Do you want to lead your community to engage more constructively across differences of opinion?
Program Description
The Better Arguments Project Ambassador Program is a fellowship-style, action-oriented experience. As a result of the program, each Ambassador will be equipped to make commitments of action to put Better Arguments into practice in their respective communities. We seek leaders of all kinds who share a passion for finding healthier, more constructive ways to disagree and exchange ideas, and who are ready to commit to leading their communities in doing so. This program will unfold through a series of 10 modules, taking place virtually for two-hours each week. Meeting weekly with their cohort of Ambassadors, participants will delve deeply into the Better Arguments framework, reflect on their own values and views about civil discourse and engagement across divides, and learn how to guide others to argue better. Participants will engage in peer-to-peer learning with a diverse cohort of Ambassadors, all of whom are taking this step to improve our civil discourse. With the support and feedback from fellow Ambassadors as well as the Better Arguments team, participants will craft a commitment to bring Better Arguments concepts to their community. The Ambassador Program is completely free, and each participant will receive a stipend. If this program sounds right for you, start by asking yourself: “Why does my community need a Better Argument?” Share your thoughts with us by applying to the Ambassador Program today!
Annie Conderacci
Annie enjoys removing obstacles and uncovering opportunities so people and communities can realize their potential. From developing a mobile app for community health workers in Lagos, Nigeria to deploying the latest technologies to serve hungry neighbors in the United States, Annie leads diverse teams to deliver innovative solutions that maximize social impact. She has a BA in Political Science and Policy Studies from Rice University and her MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She recently completed her Masters in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School where she received the Holly Taylor Sargent Prize for her advocacy for breastfeeding students and parents of young children. An avid improviser and graduate from The Second City Music Conservatory, she enjoys integrating lessons from leadership and improvisation to inform how we work and play.
John A. Duerk
John A. Duerk is a tenure-track political science faculty member at Western Nevada College in Carson City, Nevada. Each semester he teaches students to evaluate the evidence that authors use to support their claims. This often leads to the expression of different opinions. Acting as a facilitator, he guides them through deeper conversations about complex issues without endorsing or imposing a single position. John holds an MA in History and PhD in Political Science, both from Northern Illinois University. When he’s not in his campus office, he rides his mountain bike on nearby trails, hunts for scorpions on the outskirts of town, attends hardcore and punk rock shows, and volunteers with a regionally active desert clean-up group.
John A. Duerk
Tenure-Track Political Science Faculty Member at Western Nevada College
Jared Fox
Dr. Jared Fox (he/him/his) is currently the Senior Community Program Manager at Microsoft, where he supports employee resource groups and community experience for women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and families on the Global Diversity & Inclusion team. Off-duty, you’ll find him in NYC, living his best life with fiancé Ralph and their pint-sized pooch, Dorothy. He enjoys watching reality television, eating vegetarian food without mushrooms, playing with AI, and saying hello to every dog on the street.
Jared Fox
Senior Community Program Manager – Women, LGBTQIA+, and Families at Microsoft
Gil Guerra
Gil Guerra is an Immigration Policy Analyst at the Niskanen Center, where he writes on migration and foreign policy, refugee resettlement, and trends at the U.S.-Mexico border. Prior to joining Niskanen, he was a Senior Academic Programs Associate with the American Enterprise Institute and completed fellowships with the Hudson Institute and the Hertog Foundation. His academic work has been featured by the Society for Terrorism Research, and his policy advocacy has been cited in The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, and The Miami Herald. Gil was a 2023 George J. Mitchell Scholar where he earned a Master of Arts in Global Security and Borders at Queen’s University Belfast. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with high honors in Political Science from Swarthmore College.
Dexter K. Horne
Dexter Horne is a Leadership Development Specialist at the Council of State Governments where he works to expand the personal, professional, and emotional skillsets of state policymakers across the nation. Dexter also serves as Director Emeritus of the Kentucky Chapter of New Leaders Council, an organization that trains and connects progressive leaders across the country. Formally trained in public policy analysis and conflict resolution, Dexter champions healthy conflict in the political process as a way to forward the public good. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Politics from Centre College and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Martin School of Public Policy and Administration.
Dexter K. Horne
Leadership Development Specialist at Council of State Governments
Lorenzo Lewis
Lorenzo Lewis is originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and he currently serves as the coordinator at the world’s only entrepreneurship program for the Deaf, Gallaudet Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute (GIEI) at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. He graduated with a BA in Government with a Specialization in Law. As an Ambassador of Disagreement at the Center for Democracy in Deaf America (CDDA), he was a part of the effort under Dr. Brendan Stern to build Gallaudet’s first-ever Deaf collegiate debate team. In his role as Ambassador for CDDA, he educates and promotes the Deaf community on how to engage in healthy disagreement on controversial topics with community-wide events at the University.
