Bios
Field Team
John Pudner
President
After rising to Senior Vice President of National Grassroots at McGuireWoods Consulting, the Government Affairs arm of the 63rd largest law firm in the world, John resumed a 25-year career running Republican campaigns, having already won 14 of 17 Virginia legislative races in the first of three state legislative takeovers in states in which he lived – culminating in Alabama. He directed nationwide faith-based turnout for George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign and later led critical referendum wins—compiling an 185–17 record. After an 8-year break from political campaigns to focus on policy, he returned to politics in 2022 as political director for Tim Michels’ upset primary victory and 2nd strongest general election showing of 26 gubernatorial challengers, and was the first to elect a Republican mayor in a majority black city (Shreveport, LA). In Wisconsin. He won school choice initiatives in Louisiana, California, Virginia, Georgia and fell just short in New Jersey against the $48 million teachers’ union. He built a grassroots infrastructure distributing 402,000 voter comparison pieces in Wisconsin during the race in which Donald Trump went from a 20,000-vote loss to a 29,000-vote win.
For John’s full bio, go to the Board bio page.
Holly Klucarich
Director of Strategic Engagement & Field Operations
Holly has managed high-impact conservative voter contact programs across battleground states. She served as Northern Wisconsin Director for Senator Ron Johnson’s re-election campaign and supported Governor Glenn Youngkin’s 2021 victory in Virginia. She combines political instinct with professional discipline, having served as mayor, school nurse, commercial realtor, and church leader—building teams and operations. She brings “instant offense” by rapidly assembling and deploying teams able to knock 1,000+ doors a day within two to three days of taking on a project.
Holly’s grassroots experience spans coast to coast, including major field operations in Texas, Arizona, the Midwest, and New England. She has managed canvassing efforts in state legislative races across New England, including a victory for a first-time Maine State Senate candidate, and has supported conservative candidates throughout the region.
Elected mayor at a young age, Holly later served her community as a school nurse before building a successful career in commercial real estate and recruiting, where she trained sales teams and led organizational growth. Her leadership at church—where she has led worship and volunteer ministries—naturally evolved into full-time conservative organizing as her operational strengths became clear.
Since 2019, Holly has worked with the Republican National Committee, with targeted breaks to assist critical campaigns in Wisconsin and beyond. Her work on Senator Ron Johnson’s 2022 campaign—widely credited as decisive in his narrow statewide victory—cemented her reputation as a disciplined, results-oriented field leader. She now plays a central role in Wisconsin Faith & Freedom’s strategic engagement and field operations, ensuring rapid deployment, accountability, and measurable voter contact.
Chris O’Brien
Executive Director & Church Outreach
Chris is a paramedic, campaign veteran, and pro-life organizer who moved from Connecticut to battleground Wisconsin. He served as Executive Director of Connecticut Right to Life and founded Life Cards, a nonprofit delivering pro-life education and pregnancy resources. He directed WIFFC’s 2024 Church Outreach program, leading statewide volunteer activation and voter engagement, and now oversees organizational leadership and year-round church engagement efforts, including scaling voter registration initiatives.
A Connecticut native, Chris brings experience from campaigns ranging from local school board races to national efforts, including Mike Huckabee’s 2016 presidential campaign. He combines frontline public service—saving lives as a paramedic—with grassroots political organizing rooted in faith and community.
Chris currently leads Life Cards, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit combating abortion misinformation through targeted postcard mailings that provide education and connect families with pregnancy resources. Before his promotion to Executive Director, he led WIFFC’s Church Outreach operation, mobilizing pastors, congregations, and volunteers to distribute large quantities of candidate comparison guides. WIFFC was the only organization responsible for an area that shifted 10 points more conservative during that election, as written up in Restoration News.
