OUR TEAM
PCFR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2023-2024
Executive Committee
Caroline Lynch
VICE PRESIDENT
BioCaroline Lynch is the founder and owner of Copper Hill Strategies, LLC, providing client-focused government relations, strategic planning, legislative, and business development services. Caroline launched Copper Hill Strategies in 2017 following an extensive career on Capitol Hill, including a decade with the House Judiciary Committee, where she served for eight years as the Chief Counsel of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. Caroline was at the forefront of developing some of the most high-profile privacy, cybersecurity, national security, and criminal laws of the 21st Century. Prior to joining the Judiciary Committee, Caroline served as Chief Counsel of the House Republican Policy Committee, Deputy County Attorney for the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office, and Clerk for the Arizona Court of Appeals. She previously served in the personal office of former Congressman John Shadegg from 1996 to 2000. Caroline is Vice Chair of the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation board, Vice President of the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations board, and a member of the Arizona Advisory Committee of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, the Arizona Technology Council, and the Phoenix Sister Cities program. She has guest-lectured at the ASU, Texas A & M, and George Mason law schools, and is a Visiting Fellow at the George Mason Law National Security Institute. Caroline is also a Distinguished Fellow at the ASU Masters in International Affairs and Leadership program and a 2003 graduate of the ASU Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. |
Claire Sechler Merkel
CHAIR
BioClaire Sechler Merkel serves as President of the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations. During her 23 years in Washington, DC, she worked in government, with NGO’s, and on four Presidential campaigns including as Chief of Staff and Director of Friends and Family to Mrs. Cindy McCain during Senator McCain’s 2008 Presidential election campaign. Previously, she served as legislative assistant for foreign affairs and special assistant to U.S. Senator John McCain and campaign coordinator for John McCain’s first U.S. Senate campaign. Sechler Merkel served as Associate Director in the White House Office of Cabinet Affairs for President George H.W. Bush, and Regional Director for Eastern and Central Europe at the International Republican Institute, where she was responsible for democratic development programming in Albania, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Romania and Slovakia. She also worked with Congressman Jim Kolbe, and on the Bush/Quayle ’92 campaign, the 1988 Republican National Convention and 1989 Presidential Inaugural Committee. She founded Sechler Merkel International to provide strategic advice to companies and foundations focusing on projects in the United States, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Russia. She served as a consultant to the Millennium Challenge Account at its inception. She lived for two years in Malmo, Sweden and traveled extensively throughout Europe with her husband and children. Claire holds a degree in Public Policy, with distinction, from Stanford University and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations and the Melikian Center Advisory Board. |
Andrew Jaynes
CHAIRMAN EMERITUS
BioAndrew Jaynes oversees the office of admissions and financial aid. Previously, he was the executive director of ASU Law's Center for Law & Global Affairs for four years. Jaynes has worked and studied in more than 15 countries and received a Fulbright scholarship for a research project in Manila, Philippines. Prior to joining ASU Law, Jaynes was the executive director and general counsel of the International Intellectual Property Institute, a think tank and international development organization based in Washington, D.C. Jaynes graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he was a managing editor on the Wisconsin Law Review and member of the Moot Court Board. He received his English degree with high distinction from the University of Michigan and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. |
Directors
Fareed Bailey
DIRECTOR
MEMBER, FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD
BioFareed Bailey is a Senior State Government Affairs Representative at Salt River Project (SRP), a community-based, not-for-profit organization providing affordable water and power to more than 2 million people in central Arizona. In this role, he is responsible for advancing SRP’s public policy priorities at the Legislature and Executive branch agencies through advocacy and relationship building with elected officials, staff and relevant stakeholders. Fareed was most recently Deputy Assistant Director, Director of Legislative Affairs and AZ529 Education Savings Plan Administrator at the Office of Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee. His prior experience includes many years helping legislators develop public policy as a Research Analyst and staffing Committees at the Arizona Senate, including Commerce & Energy, Natural Resources & Transportation, Finance, Federalism, and Financial Institutions. Fareed also has experience working in Washington, DC, having served as an Energy Program Research Associate at Taxpayers for Common Sense, and as a Senior Legislative Associate for the government affairs consulting firm Stateside Associates. Fareed earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, CA, and a Bachelor’s Degree, summa cum laude, in Political Science from Arizona State University. Born in Azerbaijan, he immigrated to the United States as a child, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2006. He grew up in Arizona and enjoys reading, hiking, music and travel. |
Sandy Pho Casement
DIRECTOR
MEMBER, FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD
BioSandy Pho Casement is a Government Relations Advisor at Freeport-McMoRan where she manages Freeport’s international engagement and geopolitical risk management strategies. She also monitors federal and international legislation and initiatives impacting the mining industry. Prior to joining Freeport, Sandy spent 8 years at a government think tank working as a senior policy analyst focused on China and US policy in Asia. Her research and analysis has been featured in NPR, CNN, The National Interest, and Real Clear World. Following her time in DC, Sandy rode out the pandemic at the Salt Lake City Mayor’s office as a Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff. She ended her time in SLC as a Senior Innovation Consultant responsible for developing and executing strategies that foster innovation and service process improvements. Sandy is a proud product of Arizona’s public school system and currently lives in Phoenix. |