Lorenzo Lewis
Coordinator at Gallaudet Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute
Ann Crews Melton
Ann Crews Melton is a facilitative leader, nonprofit strategist, and writer based in Bismarck, North Dakota. Since 2020, she has served as executive director of Consensus Council, a nonprofit bringing people together across differences. Her career has prioritized ecumenical and interfaith relations, including roles at the Presbyterian Church (USA) and Temple Israel Boston. Ann previously served as an editor at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in NYC and at the State Historical Society of North Dakota, and she is a former board officer of Humanities ND. A Texas native, Ann holds a BA in religion from Austin College and an MA from Emerson College.
John Mullin
I was born in the Aloha state to a mother from Japan and a career Navy father. By the time I was sixteen I lived on both coasts of the US, including Alaska. I also spent three years in another country, Spain. I myself would father four sons, who are now all grown and out of the house. I am even a grandfather of one boy. I’ve been in the Information Technology field since 1988 and hold a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems and two Masters degrees in Management and Business Administration (MBA). I currently work for Allstate in the Ivantage division, processing policy and agent commission records. My current residence is Columbia, South Carolina where I share a little bungalow with my rabbit Cocoa, aka BunBun. The city is in a nice location between the Appalachian Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, with many rivers in between, so you can usually find me at one of those places when not working.
Kristina Scala
Kristina is the founder and CEO of Aspen Academy, Aspen Ventures, the Aspen Investment Fund, Bear’s Enterprises, Future Holders as well as the inventor and patent holder of MODI, an innovative furniture line for learning environments. Her volunteer side hustle is serving as a minister for the community. She’s earned degrees in business and educational leadership; was a member of the 2016 Entrepreneurial Master’s Program at MIT; and is a certified facilitator in multiple domains of leadership and child and family development. As a keynote speaker and workshop leader, she serves to inspire and motivate people to live a purposeful and authentic life through being kind, doing good, and making the world a better place through what we think, say, and do. Kristina provides a logical and expeditious process through which personal and organizational mission, vision, values, strategic plans and goals are created and realized. She received her Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Business Administration from California State University – Chico and her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Denver. She is also a graduate of the Entrepreneurial Master’s Certificate Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is currently pursuing a Master’s of Divinity with an emphasis on Chaplaincy.
Laura McGiffert Slover
Laura McGiffert Slover began her career as a high school English teacher in Colorado, where she saw first-hand the power of great teachers to prepare students regardless of their zip code. She then spent 20 years working with state education leaders to ensure students were prepared for college and careers. She is now the CEO of CenterPoint Education Solutions, which works with education systems to drive success for all students. A native Washingtonian, Laura was a mayoral appointee to the District of Columbia School Board in 2007 and subsequently was elected twice to the State Board of Education. She currently serves on the Board of Latin American Montessori Bilingual (LAMB) Public Charter School and on the Board of Trustees of the College of the Atlantic, and she is an Aspen Pahara education fellow.
Henry W. Taylor
Henry W. Taylor serves as the Vice President for University Advancement at Golden Gate University where he leads fundraising, alumni relations, and communications. His almost 30-year career in professional fundraising includes successfully soliciting more than $50M personally and leading advancement teams that have secured more than $150M for institutional priorities. Henry has held roles in higher education at Agnes Scott College, Clark Atlanta University, Stanford, Princeton and Georgia State University as well as non-profits including Level Playing Field Institute and the KIPP Foundation. He also leads his own advancement consulting firm, Legacy Consulting Group and serves as an active professional development speaker on topics including fundraising, diversity, leadership, and non-profit management. Henry received his bachelor’s degree in government and religion from Claremont McKenna College and a master’s degree in leadership at St. Mary’s College of California. He serves the community as a member of the board of directors at the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre in San Francisco and FoodFirst.
Henry W. Taylor
Vice President for University Advancement at Golden Gate University
Robin Weinberg
Robin Weinberg is an oral historian, project producer, and educator, working with families, corporations, and nonprofits to collect their stories and histories through recorded interviews, and making interesting and engaging things with them to listen to and watch. As an adjunct professor, she teaches classes in “The Lost Art of Civility” and Public Speaking to undergraduates. She is also an active volunteer in her community in Connecticut, mostly as a manager for state and local campaigns, and as an officer of a political party. In her professional and volunteer work, she tries to bring the art and science of civil discourse – listening with empathy, discussing and debating with well-sourced facts, asking lots of questions – to her students, candidates, and teams on the campaign trail, and is looking forward to learning much, much more about how to do this. Robin has a BA in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, a JD from the New York University School of Law, and an MA in Oral History from Columbia University. She loves fitness, reading, spending time with her three daughters, playing a couple of racquet sports, and listening to live music with her husband.
