Foundation Voices

Michael L. “Mikey” Weinstein – Founder and President

MRFF Board:

Brig. Gen. (Ret.) John Compere – West Texas Ranch born and raised, Cowboy, Patriot, Soldier, Lawyer, Rancher, and Judge. Compere spent 26 years in the military and retired as a Brigadier General. John was nominated by former President George H.W. Bush, confirmed and served as Chief Judge of the US Army Court of Military Review and US Army Legal Services Agency. He was recently recognized and honored by the State Bar of Texas for 50 years of valuable and meritorious service rendered to the Community, State and Nation as a lawyer.

Martin R. Esquivel – Esquivel has over 28 years experience as a trial lawyer and an unusually long and respected record as lead counsel in jury and bench trials in the United States District Court and state district court.  Since 2007, Esquivel has been continually recognized by his peers in Best Lawyers® as one of the “Best Attorneys in New Mexico” in the area of First Amendment Law. 

Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV (IN MEMORIAM) – The last American official to confront Saddam Hussein before the 1990 Gulf War, he had a 20-plus year career in Intl. relations, and held numerous senior government appointments, including Special Asst. to President Clinton and Sr. Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council.

Major William E. Barker (IN MEMORIAM) – As well as overseeing JROTC operations as District Military Instructor for Albuquerque Public Schools, the 28th largest school district in the country, U.S. Marine Corps Major Barker was the Chairman of New Mexico’s 1st District Democrat Congresswoman Michelle Lujan-Grisham’s Academy Selection Team and was appointed to the Albuquerque Police Oversight Commission representing City Council District 9.

MRFF Advisory Board:

Reza Aslan – A renowned writer, commentator, professor, Emmy-nominated producer, and scholar of religions. A recipient of the prestigious James Joyce award, Aslan is the author of three internationally best-selling books. He is the host and Executive Producer of Rough Draft with Reza Aslan.

Howard Bragman (IN MEMORIAM) – Has been a communicator, educator, entrepreneur, writer and lecturer for more than two decades. He founded a strategic media and public relations agency, Fifteen Minutes, in 2004. Howard is often featured on CNN’s Showbiz Tonight

Ambassador & Fmr. Senator Carol Moseley Braun – The first African-American female elected to the U.S. Senate. Because of Carol’s tireless fight for fairness and the eradication of discrimination President Clinton appointed her United States Ambassador to New Zealand in 1999.

CH (COL-R) Quentin D Collins – Chaplain Colonel Retired Quentin D Collins, Ph.D served the United States Air Force and the United States Army over a long and eventful career. Starting out as an enlisted Airman and eventually becoming a Chaplain, first in the Air Force and then in the Army he has understood first hand, the challenges a service member must face in various levels of following and leading. During his tenure he was involved in four combat deployments, all happening after 9/11.

James T. Currie – James T. “Jim” Currie grew up in Jackson, MS, and graduated Summa cum Laude from the University of Mississippi with majors in history and political science. While at Ole Miss he received the Taylor Medals in both history and political science. These awards are given to one student per subject per year. He then attended the University of Virginia, from which he received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in history and was commissioned through ROTC as a 2d Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He is a graduate of both the Army’s Command and General Staff College and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF).

Edie Disler – PhD, Lt Col (Ret), is a 25 year veteran of the Air Force who served as an ICBM crew member, an Executive Support Officer to the Secretary of Defense, a conventional arms control inspector, a speechwriter, and USAFA faculty professor.

Glen Doherty (IN MEMORIAM) – A highly-decorated combat veteran, this former Navy SEAL spent four years conducting security and intelligence operations in high threat regions including Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Glen was killed in an armed assault on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Glen lived and died believing in the righteous cause of religious tolerance and dialogue among all peoples and faiths around the globe.

Robert S. Dotson – Retired brigadier general. Author of the published novel, The Light on the Star.

Sam Fairchild – Chief Executive Officer, IndigoBlue Innovations, Inc., a transformative platform for delivering better healthcare outcomes for millions of patients in China and the Philippines, as well as among the Native American people.

Mike Farrell – An accomplished actor, best known for his role as B.J. Hunnicutt on M*A*S*H.  He is a dedicated human rights activist and Chair of the Board of Death Penalty Focus, Good Will Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and Co-Chair Emeritus of the California Committee of Human Rights Watch.

Marty France –  Is a retired USAF Brigadier General and former Permanent Professor & Head of the Dept. of Astronautics and Engineering Division Chair at the USAF Academy. He commanded the Department of Astronautics with final responsibility for curriculum, personnel, research, budget, long-range planning, faculty development, and cadet instruction.

