Board of Directors

The Board of Directors manage and control the property, business and affairs of the Congressional Management Foundation. The Board holds regular meetings with the President & CEO to discuss programmatic and fiducial matters concerning CMF.

Emeritus Members:

  • The Honorable Dan Mica
  • Ms. Deborah Szekely
  • Mr. Gary Serota
  • Mr. Ira Chaleff
  • Mr. Steve Larkin

Ms. Amy Sandgren Plaster

Chair

amy-sandrgren-plasterAmy Plaster was appointed executive director of federal governmental affairs for CMS Energy and its principal subsidiary, Consumers Energy, in 2008. She is responsible for CMS Energy's office in Washington, D.C., and leads the company's federal governmental and public affairs efforts. Ms. Plaster previously served in the offices of several Michigan Members of Congress, most recently as chief of staff to Michigan U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra. She also worked as the director of federal policy for the Eastman Kodak Co. and in government affairs for the Food Marketing Institute.

A native of Muskegon, Mich., Ms. Plaster earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and philosophy from Hope College, in Holland, Mich. She earned a law degree from the Washington College of Law at The American University, in Washington, D.C., and was admitted to the Maryland bar. She served on the board of directors of Women's Policy Inc., and was chairperson in 2012. Ms. Plaster also served as chair of the board of directors for the Little Scholars Child Development Center operated by the Library of Congress Child Care Association

Mr. Laricke Blanchard

Vice Chair

laricke-blanchardLaricke is Vice President of Federal Government Relations at USAA and manages the federal policy team in Washington, DC.

Prior to joining USAA in October 2020, Laricke spent five years at Principal Financial Group as Assistant Vice President for Federal Government Relations. Previously he served as a political appointee at the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). As Deputy Director for Policy, he provided input and advice on legislative and regulatory issues regarding defined benefit pension plans and retirement security. Prior to joining PBGC, Laricke served at the Federal Reserve Board from 2002 to 2011 in the Congressional Liaison Office. He advised the Chairman, Governors and senior officials on legislative and policy matters.

Before joining the Fed, Laricke worked at the Washington law firm Williams & Jensen as part of the financial institutions practice, then joined Citigroup as Vice President and Counsel. His earlier experience includes several years on Capitol Hill serving on the U.S. House Banking Committee (now the Financial Services Committee) and on the personal staff of Representative Floyd Flake (D-NY).

Laricke graduated with a B.A., cum laude, from Amherst College and received the Charles Hamilton Houston Prize. He holds a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School and is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and New York. Laricke serves on the Board of Directors at the GW Law Alumni Association and the Washington Jesuit Academy. Also, he is a fellow at the Truman National Security Project.

Mr. Steven Bosacker

steven-bosackerSteven Bosacker directs GMF Cities for the German Marshall Fund (GMF) of the United States.  The urban portfolio supports local-level policymakers and practitioners in North America and Europe by facilitating the transatlantic exchange of knowledge for building inclusive, sustainable, and globally engaged cities.  Before joining GMF, Steven was the Principal for Public Sector & Partnerships at Living Cities, where he focused on finding and furthering promising practices in large city governments to get better results for low-income people.

Until 2012, Bosacker served as the City Coordinator for the City of Minneapolis where he championed accountability and transparency in services across municipal government.  Bosacker began his public service career in the office of U.S. Congressman Tim Penny as a legislative assistant on education and labor issues, eventually rising to the position of Chief of Staff.  After leaving Rep. Penny, Bosacker spent four years as the Executive Director and Corporate Secretary for the University of Minnesota’s Board of Regents.  He left the U of M to lead Governor Jesse Ventura’s transition team and ultimately served as Chief of Staff for the governor where he authored and managed The Big Plan, a comprehensive strategic agenda for the State of Minnesota.

Ms. Tami Buckner

Buckner Tami JAs a Partner with Michael Best Strategies, Tami leverages 25 years of experience and an extensive bipartisan political network to assist businesses and organizations with federal, state, and local policy and legislative matters. She has significant expertise in agriculture, food, nutrition, energy, and the environment. She joined Michael Best Strategies from Waste Management, where she led the federal legislative and political function in Washington, D.C.

