February 2026 Newsletter: The latest growing impact for all Missourians

Wilford Pinkney Jr.

St. Louis Mayor’s Office

City of St. Louis, Office of Violence Prevention

Wilford Pinkney Jr. currently serves as the Director of the Office of Violence Prevention for the City of St. Louis. The Office of Violence Prevention provides strategic direction and oversight for the City of St. Louis’ efforts to create safe and healthy neighborhoods free of violence.

Mr. Pinkney previously served as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Children, Youth, and Families for the City of St. Louis. He has overseen the development of a Crisis Management System focused on building healthy and vibrant communities by addressing trauma and increasing access to care. Prior to joining the administration, Pinkney was a FUSE Executive Fellow leading a cross-sector group of stakeholders in the development of a comprehensive pretrial reform plan in the City of St. Louis.

Wilford holds a B.S. in Organizational Management from Mercy College, a Masters in Public Administration from New York University, and a Master of Arts in Political Science from the CUNY Graduate Center. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center, where he specializes in public policy and American politics.

Todd Kaye

Board President

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP

A partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, where he focuses on mergers and acquisitions, securities law, and general corporate matters, Mr. Kaye holds a J.D. and an M.B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. He also serves on the Board of Directors of College Bound. Mr. Kaye has been a member of Missouri Appleseed’s Board of Directors since November 2017.

Hugh A. Eastwood

Attorney at Law

Mr. Eastwood is a litigator, mostly in civil rights, who has won significant verdicts and settlements for victims of government misconduct, for whistleblowers, and for those harmed by breach of trust and contract. He received his B.A. and J.D. from Yale, where he has also taught. Before law school, he managed the site design competition for the rebuilding of the World Trade Center at Ground Zero. Mr. Eastwood serves on the boards of several St. Louis nonprofits and has been a director of Missouri Appleseed since November 2017.

Molly Carney

ACLU of Missouri

Staff Attorney

Ms. Carney is a staff attorney at ACLU of Missouri. Before that, she served as in-house counsel at Wells Fargo Advisors, where she supported the brokerage business with a variety of legal matters. Previously, Ms. Carney clerked for Chief Judge Rodney Sippel of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and spent several years practicing trusts and estates law. She is a graduate of Northwestern University and Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. She has been a member of Missouri Appleseed’s Board of Directors since April 2019.

Andrew Schlichter

Schlichter Bogard & Denton

Mr. Schlichter is a trial attorney at Schlichter Bogard & Denton, where he focuses on class actions and complex civil litigation. He received his B.A. from Georgetown University and J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and has been a member of Missouri Appleseed’s Board of Directors since November 2017.

Brandon Hall

Husch Blackwell

Brandon is an associate attorney at Husch Blackwell, in St. Louis, Missouri, where he practices healthcare law. He obtained his B.A. in Political Science from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at SUNY Albany, and his J.D. with concentrations in both healthcare and employment law from Saint Louis University School of Law. Prior to and during law school, Brandon worked extensively in government relations, including on state and federal health policy matters. Brandon also currently co-teaches Grassroots Health Law, Policy, & Advocacy at Saint Louis University School of Law’s Center for Health Law Studies.

Cindy Finney Henry

Attorney at Law

Ms. Henry earned her B.A. in Justice Systems from Truman State University and her J.D. from St. Louis University. She spent nearly two years as an Assistant Circuit Attorney in St. Louis City, where she prosecuted cases ranging from misdemeanors to sex crimes and child abuse. Ms. Henry then spent several years representing juveniles in delinquency and criminal proceedings as part of the Missouri Public Defender’s Juvenile Defense Unit. Most recently Ms. Henry taught several courses as an adjunct professor in the Criminal Justice Program at St. Louis Community College. Ms. Henry has been a member of Missouri Appleseed’s Board of Directors since November 2017.

Tali Katz

Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C.

Mrs. Katz is an attorney at Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale, P.C. She practices litigation with a focus on corporate defense work. She previously worked for the Office of the District Attorney General in Nashville, Tennessee, where she led the domestic violence prosecution team. In 2014, Mrs. Katz received the Outstanding State Government Official award for her work as a prosecutor. Mrs. Katz served as a director of The Mary Parrish Center for victims of domestic and sexual violence in Nashville and has been a director of Missouri Appleseed since January 2018.

Ray Lin

Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment

Mr. Lin received his B.A. from Harvard University and his J.D. from Columbia University. He is Chief Legal Officer for Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment. He is a retired partner at Latham & Watkins LLP, where his practice focused on the representation of private equity firms in mergers and acquisitions and capital market transactions. He serves on the Board of Visitors of Columbia Law School. Mr. Lin is Chairman of National Appleseed’s Board of Directors and has been a member of Missouri Appleseed’s Board of Directors since November 2017.

Jessica Moore

Cigna

Head of Enterprise Strategy

Arianna Muckerman

The Centene Corporation

Arianna Muckerman is the Senior Director for the Centene Corporation. She received her B.A. from Boston College and her M.P.H. from Washington University in St. Louis. She has been a member of Missouri Appleseed’s Board of Directors since July 2021.

Wilford Pinkney Jr.

St. Louis Mayor’s Office

City of St. Louis, Office of Violence Prevention

Wilford Pinkney Jr. currently serves as the Director of the Office of Violence Prevention for the City of St. Louis. The Office of Violence Prevention provides strategic direction and oversight for the City of St. Louis’ efforts to create safe and healthy neighborhoods free of violence.

Mr. Pinkney previously served as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Children, Youth, and Families for the City of St. Louis. He has overseen the development of a Crisis Management System focused on building healthy and vibrant communities by addressing trauma and increasing access to care. Prior to joining the administration, Pinkney was a FUSE Executive Fellow leading a cross-sector group of stakeholders in the development of a comprehensive pretrial reform plan in the City of St. Louis.

Wilford holds a B.S. in Organizational Management from Mercy College, a Masters in Public Administration from New York University, and a Master of Arts in Political Science from the CUNY Graduate Center. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center, where he specializes in public policy and American politics.

Alexandra Rankin

Upstream USA

Alex Rankin is the Associate Director of State Policy with Upstream USA and has worked to advance access to health care throughout her career. Prior to joining Upstream, Alex worked as the Director of Government Affairs for a large health foundation where she was responsible for engaging and educating policymakers on various health policy topics, including Medicaid and maternal and reproductive health. Alex graduated from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2015 with a concentration in health law and is a licensed attorney through the Missouri Bar. Alex lives in St. Louis with her husband, daughter, and dog and enjoys exploring new parks and the vibrant St. Louis foodie scene.

Annie Beattie

St. Louis County Justice Services

Ms. Beattie is a staff attorney for the St. Louis County Justice Services Pre-Trial Release Program. She received her B.A. from the University of Virginia and her J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law. Ms. Beattie, who also serves on the founding Board of Directors of Gateway Children’s Charity, has been a member of Missouri Appleseed’s Board of Directors since November 2017.

Michelle Clardy Dobbs

Caleres, Inc.

Associate General Counsel

Wilford Pinkney Jr.

St. Louis Mayor’s Office

City of St. Louis, Office of Violence Prevention

Wilford Pinkney Jr. currently serves as the Director of the Office of Violence Prevention for the City of St. Louis. The Office of Violence Prevention provides strategic direction and oversight for the City of St. Louis’ efforts to create safe and healthy neighborhoods free of violence.

Mr. Pinkney previously served as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Children, Youth, and Families for the City of St. Louis. He has overseen the development of a Crisis Management System focused on building healthy and vibrant communities by addressing trauma and increasing access to care. Prior to joining the administration, Pinkney was a FUSE Executive Fellow leading a cross-sector group of stakeholders in the development of a comprehensive pretrial reform plan in the City of St. Louis.

Wilford holds a B.S. in Organizational Management from Mercy College, a Masters in Public Administration from New York University, and a Master of Arts in Political Science from the CUNY Graduate Center. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center, where he specializes in public policy and American politics.

Wilford Pinkney Jr.

St. Louis Mayor’s Office

City of St. Louis, Office of Violence Prevention

Wilford Pinkney Jr. currently serves as the Director of the Office of Violence Prevention for the City of St. Louis. The Office of Violence Prevention provides strategic direction and oversight for the City of St. Louis’ efforts to create safe and healthy neighborhoods free of violence.

Mr. Pinkney previously served as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Children, Youth, and Families for the City of St. Louis. He has overseen the development of a Crisis Management System focused on building healthy and vibrant communities by addressing trauma and increasing access to care. Prior to joining the administration, Pinkney was a FUSE Executive Fellow leading a cross-sector group of stakeholders in the development of a comprehensive pretrial reform plan in the City of St. Louis.

Wilford holds a B.S. in Organizational Management from Mercy College, a Masters in Public Administration from New York University, and a Master of Arts in Political Science from the CUNY Graduate Center. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center, where he specializes in public policy and American politics.

