STAFF
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Linda Rotunno
Chief Executive Officer - Linda Rotunno joined ACYPL in January 2008 as Chief Executive Officer with responsibility for all aspects of the organization's operations including staff management, private sector fundraising, federal grants solicitation and management, internal and external communications, budgeting and finance, and strategic planning.

Most recently Director of Development at the Center for American Progress, Linda brings to ACYPL over 20 years of management and development experience in the political and non-profit sectors, having directed major donor fundraising operations for political committees, candidates, and think tanks. She also served for eight years in the Clinton administration as Senior Advisor in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs where she oversaw the Fulbright Exchange Program and other government-sponsored international academic exchanges. In addition, she spent two years directing professional exchange programs at the Institute of International Education.

Prior to joining the Center for American Progress, Linda was Director of Corporate Relations at the Brookings Institution, National Finance Director for then Senator (now Governor) Jon Corzine and Director of Finance at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. She also oversaw major donor outreach at the Democratic National Committee during the 1992 presidential cycle.

Linda started her Washington career as a legislative assistant on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee for Senator Howard Metzenbaum. She has taken periodic breaks from Washington to live in New Zealand and Australia, where she worked with Walter Cronkite on a television series about the America’s Cup yacht race.

Linda holds a BS in international relations and political science and a MA in French. She and her husband, Philip, spend most of their free time with their children, Gideon and Theadora.

Quentin Lide
Chief Operating Officer - Quentin Lide joined ACYPL in January 2001 as Director of Programs and became Chief Operating Officer in 2006. In this capacity he supervises all current exchange programs; develops new exchange initiatives; prepares US government, foundation, and private sector grant submissions and proposals; and oversees ACYPL office procedures.

A former congressional legislative aide and current State Department overseas election observer for the Balkan region, Quentin served as ACYPL’s acting chief executive officer from June to December 2007. Immediately prior to coming to ACYPL he was Director of Congressional Programs at the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars, a Washington-based education program for college students.

Quentin is a native Washingtonian; he received his bachelor's degree from Boston University and his master's degree in American politics from the University of London.

To contact Quentin, please email qlide@acypl.org.

Bronwyn Bedient
Program Manager - Bronwyn Bedient coordinates international exchange programs for American political officials and their counterparts abroad. She joined the ACYPL staff in July 2004 and has worked with delegations from Asia, South America, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East.  She also coordinates ACYPL’s involvement with the Democratic Youth Network (www.democraticyouth.net).Two months after graduating from college, Bronwyn accepted a position teaching English at a university in northeastern China. She later taught at a private school and assumed a managerial role in addition to her teaching duties. After returning to the United States, she worked in undergraduate admissions at Florida Gulf Coast University. She has also served as a faculty advisor for the National Young Leaders Conference, where she facilitated leadership development for talented high school students, and as a residential teaching assistant for the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP).

Bronwyn grew up in southwest Florida and received a BA in English from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.  She speaks Mandarin Chinese.

To contact Bronwyn, please email bbedient@acypl.org.

Libby Rosenbaum
Development Manager - Libby Rosenbaum rejoined the staff of the American Council of Young Political Leaders as the Development Manager in March 2008 after having previously worked there from 2005-2006. As Development Manager, Libby works in partnership with the CEO to support all aspects of alumni, corporate, foundation and individual development as well as the management of ACYPL's annual gala.

Prior to returning to ACYPL, Libby worked as the Major Gifts Manager at the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank. Previously she worked to raise money and plan events for the U.S. Senate campaigns of Colorado Attorney General Ken Salazar and Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Hoeffel during the 2004 election cycle.

Libby earned a master’s degree in Politics and Government of the European Union from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2007 and graduated from the University of Michigan. In addition to living in London for a year, Libby has traveled extensively throughout Western and Central Europe, spent two months living in Israel, and visited Japan. She is a native of Evanston, Illinois.

To contact Libby, please email lrosenbaum@acypl.org.

Haleema Molberg
Director of Outreach - Haleema Molberg joined the ACYPL staff in April 2005 and was promoted to Director of Outreach in June 2007. Haleema manages the nomination and delegate selection processes, selects state hosts for inbound delegations, and coordinates alumni relations and events.

Prior to joining the ACYPL, Haleema worked in the office of former Maryland State Delegate John A. Hurson. She also interned in the Missouri State House of Representatives and has worked on several political campaigns.

Haleema’s international travel is extensive, including trips to Guyana, India, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Mali, Mexico, Panama, Scandinavia, Thailand, Western Europe and the Palestinian Territories. An itinerant by design, Haleema has lived on, off, and between the East and West coasts, but grew up primarily in southwest Missouri and received a B.S. in Political Science from Truman State University.

To contact Haleema, please email hmolberg@acypl.org.

Valerie Szybala
Program Officer - Valerie joined the ACYPL in February 2006 as a program officer. As a program officer Valerie coordinates international exchange programs for American political officials and their counterparts abroad.

Prior to joining ACYPL Valerie spent the fall of 2005 traveling in Southeast Asia.  While in Asia she spent two months volunteering with the tsunami relief effort and teaching English on Koh Phi Phi, a small island off the southwest coast of Thailand.  Valerie’s previous experience includes an internship with the World Resources Institute and political activism and organizing on issues such as student voting rights and genocide in Sudan.

To contact Valerie, please e-mail vszybala@acypl.org.

Mike Garretson
Communications Coordinator—Mike Garretson joined ACYPL in February 2007 as the organization’s Communications Coordinator. In this role Mike is responsible for crafting and implementing ACYPL’s external communications initiatives.

Prior to assuming his current position, Mike worked for a small public affairs firm and supported outreach as well as media and government relations efforts as an intern at Qorvis Communications. He also interned at the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, a bipartisan panel created by Congress and appointed by the President to provide oversight of U.S. Government activities intended to understand, inform, and influence foreign publics.

Kristin Rhebergen
Program Officer—Kristin Rhebergen joined the ACYPL staff as a program officer in February 2007. As a program officer Kristin coordinates international exchange programs for American political officials and their counterparts abroad.

Before coming to ACYPL, Kristin worked for the Michigan State Senate Democratic Caucus as a fundraiser during the 2006 campaign cycle. Previously she did congressional campaign consulting in Washington, DC.

Kristin graduated cum laude from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania with dual honors in International Relations and German.  She studied abroad in Germany and speaks German and French.

To contact Kristin, please e-mail krhebergen@acypl.org.

Chris Spangler
Program Officer—Chris Spangler joined ACYPL as a program officer in April 2008 and coordinates international exchange programs for American political officials and their counterparts abroad.

Previously, Chris served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger, West Africa, where he helped French and English teachers to improve their teaching abilities. He also worked with the youth in his community in a variety of capacities ranging from coaching a young girls soccer team to hosting an after-school club for high school boys. Prior to joining the Peace Corps, Chris served as an aide to a member of the Virginia General Assembly.

A native of Arlington, Virginia, Chris graduated from the University of Richmond in 2005 with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in History. He also studied abroad at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. In addition, Chris has spent considerable time in Senegal, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, and Namibia.

To contact Chris, please e-mail cspangler@acypl.org.