Ian Curtiss
DIRECTOR
MEMBER, PROGRAM COMMITTEE
BioIan Curtiss is currently the Assistant Dean for Asia at the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University where he leads the school’s engagement in East Asia and strategic initiatives. Prior to joining W. P. Carey, Ian’s career focused on East Asian public affairs and market research for public and private clients. Most recently, Ian led the policy and U.S. government affairs teams at the American Chamber of Commerce in China. In this role, he consulted American businesses on the latest policy developments, developed strategies to influence US-Chinese economic relations and coordinated all programs with U.S. agencies. Prior to that, Ian worked at a number of organizations in Arizona government affairs and research. Ian has Bachelor’s degrees in History and Political Science from Arizona State University, a Master’s of International Relations from Peking University and an MBA from the W. P. Carey School of Business. Ian is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and Spanish. |  Brian Hall
DIRECTOR
MEMBER, PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
BioBrian is a marketing leader at ChargePoint, the leading company in electric vehicle fueling. He also advises other brands as the owner and principal consultant at Infinity Brand Strategy. After getting his MBA in 2009 he managed brands including Steinway & Sons, Pillsbury, Fiber One, Maytag, KitchenAid, Dial, SweetLeaf and Kolbe. His pursuits include indie music festivals, sustainability, and foreign affairs. Brian's interest in global issues developed through working abroad in Brazil and the United Kingdom. He speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese. |
Greg Lucero
DIRECTOR
BioGreg Lucero is President of Lucero Consulting, LLC. Previously, Greg worked for South32, focusing on governmental relations for the Hermosa project and served in a similar position for Arizona Mining Inc. on the same project. Prior to working in the mining industry Greg served as the County Manager for Santa Cruz County, for nearly 9 years. He has over 35 years of management experience working in local, state, and federal governments. He has served as a Special Assistant to former Arizona Governor Bruce Babbitt, an Assistant to former U.S. Senator Dennis DeConcini, and has also worked for the Pima County Board of Supervisors and the Tucson City Council. He has experience as a department head, deputy city manager, and city manager. Greg has also managed a large civil engineering firm working as Regional Vice President. Greg is extremely involved in the community and was elected the Nogales City Council, Nogales Unified School District No. 1 Governing Board, and the Santa Cruz County Community College Board. He currently serves on the Board of the Tucson Chamber of Commerce, the Government Affairs Committee for the Nogales-Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce and was past President of the Nogales Noon Lions Club and Vice Chair of the Economic Development Tourism Advisory Board for the City of Nogales. Greg is also a member of Nogales Rotary, the First United Church Village Board, and is active in many other civic organizations in the community. Greg was born and raised in Douglas, Arizona. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Arizona. His hobbies and interest include all sports and is an avid outdoorsman. He is passionate about hunting and spends most of the fall and winter out in the field. Greg is also a marathon runner and when he isn’t working, he is usually found running or biking the roads and trails throughout Santa Cruz County. |
David A. Merkel
CHAIR, PROGRAM COMMITTEE
BioDavid A. Merkel is the managing director of Summit International Advisors, LLC. His expertise includes United States foreign policy, the geopolitics of energy, the Belt and Road Initiative, Europe, Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. David A. Merkel has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Director for South and Central Asian Affairs at the National Security Council in the White House, Director for European and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council and Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Treasury Department. He also served as international counsellor to the Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), senior professional staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and senior foreign and defense policy adviser to the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations. |
Hon. Tony Rivero
DIRECTOR
BioTony Rivero is CEO and founder of Global Connect Group, LLC. He collaborates with large corporations and nonprofits in the U.S. and throughout the globe to maximize their potential on organizational design, business development, public affairs strategies, and international relations. Tony’s experience includes the private & public sector, and elected service. Tony has extensive background in public service and served three terms as a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, two of those he was Chairman of the State & International Committee. As Chair he was the legislature’s key contact with world leaders and Arizona’s top trading partners. His legislative achievements include establishing trade offices in Israel, Chihuahua and Guanajuato, Mexico. Before his service at the state level, Tony served a four-year term as a Peoria City Councilmember. Elected at age 28, Tony was one of the youngest elected council members in Peoria’s history. His successes include establishing “Fiesta Peoria'' the largest Hispanic community festival in the West Valley. His focus was cutting red tape and he collaborated in the implementation of “same day permitting” and the reduction of the food tax in the City of Peoria. Before winning four elections Tony’s first encounter with politics was as an intern in the Office of U.S. Senator Jon Kyl. Soon after, he worked as a coalition’s director on the John McCain’s 2008 Presidential Campaign. He has also consulted on Presidential Campaigns in Latin America. |  Ellen S.
