CDA President: Hank Naughton

Hank served close to three decades in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. For ten years, Hank has served as House Chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. Prior to that, he served as Chair of the Committee on Veterans in Public Affairs. In 2023, Hank served as a Massachusetts District Court associate justice.

In May, 2011, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton appointed Attorney Naughton to the International Security Advisory Board. The Board, made up of 24 members and reporting directly to the Secretary, provides the State Department with independent insight and advice on all aspects of arms control, disarmament, international security, security capacity and related aspects of public diplomacy. Hank was reappointed to the Board by Secretary Kerry in March of 2013 and served until June of 2017.

He is a veteran of multiple tours and missions with the US Army in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa and elsewhere in the Global War on Terror. He has worked for years with veterans’ groups on the local, state and national level. Hank has served as senior advisor on Veterans and National Security Issues to two presidential campaigns, multiple other candidates and office holders and as legal counsel to numerous, service-disabled veteran owned startups.

In previous military capacities, Hank has performed detainee operations in Iraq, was Chief of Rule of Law Operations for the 4th Infantry Division in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Counterterrorism Officer with USFORA and has advised African and Eastern European Military units.

CDA Board Member: Former U.S. Congressman Ronnie Shows

Congressman Ronnie Shows is a native of Moselle, Mississippi. Ronnie was elected to the United States Congress in 1999 and served until 2003. He was a member of the Congressional Blue Dog Caucus, served on the Veterans Affairs Committee, Finance and Banking Committee, Agriculture Committee and Transportation Committee. Alumnus of the Blue Dogs and a member of the organization of Former Members of Congress and continues to work closely on a number of initiatives with leaders in both parties.  Congressman Shows biggest legislative accomplishment was introducing HR3573, Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act, which would have restored health coverage to retired members of the uniformed services.  Although his bill did not pass, it gained momentum and laid the groundwork for future passage TRI-CARE for Life. 

Before getting into elected office, Congressman Shows was an educator, coach and farmer. Congressman Shows was elected to local office in 1976 - 1980 as Circuit Clerk in Jefferson Davis County, Mississippi and later to the Mississippi State Senate in 1980-1988, Congressman shows was elected and served from 1988-1998 as the Southern District Mississippi State Highway Commissioner

CDA Board Member: Former U.S. Congressman David Phelps

Congressman David Phelps represented Illinois’ 19th Congressional District from 1999-2003. A conservative Blue Dog, Congressman Phelps served on both the House Agriculture and Small Business Committees. During his tenure in Congress, Phelps had a reputation for bi-partisanship and being a spiritual leader on Capitol Hill. 

Phelps was born in Eldorado, Illinois. Prior to serving in Congress; Phelps was an educator, clerk and recorder of Saline County, IL and a member of the Illinois state General Assembly.

David is a professional songwriter, and toured the nation as a gospel singer, in a quartet with his brothers. While serving in the U.S. House, he was the hymn director for the Congressional Weekly Prayer Breakfast on Capitol Hill.

CDA Board Member: Former Mississippi State Representative David Baria

David Baria served in the Mississippi legislature for 12 years, serving in both the Senate and House of Representatives. Representative Baria was elected by his fellow House Democrats to a 4-year term as a House Minority Leader in 2016 and served in that position from 2016 to 2019, when he retired from the legislature. In 2018, David ran for the U.S. