Board of Advisors

The Hon. Barbara W. Ballard, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Director, Dole Institute of Politics (Ex Officio member)

Barbara Ballard joined the Dole Institute in 2004. As senior associate director, she coordinates the Youth Civic Leadership Institute (YCLI) for nominated Kansas high school seniors, Civic Engagement and KU Leadership, Get Out the Vote and voter registration, Constitution Day, Civic Engagement and Leadership Conference for Kansas Government, History and Social Studies Teachers, Veterans Day Gala, and A Conversation on Race series. Barbara has been with the University of Kansas since August 1980, where she has served as an associate vice provost for student success, associate dean for student life, and the director of the Emily Taylor Women’s Resource Center. Barbara has a Ph.D. in Counseling and Student Personnel Services and an M.S. in Guidance and Counseling. She also teaches for the School of Education and Department of Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies.

Dr. Rose Barfield (ret.)
former Brigadier General, U.S. Army

Chairman of the Board of Directors at The Consilium Group, Inc. and professor at Devry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management Dr. Roosevelt Barfield brings to the Dole Institute of Politics a wealth of experience in the military and enterprising world. A veteran of the Armed Forces, Dr. Barfield served 32 years in the United States army, retiring from active duty in 2009 as a Brigadier General. He served as a Military Legislative Assistant to the U.S. Senate from 2008-2009. Dr. Barfield holds a Doctorate of Business Administration from Walden University, a Master’s of Science Degree in Management from Central Michigan University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Kansas. Dr. Barfield served as the Spring 2013 Dole Fellow, when he led a study titled U.S. Engagement: Political-Military Affairs.

Robin Dole
Daughter of Senator Robert J. Dole

Robin Dole began her career as a mental health counselor in 1994. She received her LPC in 2003, Master of Arts in Counseling from Marymount University in 1994, and Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech in 1976. Prior to becoming a mental health therapist, Robin directed the Washington Government Affairs office for Century 21 Real Estate Corporation for 14 years. Robin also enjoyed traveling around the country during her father’s political campaigns. As a surrogate, she was an effective public speaker and adept at fielding press questions. Her most notable speech was delivered at the 1996 Republican National Convention. As the daughter of a World War II veteran who received two purple hearts, Robin is well aware of how much our servicemen and women and their families sacrifice to serve and protect our Country. As a mental health counselor, she hopes to improve the delivery and quality of clinical services to our servicemen and women and their families through direct service, public education, and advocacy.

Peter Fenn
Democratic Strategist and President, Fenn Communications Group

Peter Fenn is the founder of consulting firm Fenn Communications Group. He served as Executive Director of Democrats for the 1980s, Chief of Staff for Senator Frank Church, and was a co-founder and first Executive Director for the Center for Responsive Politics. Fenn has been a surrogate spokesperson on cable news programs for the presidential campaigns of Gore (2000), Kerry (2004) and Obama (2008). Fenn holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Macalester College, a Master of Arts degree in international relations from the University of Southern California and for more than 20 years was an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management. He has been a speaker at the Dole Institute many times, first as a Discussion Group guest in Fall 2005, then as a Dole Fellow in Fall 2010. That Fall 2010 semester he was also a speaker for Pizza & Politics, an evening program panel with Tom King and Jim Innocenzi on election eve, and a panelist for the Post-Election Conference. He returned to be a Discussion Group guest for Fellow Tom King in Spring 2012 and also attended and spoke on the panel for the 2013 Dole Fellows Reunion.

Chancellor Douglas A. Girod
Chancellor, The University of Kansas (Ex Officio member)

Douglas A. Girod began as the 18th chancellor of the University of Kansas in July 2017. In this role, Chancellor Girod leads KU’s mission to educate leaders, build healthy communities and make discoveries that change the world. Before becoming chancellor, Dr. Girod served as executive vice chancellor at KU Medical Center, where he oversaw the educational, research, patient care and community engagement missions of the schools of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions. A head-and-neck surgeon, Girod first joined the KU Medical Center faculty in 1994 and quickly rose through the academic ranks, becoming chair of the Otolaryngology department in 2002. Chancellor Girod earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of California at Davis and his medical degree from the University of California at San Francisco. Prior to joining the University of Kansas Medical Center, Girod served as vice chairman and research director in the Department of Otolaryngology at the Naval Medical Center in Oakland. He served in the United States Navy Reserve from 1982 until 1997, rising to the rank of lieutenant commander and earning the Meritorious Service Medal. He was honorably discharged in 1997.

Joseph Jones, Ph.D.
Chief of Staff, Des Moines University

Dr. Joseph Jones is chief of staff to the president at Des Moines University, a medicine and health sciences university in Des Moines, Iowa. Most recently he served as executive director for The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement. It was in this position where Joseph became familiar with The Dole Institute and began to admire and appreciate its work. Before joining The Harkin Institute in 2016, Joseph was Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy for the Greater Des Moines Partnership. Prior to moving back to Iowa, Joseph served as a Legislative Assistant to Senator Harkin in Washington, D.C. He has also worked in several capacities in the public sector and not-for-profit organizations. Joseph has engaged in a career-long commitment to public service through volunteerism. He serves as the chairman of the board of trustees for the American Council of Young Political Leaders and vice-chair of the board for the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation. Joseph serves on the board of his local community foundation, local hospital, and a state-chartered bank. In 2017 Joseph was first elected to the city council of Windsor Heights, Iowa. He was chosen as the city’s Citizen of the Year in 2020 and re-elected to office in 2021.

