About

Jeffrey Jeb Nadaner

Executive Vice President, Government & Public Affairs

Jeffrey Jeb Nadaner is the Executive Vice President of Government & Public Affairs at SAFE and the Executive Director of SAFE’s Commanding Heights of Global Transportation.

He has served in key positions in Republican and Democratic administrations, including for several Secretaries of Defense and State, and Attorneys General.  As Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Policy, he played a leading role in Congressional passage of the CHIPS Act.

Earlier in his career, he was the Lockheed Martin Vice President of Corporate Engineering & Technology, JINSA Executive Vice President of Government Affairs, Director of the USMC Krulak Center of Innovation, and founder of the successful start-up, Straight Trading.

He earned his Ph.D. at Yale University, J.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, and B.A. at Duke University.

Jackie Burman

Vice President, Operations and Finance

Jackie Burman is the Vice President of Operations and Finance at Securing America’s Future Energy. In this role, Jackie works closely with the CEO and Vice President of Development to develop foundation and individual solicitation and engagement strategies for SAFE.

Prior to joining SAFE, Ms. Burman spent more than 4 years in Cape Town, South Africa where she assisted a wide range of non-profit organizations in reaching their funding goals. During her time abroad, she also helped create a fundraising academy to provide young adults with the skills necessary to begin careers in development. She worked in both marketing and fundraising in DC before this.

Ms. Burman holds a Bachelor of Art’s Degree from UNC-Chapel Hill and Masters’ degrees in business administration and Jewish Communal Service from Brandeis University.

Gourang Wakade

Vice President of Development

Gourang Wakade is the Vice President of Development for SAFE. Prior to joining SAFE, Gourang was the Vice President of Strategic Development, Membership and Events. Gourang is an experienced fundraiser with experience in raising funds for complex and demanding projects across a variety of industries including the non-profit, corporate and financial, higher education and events sectors.

Alisyn Malek

Executive Director, Commission on the Future of Mobility

Alex Adams

Director, Editing and Content

Alex Adams is the Director of Editing and Content at Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE). Prior to joining SAFE, Alex was a communications specialist at American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers, as well as a media analyst supporting State Department and NATO operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Before moving to Washington, D.C., Alex was the business editor for Muscat Daily, an English-language newspaper in Oman, where he focused on energy, trade and business development issues during the Arab Spring. He previously worked as a freelance journalist in the UK, covering trials at London’s Central Criminal Court as well as national medical tribunals. Alex holds a B.A. in English Literature from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne and a M.A. in International Affairs from George Washington University.

Abigail Wulf

Director of the Ambassador Alfred Hoffman, Jr. Center for Critical Minerals Strategy

Abigail Wulf is the Director of the Ambassador Alfred Hoffman, Jr. Center for Critical Minerals Strategy at SAFE. Abigail brings broad Earth science expertise to the Center, from researching rare earth- and lithium-rich pegmatites to working with NASA researchers to convey the connections between Earth’s component systems. She previously served as Senior Science Communicator for Research within NASA’s Earth Science Division. She also served as Policy Manager for the American Geosciences Institute, a nonpartisan federation of more than 50 professional scientific societies. While at AGI, Abigail co-led the Minerals Science and Information Coalition, a broad-based alliance of organizations representing all stages of the critical minerals supply chain.

Jeffrey Gerlach

Director, Transportation Policy and Strategic Content

Jeff Gerlach is a Senior Policy Analyst at Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE), where he supports the research, writing, and content development of SAFE’s policy team. Prior to joining SAFE, Jeff worked at a management consulting firm, where he supported the Department of Energy’s Office of Petroleum Reserves and Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability. He previously interned and consulted for SAFE in 2013, contributing to the Oil Security Index and the Commission on Energy and Geopolitics’ Oil Security 2025. Additionally, he worked on multiple political campaigns in Minnesota and completed a year of service in AmeriCorps.

Mr. Gerlach received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Anthropology from the University of St. Thomas in 2011 and his Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago in 2014.

Alex Hutkin

Director of Government Relations

Over the past 8 years, Alexander has worked with Congressional leadership on both sides of the aisle to introduce, negotiate, and pass bipartisan laws. Alexander’s areas of policy expertise include technology, transportation, foreign policy, intelligence, defense, and homeland security.

As Legislative Director, Alexander ensured Rep. Steve Russell became one of the most prolific and effective lawmakers in his Freshman class. As a result, Rep. Russell is currently ranked the #4 most effective legislator (out of a peer group of 59 Representatives newly elected in 2014). Alexander has facilitated the Congressman’s introduction of 37 bills (149% above peer group), of which 9 bills passed the House (176% above peer group) and 4 bills were signed into law (408% above peer group).

