The Secular Student Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the only national organization dedicated to atheist, humanist, and other non-theist students.

Portrait of large group of students cheering at college sporting event

The Secular Student Alliance empowers secular students to proudly express their identity, build welcoming communities, promote secular values, and set a course for lifelong activism.

Bylaws & Finance

Download our Bylaws Here

Download our Form 990 Here

Our People

Staff

Kevin Bolling is the executive director of the Secular Student Alliance. He has served in that position since 2017. Kevin brings with him 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience. His career has included over 10 years of student association management and on-campus program development from Los Angeles to Boston. For 10 years, Kevin served as the Executive Director of the California Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Foundation, a charitable trust serving the healthcare needs of the industries’ largely immigrant workforce. Most recently, Kevin served as the Director of Philanthropy at the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, a major LGBTQ arts advocacy organization, whose youth outreach work has moved thousands of hearts and minds across the US towards embracing LGBTQ equality.

Kevin
Executive Director

ssa@secularstudents.org

Biography

Kevin is the executive director of the Secular Student Alliance. He has served in that position since 2017. Kevin brings with him 20 years of nonprofit leadership experience. His career has included over 10 years of student association management and on-campus program development from Los Angeles to Boston. For 10 years, Kevin served as the Executive Director of the California Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Foundation, a charitable trust serving the healthcare needs of the industries’ largely immigrant workforce. Most recently, Kevin served as the Director of Philanthropy at the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, a major LGBTQ arts advocacy organization, whose youth outreach work has moved thousands of hearts and minds across the US towards embracing LGBTQ equality.

Matthew
National Organizing Manager

ssaorganizer@secularstudents.org

Biography

Born in Colorado and raised in St. Louis, Matt was a resident of Austin, Texas for over 20 years before recently moving to Los Angeles. During his time in Austin, Matt was an activist in a variety of movements, including anti-death penalty, anti-war, queer rights, gender equality, and union solidarity organizing.

After earning his BA in Anthropology from Texas State University in San Marcos, Matt helped co-found Queerbomb Austin, an alternative and fiercely inclusive annual queer pride event. Following the 2016 election, Matt helped to organize solidarity events to show broad support for Austin's Muslim community. He also co-founded Austin LGBT for Black Lives in the wake of the police murder of George Floyd in 2020. More recently Matt has worked on electoral campaigns in central Texas, helping to support progressive candidates at the city, county, and state levels. He also served as Campaign Manager for Austin is Safer When, a project to reallocate funds away from the Austin Police Department and toward alternative public safety projects and supportive housing for houseless folks.

Matt is excited to now call Los Angeles home and lives there with his partner Wyatt and their two adorable fur babies, Becca and Hansel.

Stephanie
Campus Organizer - West

ssawest@secularstudents.org

Biography

Chase
Campus Organizer - East

ssaeast@secularstudents.org

Biography

Chase has been involved in activism since age 19 when he took his first canvassing job during the summer in between years attending college. This awakened in him a desire to create positive change in the world and a new awareness of just how needed this is. He thus discovered that nurturing communities who work to achieve together what they can't do alone would be the passion that would drive him forward through the rest of his life.

Chase is also passionate, in his spare time, about watching movies, going on hikes, and spending time with friends and family.

Louise
Social Media

louise.jett@secularstudents.org

Biography

Communicating is Louise's specialty. In short, she is a storyteller and an educator. Flexible and strategic, she approaches challenges with optimism and enthusiasm. She is a social media expert and scholar, who spreads awareness of the Ethical Society of St. Louis, as their social media manager. A humanist, she values free thought and questioning. Devoted to behaving in a way that elicits the best in others, Louise believes all people have worth and deserve to be treated with respect. As a media specialist and faculty member at Lewis and Clark Community College, she serves as a mentor and friend to students and co-workers alike. Nothing makes her happier than sharing knowledge and learning from others.