The Hon. William B. Lacy
Director Emeritus, Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics

William B. Lacy served as the director of the Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics at the University of Kansas, where he led his team to create world-class political programming with a bipartisan approach from 2004 to 2021. Lacy is a political veteran with over 20 years of campaign strategy experience in Washington, D.C., including serving as White House Political Director and Deputy Assistant to President Reagan. Lacy has held major roles in seven presidential campaigns and was involved in every GOP presidential campaign from 1980-1996, including senior roles on the 1988 and 1996 Dole presidential campaigns. He sat on the Advisory Board of the 1988 Presidential Oral History project of the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, served as a Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics in 1991, and also served as Vice-chairman and CEO of the Sophie Mae Candy Company.

Fred Logan
Former Chair, Kansas Board of Regents and Kansas GOP

Fred Logan is an attorney and partner with the law firm of Logan, Logan & Watson, L.C. in Prairie Village. His work to empower educators stretches back nearly 30 years: Logan served from 2011-2015 on the Kansas Board of Regents (where he was chair in 2013-2014), chaired a 2008 campaign in support of the Johnson County Education Research Triangle, and served on the Board of Trustees for Johnson County Community College from 1992-1997, serving three years as chair. Mr. Logan was active in Sen. Dole’s 1988 Presidential Campaign and was chair of the Kansas Republican Party from 1987 to 1989.

C.J. Mahoney
Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Microsoft

C.J. Mahoney joined Microsoft as Deputy General Counsel, U.S. International Trade and National Security, in 2021 after serving as Deputy United States Trade Representative from 2018 to 2020.  While at USTR, C.J. led negotiations over the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and helped shepherd the agreement through Congress. Prior to his unanimous confirmation as Deputy USTR, C.J. was a litigation partner at Williams & Connolly LLP.  He was a law clerk to Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy during the Supreme Court’s October 2007 term and has served as a Visiting Lecturer at Yale Law School.  He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the U.S. State Department’s Advisory Committee on International Law. C.J. is a graduate of Harvard College and Yale Law School, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law Journal. C.J. and Senator Dole shared the same hometown of Russell, Kansas.  As a Russell High School student in 1996, C.J. seconded Senator Dole’s nomination for President at the Republican National Convention.

The Hon. Marlon Marshall
Democratic Strategist and former Special Assistant to President Barack Obama, and Deputy Field Director, Obama 2012

Marlon Marshall is a founding partner at 270 Strategies. Marlon was Special Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Director in the Obama White House Office of Public Engagement, where he was a key player in a number of public engagement initiatives at the White House and led the on-the-ground enrollment effort for the historic Affordable Care Act. He was also instrumental in helping the Administration launch the My Brother’s Keeper Community Challenge, a program that worked with cities and focused on making sure young people of color and all youth have a chance to succeed. He rejoins the 270 team after serving most recently as Director of States and Political Engagement for the Hillary for America campaign. Marlon was a Fellow at the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service in 2017, where he led weekly discussions with students committed to making politics work better. Marlon hails from St. Louis, Missouri and is a graduate of the University of Kansas, where he majored in Communications Studies. He is a die-hard fan of the Jayhawks and the St. Louis Cardinals. Marlon lives in Denver with his wife Stacy and twin daughters Grace and Camryn.

David Morris
President, PNPSC, Inc.

David is currently an adjacent faculty member at the University of Kansas School of Business serving as the Entrepreneur In Residence. He is the former CEO of Premium Nutritional Products, manufacturer of the ZuPreem line of specialty pet foods and zoo animal diets. When David sold the company to private equity in 2021, ZuPreem was the market leader for companion birds in the US pet specialty channel and was available in 25 markets around the world. Prior to establishing Premium Nutritional Products in 1993, David graduated from Trinity University with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. He then served on the staff of Kansas Governor Mike Hayden prior to entering graduate school where he earned both a law degree and MBA from Southern Methodist University. In addition to service to various charitable organizations, David has served as a trustee of the Morris Animal Foundation for over 25 years. MAF is the largest non-profit funder of animal health research in the world having funded more than $126M in health studies since its founding in 1948.

Maynard Oliverius
President and CEO, Stormont-Vail HealthCare (ret.)

Maynard Oliverius is the former President & CEO of Stormont-Vail Healthcare. He has served on many local and national boards, including the Fort Hays State University Foundation, Topeka Chamber of Commerce, the Topeka Community Foundation, the Security Benefit Company Fund, the Guggenheim Investments Company Fund and the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees. Oliverius is the recipient of many awards including the ACHE Annual Regents Award for Professional Excellence for Leadership in Healthcare, the Baker University Trustee Medallion, the FHSU Alumni Achievement Award, the Kansas Hospital Association Grassroots Champion Award and the Kansas Hospital Association’s Charles S. Billings Award. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Fort Hays State University and a master’s degree in hospital administration from the University of Minnesota. Oliverius attends many Dole Institute programs and is a strong supporter of the Dole Institute.

