Leadership
John Pudner
President
John Pudner brings more than two decades of experience winning campaigns and building grassroots operations at the highest levels of American politics. After rising to Senior Vice President of National Grassroots at McGuireWoods Consulting, the government affairs arm of one of the nation’s largest law firms, he resumed a 25-year career running Republican campaigns. Pudner compiled a 185–17 record across campaigns and referendums, including victories on major policy initiatives such as school choice in multiple states.
He directed nationwide faith-based turnout for President George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign and later helped lead efforts that contributed to three separate state legislative takeovers. After stepping away from campaigns for eight years to focus on policy, he returned to politics in Wisconsin in 2022, serving as political director for Tim Michels’ gubernatorial campaign. He has also been credited with building large-scale voter contact programs, including distributing more than 400,000 voter guides in Wisconsin during the 2024 presidential cycle. Pudner’s focus today is on building a lasting grassroots infrastructure capable of sustaining conservative victories in a highly competitive state.
Holly Klucarich
Director of Strategic Engagement & Field Operations
Holly Klucarich leads Wisconsin Faith and Freedom’s field operations and strategic engagement efforts, serving as one of the organization’s most critical operational leaders. She has managed high-impact conservative voter contact programs across battleground states, including serving as Northern Wisconsin Director for Senator Ron Johnson’s re-election campaign and supporting Governor Glenn Youngkin’s 2021 victory in Virginia.
Known for her ability to quickly assemble and deploy effective teams, Holly has built canvassing operations capable of knocking more than 1,000 doors per day within days of launch. Her experience spans Texas, Arizona, the Midwest, and New England, where she has managed state legislative field efforts and contributed to key victories, including a first-time Maine State Senate win.
Holly’s leadership background extends beyond politics. She has served as a mayor, school nurse, commercial real estate professional, and recruiter—building teams and training leaders in each role. Her work in church leadership, including worship and volunteer ministries, naturally evolved into full-time grassroots organizing. Since 2019, she has worked with the Republican National Committee, with targeted assignments on major races. Pudner has said she is the first person he has worked with who could “take over the operation the next day,” reflecting her rare combination of leadership, discipline, and execution.
Kelly Herrell
Executive Director
Kelly Herrell serves as Executive Director of Wisconsin Faith and Freedom Coalition, helping translate strategic vision into statewide impact. With a background in both field operations and event leadership, she has worked on major efforts for U.S. Senator Ron Johnson and Americans for Prosperity before expanding into large-scale event planning and organizational development.
Kelly plays a key role in evaluating and executing major initiatives, including large-scale grassroots events and fundraising efforts modeled after nationally recognized programs. She has also led efforts supporting law enforcement and combating human trafficking, demonstrating a commitment to applying grassroots networks to critical social issues. As a leader of Defend Your Worth, a nonprofit focused on empowering individuals and communities, she brings both organizational discipline and a mission-driven approach to her work. At WIFFC, she ensures that field, outreach, and growth strategies are aligned to expand the coalition’s long-term impact.
Anna Carter
Treasurer
Anna Carter oversees financial management, compliance, and reporting for Wisconsin Faith and Freedom Coalition. With a background at one of Alabama’s top accounting firms, Jackson Thornton, she has managed compliance and financial operations for multiple organizations since 2015.
She is responsible for audits, financial reporting, and ensuring compliance across state and federal regulations, working closely with leadership to maintain transparency and accountability. In addition to her work with WIFFC, Anna serves as Controller for a major roadbuilding network of companies and has spent more than a decade as a financial advisor for Delta Zeta Sorority.
Tori Sorg
Development Director Emeritus (pro bono)
Tori Sorg has provided invaluable pro bono guidance to the Wisconsin Faith and Freedom Coalition for years, since her earlier work with John Pudner for another organization. During that time, she helped advise the organization without compensation while simultaneously raising hundreds of millions of dollars in her professional work for other organizations and causes.
While helping raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for one of Pudner’s previous organizations, Tori quickly identified what she believed was his greatest weakness as a fundraiser — feedback he still remembers today.
As Tori told him:
“John, donors are often convinced within minutes that you have the solution they need and are ready to give. But instead of closing, you get excited and keep explaining more and more about how you get things done. You think it builds confidence, but donors can actually become suspicious when you over-explain, and you keep talking yourself out of the close.”
The organization deeply appreciates the wisdom and strategic advice Tori continues to provide,and confident her insights will help new Executive Director Kelly Herrell channel the enthusiasm and trust she builds with supporters into the long-term relationships and financial support needed to sustain and expand the Wisconsin Faith and Freedom Coalition’s mission.