Board of Directors

Harry Shaughnessy, Chair

Board Member since 2013

North Carolina

Biography

Harry Shaughnessy is the former President of Triangle Freethought Society in Raleigh, North Carolina, and runs a successful software consulting process. Harry attended North Carolina State University where he graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Most recently Harry is working on a game development startup focused on outdoor electronic gaming.

Through his work in various roles with TFS, Harry has been able to help build a diverse and vibrant community of atheists, agnostic and secular humanists. During his time working with the local community, Harry was able to bring attention to important causes while demonstrating that a life without religion can be quite meaningful and fun. In 2015, CNN featured Harry and his family in a front-page piece entitled "the friendly atheists next door."

Ryan Bodanyi, Vice Chair

Board Member since 2022

Michigan

Biography

Ryan Bodanyi's career spans research and advocacy, primarily in the environmental movement. He holds a Ph.D. and MS degrees from the University of Washington, where his research explored what cities and counties in the US are doing to mitigate their greenhouse gas emissions, and how those efforts influence local finance. He's built campaigns for the National Wildlife Federation, Clean Water Action, and the Clean Air Task Force. And he founded a non-profit to advocate for the half-million survivors of the 1984 chemical disaster in Bhopal, India, which he led for five years. He currently works with the Climate & Energy team at CivicWell.
When Ryan isn’t trying to save the world – how’s he doing so far? – he enjoys the company of his houseplants, to which he coos unselfconsciously. He also loves long bike rides, building community, and justice, not necessarily in that order.

Shanti Priya, Treasurer

Board Member since 2021

California

Biography

Shanti Priya is a financial executive focused on developing and executing strategies that have both immediate and lasting impacts on businesses and their profitability. Whether working in a large, multi-national company or a smaller, local company, she leverages her fifteen plus years of retail industry experience, business acumen, and operational expertise to achieve organizational objectives and build high-performing teams. Collaborative and transparent in style, she strives to continually learn and grow by working through the challenges in life and connects people together by appreciating multiple perspectives, openness, and listening.

Shanti is currently the CFO of Maxfield Enterprises, Inc. and lives in Los Angeles. She has an MBA from the University of Southern California and is a graduate of Scripps College where she majored in Honors English Literature and minored in Biology. In her free time, she loves to hike, knit, and cook for friends and family.

Jennie Frishtick, Secretary

Board Member since 2019

New York

Biography

Jennie Frishtick works at a government relations firm in New York City, where she helps clients in different sectors navigate local government. Previously, Jennie worked as an Organizer for the Democratic Party of Virginia in the 2016 election cycle, and has also interned with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in NYC.

Jennie founded the Claremont Colleges chapter of the Secular Student Alliance while she was a student at Scripps College, where she majored in Sociology with an emphasis in Secular Studies. For her senior thesis, Jennie carried out a quantitative survey of Claremont students’ (ir)religious affiliations, beliefs, and practices: Liberal Arts, Religion, and Irreligion: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Student Religiosity and Secularity at the Claremont Colleges.

Kristina Lee

Board Member since 2022

South Dakota

Biography

Kristina M. Lee is currently completing her Ph.D. in Communication Studies at Colorado State University and will be starting as an Assistant Professor at the University of South Dakota in the fall of 2022. Her research focuses on the intersections of religious and political rhetoric with a particular focus on secular rhetorical criticism, Christian nationalism, and the marginalization of atheists. Her award-winning work on “theistnormativity” focuses on and challenges how political discourses, rituals, and symbols normalize a connection between good citizenship and belief in God in the United States. She is passionate about promoting productive interfaith dialogues and civic engagement.