Previously, Tami held corporate leadership positions in government and public affairs at Kraft Foods, Coca-Cola, and DuPont Company. Along with serving as a board of directors for the Congressional Management Foundation, Tami is a member of the board of trustees for Stillman College, as well as a board member of the American Council of Young Political Leaders and the Rural America Chamber of Commerce, among others. A 1996 magna cum laude graduate of Clark Atlanta University, she holds a master's degree in public policy and administration. She earned an undergraduate degree in political science and business from Hampton University.

Ms. Debra Goldstein

Goldstein8

Debra Goldstein is the Senior Vice President for the greater Washington, DC market at M&T Realty Capital Corporation, where she is responsible for originating Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA/HUD, life company, and CMBS loans for multifamily and commercial properties nationwide.

Previously, she worked on the ownership-side, where she was responsible for financial analyses, debt and equity placement, and loan administration. Ms. Goldstein holds an MBA from George Mason University and a bachelor's degree in finance with a minor in economics from West Virginia Wesleyan College. She is an active member of ULI Washington, CREW-DC, RENEW, and the Mortgage Bankers Association-Metro Washington (past President).

Ms. Nancy Hammer

nancy-hammerNancy Hammer serves as a consultant to associations and nonprofits seeking to have an impact on policy issues affecting the workplace. Previously, Nancy served as vice president of regulatory & judicial engagement at the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) overseeing SHRM policy engagement with the executive branch. Nancy has significant experience with U.S. employment policy, human resources, the international labour organization (ILO) and building partnerships to create positive workplace change. Her previous professional experience includes working on Capitol Hill for Senator J. Robert Kerrey and as policy counsel and director of the international division for the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children where she trained law enforcement on handling cases of family abduction and implemented the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State.

Nancy received her law degree from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis and a B.S. in political science from Nebraska Wesleyan University. Nancy is a recipient of the Seven Seals Award from the Department of Defense for her work on the hiring of veterans and members of the guard and reserve.

Mr. Donato J. Tramuto

donato tramuto bio-image 2022 octDonato J. Tramuto is an author, activist and the former CEO of Tivity Health®, Inc., a leading provider of nutrition, fitness and social connection solutions.

A transformational leader and a 2014 Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope laureate and 2017 RFK Embracing the Legacy Award Recipient. Tramuto is widely recognized for his commitment to social change and healthcare innovation. A passionate champion of cutting-edge approaches to healthcare access, drug safety, as well as addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH), The New York Times deemed him a ‘global health activist.’

Tramuto is credited with the turnaround of Tivity Health’s business performance in 2016 and adding nearly $1 billion of valuation to the company. In March 2019, under Donato’s leadership, Tivity Health completed its acquisition of Nutrisystem®, Inc.

Tramuto serves on multiple boards, is the founder of Health eVillages, the founder and chair of The TramutoPorter Foundation, and the author of Life's Bulldozer Moments: How Adversity Leads to Success in Life and Business released in 2016 and “The Double Bottom Line: How Compassionate Leaders Captivate Hearts and Deliver Results” released in 2022 in the US and in 2023 in Italy.

He is also the mastermind behind a groundbreaking 360° public service campaign and annual summit addressing challenges unique to older adults, including the too-often overlooked issues of social isolation and loneliness. In 2018, in tandem with Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, his Foundation committed to funding a three-year, $1 million grant to address workplace bullying, launching in 2019 a National Workplace Dignity Program.

Mr. David Whitestone

whitestone david webDavid Whitestone is the executive partner of the Washington, D.C., office of Holland & Knight. Mr. Whitestone's practice focuses on the representation of corporations, nonprofits and municipalities whose business practices are impacted by governmental regulation and legislative activity. Mr. Whitestone regularly advises clients on significant matters facing scrutiny, including all types of Congressional investigations and coordinates with colleagues from multiple practices to advise on white collar, government contracts, shareholder interests and public relations matters. Mr. Whitestone previously launched and chaired the firm's Transportation Industry Team, which has been recognized by Chambers USA and by U.S. News – Best Lawyers as the "Transportation Law Firm of the Year." This firmwide initiative coordinates the legal, regulatory and public policy efforts of the firm's many autonomous transportation, aviation, rail, trucking, transit, intermodal, maritime and asset-based finance clients.

