National Office

Susan L. Gates, National Director

(202) 408-9284

Susan L. Gates is a former business litigator who has extensive experience working in support of proven investments in children. Ms. Gates practiced for 18 years as a business litigation partner with Hall & Estill, a law firm of over 120 attorneys and headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Oklahoma City, Northwest Arkansas, and Washington, D.C.  Ms. Gates represented many business clients, from small businesses to Fortune 500 and other publicly-traded companies, throughout the country, specializing in complex litigation involving corporate and commercial issues, intellectual property, taxation, and environmental matters at both the federal and state level.  In 2004, Ms. Gates left the law firm to serve as the General Counsel of a national children’s organization located in Washington, D.C.  As a member of that organization’s executive office, she was responsible for organization-wide activities designed to create, strengthen and implement policies and programs to improve the lives of children in America.

Ms. Gates became National Director of America’s Edge in 2009. She has a J.D. degree with honors from the University of Tulsa, and a B.A. degree with honors from Oklahoma State University.

Mike Kiernen, Communications Director

(202) 464-7016

Mike Kiernan is a veteran newsman and publicist who serves as the communications director for America’s Edge.  He has spent the past two decades working for non-profit agencies on a variety of issues ranging from providing more educational assistance to homeless children to improving protections for children and families worldwide caught in emergency situations.  Prior to joining America’s Edge, Kiernan worked for the global humanitarian agency Save the Children and served as its principle spokesperson for responses to humanitarian crises including the tsunami in south Asia, Hurricane Katrina, and cyclones in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Prior to joining Save the Children, Kiernan served as the principal spokesman for three members of Congress as well as a coalition of 160 private U.S. humanitarian aid groups.  As a journalist, Kiernan worked for columnist Jack Anderson, the Washington Star, WRC-TV (Channel 4 News) in Washington D.C. and U.S. News and World Report. He received the Front Page Award for his coverage of the 1976 presidential race and an Emmy in 1986 as an executive producer at WRC-TV for a series he produced about parents of gay teenagers.

Stephanie Schaefer, Research Director

(202) 776-0184

Stephanie Schaefer joined America’s Edge in 2009, bringing more than a decade of experience working on federal and state policy issues affecting children and families. Dr. Schaefer uses her expertise in early childhood care and education research and policy to evaluate and synthesize research information, preparing reports and briefs on effective investments in children.  She also serves as Co-Director of Research for Fight Crime: Invest In Kids.  Prior to that, Dr. Schaefer worked on children’s policy issues as a Policy and Advocacy Specialist at Voices for America’s Children, and as a Policy Analyst at the Alliance for Children and Families.  Dr. Schaefer also has direct-service experience in early care and education, having taught young children in Head Start and child care classroom settings. Additionally, she has worked with state agencies on early care and education issues, developing data reports for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies.  She completed her B.A. in psychology at Drew University, and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in human development and family studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.

Brian Cahill, Policy Associate

Brian serves as Federal Policy Associate for America’s Edge, bringing more than six years of congressional and government relations experience to the organization.  As a lobbyist, Brian represented several private companies and associations before Members of Congress and federal agency officials, advising them on pending legislation and working closely with their management to develop and execute government relations strategies.  Previously, he served for four years as an aide to two U.S. Senators.  Brian also serves as Federal Policy Associate for Fight Crime: Invest in Kids.

Erica Cribbs, Membership Associate

(202) 408-9283

Erica joined the America’s Edge team as an Associate in March 2010. Prior to that, Erica worked with faith-based nonprofits to raise awareness within the faith community on political issues such as health care reform, climate change, and immigration reform. Shortly after graduating from college, Erica served as the Director for the Western States “Frontier Project” with the American Values Network.  As director, she organized faith leaders across the state of Nevada on various issues.  Prior to organizing out west, Erica interned with the DC-based media relations organization, Faith in Public Life.

Erica graduated cum laude from Davidson College with a degree in Religion, and a concentration on the intersection of religion and politics in America.