Chinelle Ekanem

Board Member since 2022

Washington, DC

Biography

Chinelle Ekanem is a Nigerian-American Attorney with a passion for marginalized community advocacy currently working as in-house Counsel for POLITICO. Chinelle has a B.A. in Political Science and focused her studies on International Relations (Virginia Commonwealth University), as well as a J.D. with a focus on Business Law and Civil Rights (New England Law). Chinelle has a wide range of professional experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors and has been committed to creating change in her community through grassroots organizing and volunteering with local nonprofits. In her free time, Chinelle enjoys providing pro bono legal services, psychology, yoga, and exploring other cultures through food and music.

Lishore Kumar

Board Member since 2023

Texas

Biography

Lishore Kumar is a high schooler from Tomball, Texas, and, among other things, a proud secularist. In addition to being a board member of the SSA, Lishore is also a 2023 United States Youth Ambassador. Selected as one of 12 students by the U.S. Department of State, he represented his country on a tour of Latin America. During his excursion, he met with national diplomats, politicians, and families to discuss how community initiatives are brought about. Additionally, Lishore is a passionate member of the healthcare field, publishing his own paper in the Harvard Medical Journal and working as a student researcher at the Baylor College of Medicine. Lishore's work in the medical field has led him to present at numerous universities and conferences across the country, and ultimately, be selected as a delegate for the National Youth Science Camp. Finally, Lishore is an avid Speech and Debate student (extemporaneous speaking) and musical performer (cello).

While Lishore is new to the board, he's no stranger to the SSA, as he was a recipient of the Secular Activist scholarship in 2022. Lishore is eager to serve the secular community in what he believes will be one of the most "honorable roles" of his career. He says, "I am drawn to the SSA for its incredibly welcoming community. In my term as a board member, I hope to improve the organization all while staying true to this resilient aspect."

Clinton Herndon

Board Member since 2023

Georgia

Biography

Clinton Herndon is a passionate advocate for individuality and freedom of expression. A veteran from Orlando, FL, he is currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science at Georgia Southern University and serves as the president of the SSA chapter. Before joining the military, Clinton worked on the Pride Committee at Lockheed Martin, where he developed a deep commitment to promoting diversity and inclusivity in all areas of life, not only at Lockheed, but the surrounding community of Orlando, Fl. He is a strong advocate for the separation of church and state and has been involved in various campaigns and initiatives to support this cause. In his free time, Clinton enjoys watching horror movies, reading books, and playing table-top games. With his unique perspective and dedication to social justice, Clinton is committed to making a positive impact in the world.

Paul Reed

Board Member since 2020

New Jersey

Biography

Paul Reed is also a Board Member for Gift Of Adoption Fund, the largest non-discriminatory provider of adoption assistance grants that give vulnerable children a permanent home and the chance to thrive.

Paul advises numerous organizations from Fortune 500 to startups and is known for his ability to solve complex problems by creating corporate strategies to help drive additional revenue. His areas of expertise are in customer success, turnarounds, special projects, international expansion, and corporate strategy/governance.

Paul previously worked at ResponseTap, Europe's largest call intelligence provider to lead efforts for international expansion from Europe to North America.

Paul is passionate about secularism, civil rights, and environmental protection.

Ron Zakay

Board Member since 2023

California

Biography

Ron Zakay, ex-pat Israeli turned San Franciscan native. Gay and throupled. Passionate DEI advocate. A serial entrepreneur with two decades of leading, and co-founding, several early-stage startups, as well as mentoring dozens of others. A proud generalist with a strong focus on innovation in automation, BI, startups, and venture ecosystems. Evangelizer by nature and a prolific networker; Ron often speaks as a specialist, judge, and panelist in angel groups, accelerators, and incubators. Forever sharing his passion for building with founders and firms alike a more inclusive, representative, and profitable future, now.

Olivia Fines

Board Member since 2023

Virginia

Biography

Olivia Fines is an Ethics and Compliance Attorney with a passion for social justice reform and education on privilege and prejudice. Olivia received her BA in Political Science from Virginia Tech, completed a masters program in Government Procurement with the University of Virginia, and received her law degree (with a specialization in International Business Law) from George Mason University School of Law. In her spare time, Olivia enjoys spending time with her family (a husband, 3 kids, and two dogs), traveling, reading, and writing dystopian science fiction. She is committed to a life of kindness, believes in science, and enjoys giving back to her local community through volunteer work and activism.

