Dan Balz is chief correspondent at The Washington Post. He joined The Post in 1978 and has been involved in political coverage as a reporter or editor throughout his career. Before coming to The Post, he worked at National Journal magazine as a reporter and an editor and at the Philadelphia Inquirer. At The Post, he has reported on ten presidential campaigns. The first political convention he covered was the Democratic Convention in Chicago in 1968. He is the author of several books, including two bestsellers. He was born in Freeport, Ill., and served in the U.S. Army. He is married to Nancy Johnson Balz.

Kerri first joined the Institute of Politics as a receptionist and staff assistant in October 1999, coming to the Kennedy School with over ten years of experience in hospitality management with Interstate Hotel properties. As finance and administrative coordinator, Kerri works closely with the IOP finance manager, program leads, fellows, and students on day-to-day finance tasks including invoice payments, billing, reconciliation, and reporting. Kerri also onboards new members of staff and works closely with the JFK Jr. Forum on event management. Kerri is born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Laura Dove joined the Institute of Politics in 2023 after a stint as a Pritzker Fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics.

Laura devoted decades of service to the United States Senate, from her appointment as a page in the 1980s to her election as the body’s secretary for the majority. An officer of the Senate, Ms. Dove was nominated by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, elected unanimously by the Republican Conference, and ratified by the full Senate from 2013 until her retirement in 2020.

As party secretary, Ms. Dove was responsible for forging consensus among Republican and Democratic Senators to move legislative and executive matters across the floor of the Senate, confirming presidential nominations and treaty documents, and coordinating activities with the minority, House of Representatives, and the executive branch.

When Laura retired from Senate service, she joined Ford Motor Company, where she led federal government relations for two years. 

She holds a master’s degree from the University of Virginia and a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Tatyana joined the Institute of Politics in 2023. For over three years she served as a faculty assistant and publications coordinator for the International Public Management Journal at Harvard Kennedy School. She also supported the Harvard University Commencement Morning Exercises in 2019, welcoming former German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the Commencement speaker.

While serving as a program officer at the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy and the Social Sciences at Dartmouth College, she developed, created, and ran a robust portfolio of leadership development programs for undergraduate students for four years. Tatyana also supported students at the John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding as an advisor for international internships and fellowships.

She is the founder of Monada Coaching, a high-performance leadership and confidence coach, a motivational speaker, and author of programs on conscious leadership.

She holds a master’s degree in globalization from Dartmouth College and a combined bachelor's and master's degree in French and English languages and literature from Kuban State University, Russia.

Celina joined the Institute of Politics in July 2022. She is originally from Germany and graduated from Harvard College in 2022 with a joint degree in government and East Asian studies. Prior to joining Harvard Kennedy School, Celina worked as a student advisor for the Office of International Education at Harvard. She has also been involved with the European Youth Parliament and held various leadership roles in the international student society at Harvard College. As administrative coordinator at the IOP, Celina assists the executive team and provides logistical support for the daily workings of the Institute.

Dejanee Miller joined the Institute of Politics in June 2022. Originally from Boston, Dejanee graduated from St. John’s University in May 2022 with a degree in criminal justice. Prior to joining Harvard Kennedy School, Dejanee interned with the New York Civil Liberties Union and New York State Department of Probation. She has also been involved with non-profit organizations assisting with prison reform and the fight to gain exoneration for those who were wrongfully convicted. In her role as coordinator of the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum, Dejanee assists in the planning and execution of Forums at the IOP.