Network Staff

Ann Pratt  Executive Director

Ann brings thirty years of community organizing experience to Progressive States Network, including ten years of building and directing a diverse range of community organizations including neighborhood organizations, large social service agency, labor unions, regional faith-based organizing initiatives and a statewide parent and child advocacy organization. Most recently, Ann directed the Connecticut Early Childhood Alliance, a statewide advocacy organization committed to improving outcomes for young children. She has worked extensively on advancing progressive policies in Connecticut, including the nationally recognized Sustinet health care legislation, and recently spearheaded an initiative calling for the creation of a Department of Early Education that would serve children from birth to five years of age.
 

Nyrekia Mayers  Director of Human Resources and Operations

Nyrekia brings thirteen years of experience in Human Resources, Labor Relations and Operations. Before joining PSN she managed a multisite team of supervisors and Union employees at a multimedia company. At PSN, she manages and executes the Human Resource functions, as well as managing the overall operations of the organization. Nyrekia has been working in the nonprofit area for the last four years and serves on the board of a newly developing charter school for boys in Southern New Jersey and acts as Chief Operations Officer for a philanthropic fundraising organization in New York. Nyrekia spent a semester abroad writing her thesis on the socioeconomics of homelessness in London. Nyrekia has a Bachelors Degree in Education with a minor in Social Work. She also completed a dual Masters Degree program in Human Resources Management and Business Administration. She is currently pursuing a Six Sigma Green Belt and her Senior Professional in Human Resources certification.
 

Suman Raghunathan  Director of Policy and Strategic Partnerships

As Director of Policy and Strategic Partnerships, Suman is responsible for coordinating Progressive States Network and Progressive State Action’s work across policy areas and varied stakeholders, including progressive state legislators. She also directs PSN’s State Immigration Project, and has significantly amplified the organization’s efforts to educate and engage state legislators and advocates on defensive and progressive state immigration policy. Suman has deep experience advancing immigrant rights via grassroots, advocacy, and policy organizations. The daughter of Indian immigrants and the former Interim Executive Director of Chhaya Community Development Corporation, where she now serves on the Board of Directors, Suman’s expertise lies in crafting policy platforms and advocacy strategies. She has also developed programs to engage immigrants in the electoral process at the New York Immigration Coalition and OneAmerica, including managing the nation’s largest voter registration project for new citizens. Most recently, Suman was an immigration policy consultant, developing progressive policy agendas for Demos and the Drum Major Institute. Suman holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Brown University and a Master’s in Nonprofit Management from Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy.
 

Charles Monaco Director of Communications and New Media

Charles brings years of experience in new media, online organizing, and communications for progressive campaigns and causes to Progressive States Network.  He was a member of the team of online activists that helped propel Ned Lamont’s primary campaign for US Senate in Connecticut in 2006, where he served as Deputy Internet Communications Director during the general election.  In 2008, he served as Online Communications Director for Jim Himes’ successful campaign for U.S. Congress in Connecticut’s Fourth District.  As a blogger and new media consultant, he has written about and worked on numerous progressive issues and campaigns.  Charles holds a Bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University and is a lifelong resident of New York City.
 

Cristina Francisco-McGuire  Senior Policy and Program Specialist

Cristina comes to PSN with a diverse background in labor and the public interest.  As a Legislative Assistant at Public Citizen’s Congress Watch, Cristina worked on issues including regulatory rollbacks and campaign finance reform before spending the next three years as a Strategic Research Analyst with AFSCME’s campaign to organize mental health care workers at NYSARC.  After a year spent traveling around the world and a brief turn as a travel editor, Cristina has come full circle and is back working on the issues that rile her up most.  Cristina has also worked in varying capacities with the ACLU of Southern California, Taxpayers for Common Sense, and ROC-United.  She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Pomona College.
 

Tim Judson  Senior Policy Specialist - Workers' Rights

Tim is an organizer and policy analyst with 13 years of experience in labor, energy, and environmental issues. His work focuses on supporting state-based efforts to advance basic labor standards, such as wage standards, work-family policy, and job creation strategies. Prior to joining PSN, he was a Senior Research Analyst with the New York Hotel Trades Council, a Researcher at Cornell University’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations, and an Organizer with the American Federation of Teachers. Tim also serves on the board of a regional environmental group, Citizens Awareness Network.
 

Mike Maiorini  Online Technology Manager

Mike has been designing and developing websites for ten years with a Masters in Information Technology and a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science.  Before joining Progressive States Network, he worked in the Office of Web Communications at New York University.  He has also done freelance and volunteer projects for non-profits, unions, and activist groups.  Feel free to contact Mike with suggestions or ideas on how PSN’s website can better serve you.
 

Alvin Melathe  Immigration Policy Associate

Alvin comes to PSN with a background in political & policy research as well experience with issue-based campaigns and community organizing. He joins PSN to assist in developing the targeted research, legislative tracking, and broad partnerships necessary to spark progressive state-based immigration policy across the country. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Swarthmore College.
 

Susan Mottet  Senior Policy Specialist & Legal Analyst

Susan is responsible for PSN’s health care and tax and budget policy work. After receiving her law degree, Susan worked for the District of Columbia Council, where she wrote DC’s marriage equality law and worked on progressive health legislation including DC’s health insurance exchange law. As a member of DC’s Health Care Reform Implementation Task Force, Susan worked to ensure that the District took advantage of every provision of the Affordable Care Act and implemented the Medicaid expansion over three years ahead of schedule. Most recently, she worked on health care finance policy for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, where she advocated that federal implementation of the Affordable Care Act ensure that women can see the providers they trust for the services they rely on and worked with 84 Planned Parenthood affiliates to advocate that all 50 states did the same. Susan is from Washington State, received her Bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence College and her law degree from George Washington University..