Mike Bills

Board Member since 2023

Utah

Biography

Dr. Mike Bills joined the AtlasRTX team as President in October 2020. He has been a successful entrepreneur and CEO/President in a broad set of industries. He brings passion, energy, innovation, and a keen eye for strategy into every endeavor.

Mike’s career as a business leader got off to an early start when he became the Chief Information Officer for Feature Films for Families at age 22. At the time, Feature Films for Families, a producer and distributor of family-oriented entertainment, had over 500 employees and $35 million in revenue. During his time at Feature Films for Families, Mike led nearly every business function before ultimately becoming President of the company. When he left to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors of his own, the business was generating nearly $70 million in revenue.

After leaving Feature Films for Families in early 2004, Mike sought a turnaround opportunity and led the purchase of two troubled manufacturers of transportation equipment, the strategic and operational turnarounds, and the sale to a strategic buyer. In 2009, Mike founded Call Assistant, a technology-enabled BPO contact center business. Mike and his founding team bootstrapped the business from nothing to $13 million in recurring revenue in just over two years. In early 2013 Call Assistant was sold to private equity and Mike continued to serve as CEO for the PE owners through the end of 2014.

After Call Assistant, Mike had the opportunity to combine his skills as an entrepreneur and business leader with his passion for higher education. Mike has served on the Westminster College board of trustees since 2008 and chairs the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee. Mike’s passion as a board member has been improving learning outcomes for historically underserved populations. Between 2015 and 2020, Mike served as President of ConexED, the leader in virtual student services in higher education. Dr. Bills is a leading expert in using technology and data science to improve student learning outcomes.

Mike is a graduate of Westminster College in Salt Lake City where he continues to serve on the board of trustees. He completed his Ph.D. at Antioch University Graduate School of Leadership and Change where his research focused on higher education governance and leadership. A former nationally ranked triathlete, Mike now focuses on being fit rather than fast, and spends most of his free time mountain biking, road cycling, and skiing (sometimes all three in the same day).

Wilds Ross

Board Member since 2023

Virginia

Biography

Wilds Ross is a renowned expert in the field of data science, analytics, and machine learning, with a strong track record of success in helping organizations harness the power of data to drive strategic decision-making. He has 25 years of experience in the industry, having worked with some of the leading companies in the technology and consulting sectors. He currently serves in an advisory capacity for several strategy, consulting, and technology businesses around the world.

Prior to joining the SSA board, Mr. Ross served as lead partner for data and analytics at leading management consulting firms, where he led a team of data scientists and engineers in developing advanced analytics and machine learning models to drive growth and innovation. He has also worked as an independent strategy consultant, advising clients across a range of industries on how to leverage data to optimize their operations and improve customer engagement.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mr. Ross is a multi-instrumental musician, gamer, husband, father, and an active member of the atheist community. He holds degrees in both mathematics and physics, specializing in signal theory, discrete data analysis, and computational methods. He is excited to bring his skills and experience to the board of the SSA, and to work with the organization to advance its mission of promoting secularism and supporting atheist students on college and high school campuses.

Stephanie McGreevy

Board Member since 2023

California

Biography

Stephanie studied Biology at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and has worked for over 20 years opening new markets in the renewable energy sector. She is an energy market specialist with over 10 years owning and managing a retail commodities brokerage managing company-wide, heavily regulated internal controls and compliance programs with accountability for auditing processes and regulatory proceedings.
Stephanie transitioned into natural gas vehicle conversions for medium and heavy-duty vehicles and CNG station development in N and S America to accommodate the growing needs for clean and affordable fuel for fleets. She currently consults with fleets for zero-emission vehicle conversion analyses which provides fleets with a schedule for the most
affordable conversions, “of-like” EV replacements, costs, incentives, financing, LCFS credits, CO2 savings, EV charger sizes and locations, and load management software.

