13 Public Service Ambassadors Set Out to Inspire the Next Generation

Young people’s voices, perspectives, and leadership are essential to shaping the future of our country. The Public Service Ambassadors Initiative empowers AmeriCorps alumni—action-oriented individuals with a unique blend of practical problem-solving skills and a deep commitment to service—to seek the perspectives of 18-25-year-olds and inspire them to serve, whether in their communities or through careers in local, state, or federal government. 

Public Service Ambassadors (PSAs) will host listening sessions to understand the issues that matter most to the next generation and explore their perspectives on the role of government in addressing them. The Volcker Alliance will use insights surfaced during the listening sessions to better understand what young people want from government and what it would take to bring them into public service.

Earlier this month, the PSAs gathered in Boston for a three-day orientation, strengthening their facilitation skills and shaping a shared blueprint for their work. “This week challenged me to think more deeply, lead more intentionally, and serve with even greater conviction,” said Megan Potts. “I leave Boston with a renewed commitment to designing systems, facilitating conversations across difference, and helping organizations build stronger communities.”

Meet the 13 Public Service Ambassadors:

Reilly Martin
Portland, OR

Reilly Martin is the executive director of Technologists for the Public Good (TPG), where she works at the intersection of technology, digital services, and civic infrastructure. She brings more than a decade of firsthand experience across government, nonprofit, and philanthropic organizations, including roles with the City of Boston, the State of Colorado through the Beeck Center for Social Impact + Innovation at Georgetown University, and the Open Contracting Partnership, where she helped build its U.S. portfolio. A proud AmeriCorps alumna, Reilly has spent her career listening to communities, building coalitions, and translating civic concern into collective action. She was the inaugural recipient of the 2018 Public Service and Civil Leadership Award from Spark Boston, recognizing her dedication to strengthening the relationship between technology and the public good. Reilly is based in Portland, Oregon, and when she's not working to inspire the next generation of public servants, you can find her exploring the outdoors.
 

Aubree Denker
Pocatello, ID 

Aubree Denker holds a master of public health from Idaho State University and currently serves as an assistant project coordinator with the Institute of Rural Health. In her role, she supports community-based health initiatives, wellness education, and outreach efforts across Idaho. Aubree has experience in public health education, program coordination, grant-writing, and community engagement, with a strong interest in improving access to health resources in rural communities. She is passionate about promoting practical, evidence-based strategies that help individuals, families, and organizations build healthier lives. Outside of work, Aubree coaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and self-defense, actively competes in Jiu-Jitsu, and enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, being outdoors, and baking. 

Andrea Ramirez
San Antonio, TX 

Andrea Ramirez is a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants and a deeply committed advocate for equity, community power, and youth-led change. Grounded in her own lived experiences navigating systems not built for students like her, Andrea believes that the voices of directly impacted young people must be at the center of shaping the policies that affect their lives.

In her role as Youth Leadership Manager at UP Partnership, Andrea leads programs that elevate youth voice across Bexar County by creating pathways for young people to influence civic systems, co-design solutions, and advocate for more equitable education policies. Over the past eight years, she has worked across the education advocacy landscape as a middle school educator, community organizer, policy fellow, and communications manager. She holds a bachelor’s degree in youth and community studies and a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy. In her free time, she enjoys exploring San Antonio, traveling, and finding new food and coffee spots.
 

Tyne Dickson
Houston, TX

Tyne Jeanae Dickson is a proud Third Ward Houstonian native, community advocate, birth and postpartum doula, actor, writer, and director. She received her bachelor of arts in human rights, Tower Scholar minor in public policy & international affairs, and bachelor of fine arts in acting & directing from Southern Methodist University. Later, she received her master's in community organizing & social activism abroad in South Africa, Peru, and France. Her research is based on cooperatives, resource & land sovereignty, healing, and and ancestry. Tyne is passionate about co-creating a more liberated, environmentally sustainable, and just world, and is excited to join the Volcker Alliance.  

Bricen Fisher
New York, NY 

Bricen Fisher is an analyst at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) where he manages a multi-agency portfolio across city capital, contract, and expense budgets. Through AmeriCorps, Bricen previously worked at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) across the South and Midwest. As an undergraduate student, Bricen worked on resilience and climate initiatives across the Middle East and Asia-Pacific, focusing on infrastructure development and public-private partnerships. He graduated from the City University of New York, Baruch College with a degree in statistics.

