in politics and entrepreneurship from Lake Forest College.Tyler FisherDeputy Director -- Tyler brings a diverse background to his jack-of-all-trades role at the Centrist Project. Past experience includes time on campaigns, at think tanks, and leading grassroots organizations. He has degrees in government and economics from George Mason University.Kyle ButtsCommunications Director -- Kyle brings broad experience across public affairs to his role with the Centrist Project. A communicator with a political research background, Kyle has previously worked with a diverse set of industries and organizations, from major American manufacturers and trade associations to small advocacy groups, task forces, and start-ups.Andrew ShortPolitical Director -- Andrew is the former Executive Director of the Democratic Senate Campaign Fund, the State Senate arm of the Colorado Democratic Party. There, he oversaw field operations, targeting, candidate recruitment, messaging, and fundraising for Senate Democrats. Prior to that, he was Statewide Field Director for the ACLU of Colorado.Tavis MalcolmMarketing & Membership Director -- Tavis has spent the last 8 years driving digital acquisition strategy in a variety of fields including higher education, solar energy, and home services. He brings experience designing online campaigns from the ground up.Jake WiegmanSpecial Projects Manager -- Jake is a graduate of the University of Denver where he studied International Relations and Public Policy. He has spent time with various non-profits, government relations firms and political campaigns. Outside of Unite America, he writes for a student run organization focused on domestic and foreign policy.Mackenzie BeckelCampaign Coordinator -- MacKenzie has worked for unite America since June 2017. Her past experience includes working in political and non-profit sectors. She is currently a senior at the University of Colorado, Boulder, majoring in Political Science and Business.Payton WertzCampaign Coordinator -- Payton pulls from experiences in both the non-profit and political sectors. He is currently a senior at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he majors in Economics and Political Science.The growing partisan divide is bridged, our largest challenges are tackled, and our country is left better to future generations._11dd29a6-1c2c-11e8-b571-32be5e556326To elect independent candidates to office who represent "We, the people" -- not the party bosses or special interests._11dd2a5a-1c2c-11e8-b571-32be5e556326IndependenceA Declaration of Independents -- As growing partisanship threatens to deepen the divides in our country, we join together as political independents to declare five common principles that we believe can unite a new movement to repair our politics and restore the American dream for future generations.Public InterestsFirst, we put the public interest ahead of any partisan or special interest. Government should represent "We, the people" -- not the party leaders or those who can buy access to power. As independents, we believe good governance is about rising above petty partisanship and putting the people first.NonpartisanshipCommon SenseSecond, we use common sense and find common ground to solve problems. We reject today's zero sum politics and desire to work together with Democrats and Republicans in an inclusive and civil manner to get things done. As independents, we think for ourselves, understand different perspectives, follow the facts, identify root causes, offer new ideas, and make logical decisions.InclusivenessCivilityOpportunityThird, we stand for the timeless values of opportunity, equality, and stewardship. We want to empower every American to realize their full potential, uphold equal rights for all under the law, and ultimately leave a stronger country for the next generation. As independents, we believe in both fiscal and environmental responsibility.EqualityStewardshipFiscal ResponsibilityEnvironmental ResponsibilityPoliticsFourth, we champion competition, transparency, and accountability in politics. CompetitionTransparencyAccountabilityTrustWe seek to rebuild Americans' trust in government by holding ourselves to the highest standards of honor and honesty and by fixing the broken incentives that contribute to political dysfunction. As independents, we support reforms to ensure our political process truly represents the people -- including the way we draw district lines, fund campaigns, and run elections.HonorHonestyCivic EngagementFifth, we believe in the shared responsibility of civic engagement. As Americans, we understand it is our civic duty to be informed and engaged on important issues. As independents, we encourage increased citizen participation in our political process and in service to our country.CampaignsHelp independent candidates run winning campaigns._11dd2afa-1c2c-11e8-b571-32be5e556326Independent CandidatesOur "Fulcrum Strategy" is focused on electing independent candidates to narrowly divided legislatures, like the US Senate, where they can deny both parties an outright majority and use their enormous leverage to forge common ground solutions... Unite America is the only organization in the country building the grassroots community, donor network, and electoral infrastructure to help independent candidates run winning campaigns.CommunityBuild a grassroots community_11dd2bb8-1c2c-11e8-b571-32be5e5563261DonorsBuild a donor network_11dd2c62-1c2c-11e8-b571-32be5e5563262InfrastructureBuild an electoral infrastructure_11dd2d0c-1c2c-11e8-b571-32be5e55632632018-02-27https://www.uniteamerica.org/aboutOwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net