WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) announced its Spring 2024 class of visiting fellows.
“I am thrilled to announce our new class of visiting fellows. IWF is committed to advancing policies that aren’t just well-intended but actually enhance people’s freedom, opportunities, and well-being,” said Heather Madden, policy staff director at Independent Women’s Forum. “Each new class of fellows plays a vital role in advancing that mission. This new cohort of visiting fellows brings deep-rooted expertise on crucial issues facing our nation, including education, the environment, worker freedom, the rule of law, and others. We cannot wait to see their work take shape over the next six months.”
IWF’s new class features women from a variety of backgrounds, including those who have worked in law, education, energy research, and foreign affairs.
Learn more about these fellows below:
Eleanor Bartow is the features editor at The Federalist. She was an editor at The Daily Caller, an investigative reporter at the Daily Caller News Foundation, and editor-in-chief of the American Enterprise Institute’s magazine, The American. Before AEI, she was a reporter for Congressional Quarterly, writing for its publications CQ Politics, CQ Weekly, and CQ Today. Her work has also been published by Real Clear Policy, Real Clear Investigations, Real Clear Health, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The International Herald Tribune, The American Spectator, Washingtonian Magazine, and National Geographic News. She received a Fulbright Professional Grant in Journalism, and was a Lincoln Fellow with the Claremont Institute and a Washington Fellow with the National Review Institute. At the University of Virginia, she was an Echols scholar. She has been interviewed on C-SPAN, Fox News radio, NPR, and more. Eleanor joins IWF as a visiting fellow.
Grace Bydalek, originally from Omaha, Nebraska, is a student at Reformed Theological Seminary, pursuing a Masters in Theology. She is the Director of the Dissident Project, a non-profit dedicated to educating American high schoolers against authoritarianism through the personal testimonies of young dissidents. Her writing has appeared in National Review, the New York Sun, Reason Magazine, the Conservateur, the New York Daily News, the Federalist, the American Spectator, the American Conservative, Washington Examiner, Nebraska State Legislature and the UNL Board of Regents campaigns. A professional actress, Grace has been featured in numerous television shows, including HBO’s High Maintenance. She was a 2021 Gotham Fellow, and recipient of the Cultural Renewal Project Grant, with which she co-founded “It Is Good: A Festival of Arts + Faith.” Grace joins IWF as a visiting fellow.
Maggie Cleary serves as special counsel to Attorney General Jason Miyares, where she prosecutes major crimes cases. Previously she served in Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration as Deputy Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security where she worked to pass the governor’s anti-crime agenda. Maggie has also served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, in Roanoke, and the Culpeper County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, where she was a state prosecutor for four years. A seventh generation Virginian, with ancestors hailing from Woodstock, she is a proud member of Daughters of the American Revolution and graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University and University of Virginia School of Law. In 2021, Maggie was named one of Maverick PAC’s Future40 awardees. Maggie joins IWF and Independent Women’s Law Center (IWLC) as a visiting fellow.
Tahmineh Dehbozorgi is a multilingual journalist and regular commentator on national and local news media, discussing regulations, elections, and foreign policy. She is currently a Juris Doctor candidate at The George Washington University Law School, focusing on National Security and Cybersecurity Law. Her experience includes a summer associate role at AT&T’s Global Public Policy, where she worked on cybersecurity and consumer privacy regulatory matters. Tahmineh has served as a law clerk at the Federal Communications Commission and the New Civil Liberties Alliance, concentrating on communications and constitutional law. Tahmineh graduated from UCLA in 2020 with a BA in political science, conducting empirical research on public opinion and the political process. She joins IWF as a visiting fellow.
Claudine “Beanie” Geoghegan is manager of Content & Solutions and co-founder of Freedom in Education. She has been involved in education for over two decades as a teacher, parent, volunteer, and advocate. She spent the last two and a half years in a leadership position for No Left Turn in Education, a national parents’ organization, where she also created mission-driven content and worked alongside parents to champion parents’ rights and shine a light on the harmful content in K-12 schools. Claudine is passionate about ensuring that all students have access to a high-quality education that shapes them into virtuous citizens, and she is using her experience in the classroom and as a parent to continue to advocate for the next generation. Beanie joins IWF and the Education Freedom Center (EFC) as a visiting fellow.
Jill Jacobson is a third-year law student at Boston College Law School. She holds a Masters in International Affairs from Northeastern University and is a contributor at Young Voices. She will be a federal law clerk for the 2024-2025 term. Jill joins IWF and IWLC as a visiting fellow.
Samantha (Sam) Janney is the highly accomplished and respected Managing Editor of the popular Twitchy website. Millions of readers rely on her expertise and insights served up with a dash of humor every year. Known as The FOO (aka @Politibunny) in conservative, right-leaning circles, she is a force to be reckoned with. With years of experience in media, communications, marketing, public affairs, and policy in both public and private industry, Sam has developed a deep understanding of the issues that matter most. She is a confident and assertive leader who knows how to get things done. Her passion for her work is matched only by her dedication to excellence. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Sam is also deeply committed to giving back to her community. She is actively involved in a number of volunteer organizations such as March of Dimes, The Arc, and St. Jude, and is always looking for ways to make a positive impact locally and nationally. Overall, Sam is a powerhouse who is not afraid to take charge and make positive change happen. Sam joins IWF as a visiting fellow.
Paige Lambermont is a Research Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute in the Center for Energy and Environment. In her role, she covers the electrical grid, energy regulation, nuclear power issues, and other free-market energy topics. Before joining CEI she was a Policy Analyst at the Institute for Energy Research where she wrote on a range of energy issues including grid reliability, nuclear, critical minerals, and energy regulation. Paige has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from American University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Idaho. She is also a Policy Fellow at Catalyst where she publishes a column. Paige joins IWF and the Center for Energy and Conservation (CEC) as a visiting fellow.
Jennifer Oliver O’Connell is an investigative journalist, author, entrepreneur in reinvention helping those who are stuck in between jobs, a life decision, or life circumstances successfully transition from one phase to another, and entrepreneur in yoga-inspired workshops and programs. Jennifer writes on politics, pop culture, cultural concerns, and media at As the Girl Turns on Substack, RedState.com, 1819 News, and other outlets. Jennifer has been a featured contributor on The Grace Curley Show, CONK! News, The Larry O’Connor Show, All American Radio with Jennifer Kerns, The Mark Reardon Show, and others. She is a co-author of the 2022 memoir, The Making of An American Hip-Hop Tycoon and contributor to the 2018 Outstanding References Sources List (RUSA) and American Book Fest 2017 Award-winning women’s encyclopedia: Women in American History, A Social, Political, and Cultural Encyclopedia and Document Collection. In her writing, Jennifer has studied, interviewed, and featured the individual achiever, their ordinary and extraordinary accomplishments, and their process toward great achievement, as well as personal, career, and financial success. Jennifer joins IWF and the Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) as a visiting fellow.
Anna St. John is president and general counsel of the Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute. She has spoken on topics of class action fairness, government overreach and regulatory abuses, the First Amendment, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Anna has argued appeals before the Second, Seventh, Ninth, and D.C. Circuits and state courts in New York and California, and presented arguments to over a dozen federal and state trial courts. Previously, she clerked for the Honorable Rhesa H. Barksdale on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and was an attorney with Covington & Burling LLP. Anna is a graduate of Columbia Law School, where she was named a James Kent Scholar. She joins IWF and IWLC as a visiting fellow.
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Independent Women’s Forum is dedicated to developing and advancing policies that aren’t just well intended but actually enhance people’s freedom, choices, and opportunities.