Board of Directors

Staff

  • Amy Widestrom, PhD (she/her)

    Executive Director

    Amy Widestrom holds a B.A. in English and Theater from Oberlin College and both an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from Syracuse University. Her academic expertise lies in American politics, with a focus on civic engagement, public policy, campaigns and elections, and the role of women in politics. Prior to joining the League, Amy served as a faculty member and Chair of the Department of Historical and Political Studies at Arcadia University. Her professional background also includes roles in the nonprofit sector, at the Brookings Institution, and with the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. She published Displacining Democracy: Economic Segregation in America in 2015.

  • Deb Landau (she/her)

    PA Program Director - Advocacy & Policy

    Deb holds a B.A. in Political Science from Allegheny College and an M.A. in International Affairs from American University. She brings over a decade of experience at the intersection of gender, governance, and international affairs, working with IFES, IRI, the U.S. Institute of Peace, Women in International Security, and in the office of U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr. Her work has advanced inclusive democracy and women’s political participation across Africa, the Middle East, the Pacific, and the U.S. She holds certifications in project management and gender equality, and served on the Executive Committee of the U.S. Civil Society Working Group on Women, Peace, and Security.

  • Brianna Rybka (she/her)

    PA Program Manager – Civic Programs & Engagement

    Brianna graduated from Oregon State University in 2021 with a Master’s of Public Policy and a Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Natural Resources, along with a B.S. in Political Science earned in 2017. Before joining the League, she was a Climate Action Organizer at NextGen America, where she cultivated partnerships, trained volunteers, and promoted voter registration drives.

  • Michael Brian Bach (he/him)

    Consultant

    Michael Brian Bach is an MPA Candidate at the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute. After graduating from Ohio State University in 2019, Michael spent 5 years with AmeriCorps' City Year program as both a corps member and an Impact Manager. He possesses leadership/management, data analysis, and communications experience. Michael is passionate about public service, democracy-building work, and achieving equal outcomes - not just equal opportunity.