Under his leadership, WIFFC significantly expanded its church network, strengthened cross-denominational relationships, and increased volunteer activation across the state. Now serving as Executive Director & Church Outreach, Chris is responsible for organizational leadership, strategic growth, and sustained faith-based civic engagement, with a primary focus on voter registration and long-term infrastructure. He is known for translating principled conviction into practical strategy that delivers measurable results.
Spencer LaVerde
State Director
Spencer is an emerging conservative leader with experience in door-to-door canvassing, large-scale petition gathering, and volunteer coordination. He leverages professional logistics experience to maximize voter contact and engagement across Wisconsin, leading Faith and Freedom’s Southeast Wisconsin operations and statewide strategic initiatives. His tabling efforts at conservative events are legendary, often gathering the most signatures at events of any organization.
Spencer entered politics after building a career in the transportation industry, where he developed strong logistical and operational skills. Recruited into grassroots organizing, he quickly distinguished himself by coordinating canvassers, identifying high-impact neighborhoods, and personally knocking doors to refine strategy through firsthand voter interaction.
He continues to live and work in Southeast Wisconsin—the state’s most vote-dense and politically competitive region—where he oversees volunteer recruitment, field deployment, and day-to-day execution of Wisconsin Faith & Freedom’s grassroots efforts. Known for his work ethic and adaptability, Spencer plays a key role in ensuring that the organization’s voter contact operations remain disciplined, data-informed, and effective across the state.
Riley Swedberg
Director of Policy and Social Media
Pam Hodge
Administrative Assistant
Kristi Felber
Senior Advisor for Strategic Alignment and Mission Impact
Kristi Felber brings more than 30 years of experience in strategic communications, branding, and mission-driven program alignment to the Wisconsin Faith & Freedom Coalition. As founder and owner of Beaumont Day, a national consulting firm, she has advised faith-based organizations in healthcare, education, and social services on how to clarify their vision, strengthen engagement, and deliver results that reflect the values and goals of their benefactors.
Kristi’s focus is ensuring that the Coalition’s priorities and programs not only stay true to our mission, but also resonate with the long-term objectives of the individuals and families who make our work possible. Her role is to help steward those relationships thoughtfully—ensuring that every initiative we undertake is built for measurable impact and sustained growth, with transparency and shared purpose at the core.
Throughout her career, she has served in executive and advisory roles for organizations including Catholic Health Initiatives, Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, and Community Involvement Programs in Minneapolis. Her leadership has guided organizations through transformational change, including during the pandemic, when she successfully repositioned a Catholic elementary school for long-term growth and stability.
A strategic thinker known for quickly identifying gaps and opportunities, Kristi leads with both heart and clarity, helping values-based organizations achieve high-impact outcomes. She and her husband Mike live in Elkhart Lake.
Kelly Herrell
Event Director
Kelly Herrell is a seasoned event organizer with a strong background in political and advocacy-driven field operations. She led field efforts for U.S. Senator Ron Johnson’s campaign and Americans for Prosperity before transitioning into event planning.
Building on her field experience, Kelly has orchestrated impactful events supporting law enforcement and combating human trafficking. She plays a key role in the Wisconsin Faith and Freedom Coalition, evaluating the viability of major events, including their first large-scale fundraising gala—modeled after the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition’s 1,000-attendee event, which has become a premier gathering for conservative leaders and grassroots activists.
Kelly is also a driving force behind Defend Your Worth, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering individuals and communities in the fight against exploitation and abuse. Her passion is to lead with faith, utilizing existing networks to spread the word, mobilize communities, and inspire action. Through her work, she ensures that critical causes receive the attention and engagement they deserve.
Cori Huston
Operations & Logistics Coordinator
Cori Huston brings a unique blend of financial expertise and logistical precision to her role with the Wisconsin Faith and Freedom Coalition. With over three decades of experience in tax preparation and small business management, Cori has a deep appreciation for systems that serve people and principles—making her a valuable asset in planning and executing mission-driven events.
