Principal
Mark Rodgers is the Principal of The Clapham Group and Managing Director of Wedgwood Circle – two companies that seek to influence culture upstream of the political arena. Mark served as the third-ranking Republican leadership staffer in the U.S. Senate for six years overseeing strategic planning and strategic communications. He also served as a high profile chief of staff to Senator Rick Santorum, working on Capitol Hill for a total of 16 years. He was known on the Hill for his work on such issues as poverty alleviation and global AIDS, as well as protecting life at its most vulnerable stages.
Mark is a published writer and a speaker at large and small gatherings on the topic of faith and public life, culture and caring for the least of these. His work over the years included an outreach to “culture creators,” and has worked closely with artists such as Bono, Patty Heaton and The Fray. He still collects pop culture artifacts, as the walls of his office attest.
Mark is a social entrepreneur, and enjoys finding ways to help people “do good while doing well.” Currently he serves as a Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. In the 1980’s, Mark worked at the Pittsburgh Leadership Foundation, a faith-based organization committed to addressing the social needs of Pittsburgh from a Christian perspective. He also founded the National Institute of Lay Education (NILE), which developed adult education curriculum to encourage reflecting Christian involvement in public life. He earned a bachelor’s degree in petroleum engineering from Penn State, and attended Trinity Episcopal School for ministry. Mark is married to Leanne, and the proud father of four children.
Jeff Hunt
Director of Operations
B.A. in Philosophy; B.A. Religious Studies, Westmont College; M.Div, Fuller Theological Seminary; MPS, George Washington University.
During his seminary studies, Jeff served at Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles, CA. Under his watch, the church placed over 3,000 people in 300 small groups around the southern California area.
Prior to starting the Clapham Group, Jeff served as the Media Coordinator for the Senate Republican Conference, which is the third-ranking Republican leadership office in the U.S. Senate. At the Clapham Group, Jeff has helped design and implement marketing campaigns for the films Amazing Grace, Bella, Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, Article VI, and Take. Jeff specializes in architecting and managing grassroots/grasstops campaigns.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Office: 703-425-2404
PETER MITCHELL
Associate, The Clapham Group
Director of Investment Strategies, Wedgwood Circle
Peter Mitchell was born in Clapham, South London (yes, really!), but moved when he was eight from England to Washington, DC (with his family, not by himself). After graduating from the Washington International School in DC, Peter returned to the UK to study Politics and Economics at Durham University, gaining a BA in 2005. Peter then went on to complete a one-year internship with his local church, focused partly on theology and partly on youth and community work. Following his internship, Peter returned to Durham University and did a part-time MA in Relational Politics, which argued for a holistic approach to human well-being that incorporated the value of relationships in society. While studying at Durham, he was elected to the local city council where he served a two year term until March 2009. During this time Peter served as the press spokesman and deputy leader for his party group.
Peter began working for The Clapham Group in January 2010, managing clients on domestic poverty alleviation, care for orphans and cause marketing. Peter joined the Wedgwood Staff as a Strategic Advisor and recently transitioned into his new role as the Director of Investment Strategies. Peter immigrated to the US in August 2009 to marry a lovely American by the name of Emily. They live in Manassas, VA where Peter is perfecting his American version of the English language.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Office: 703-425-2404
KRISTIN NEAL
Director of Communications and Events, Wedgwood Circle
Upon moving to DC in August 2008, Kristin Neal spent nine months under the direction of Steve Garber, Art Lindsley and John Yates, among others, as a Falls Church Fellow. As a Fellow, she studied the intersection of faith, vocation and culture, while learning to decompartmentalize the many components of life through living in an intentional Christian community. Kristin was hired as a Fellows Intern for Wedgwood Circle and The Clapham Group in September 2008, giving her the opportunity to serve as the Assistant Director of Events, manage communication between Wedgwood’s investors, artists and industry leaders, and also assist in The Clapham Group’s client and project management. In May 2009, Kristin was offered a full-time position at Wedgwood Circle and continued to serve as the Assistant Director of Events as well as the Director of Community Relations. In June 2010, Kristin expanded her responsibilities at Wedgwood Circle by stepping into her new role as Director of Communications and Events.
Kristin is a native of Massachusetts, growing up in a small New England suburb about 30 miles outside of Boston. She is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, with a liberal arts degree in Sociology. Kristin is a former classically trained dancer and enjoys reading a good book, sipping tea, daydreaming about the summer she lived abroad in Rome, continuing to serve as a discipleship leader for a small group of 8th grade girls at The Falls Church and making frequent trips home to visit her dear family in Boston and cheer on the Red Sox at Fenway.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Office: 703-425-2404
Lydia Sellers
Assistant to the Principal/Office Manager
A graduate of Patrick Henry College, Lydia Sellers studied Political Journalism, focusing on the integration of faith and culture. Throughout college, she continued her passion for politics by volunteering and staffing several congressional campaigns. After spending the summer of 2009 in the media department of Concerned Women for America, Lydia entered under the tutelage of a prominent DC editor, fostering her love for writing and her desire to shine truth into the culture. In Summer 2010, Lydia was hired full-time as the Assistant to Mark Rodgers and Office Manager for The Clapham Group.
Lydia currently resides in Fairfax, VA with her husband, Paul, who studies law at Georgetown University. In their spare time, they enjoy swing-dancing, drinking coffee, entertaining friends and taking adventurous walks around the neighborhood.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Office: 703-425-2404
Loredana Vuoto
Associate
Loredana Vuoto is a speechwriter, editor and columnist. She is the Founder and President of the Washington, DC-based speechwriting company, Eloquence. At The Clapham Group, Ms. Vuoto has worked on numerous assignments including managing an extensive project on climate change and creation care. She is currently writing a book on the history of the Catholic views on creation and stewardship. Prior to working at The Clapham Group, Ms. Vuoto worked on Capitol Hill as a speechwriter for Assistant Secretary Wade Horn at the Administration for Children and Families at the United States Department of Health and Human Services (2004-2006). She was also the assistant national editor and editorial writer at The Washington Times from 2003-2004. Ms. Vuoto served as a coalitions assistant conducting voter outreach among minorites and was a speechwriter for Senator Rick Santorum from 2001-2003. Her numerous articles and reviews have appeared in publications such as The Washington Times, The Weekly Standard, National Review, Crisis, and Human Events. She has also appeared on The Savage Nation. Ms. Vuoto specializes in communications as well as in cultural and family issues. She obtained a Master’s Degree in Communications at Concordia University and a Master’s Degree in Theology at the renowned John Paul II Institute in Washington, DC.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Office: 703-425-2404
Stasia FINE
Associate
Stasia Fine graduated from Northwestern College (St. Paul) in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Communication, double major in Bible, and minor in Youth Ministry. She continued her studies as a Disciples House Scholar at the University of Chicago Divinity School 2007-2008. Currently, Stasia is enrolled at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C. as a third year Master of Divinity student.
During the time between completing her undergraduate degree and starting her graduate work, Stasia started a non-profit multi-cultural ministry that served hurting teens in her hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. She also worked as the interim children and youth ministries director at a Methodist church. In her free time, Stasia enjoys going to the theater with her husband Scott, reading and working on personal research projects, and catching up with her family.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Office: 703-425-2404