Eric Pahls
Vice President, Big Dog Strategies

Eric Pahls, a Vice President at Big Dog Strategies and KU alumnus, was appointed to the Dole Institute’s Board of Advisors in 2024. He brings a unique perspective to the board as an alumnus of the Institute’s Student Advisory Board and friend of the late Senator Bob Dole. He joined Big Dog Strategies in 2021 and manages election campaigns at the local, state, and federal levels. During his tenure, Big Dog Strategies has assisted Republican campaigns in securing victories in Democratic strongholds. Eric began his career in politics when he joined Dr. Roger Marshall’s House of Representatives campaign in 2016. As the campaign’s press secretary, he helped lead the successful campaign to unseat the incumbent in the primary election and later win the general election. He later joined then-Representative Marshall’s office as its press secretary, and later joined the staff of Unlocking Potential – a non-profit organization founded by former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina. In 2019, Eric returned to Marshall’s office as a senior advisor, and was later named campaign manager for Marshall’s 2020 Senate election campaign. There, he oversaw Marshall’s successful primary and general election campaigns, which were some of the most closely watched races in the country that cycle. Eric holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas, and was an active member of the Dole Institute Student Advisory Board, which brought him closer to the Dole family, particularly Senator Dole, who mentored him throughout his political career.

John Pinegar
Partner, Pinegar, Smith & Associates, Inc.

A 36-year veteran of Kansas politics and government relations, John Pinegar is the president of Pinegar, Smith & Associates, Inc. Prior to founding Pinegar, Smith & Associates, Inc., Mr. Pinegar served as the Chief of Staff in the Kansas Governor’s office, Assistant to the president of the Kansas Senate, and statewide campaign director for the 1984 Reagan-Bush Campaign. He serves as a trustee of the Washburn University Foundation and is a former member of the Regional Council of Children’s Mercy Hospital. Mr Pinegar holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Washburn University.

Mike Pettit
Former Chief of Staff and Administrative Assistant to Senator Bob Dole

A veteran of the political, communication, and enterprising worlds, Mitchell ‘Mike’ Pettit brings an exceptional record of leadership to the Dole Institute of Politics. He is the founder and CEO of MSP Strategic Communications, Inc., from which he has served as Interim Monitor for the FTC in 2008 and 2014 for significant mergers in the information technology sector. Mr. Pettit’s ties to Republican politics involve his work as Chief of Staff (among other roles) for Senator Dole from 1981-1987, work on Senator Dole’s 1988 and 1996 Presidential campaigns, his service as senior advisor and chairman on technology and innovation issues and his management of the 1996 Republican Party technology and telecommunications platform. Mr. Pettit holds a Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kansas. He was a Dole Institute Visiting Fellow in Spring 2014, which included Pizza & Politics and afternoon programs.

The Hon. Kathleen Sebelius
Former Governor of Kansas and Secretary of Health and Human Services

Named one of the Forbes “World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” in 2013, former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius is one of America’s foremost experts on health policy, health care reform, and executive leadership. She served as U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services from 2009 to 2014, Governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009 and Kansas Insurance Commissioner from 1995 to 2003. She also chaired the Democratic Governors Association in 2007. Sebelius holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Trinity Washington University. She has been a speaker at the Dole Institute on a panel of governors for Fellow Bob Holden’s Discussion Group “You Be the Governor” in Spring 2007 and also featured in the first of four programs for the 2015 Presidential Lecture Series “The First Woman President 2.0.”

The Hon. Jim Slattery
President, Slattery Strategy, and former United States Representative

Six-term member of Congress Jim Slattery brings years of experienced leadership in the public sector to the Dole Institute of Politics. He has earned renown for his peacekeeping work throughout the Middle East—particularly in the Islamic Republic of Iran—in addition to his 12 years of work with the House Committees on Budget, Energy & Commerce, Financial Services and Veterans Affairs. Slattery advised clients with matters pending before Congress, federal agencies and regulatory bodies as Strategic Counsel at Wiley Rein LLP. He currently is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at George Mason University in Arlington, VA. He has been a Dole Institute speaker with fellow Congressman Tom Tauke for “Fixing the Deficit” in Fall 2013, and for his program “Prospects for Improved U.S.-Iran Relations” in Spring 2015.

Emeritus Members

Nancy Dwight
Republican Strategist, and former Executive Director, National Republican Congressional Committee

Joseph Gaylord
Republican Strategist, and former senior advisor to House Speaker Newt Gingrich

The Hon. Dan Glickman
Former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Representative, and Director, Institute of Politics, Kennedy School at Harvard University

Bette M. Morris, Ph.D.
President, Mark and Bette Morris Foundation

Edward S. Riss
Investor

Dolph Simons
Chairman, The World Company