Special Projects for Data & Community Affairs
Aubreigh Phillips
Youth Director
Like the previous person featured, Natalie, Aubreigh Phillips is often the first canvasser voters see on Southern projects, leading teams into new areas. While Natalie is known for her classic Midwestern voice and has delivered video messages to hundreds of thousands of voters from Arizona to her home state of Wisconsin, Aubreigh typically records a message before leading conservative youth into a Southern district. You can view one of the messages she left for a Southern senator before leading youth teams in door-to-door efforts here:
https://www.youtube.com/@johnpudner3590/shorts
As her teams of young conservative canvassers reached doors, they were often greeted by residents who had seen the video text about canvassing starting by asking, “Are you a friend of Aubreigh’s?” When Aubreigh herself knocked on a door, many voters responded with genuine excitement. Combined with the explanation that the campaign was visiting homes because the senator wanted more information to better serve his constituents, the effort helped produce the best election result of any competitive seat that cycle, with the senator receiving 73 percent of the vote.
The story still circulates that Aubreigh became a “must hire” when John Pudner and a senator visited the Waffle House where she was working while finishing high school. During their visit, she had them—and nearly everyone else in the restaurant—laughing each time she stopped by their table, an immediate sign that she had a natural ability to connect with people and would be highly effective with voters. When the team visited the Capitol many a legislator saw all the members, focused on her and said, “Wait, are you the famous Waffle House girl?”
Chris O’Brien
Church Outreach (ex-ED of CT Right to Life and WIFFC)
Chris directs church outreach for WisconsinFFC as well as back in his native New England where he ran CT Right to Life. In addition, he currently leads Life Cards, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit combating abortion misinformation through targeted postcard mailings that provide education and connect families with pregnancy resources. He took on the duties of of WIFFC ED on a temporary basis where he set the organization up to mobilize 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 reported by Restoration News.
Their partnership beg
Chris is a longtime pro-life leader and faith-based organizer, with experience that includes:
- Executive Director of Connecticut Right to Life (past role)
- Founder/Leader of Life Cards, a Wisconsin nonprofit delivering pro-life education and pregnancy resources via mailed postcards
- Paramedic and campaign veteran, saving lives professionally while serving in offices ranging from local town council to national campaigns (e.g., Mike Huckabee, 2016)
He has now been promoted to Executive Director & Church Outreach, overseeing organizational leadership and year-round church engagement efforts, with a primary focus on voter registration. Chris is known for combining principled conviction with practical strategy, translating faith into sustained civic engagement that delivers measurable results.
Freedom and Family Action – National Regional Field Directors
Alex Cucchiaro
Southeast Regional (Alabama) & National Political Director
Freedom and Family Action
Alex Cucchiaro has been involved in grassroots politics since childhood, beginning door-to-door efforts at age 10. A Broward County, Florida native, he developed a reputation for winning conservative races in challenging environments. He rose quickly through campaign roles, serving as campaign manager in a high-profile race against Debbie Wasserman Schultz after starting as an office manager.
His work led to roles supporting major statewide efforts, including Rick Scott’s U.S. Senate campaign and Ron DeSantis’ gubernatorial race. In 2020, his team earned recognition for producing the highest call volume in the state of Florida. Nationally, among thousands of canvassers working with Faith and Freedom efforts, Alex was the only individual to surpass 20,000 doors knocked—demonstrating both personal discipline and leadership in the field.
Betsy Smith
Logistics and Internal Communications
Betsy (pictured here with 1 of 2 of her twin mini-me canvassers) attended Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina, studying chemistry and physics, while remaining actively involved in political clubs and volunteering in the field on grassroots campaigns during her time in school. She spent the next 12 years working within various healthcare practices and organizations, but ultimately always found herself in a management position overseeing complicated transitions, detailed scheduling, and communication amongst staff members — often while continuing to work and train others on the floor.
Betsy now combines these acquired skills and the (at times, unsolicited as she was told to supervise her 8 siblings camvassing efforts) canvassing experience she received as a child to streamline internal communications and organize logistics across and within WIFFC teams. She’s also not afraid to get out in the field to knock on doors, monitor polling stations, or attend campaign events – when the rambunctious five year olds allow it.
Logan Scott
Southwest Regional (Texas)
Freedom and Family Action
Logan Scott brings over 10 years of hands-on experience leading large-scale door-to-door operations across political campaigns and petition projects. Rising quickly from canvasser to Community Outreach Director, Operations Director, and Field Director, he has successfully recruited and staffed teams of 30-50 people, brought offices and projects up to scale, and consistently exceeded door goals in competitive environments. Known for his strong work ethic and ability to motivate others, Logan is passionate about grassroots organizing and expanding conservative outreach especially in his home state of Texas.