Julie Alverson

US Account Director, Health and Beauty at Brand Addition

Emily Baron Bernstein

McCormack Baron Salazar

As Senior Vice President of Development at McCormack Baron Salazar, Ms. Bernstein is responsible for all aspects of the development process, including leveraging and securing project financing and coordinating a diverse team of specialists, consultants, investors, stakeholders, and public officials from project inception through project stabilization.

She has worked on multiple development projects, including North Sarah Apartments, Flance Early Learning Center, Covenant Place, and Preservation Square in St. Louis, Foote Park at South City in Memphis, Tenn., and the Cedars and Magnolia in Galveston, Texas.

Prior to joining McCormack Baron Salazar, Ms. Bernstein worked at the Nathalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhoods and Community Improvement and the Community Development Financial Institution, IFF, in their Real Estate Development Group. Ms. Bernstein’s experience extends beyond managing development and construction into financial structuring of both 9% and 4% low-income housing tax credit deals, as well as mixed finance transactions.

Ms. Bernstein holds a Master of Arts in Urban Planning from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Jake Rosenfeld

The Weidenbaum Center

Jake Rosenfeld is a professor of sociology at Washington University in St. Louis, and a resident fellow of the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy. He is primarily interested in the determinants of wages and salaries, and how these vary across time and place. His book What Unions No Longer Do (Harvard University Press 2014) examines the consequences of organized labor’s decline, and received wide attention in such outlets as the New Yorker and Harvard Business Review. His book You’re Paid What You’re Worth and Other Myths of the Modern Economy (Harvard University Press 2021) seeks to answer the basic question: who gets what and why? The book has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Harvard Business Review, among other outlets. He received his Ph.D. from Princeton University.

Mary Quandt

Executive Director

Mary Quandt is the Executive Director at Missouri Appleseed. Originally from rural Wisconsin, she has called Missouri home for almost a decade. Mary received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Master of Public Health from Washington University in St. Louis, and a law degree from St. Louis University School of Law. Before Missouri Appleseed, Mary served in the Peace Corps as a health educator and worked with various public health nonprofits.

Elizabeth Larsen

Legal Services of Eastern Missouri

Liz Larsen has been an “access to health care” advocate since her time at Saint Louis University School of Law where she graduated with a health law concentration in 2016. In her current role as Program Director of the Advocates for Family Health team at Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, she works with families to not only access Medicaid health insurance, but to utilize the benefits to their fullest. Liz engages in both direct client and systemic advocacy to ensure all Missourians have meaningful access to their Medicaid and SNAP benefits. When not thinking about health insurance, Liz spends time with her husband, toddler, and 10-year-old puppy finding the best coffee shops St. Louis has to offer.

Carolina Sanchez

Intern

Carolina is a senior at John Burroughs who will be graduating in June. She is attending Haverford College in Pennsylvania next fall. Her interest in public policy and care of incarcerated people is what drew her to Missouri Appleseed, as well as its positive impact on Missouri families and communities.

Jordan Ault

Husch Blackwell, Jefferson City

Office Managing Partner

Aryka N. Moore

WEATHERS LAW, LLC

Attorney

Tasha Kaminsky-Gross

Gateway Arch Park Foundation

Tasha Kaminsky-Gross is a dynamic philanthropic leader with over 15 years of experience driving fundraising success for small and mid-sized nonprofits across diverse sectors. Known for her ability to mobilize niche communities and craft bold, tailored major gift strategies, she has led transformative initiatives—from securing major corporate partnerships to launching the first woman-led capital campaign in the Diocese of St. Augustine. Tasha is also the founder of two thriving nonprofits and currently leads major and legacy giving at the Gateway Arch Park Foundation.

Rachel Sorensen

Project Manager

Rachel Sorensen is a Program Manager at Missouri Appleseed researching criminalized survivors to advocate for survivor justice legislation. Rachel received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and English from St. Lawrence University and a certificate in forensic psychology from Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to joining Appleseed, Rachel worked with WashU’s Prison Education Project as an AmeriCorps member. At PEP, Rachel supported the university’s incarcerated student population at the Missouri Eastern Correctional Center and the Women’s Eastern Reception, Diagnostic, and Correctional Center.

Laura LaGesse

Director of Research

Laura LaGesse is the Director of Research at Missouri Appleseed. Laura received her bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Whitman College and a Master of Public Health from Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to joining Appleseed, Laura worked in public health research and within local public health departments. Her experience includes working in correctional environments helping incarcerated residents get connected to resources and enrolled in Medicaid.