She spends her free time hiking, paddleboarding and joining her husband and son surfing on weekends.

Advocacy Committee

Sasha Sagan

Member since 2022

Massachusetts

Biography

Sasha Sagan is a writer and speaker. Her essays and interviews on mortality, motherhood, and history, from a secular viewpoint have appeared in The Cut, O the Oprah Magazine, Parents, and beyond. She’s the author of the critically acclaimed book For Small Creatures Such As We, an exploration of celebrations and rituals through a scientific lens. Inverse named Sasha one of their Future 50, “a group of 50 people who will be forces of good in the 2020s”.

Rev. Barry Lynn

Member since 2022

Washington, DC

Biography

Barry W. Lynn is both an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and a member of the Supreme Court bar. He worked on fighting censorship during years with the Washington Office of the ACLU and began advocacy there for a strong separation of church and state. He continued this work for 25 years as Executive Director of Americans United For Separation of Church and State, retiring in 2019. Since retirement, he has been working on a memoir called "Paid To Piss People Off" and is a regular commentator on the "David Feldman Show" on YouTube and John Fuegelsang's Sirius/XM radio broadcast "Tell Me Everything"

Lynn is the author of three previous books and has appeared on virtually every major radio and television show in the United States. He is a graduate of Dickinson College, the Boston University School of Theology and Georgetown University Law Center.

Anjan Chakravartty

Member since 2022

Florida

Biography

Anjan Chakravartty is the Appignani Foundation Chair for the Study of Atheism, Humanism, and Secular Ethics at the University of Miami. He holds a BSc in Biophysics and an MA in Philosophy, as well as an MPhil and PhD in the history and philosophy of science. Anjan is a Guggenheim Fellow, authoring books and articles in the philosophy of science, metaphysics, and epistemology. He taught previously at the Universities of Cambridge and Toronto, where he was Director of the Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, and at Notre Dame, where he was Director of the John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values. Between degrees, he worked on various projects in international development, a cause he feels strongly about to this day.

Elizabeth Reiner Platt

Member since 2022

New York

Biography

Elizabeth Platt is the Director of the Law, Rights, and Religion Project at Columbia Law School. Before joining Columbia, she was a Staff Attorney at MFY Legal Services Mental Health Law Project. After graduating from New York University School of Law, she was a Carr Center for Reproductive Justice Fellow at A Better Balance. During law school, Liz worked with the Urban Justice Sex Workers Project, New York Civil Liberties Union, and Brennan Center for Justice. In 2013, she published Gangsters to Greyhounds: The Past, Present and Future of Offender Registration, 37 N.Y.U. Rev. L. & Soc. Change 727 (2013).

Get Involved!

Interested in becoming a Board Member or part of the National Leadership Council?

Email us at ssa@secularstudents.org for information regarding upcoming board vacancies.

National Leadership Council

The National Leadership Council is a select group of students and recent alumni who provide insight, guidance, and support to the national Secular Student Alliance.

Paschal Obochi

(he/him)

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Biography

Paschal Ogochukwu Obochi is an International graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is pursuing a master's of law with a double concentration in Corporate Law and International and Comparative Law.

Paschal founded the SendAChildToSchool Initiative, a non-profit organization that sponsors indigent kids to go to school. Paschal advised Goodcare Global Group and other corporations in Nigeria as a corporate counsel and worked at the National Assembly of Nigeria.

Paschal is kind, open-minded, empathetic, and an ardent believer in rationality. He is passionate about secularism and the education of children. He aims to expand the reach of secular thought in Africa, where religion has enslaved many. He enjoys working with experts and committed individuals in different fields of human endeavors.

