Senior Staff
Anne D. Neal, President
One of the founders of ACTA in 1995, Ms. Neal became president in 2003. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude from Harvard College with an A.B. in American History and Literature and received her J.D. from Harvard Law School, where she served as the first woman editor of the Harvard Journal on Legislation. From 1980 to 1982, Ms. Neal specialized in the First Amendment at the New York City law firm of Rogers & Wells. She has also served as General Counsel of the Office of Administration in the Executive Office of the President, General Counsel and Congressional Liaison of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and editor of the American Bar Association newsletter, Communications Lawyer.
Lauri Kempson, Vice President
Ms. Kempson joined ACTA in 2000 and oversees all administrative aspects of its day-to-day operations. Prior to joining ACTA, she owned her own desktop publishing company in Los Angeles. In addition, she served on the governing boards of Ivanhoe Elementary School and All Children Great and Small, as well as worked with local government and community organizations on issues of neighborhood safety and outreach. She has also written technical manuals for Merrill Lynch in New York City. She has a B.F.A. in Theatre with a concentration in English from Stephens College.
Charles Mitchell, Program Director
Mr. Mitchell manages ACTA’s development efforts, media relations, and internship program. He currently participates in the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation’s Associates Program, where he is expanding ACTA’s knowledge base in development and managerial techniques. Mr. Mitchell’s work experience includes the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, Young Conservatives of Pennsylvania and the Heritage Foundation, as well as receiving the Claremont Institute’s Publius Fellowship. He graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in history and economics from Bucknell University.
Erin O'Connor, Research Fellow
Erin O'Connor writes, researches, and blogs for ACTA. She received her B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and earned her Ph.D. in English language and literature at the University of Michigan. She has taught English at the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania. Currently a director of communications at the Moving Picture Institute, she has been writing about higher education issues since launching her weblog, Critical Mass, in 2002.
Maurice Black, Research Fellow
Maurice Black contributes writing and research to ACTA. He received his B.A. in English and economics from the National University of Ireland, Maynooth, and his Ph.D. in English from the University of Pennsylvania. He taught English at Penn, and taught literature, philosophy, and creative writing electives at a private school in Massachusetts. A director of communications at the Moving Picture Institute, he has worked with the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education and other nonprofit educational foundations.