About Us

Mission Statement

OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION (ONC) provides a fresh alternative to the agenda-driven news media that contributes to today’s political gridlock. Led by America’s next generation of leaders and journalists from across the political spectrum, our focus is on problem-solving, not finger-pointing.

 

Politics and Media in America: It's Time for a Change

 

We are a group of journalists, students, established professionals and everyday citizens who want to reduce toxic partisanship in America.

 

Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Greens, Libertarians -- all are welcome here. At our website, OurNationalConversation.org, we happily show all sides. We like a good debate!

 

This video -- just 68 seconds long -- will give you a feel for ONC.

 

A rather remarkable team of student interns does most of the heavy lifting at OUR NATIONAL CONVERSATION.  They write policy proposals, books (see "Let's Fix America," available on Amazon), design web pages, upload social media content, record podcasts and more.

 

Several mentors with significant real-world experience hover over this experiment in balanced media and more civil dialogue. We think it's important to prepare America's future leaders.  It's time to pass the baton.

 

Our policy is to not take institutional positions on issues. We don't engage in propaganda or attempt to influence specific legislation. Nor do we participate in political campaigns or endorse candidates. We are simply here to host the conversation.

 

While our employees, freelancers, guest writers and student interns may express their opinions on our site (or other sites or in other venues), such opinions or views are those of the author and not reflective of any ONC opinion or views. 

 

At ONC, we see staying neutral as fundamental to our mission.

 

Want to help us make America a better country? Send an email to [email protected].

 

MEET OUR MANAGEMENT TEAM

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Jeff Hall, Editor & CEO

Jeff Hall, ONC's founder, is a former vice president at the Los Angeles Times. Jeff is a Stanford grad, a Harvard MBA and an alumnus of the White House Fellows program. He has always operated at the intersection of journalism, public policy and entrepreneurship.

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Elizabeth Bradley, Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Elizabeth Bradley is an Alumna of Arizona State University, with a BA in Organizational Leadership. Elizabeth is truly passionate about driving organizational progress, empowering individuals to reach their full potential, and streamlining processes for optimal performance. She has been with ONC for about 2 years.

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Samuel Taylor, Managing Editor

Sam Taylor is a political science major and business/philosophy double-minor at Brigham Young University, where he has served as a staff editor for Aporia, an undergraduate journal of philosophy. As Managing Editor, he oversees ONC’s written content. He has been with ONC for 3 years.

Tania Ruedas Ortiz, Director of Community Engagement

Tania A. Ruedas Ortiz graduated with their B.A in Political Science and Speech Communication from the University of La Verne. She has a passion of sharing political information that is CUTE (Clear, Understandable, Thematic and Encompassing).

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Thomas Fair, Director of Business Development

Thomas Fair graduated with his B.S in Healthcare Management from Mount Saint Mary College. Tom is currently in his first year of graduate school at LSU as a candidate for an MBA in Finance. Tom has a passion for the growth and development of his colleagues and the business he works in.

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Therese Reynolds, Director of Human Resources

MBA Candidate at WGU | WGU ’22, BS in Business Administration

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Hunter Malone, Director of Outreach and Partnerships

Hunter Malone graduated with his B.A. in Psychology from Western New England University and M.A. in Community Psychology from the University of New Haven. Working full time as a Care Coordinator he has a passion for giving a voice to those who need them. He is also part of a team to create a queer library in Boston. He has been with ONC for 1 year.

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Harmoni Wilson, Team Lead, Future Leaders Project

Harmoni Wilson is currently a high school junior at Pearson Online Academy. She thoroughly enjoys working with others and being reliable whenever she can. With hopes to study law, she also works in Political Affairs for The Borgen Project.

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Luke Fenig, Graphic Design Team Lead

Luke Fenig is a soon-to-be graduate of Cal Poly Pomona, California studying visual communication design (graphic design for short). For as long as he can remember his dream has been to help people, and Luke still follows through as an artist, and design lead for ONC.

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Brian Thomas M.D., Policy Mentor

Brian Thomas is a policy enthusiast, physician leader, and founder of The Candidates Network, a group of experts who have advised students on “Let’s Fix America.” He is a Notre Dame grad and completed his medical training at the University of Minnesota, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

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Patricia Rose Duignan, Media Mentor

Rose Duignan served for two decades in production and senior management positions at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). Rose was part of the original Star Wars team, working directly for George Lucas. She is executive producer of ABC’s stop-motion animated series, Bump in the Night. She’s also an avid golfer. Rose is a Stanford grad and got her MBA at Columbia.

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Ruben Navarrette, Journalism & Podcast Mentor

Ruben Navarrette is a nationally syndicated columnist with The Washington Post Writers Group and a contributor to several news outlets, including The Daily Beast, Newsmax Magazine, Latino Magazine, Spectrum 1 (LA) News, USA Today and Straight Arrow News. He also hosts a podcast, “Ruben In The Center.” Ruben went to Harvard undergrad and got his masters in public policy at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

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