Today, Secure Families Initiative (SFI) celebrates three successful years of growth and advocacy since the nonprofit’s launch in 2020.
In honor of the anniversary, SFI is pleased to announce the appointment of two members to the Board of Directors.
Laurie Sherman is a lawyer with significant experience in voter protection and campaign organizing and international affairs. She is also the mother of a Marine Corps servicemember. Cynthia Fierro Giesecke is an Army spouse with a tireless commitment to advocacy for military family issues, most notably financial readiness.
“I couldn’t be more ecstatic to welcome Cynthia and Laurie to our Board,” said Executive Director Sarah Streyder. “Each of them brings new insights and experiences that will magnify what our team is able to accomplish together.”
Much like the military families SFI aims to serve, the new Board members offer a diverse background of relevant experience. Laurie Sherrman has a J.D. from Georgetown University and is a member of the bars of New York and the District of Columbia. During the 2020 and 2022 general election, she worked on a Voter Protection team as a logistical coordinator. She has organized volunteers to canvass in statewide elections and has spent months in a field office getting out the vote. Sherman has acted as an election observer in Bulgaria, Serbia, Russia and Uzbekistan through the National Democratic Institute and the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Cynthia Giesecke’s volunteer leadership assisting military families with overdue bills, repairs, or other critical family needs as a critical financial assistance caseworker directly affected the well-being of thousands of soldiers and their families. She also worked as a constituent outreach representative for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, providing valuable insight for SFI’s congressional liaising. Giesecke has a B.A. in Biology from Indiana University, a Master’s in Education from University of Phoenix-Europe campus and a Master of Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco.
Sherman and Giesecke replace founding Board members Heather Aliano and Joyce Wessel Raezer who completed their appointments. SFI is grateful for their years of dedicated service.