Seref (Joseph) Avcikurt
Northeast Regional (Massachusetts)
Data and IT Manger
Seref (Joseph) Avcikurt recently graduated Cum Laude from Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems, bringing a strong foundation in technology, customer service, and problem-solving to the Wisconsin Faith & Freedom Coalition and national Freedom and Famly Action team. Educated in one of America’s premier college cities, Joseph combines technical expertise with a practical, service-oriented approach developed through both academic projects and hands-on technical support experience.
While attending Wentworth, Joseph served on the university’s Tech Support team, where he resolved software and hardware issues for hundreds of students, faculty, and staff, managed service requests through ServiceNow, and assisted with equipment deployment and event technology. His coursework emphasized networking, cybersecurity, project management, systems analysis, and business applications, and included building a secure VPN server and conducting market research projects. He is proficient with Windows, macOS, Linux, Java, Microsoft Office, and a variety of technology support tools.
At Freedom and Family Action, Joseph assists with technology and operational support, applying his analytical skills and attention to detail to help strengthen the organization’s digital infrastructure and day-to-day operations. His combination of technical knowledge, adaptability, and commitment to customer service makes him a valuable member of the team as the organization continues to expand its grassroots and voter engagement efforts.
Jack Anderson
Northeast Regional (Massachusetts) & Government Relations Director
Freedom and Family Action
When John Pudner told friends in Alabama that he was moving to “the state that will decide the Presidency in 2024 — Wisconsin,” his exceptional youth director, Ashley Sellers, walked into his Auburn, Alabama office right after a local CBS interview about a referendum campaign they had just won and said, “I just talked to a guy named Jack Anderson in Wisconsin who can meet with you and take over youth outreach there. He started college early, is going to graduate from UW–Madison in 2½ years, and is already running Turning Point USA there as a freshman.”
Jack was, in fact, Pudner’s first meeting with a new leader after the move to Wisconsin, and the two quickly began giving joint presentations around the state. Jack also became one of the leaders in the remarkable growth of College Republicans of America, which expanded from strong foundations in Wisconsin and California into a new national organization.
You may have noticed that Jack has been off the bio page for a while. After graduating, he became Special Advisor to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at HHS, a role in which he accompanied RFK Jr. at events across the country. Pudner would occasionally see Jack at events in Washington, D.C., and Jack often shared that former Governor Tommy Thompson remained highly respected among his coworkers at HHS.
We are glad to welcome Jack back in a part-time capacity after his year serving in the Administration. As Government Relations Director, he provides information and advocacy, but any lobbying on issues like ActBlue is conducted by the 501 (c) (4). www.freedomandfamilyaction.com.
Joe Finigan
Northwest Regional (Minnesota) & Data/Analytics Director
Freedom and Family Action
Joe Finigan serves as Minnesota Coordinator for Freedom and Family Action, helping expand the organization’s grassroots voter-contact efforts in Minnesota, particularly in communities along the Minnesota–Wisconsin border.
A student of economics who previously worked in the banking sector, Joe brings both analytical skills and a strong understanding of community engagement to the organization’s mission of identifying, educating, and turning out conservative and faith-based voters. He works closely with fellow Twin Cities-based team member Darren Nelson to build and coordinate canvassing, voter-contact, and volunteer efforts throughout the region.
Joe’s interests include soccer, baseball, investing, and public policy. He is passionate about helping connect voters with information on the issues and candidates that impact their families, communities, and freedoms. Through year-round grassroots outreach, Joe is helping strengthen Freedom and Family Action’s efforts to build a lasting conservative presence in Minnesota and neighboring states.
At age 30, Joe represents a new generation of grassroots leadership focused on combining data-driven voter engagement with personal, face-to-face conversations that encourage civic participation and informed voting.
Tre Barrow
Mid-Atlantic Regional (North Carolina/Virginia)
Freedom and Family Action
This photo captures just how comfortable voters seem to be sharing information with Tre Barrow, a rising national star in the canvassing world. Tre possesses the rare combination of reaching among the highest numbers of doors per day of any canvasser in America while also generating an unusually high level of voter engagement. Not only do voters come to the door, but many stay to have meaningful conversations that go well beyond simply answering survey questions.
Beyond his work throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, Tre was part of the team that traveled to South Alabama for an extraordinary grassroots effort. In the final 48 hours of a closely watched election, the team reached more than 4,000 doors with a hard-hitting contrast piece featured by Freedom and Family Action. The effort contributed to a victory for a candidate who had been heavily targeted throughout the campaign.
Whether working in North Carolina, Virginia, or across the country, Tre has developed a reputation for combining exceptional productivity with a genuine ability to connect with voters—an increasingly rare and valuable skill in modern grassroots politics.