Our team is committed to fostering a culture of free expression, civil discourse and a spirit of public service.
John F. Kirby is a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Navy and former senior spokesman for the Pentagon, State Department and White House with experience spanning six administrations. He most recently served as White House National Security Communications Advisor on foreign and defense policy issues from 2022 to 2025.
Zeenat manages day-to-day operations at the IOP, overseeing budget development, financial operations, human resources, fundraising, and program execution. She works closely with the director to establish and implement the overall strategy and goals of the Institute, including short- and long-term planning and developing new initiatives.
Zeenat comes to the IOP with more than two decades of experience in the public and social sectors working to strengthen democracy and civil society. She previously served at the U.S. State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development.
Emma oversees production of the IOP’s Speaker Series events, which are free and open to the public! She works closely with local vendors, speakers, and students to ensure quality programming featuring a range of diverse perspectives each academic year. Prior to joining the IOP, Emma worked in the food and beverage industry and in arts administration at Bard College, her alma mater.
Ashley manages the daily operations of the Pritzker Fellows program. She also oversees the student volunteers who are part of the Fellows Ambassador program. Before joining the IOP in 2015, Ashley worked in education as a teacher, tutor, and coach.
Ella manages public event logistics and coordinates outreach efforts for the Speaker Series program at the Institute of Politics (IOP). Before joining the IOP, she taught English in elementary schools in Taiwan, supported college-in-prison initiatives, and worked as a line cook in Chicago—because who wouldn’t want to live out their The Bear fantasy? She holds a degree in Sociology and Chinese from Grinnell College.
Laresa coordinates 300+ annual IOP internships in politics and public service. She also runs career workshops and provides one-on-one student career advising sessions. She previously worked in higher education and the conservation field.
Katrina oversees all budget, human resources, and facilities matters for the IOP. Katrina has a been a career public servant, working at the Illinois State Board of Education and in the narcotics unit of the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office before joining the IOP in 2012. Katrina has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and urban studies from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and a Master’s degree in counseling from Roosevelt University in Chicago.
You'll see Dani taking photos and videos at most of our events. They are also responsible for designing graphics and creating multimedia content for the IOP's social media. Before coming to Chicago, they worked as a videographer in Florida, where they were also involved in community organizing.
Mark works to place 300 students each year in internships nationwide and runs career workshops to teach students how to prepare for jobs in public service. He previously served as chief of staff to Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-IL. Mark is an attorney and practiced law in Chicago in addition to working as a journalist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Chicago Lawyer magazine.
Jennifer programs our large public events and assembles a cohort of Pritzker Fellows each quarter, drawing from a broad array of political figures, activists, journalists and policy experts. Previously, Jennifer was a long-time reporter at The New York Times and has written two cookbooks, a novel and a chronicle of the first year of the largest female Congressional class.
Matilda, a Libra, works on the IOP’s Civic Engagement team. She advises our student groups, the Student Advisory Board, supports civic engagement treks and programs, and oversees the campus’s voter engagement strategy. Before joining the IOP, Matilda was an organizing director for the Student Public Interest Research Groups, where she trained college students to run public interest and environmental campaigns in their communities.
Ravy manages the IOP’s civic engagement programming, which provides students with training, resources, and experiential opportunities to engage in their communities and beyond. Before joining the IOP, he was an international development professional in the democracy and governance space, most recently leading projects at the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative focused on free expression, digital rights, environmental justice, and justice sector reform across Africa and Asia.
Lindsey is a member of the IOP's executive team and provides administrative support for the institute's director and executive director. Prior to joining the IOP, Lindsey worked for Cook County as an office manager for the Cook County Board of Commissioners 10th District.
In all job openings, we seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join a vibrant, mission-driven organization. The IOP encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, and ideas to engage with students, stakeholders, and the broader community.