As the longtime co-owner of Convenient Tax Service and a second-generation franchise owner of Merry Maids, Cori is no stranger to building trust, managing teams, and coordinating complex operations. She now applies those skills to support events, trainings, and high-impact gatherings that advance faith, freedom, and community engagement across Wisconsin and beyond.
Cori’s passion for service extends into her volunteer work, particularly in support of women and families facing hardship. In 2000, she founded a charitable program benefiting local domestic violence shelters, which later expanded nationally through the Helping Hands of Merry Maids initiative. Her leadership earned her recognition as one of the Milwaukee Business Journal’s Women of Influence in 2004.
Outside of work, Cori enjoys traveling with her family—including her energetic triplets—and finds joy in skiing, exploring new cultures, and cheering from the sidelines of youth sports. Her heart for community, coupled with her operational acumen, makes her a steady and mission-focused presence on the team. Her 18-year-old son is an Eagle Scout.
Alex Cucchiaro
Southeast Canvass Leader
Never shying away from a tough challenge, Alex first knocked on doors for a Sheriff’s candidate at the age of 10, two years younger than John Pudner’s first door knocking. Winning conservative races in liberal areas was crucial for the Broward County, Florida native born to a legal immigrant police officer and a stay at home mother.
His first management position came in a race against Debbie Wasserman Schultz, where he was promoted from office manager to campaign manager. His organizational skills on that race drew attention and he was made a Field Organizer to help Rick Scott for Senate and Ron DeSantis for Governor. In 2020, his team achieved an award for having the most calls of any team in the STATE of Florida.
He is also the founder and President of the Republican Club of Sunrise Florida, which had the youngest and most diverse cabinet in Broward.
Thousands of canvassers knocked on doors for the national Faith and Freedom Coalition efforts, and Alex was the only one to top 20,000 doors.
Darren Brady Nelson
Policy Advisor
Darren Brady Nelson is an independent economist, modeler and think-tanker who works in the USA, Australia, and around the world. He is an expert in fiscal, monetary, and regulatory policies, as well as Austrian, Chicago, and Christian economics. He aims, as Aussie maverick politician Don Chipp once did, to “keep the bastards honest.”
Darren is the inventor of applying Australian CPI-X regulation of public utility prices to American government budgets in order to obtain revolutionary cuts; at state and federal levels. He is the author of the book the Ten Principles of Regulation and Reform as well as the first submission to the Australian Parliament on central and big banks monetary-driven inflation.
Darren is an Australian-American dual-citizen with Australian university degrees of a Bachelor of Economics (cum laude) majoring in economic history and policy as well as a Master of Commerce (magna cum laude) majoring in business law and regulation. On a local level, among a slate of candidates backed by Pudner who swept the Milwaukee 2025 GOP Caucus, Darren was the only unanimous selection as Treasurer due to his impeccable credentials.
Joe Meleski
Waukesha Field Director
Joshua Naponiello
Field Organizer
Josh joined originally as an intern in 2016, and has set up key meetings in Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois, and recruited hundreds of members via phone calls to conservative activists throughout the country. From there he completed his studies as a Political Science honors student at Wisconsin Eau Claire. In between projects for TBOR Action, Josh managed teams of volunteers and digital ads for Vanguard Field Strategies from 2017 to 2020 – building the foundation for the organization to knock on more than 3 million doors in one year to win over voters and get candidates on the ballot via petition drives. He has served as both campaign manager and political director on various campaigns, and as Regional Director for the Wisconsin Republican Party organized President John Pudner’s first speech after moving to the state.
He ran statewide pro-life efforts for the Pennsylvania Family Institute, oversaw door knocking in 2022 including in Nevada for now Governor Joe Lombardo, the only of 28 challengers to defeat a sitting Governor that year. In that race he recruited and supervised dozens of door-to-door canvassers in Reno and throughout the northern part of the district, handling vetting and background checks, hiring and letting canvassers at the first indication of fake data or for not reaching productivity goals. He then took a position with the Indiana House Republicans for the 2023 Legislative Session, which concluded in April 2023, and then returned to work on phone efforts and other grassroots for Take Back Our Republic Action in May 2023.