Prior to joining private practice, Mr. Whitestone worked in the U.S. House of Representatives where he was an associate staff member on the House Appropriations Committee and principal staffer for a Virginia congressman. During his time on Capitol Hill, he assisted in the development and review of high-level federal agency budgets and served as a press secretary, working with media outlets in large, medium and small markets. By leveraging his knowledge of the congressional process, he has built a reputation as an effective advocate in the development and implementation of congressional and budgetary strategies, legislative drafting, appropriations and multiyear authorization matters.

He also serves on the board of directors for the Greater Washington Board of Trade and is Chair Emeritus of the Washington Airports Task Force. Mr. Whitestone is also a member of the Washington Aero Club. He has been recognized as a top Washington, D.C., lawyer by the Washington Business Journal and has been acknowledged as a top advocate by The Hill and served on the dean search committee at his alma mater, the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. Mr. Whitestone was elected to several terms on Holland & Knight's Directors Committee, was the firm's lateral hiring partner and was one of the firm's four Section Leaders.

Ms. Stefania Yanachkov

stefania y headshotMs. Yanachkov currently serves as Federal Policy and Government Affairs Manager at Waymo where she is responsible for: setting and executing the strategic plan for engaging third parties at the federal and national level; engagement with Congress, including Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) and Congressional Black Caucus (CBC); and on issues relating to equity, future of work, accessibility, and the environment.

Prior to joining Waymo, Ms. Yanachkov served as Vice President of External Affairs at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) where she was a member of the Executive Leadership team, and was responsible for the development and execution of CHCI's Congressional and Stakeholder Engagement Plan. At CHCI, Ms. Yanachkov led a team dedicated to driving the organization's fundraising and revenue goals; facilitating Member of Congress, corporate, and non-profit engagement; developing policy discussions; and elevating CHCI as a thought leader on key policy issues. Under her leadership, CHCI launched several new initiatives including CHCI'S Industry Summits, a series of policy discussions featuring the nation's top thought leaders, C-suite executives, policy makers, and media. Prior to joining CHCI, Ms. Yanachkov led projects for the Department of Commerce, DC Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, and managed two State Department grants in Haiti and Afghanistan, which provided judicial trainings for women judges on human trafficking and international law.

Ms. Yanachkov currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for WhyWe Vax, a leading nonprofit formed by the scientific community to bolster efforts to address the anti-vaccine movement by sharing research-backed facts on vaccine efficacy. Ms. Yanachkov holds a Juris Doctor from Catholic University of America and a Bachelor of Science from Georgetown University's Walsh School of Foreign Service with a focus on Science, Technology, and International Affairs. She is fluent in Spanish, Bulgarian and English, and proficient in French and Portuguese.

Ms. Marcela Urrutia Zamora

marcela-urrutia-zamora-Marcela Urrutia Zamora is Vice President of Federal Government Relations at Verizon. Since joining the company in 2008, she has lobbied Congress on telecommunications policies that impact Verizon's broadband infrastructure, as well as integrate with Verizon's solutions and innovation to communities, and corporate social responsibility efforts.

Prior to Verizon, Marcela served as Senior Policy Director for Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, working on issues including immigration and civil rights. She was recruited from the National Council of La Raza (NCLR)/UNIDOS, the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights organization, where she was the Senior Health/Immigration Policy Analyst, chairing the National Immigrant Benefits Coalition and co-chairing the National Hispanic Health Coalition. In that role, she lobbied Congress and the Administration, while coordinating national campaigns on health issues impacting Latinos, including the restoration of health and nutrition programs for legal immigrant children. 

In 2003, she directed NCLR's Texas advocacy initiatives and lobbied the Texas legislature while coordinating organizational coalition efforts. From 1994-98, she worked as a Legislative Assistant for Rep. Howard Berman on his domestic policy portfolio. She was named as a one of The Hill's 2019 Top Lobbyists, featured in Modern Counsel for Verizon's policy work on inclusion and diversity, and included in Latina Magazine for her advocacy on behalf of Latino access to health care.