Network Staff

Nathan Newman, Executive Director

Nathan, a lawyer and Ph.D., has an extensive history of supporting local policy campaigns, from coalition organizing work to drafting legislation. Previous to coming to Progressive States, he was Associate Counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, Program Director of NetAction's Consumer Choice Campaign, co-director of the UC-Berkeley Center for Community Economic Research, and a labor and employment lawyer. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School and his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley and has written extensively about public policy and the legal system in a range of academic and popular journals.

Nora Ranney, Legislative Director

Nora has over 15 years of experience developing public policy and programming to empower communities and create legislative change in such areas as tax and economic policy, civil rights, health care, and housing. She also brings an extensive background in organizing and campaigns, having worked on the late US Sen. Paul Wellstone’s re-election, living wage campaigns and ballot initiatives, and nonprofit advocacy lobbying efforts. Most recently, she was the Director of State Advocacy for the national ACLU’s LGBT Project supporting affiliates, state LGBT advocates, and allies to make change at the local and state levels. She has also served in various capacities with organizations such as United for a Fair Economy, Massachusetts Budget & Policy Center, the Center for Policy Research, and the Office of the Speaker of the NYC Council.

Lauren Smith, Operations Director

A seasoned non-profit administrator, Lauren has experience in fundraising, communications and event management. Prior to joining Progressive States Network, she was the Administrative Director of the Stevenson Academy of Fine Arts. Her previous background has focused on areas of medical research, women’s health issues and technology; as a fundraising professional at Weill Cornell Medical College for the Iris Cantor Women’s Health Center and NewYork Presbyterian Hospital and later as Senior Administrator for the Hope for Depression Research Foundation in New York -- an organization committed to supporting the efforts of leading international neuroscientists and scholars in the field of depression research.

Marisol Thomer, Outreach Director

Marisol is an experienced activist and organizer with a focus on labor rights and economic justice. Before joining Progressive States Network in 2006, she was a union organizer with a New York local of UNITE HERE, organizing food service workers for fair contract fights. She has been involved in several activist organizations such as Financial Aid & Class Equality, an organization she co-founded to represent the voices of low-income and working class college students, and served as a congressional intern for Delegate Donna M. Christensen (VI) through the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.  She has studied in Mexico and Cuba.

Fabiola Carrión, Broadband and Green Jobs Policy Specialist

Fabiola brings to Progressive States Network a strong background in progressive issues in both the public policy and legal arenas. Prior to joining PSN, she worked at the Chambers of the Honorable Joseph Maltese in New York's Richmond County Supreme Court and at the Advanced Communications Law and Policy Institute, where she analyzed the impacts of broadband on the energy sector. In addition, she has worked for New York Congressman Eliot E. Engel as a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Intern and for California State Senator Richard Polanco by co-authoring a report published by U.C. Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies. Fabiola is a licensed attorney in New York State and the European Union.

Enzo Pastore, Health Care Policy Specialist

Enzo comes to PSN with over 15 years of extensive experience in health policy in New York and DC. In NYC, Enzo directed the New Yorkers for Accessible Health Coverage coalition. During his 12 years in DC, Enzo served in the capacity of a state and federal lobbyist, policy analyst and grassroots organizer, working on issues such as Medicare, Medicaid, prescription drugs, health care reform, coverage expansions, children’s health and disability issues. Enzo holds two Master's degrees, in Social Work and Law and Social Policy, from Bryn Mawr’s School of Social Work. He has also taught graduate courses at Fordham University and at Columbia’s School of Social Work on health policy and advocacy practices.

Suman Raghunathan, Immigration Rights Policy Specialist

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 NY 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.

Altaf Rahamatulla, Tax and Budget Policy Specialist

Altaf joined Progressive States Network after serving as a Policy Researcher with the Center for Working Families, where he worked on taxation and revenue policy issues, including the successful effort to raise revenues on top-earners in New York State.  In his previous positions, he served as a Housing Specialist and Community Liaison for the Unity Square Revitalization Project of Catholic Charities, a non-profit community organization in New Brunswick, NJ, and worked at the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services.  He received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Spanish from Amherst College and a Master's in Public Policy from the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University.

Julie Bero, Outreach and Administrative Specialist

Julie joined Progressive States Network after spending the 2008 election season as a Campaign Finance Fellow at the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, where she learned the fine art of grant writing.  Julie received her Bachelor's degree from Colby College, where she was an active member of campus and community social justice organizations.  Leading the local League of Young Voters, she worked on several ballot question campaigns and organized community political actions.  Julie was also proud to work with Opportunity Maine to pass a law that offers residents greater access to higher education.

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.