Juan Luckey
WI-IL Border Field Director
Khenzer Senat
Milwaukee Regional Director
Khenzer has been involved with Wisconsin state politics since 2017, beginning with the 2018 Gubernatorial election. He was the African American Engagement Director for the Republican Party of Wisconsin from 2017-2023,
During this time he’s established engagement efforts with the African American community throughout Wisconsin as well as developed & sustained relationships with faith-based, business, education, community & Black media leaders in the African American Community. He developed & activated volunteers/supporters for voter contact through phone banking, door knocking & literature drops. He also helped African American republican candidates in 2020 & 2022 cycles in predominately democratic districts to run for offices in the State Senate, State Assembly, Alderperson and School Board and acted as advisor on said campaigns.
Khenzer also served as Outreach Director for the Hovde for Senate campaign during the 2024 election cycle.
Natalie Zebian
Special Projects and Phone Bank
After 8 years as one of the top grassroots activists for Americans for Prosperity in Wisconsin, Natalie Zebian took over phone operations and recruitment for Ron Johnson for US Senate, as well as for Tim Michels for Governor alongside personnel on leave from TBORAF.
Natalie’s skill in recruitment, training and the development of staff at the corporate level helped her recruit, onboard, and oversee dozens of staff and volunteers who made half a million calls within a 3- month period ensuring a primary victory for Michels. Natalie, who has excellent communication skills, is responsible for the voicemail recording that reached hundreds of thousands of voters.
Dr. Virginia Pratt
Director, Community Outreach
Dr. Virginia Pratt knocked on 1,000 doors and reached out to Milwaukee churches in her first days after taking over Community Outreach for WIFFC. This effort built on her lifetime of restoring hope and providing opportunity for those in need. She is a former Probation and Parole Agent for the State of Wisconsin and a pivotal figure in addressing youth violence and domestic violence in Milwaukee. Dr. Pratt teams up with former gang members and ex-convicts, facilitating transformative sessions at the Alma Center, where they mentor at-risk youth. She helped with EXPO Wisconsin, where, every first Wednesday of the month, she met with former inmates who shared their personal stories to teach conflict resolution and instill self-worth in young people. Her commitment is rooted in restoring hope, providing opportunity for those in need, and breaking the cycle of violence and incarceration. Dr. Pratt is helping to change lives in Milwaukee’s communities. Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Wendy and Randy Johnson
Northeast (Green Bay) Field
Randy and Wendy Johnson’s Northeast teams reached thousands of doors throughout the Green Bay region and recruited volunteers from several surrounding counties. The family operation, originally started by Randy Johnson (the one in the orange shirt this weekend, who began regional canvassing operations decades ago), provided a turn-key model with family members meeting this weekend to review the progress of each of their teams of many more volunteers. It looks like they will be reaching conservative voters for decades to come, with the next generation already learning the trade as a volunteer apprentice, including a grandson who is helping!
The Corporation shall be operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as now in effect or as may hereafter by amended (“the Code”), including, but not limited to, charitable, religious and educational activities to inform, equip, and mobilize people of faith and like-minded individuals to be effective citizens of the State of Wisconsin, including encouraging principles that strengthen families, promote time-honored values, protect the dignity of life and marriage, lower the tax burden on small business and families, and require government to tighten its belt and live within its means. The Corporation shall also engage in and support other charitable, social, and educational initiatives as the Board may determine from time to time, consistent with and in accordance with section 501(c)(3) of the Code.
Wisconsin Faith and Freedom Coalition
MAILING ADDRESS
Wisconsin Faith and Freedom Coalition
1433 N. Water Street, Suite 400
Milwaukee, WI 53202
(404) 606-3163
jpudner@wisconsinffc.com