DIRECTOR
BioInvited to fill an empty seat at a PCFR dinner in 2017, with a 5 am flight boarding time the next morning, Ellen was excited to meet so many in her home state commanding strong understandings of the challenges of U.S. international relations as they affect lives and jobs in Arizona. It has been her pleasure to attend gatherings with colleagues and friends to explore Arizona's connection to, for example, Israeli grain imports, imported Swiss tech training or Yuma’s supply of lettuce to the world. For several years, Ellen has acted as the International Visionary donor for the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations because of her enthusiasm for meeting visitors, hearing speakers, and inviting colleagues from Arizona small businesses to consider the changes brought by globalism to the average job and average Arizonan. She looks forward to advancing membership involvement at the small business level. Ellen was born in Germany, lived for many years in Asia and has been outside Arizona for most of her life. |
Carlos Velasco
CHAIR, PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
BioCarlos Velasco’s passion is to help organizations succeed by providing business owners, corporate executives, and nonprofit organizations with the necessary tools to develop long-lasting relationships within multicultural communities. With over 17 years of experience, Carlos has worked with major brands to create multi- faceted strategies that provide growth, sustainability, and return on investment. From his early professional beginnings in working with organizations such as the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Local First Arizona, Carlos played an instrumental role in the development of small business and workforce capacity-building programs that led to over 50 million dollars of economic impact in the State of Arizona. Through his current role as Founder/CEO of Novle, he maintains his focus on creating economic vitality by bridging gaps to execute and help communicate the cross-cultural benefit of his client’ s vision, mission, products, and services. Through the Novle organization, Carlos has served over 100 renowned organizations such as the National Bank of Arizona, City of Phoenix, Mass Mutual, ASU Entrepreneurship & Innovation, NOVA Home Loans, Local First Arizona, the American Cancer Society, and others. Carlos has been recognized for his extraordinary contributions to the State of Arizona by the House of Representatives and is a proud recipient of several awards, including the 40 under 40 Hispanic Leaders Award, the Chicanos Por La Causa Volunteer of the Year Award, the Business Journal Diversity Champion Award, and the Hispanic Leadership Institute Alumni Excellence Award. To reward his passion for the local economy, Carlos was a participant of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies Fellowship. He was one of 17 fellows chosen, who were each recognized as the top pioneers of the Local Economy Movement. Carlos is above all, a dedicated family man, with a wife of fifteen years, three children and two dogs. Carlos moved to the US when he was just 12 years old from Ecuador. He is a big fan of all local sports teams and has been an Arizona local for the past 17 years. |
Garrett Workman
DIRECTOR
MEMBER, FINANCE COMMITTEE OF THE BOARD
BioGarrett Workman leads government engagement at the local, state, and federal level for South32’s Hermosa Project in Southern Arizona. The Hermosa Project is the only advanced mine development project in the United States as of 2023 that could produce two federally designated critical minerals—manganese and zinc—both of which are essential minerals for powering the nation’s clean energy future. Previously, Garrett served as Executive Director for Europe at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC where he was responsible for engagement with the U.S. and foreign government officials advocating to expand international trade and investment and addressing technology and healthcare regulatory issues. He also led the Chamber’s U.S.-UK Business Council. Prior to that, he worked on economic policy at the Atlantic Council and assisted constituents in the office of former U.S. Senator Jon Kyl. Originally from Phoenix, Garrett holds degrees in Political Science from the University of Arizona, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Sciences Po in Paris. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, biking, and traveling with his wife and Australian Cattle Dog. |
Emeritus Board Members
Keith Galbut | Brett Johnson | Paul Johnson |
Stephen MacKinnon | JP Millon | Susan Shultz |
Shoshana Tancer |