As Dep. Chief of Staff, Alexander leveraged deep knowledge of political leadership dynamics to propel Rep. Russell into the chairmanship of the National Security Subcommittee, and secured the Congressman’s status as the presumptive Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee at the conclusion of the current leader’s term—a rare honor for such a junior lawmaker.

Gidon Feen

Chief of Staff, The Commanding Heights of Global Transportation

Gidon Feen serves as the Chief of Staff, The Commanding Heights of Global Transportation. In this role, he supports SAFE EVP Jeb Nadaner in the actions and activities of SAFE’s Commanding Heights initiative. Prior to joining SAFE, Gidon was a management consultant at DRT Strategies, Inc., where he developed a knowledge management pilot for the leadership of the FDA.

Prior to DRT, Gidon worked on the 2016 Hillary Clinton campaign, organizing counties in Iowa and overseeing one third of Florida as part of the youth vote program. During the campaign, Gidon managed a combination of four university campuses, seventeen staff, and 130,000 potential student voters across more than 150 miles. His development of novel programming and campaign outreach resulted in thousands of registered voters. Gidon has also worked for the Podesta Group, where he coauthored a white paper on the 2020 census and provided extensive analysis on the political, economic, and social climate in African, European, and Middle Eastern countries in relation to American and business interests.

Gidon’s experience also includes an internship at the White House, supporting staff in the Office of Public Engagement and the National Security Council. There he assisted in organizing the opening event of the US-Africa Summit and coordinated President Obama’s meeting with the late Shimon Peres. He has also worked in the corporate offices of Apple, Inc. South Africa. Additionally, during his time in college, Gidon launched an innovative, multi-year campaign that led to his university implementing mandatory sexual assault prevention training for all incoming freshmen and the establishment of a Presidential Committee on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response.

A graduate of the George Washington University, Gidon was born in Jerusalem and raised across Israel, South Africa, and the United States. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs with a concentration in Security Policy.

Alyssa Siddiqui

Managing Director of Corporate Engagements

Alyssa Siddiqui is Managing Director of Corporate Relations at Securing America’s Future Energy (SAFE). She is responsible for identifying and implementing innovative strategies to enhance SAFE’s profile, expand its donor base, and develop new opportunities for engagement and growth.

Alyssa joined SAFE after over a decade at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, most recently as the Senior Director of Corporate Relations, where she led the strategy and execution of an integrated fundraising plan to achieve an annual revenue goal of over $9 million. She managed high-level corporate recruitment of new members, expanded relationships with existing clients and key stakeholders and launched the Let’s Rebuild America infrastructure initiative. Alyssa also oversaw the U.S. Chamber’s largest signature event, The Aviation Summit, held annually in Washington, DC which attracted over 900 attendees and participants, including top CEOs and industry leaders.

Alyssa began her career at the National Park Foundation working on the capital campaign for the Flight 93 National Memorial Fund. She graduated from Colby College with a Bachelors of Science in Government. She is a member of the Advisory Council, German American Aviation Heritage Foundation.

Martez Taylor

Executive Assistant

Ladeene Freimuth

Senior Advisor, Grid Security Project

Ron Minsk

Head of Policy

Marla Westervelt

Director of Policy, Commission on the Future of Mobility

Rachel Aland

Manager, Transportation Strategy at Commission on the Future of Mobility

Fendey Jean-Baptiste

Membership & Special Projects Coordinator, Commission on the Future of Mobility

Russell Glynn

Policy Associate, Commission on the Future of Mobility

Ashley Simmons

Director of Strategic Communications, Commission on the Future of Mobility

Dominic Mathew

Shared Mobility Policy Manager, Commission on the Future of Mobility

Kate Ito

Policy Associate, Commission on the Future of Mobility

Akua Assata

Staff Assistant

Danielle Woodring

Manager, Ambassador Alfred Hoffman, Jr. Center for Critical Minerals Strategy

Danielle Woodring is the Manager of the Ambassador Alfred Hoffman, Jr. Center for Critical Minerals Strategy at SAFE. Danielle brings real-world geological and science policy expertise to the Center. After obtaining her Master of Science in structural geology and geological mapping, Danielle worked as a geologist for the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Geological Survey, and the U.S. Geological Survey. Prior to her master’s research, she served as a Policy Associate for the American Geosciences Institute and worked for the American Geophysical Union. Her multi-faceted career provides her with insights into the science and policies informing all aspects of the critical minerals supply chain, from discovery and extraction to development and manufacturing.