 

Julia Kisilinsky
Farmingdale, NY 

Julia Kisilinsky is a Farmingdale Daler through and through. After graduating from Farmingdale High School, she attended Marist University and became involved in community service through Marist's Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter. After earning her bachelor of arts in English and media studies, Julia spent the following year serving as the community schools fellow in the Poughkeepsie City School District. Shortly after her homecoming, Julia decided to pursue a career in secondary education and has since worked and student-taught at her alma mater while attaining her master of arts in teaching at SUNY Old Westbury. Julia is now excited to combine her school's mission of social justice, equity, and inclusion with her love of literature, communication, and exploration to help adolescents develop the skills they need to pursue their dreams and discover how they can be part of the change they wish to see in their communities and the world.
 

Yancy Singleton
Norwalk/Bridgeport, CT 

Yancy Singleton is a public service leader, community builder, and advocate for "many" chances. Having navigated deep childhood trauma and later surviving incarceration, he knows exactly what it takes to rebuild a life from the ground up. Today, he dedicates his career to helping others heal, grow, and find purpose. He serves as community engagement and development coordinator at The Underground New England. He is also the founder of The Fortitude Project, a belonging-based community supporting youth who have caused an accidental death. A proud AmeriCorps Alum, AMEX Leadership Academy Fellow, and Segal Citizen Leadership Fellow, Yancy brings lived experience, authentic leadership, and a deep commitment to civic engagement. His work focuses on helping people move beyond their worst moments and build lives defined by resilience, service, and impact. 

 

Renee Gaillard
Boston, MA 

Renée Gaillard is a nurturer, thinker, writer, and cousinauntiesista. Renée is a lifelong youth worker and death doula who works as a teen librarian at the Boston Public Library by day and as a web and content operations manager for the Roxbury International Film Festival by night. Born in The Bronx, New York, but now based in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Renée identifies as a Black Belizean-Garifuna and Haitian woman who centers choosing joy, building community, and following intuition. 

 

Mahri Monson Stainnak
South Portland, ME 

Mahri Stáinnak (they/them) is the Civil Service Fellows deputy program director at Democracy Forward’s Civil Service Strong initiative. Mahri is a federal workforce and organizational effectiveness leader with more than 16 years of experience advancing government capacity, workforce policy, and public sector innovation. Before starting with Democracy Forward, their most recent federal service was as director of the Talent Innovation Group and deputy director of the government-wide Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, where they led workforce initiatives affecting millions of federal employees and their families. Their work included advancing government-wide workplace inclusion guidance, modernizing workforce data and employee experience programs, delivering training and technical assistance across federal agencies, and advising agency leadership on policies that expanded access to health benefits and improved workforce outcomes. Earlier in their federal career, Mahri spent more than a decade at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency leading organizational effectiveness, workforce modernization, and environmental policy initiatives.  

 

Anthony Bryant
Chicago, IL 

Anthony Bryant is a Chicago Southside native. Anthony is a public administration strategist and social justice professional with expertise in community building and restorative justice. He works with community centers, nonprofit organizations, and government officials as a public servant, developing community engagement strategies and coalitions to help organizations sustain and expand their impact. His studies include a bachelor of arts degree in sociology & anthropology with minors in peace, ethics, & social justice, philosophy & religious studies, and political science. Anthony is the current policy director at Raise The Floor Alliance, advocating for workers’ rights through legislative advocacy, litigation, and organizing. He serves as a board member for Public Allies Chicago, Monmouth College, Young Invincibles, and the Workers’ Center for Racial Justice.
 

Malcolm Davis
Berea, KY 

Malcolm Davis is a proud Affrilachian born and raised in Kentucky. He is a theatre practitioner, cultural organizer, and youth advocate whose work is rooted in story, place, and the belief that young people are leaders now. He has worked with the YMCA, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the National Park Service, and he served for a year as a Lead for America fellow in Eastern Kentucky. In 2023, he founded the Affrilachian Arts Institute to build Black arts infrastructure for a new generation of artists across Appalachia.
 

Megan Potts
Jacksonville, FL 

Megan Potts is an education consultant, founder, and doctoral researcher focused on literacy, civic engagement, and leadership development. Her work explores how communities can better support young people through critical life and educational transitions. She is passionate about building pathways that connect advocacy, education, and public service. Through speaking, research, and community engagement, she works to strengthen opportunities for the next generation of leaders. Megan believes that literacy is a powerful form of advocacy. 

 

Hannah Holloway
Prince George’s Co., MD 

Hannah Holloway is a behavioral health professional with a background in psychology, youth development, and community engagement. She earned her bachelor of arts in psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, graduating with Dean’s List honors in 2021. Through roles with AmeriCorps NCCC, she has supported children and families, coordinated community-based initiatives, and contributed to interdisciplinary teams focused on positive social impact. She is currently pursuing a graduate certificate in nonprofit management and leadership while working as a behavioral health technician, where she helps young children develop communication, social, and adaptive living skills. She is passionate about advancing mental health, strengthening communities, and helping the next generation develop the skills, confidence, and civic awareness needed to create positive change in their own communities.