About

Lawrence Mishel, President, Economic Policy Institute Lawrence Mishel is a nationally recognized economist and former president of the Economic Policy Institute, the nation’s premier research organization focused on U.S. living standards and labor markets. Mishel joined EPI in 1987 as research director and became president in 2002. Mishel has written extensively on wage and job quality trends in the United States. He co-authored all 12 editions of The State of Working America, a book that former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich called “the most-trusted source for a comprehensive understanding of how working Americans and their families are faring in today’s economy.” He co-edited a research volume on emerging labor market institutions for the National Bureau of Economic Research. His 1988 research on manufacturing data led the U.S. Commerce Department to revise the way it measures U.S. manufacturing output. This new measure helped accurately document the long decline in U.S. manufacturing, a trend that is now widely understood. Prior to joining EPI, Mishel held a fellowship at the U.S. Department of Labor, served as a faculty member at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, and served as an economist for several unions, including the United Auto Workers, United Steelworkers, AFSCME, and the Industrial Union Department of the AFL-CIO. Mishel holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Edwin Jayne, Associate Director of Federal Government Affairs, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Ed Jayne has over 30 years of governmental affairs, coalition building and public policy experience. He helps direct the extensive legislative program for AFSCME, the nation’s largest and fastest growing public services employees union with more than 1.6 million working and retired members. AFSCME’s members provide the vital services that make America happen. AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and prosperity and opportunity for all working families. AFSCME also supports progressive tax policies that help ensure state and local governments can adequately invest in public services. He serves on the board of the Coalition on Human Needs and Citizens for Tax Justice. Prior to joining AFSCME, Jayne worked for more than 15 years in senior staff positions for both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Cortland.

Margarida Jorge is a 23-year veteran of electoral, union, civic engagement and issue campaigns and a recognized expert in the development of field strategies for local, state and national issue advocacy.

From 2008-2013, Margarida served as the National Field Director at Health Care for America Now, where she pioneered a new field model now widely used across issues and organizations that increased capacity for over 200 grassroots organizations in 44 states to pass, implement and defend the landmark Affordable Care Act.

Over the past 10 years in Washington, DC, Margarida also led SEIU’s Americans for Health Care campaign, developed and implemented field strategy for the Americans for Tax Fairness campaign, and built the intersectional “Stand with Women” campaign to integrate reproductive rights and economic justice at the Women’s Equality Center, where she served as National Director.

Prior to working in DC, Margarida spent over 10 years working for labor unions, community organizations and candidates in states like Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Florida and others. She was been recognized for her contributions to organizing and campaigns with the St. Louis City NAACP Outstanding Leadership & Dedicated Service to Labor Award (2005), the Hershel Walker Peace and Justice Award (2005), the Campaign for America’s Future Nominee for Maria Leavey Tribute Award (2009), and the USAction Progressive Leadership Grassroots Activism Award (2009).

Margarida currently works as a strategic and organizational development consultant for a variety of progressive organizations including Vision First, PICO National Network, Working America, Main Street Alliance, and the Child Care and Early Learning Action Hub.

Frank Clemente, Executive Director

Frank helped found Americans for Tax Fairness in 2012. Previously he was Campaign Manager for the Strengthen Social Security Campaign, a coalition of 320 organizations. Prior to that he managed a health care campaign for the Communications Workers of America in support of the Affordable Care Act. He was Issue Campaigns Director at the Change to Win Labor Federation and Director of Public Citizen’s Congress Watch, a national consumer watchdog organization. Frank also has been senior policy advisor to the U.S. House Committee on Government Operations and Issues Director for Jesse Jackson’s 1988 presidential campaign. Frank edited Keep Hope Alive: Jesse Jackson’s 1988 Presidential Campaign.

More on Frank Clemente

Sarah Christopherson, Legislative and Policy Director

Sarah leads ATF’s advocacy efforts with Congress and coordinates the coalition’s policy work. Prior to joining ATF, she served as the Policy Advocacy Director for the National Women’s Health Network for five years, responsible for directing their advocacy efforts on federal health reform, among other issues. Sarah also worked for Congress from 2005 to 2015, including serving as the Washington Director/Legislative Director to Congresswoman Niki Tsongas (D-MA). There she directed the Member’s legislative agenda and led her tax, financial services, consumer protection, and federal budget portfolio. Sarah has bachelor’s degrees in political science and history from Arizona State University and a master’s degree in foreign policy from George Washington University.

Maura Quint, Wealth Tax Campaign Director

Maura serves as ATF’s Wealth Tax Campaign Director, working with the coalition to advance legislation to create a fair tax code. Prior to joining ATF, she served as the Executive Director of Tax March and was one of the founding members of the organization in 2017. She is committed to the fight for economic justice and focused on the intersection of taxes and a slate of progressive priorities. Maura currently also serves as a member of the Advisory Board of Tax March as well as a member of the Pennsylvania Working Families Party Endorsement Committee. As a writer, she has also led rooms of comedy writers in service of bringing humor to progressive activism and regularly contributes to a variety of publications. She resides in Pennsylvania with her children and an occasional houseplant.

Andrea Haverdink, Digital Director

Andrea is the digital director for ATF, and shapes our strategy for creative content and organizing across social media and email. She found her passion for social media, digital content, and economic justice growing up in rural Michigan, and moved to Washington, DC in 2017 to pursue those passions. Before working at ATF, Andrea was an Associate Producer at American Family Voices. She received her BS in Political Science from Grand Valley State University, where she was awarded Outstanding Honors Senior Thesis for her work on mandatory arbitration in consumer contracts. She currently resides in Arlington, VA.

Rina Welch, Digital Manager

As digital manager, Rina runs ATF’s social media assets and coordinates digital activities with activists and influencers across the country to shape the tax fairness policy debate and drive effective action. Working on a joint project with Health Care for American Now, she works to provide collaborative materials for advocates and ensures ATF’s and HCAN’s message reaches a wide and influential audience. Prior to joining ATF, Rina worked as the Media and Advocacy Director at the youth mobilization group Blue Future. While originally from the Bay Area, she currently resides in Cleveland after graduating with a degree in political science from Ohio University.

Zachary Tashman, Senior Research and Policy Associate

Zachary is a key part of ATF’s research and policy team and works on data analysis. He moved to Washington, D.C. to attend American University, where he studied political science and public policy. He first fostered an interest in tax policy during his internships in the United States Senate and at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Prior to joining ATF, Zachary served as the federal policy associate for the National Human Services Assembly, where he developed policies focused on increasing collective well-being and as an economic policy analyst at 20/20 Vision where he managed their fiscal policy portfolio.