Ted Furlow – He is a retired Director of Pastoral Planning after 16 years of ministry in the Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino, CA. Currently, Furlow is on his 25th year of active ministry in Marriage Preparation, Archdiocese of Los Angeles, CA.

Vyckie Garrison – Founder of No Longer Quivering and the Take Heart Project after leaving the Quiverfull movement, she educates the world about the dangers of abusive religious movements and provides support to the spiritually abused.

Joseph K. Grieboski – Since its founding in 1999, Mr. Grieboski has transformed the Institute on Religion and Public Policy into a well-respected global authority on the role of religious freedom in society and politics, culminating in its 2007 and 2008 nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Robert T. Herres (IN MEMORIAM) – A Naval Academy graduate with a 36 year career in the United States Air Force, he also served a three-year assignment as Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the first to hold that position.

Mala Htun – Professor of Political Science at the University of New Mexico. A former fellow of the Kellogg Institute of the University of Notre Dame and the Radcliffe Institute of Harvard University, she holds a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard University and a A.B. in international relations from Stanford University.

Pedro L. Irigonegaray – Litigation lawyer specializing in tort litigation, Constitutional, environmental, regulatory, gaming, contract, and criminal law. Irigonegaray & Associates, is headquartered in Topeka, Kansas.

Hali Jilani – An ethnic Afghan who works with the Military – primarily Officer training in the Marine Corps, Army and NATO on counter terrorism, cultural intelligence and international affairs

Gov. Gary Johnson – Has been referred to as the ‘most fiscally conservative Governor’ in the country, was the Republican Governor of New Mexico from 1995-2003, and was the Libertarian Party nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 and 2016 elections.

Gov. Richard Lamm (IN MEMORIAM) – American politician and lawyer. He served three terms as Governor of Colorado as a Democrat (1975–1987) and ran for the Reform Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 1996.

Kristen Leslie – Professor of Pastoral Theology and Care at Eden Theological Seminary and consultant to the United States Air Force Academy on religious matters.

Joseph J. Levin, Jr., Esq. – Co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Chief Counsel of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Served in U.S. Army, Military Intelligence Branch.

James T. McCollum – Dr. McCollum was the central figure in the watershed church-state separation case, McCollum v. Board of Education (1948). This landmark Supreme Court ruling struck down the unconstitutional religious education in U.S. Public Schools. Jim is a retired attorney who served two years active duty as an officer in the US Army and 6 years in the Active Reserve, leaving with the rank of captain. Jim is an adjunct professor in the History Department at Southern Arkansas University. 

Eagle Man, Ed McGaa (IN MEMORIAM) – He was an enrolled Oglala Sioux tribal member, OST 15287. After serving in Korea, he earned an undergraduate degree from St. Johns University, MN. He then later rejoined the Marine Corps to become a fighter pilot.

Reverend MeLinda Morton – An ordained minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). She is a former Chaplain in the United States Air Force, most recently serving at the United States Air Force Academy.

Bobby Muller – Nobel Peace Prize (1997), co-founder of the Int’l Campaign to Ban Land Mines. Other campaigns co-founded by Muller include the Nuclear Threat Reduction Campaign and the Campaign for Criminal Justice Reform.

Sheila Musaji – Founding editor of The American Muslim. Author of over 700 articles about Islam in America dealing primarily with issues of citizenship, interfaith dialogue, Islamophobia, and community building.

George Reed – Associate Dean of the School of Leadership and Education Sciences at the University of San Diego. Before joining the faculty of the the University of San Diego in 2007 he served for 27 years as a military police officer including six as the Director of of Command and and Leadership Studies at the U.S. Army War College.

Richard T. Schlosberg III (IN MEMORIAM) – A 23-year veteran of the communications business, he was publisher and chief executive officer of the Denver Post, publisher and chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Times, and executive vice president of The Times Mirror Company. Past President and CEO of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Susan M. Shaw, Professor, PhD – Professor of Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies at Oregon State University. She is an ordained Southern Baptist minister who now makes her home in the United Church of Christ. Her research and teaching interests are in women in Christianity, feminist theologies, and feminism and the Bible.

A.A. “Tony” Verrengia (IN MEMORIAM) – A retired Air Force Brigadier General, Tony was a Master Navigator that served in air transport operations positions for many years.

John Whiteside – Whiteside is one of only a few military aviators to possess both Senior Command Air Force wings and aircraft carrier qualified Naval Aviator wings, in addition to having been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for heroism in combat during Operation Desert Storm.

William B. Wiener, Jr. – His private foundation supports causes relating to the environment, civil liberties and the protection of the Constitution.

Col. (Ret.) Lawrence Wilkerson – The Distinguished Visiting Professor of Government and Public Policy at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. His last position in government was as Secretary of State Colin Powell’s Chief of Staff (2002-05).