Rachel Himelhoch

(she/her)

University of Michigan

Biography

Rachel Himelhoch is a Health Science Scholars Program student at the University of Michigan and is planning to major in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. As a freshman in the HSSP program, Rachel has had the opportunity to learn about medical inequity from a diverse group of speakers, as well as explore the medical field.

Rachel identifies as a Secular Humanistic Jew and has been attending The Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Metro Detroit since she was 9. However, she was raised in a predominantly white, Christian city. Being different fueled her passion for a more diverse and inclusive society, leading her to join the Secular Student Alliance.

Rachel is currently working to re-start the University of Michigan’s SSA chapter in order to give secular, humanist, and allied students a place to build community and volunteer. Additionally, she would like the UMich SSA chapter to add to the UMich Interfaith Council, in order to help promote understanding and empathy between different groups.

Andrew Ladenheim

(he/him)

University of New Hampshire School of Law

Biography

Nathan Unruh

(he/him)

University of Central Oklahoma

Biography

Nathan Unruh is a Psychology senior at the University of Central Oklahoma. He is the president of Psi Chi The International Honor's Society in Psychology. He is also the president of Peer Health Leadership, which does evidence based programs to promote general health behaviors on campus. Nathan also serves on the executive team for Big Event, the largest day of service at UCO.

Nathan grew up in a fundamental Wesleyan household. He started doubting his faith around senior year of high school and became an agnostic atheist around his sophomore year of college. His junior year he started the SSA chapter on UCO's campus and served as President for its first year. Nathan was moved to start an SSA chapter on his campus because he knew what it was like to not fit in with a church anymore and knew there were others like him who were seeking a secular community in the midst of the Bible Belt.

Nathan has since stepped down as chapter President but continues to give advice and guidance to the current officers to ensure the chapter thrives after his graduation.

Jessica Finger

(she/her)

Cornell University

Biography

Jessica Finger is a junior at Cornell University majoring in Agricultural Sciences and minoring in Religious Studies. Jessica is from Long Island, New York, and is a lifelong atheist who was raised Jewish. She went to a religious school until sixth grade, and all of her friends and family were Jewish. She did not spend a lot of time thinking about why she rejected religion and didn’t believe in God until she met friends in high school who challenged her thinking by virtue of their strong religious beliefs.

Jessica's visit to Peru in 2020, where Christianity was pervasive, elevated her skepticism of religion. Inspired to become a better skeptic and investigate her lack of belief, she began listening to atheist podcasts and reading the Bible for herself, blogging about it on Instagram @atheistbiblestudy.

Secularism and atheism became a big part of Jessica’s identity, inspiring her to found Secular Students of Cornell this past year. Jessica wants to promote critical thinking and skepticism, as well as secular values and secular pride. Besides secularism, she is passionate about plant-based foods, sustainable agriculture, and animal rights.

Bylaws & Finance

Our People

Staff

Board of Directors

National Leadership Council

Staff

Kevin Executive Director

Matthew National Organizing Manager

Stephanie Campus Organizer - West

Chase Campus Organizer - East

Louise Social Media

Board of Directors

Harry Shaughnessy, Chair

Ryan Bodanyi, Vice Chair

Shanti Priya, Treasurer

Jennie Frishtick, Secretary

Kristina Lee

Chinelle Ekanem

Lishore Kumar

Clinton Herndon

Paul Reed

Ron Zakay

Olivia Fines

Mike Bills

Wilds Ross

Stephanie McGreevy

Advocacy Committee

Sasha Sagan

Rev. Barry Lynn

Anjan Chakravartty

Elizabeth Reiner Platt

Get Involved!

National Leadership Council

Paschal Obochi

Rachel Himelhoch

Andrew Ladenheim

Nathan Unruh

Jessica Finger

Kevin
Executive Director

Matthew
National Organizing Manager

Stephanie
Campus Organizer - West

Chase
Campus Organizer - East

Louise
Social Media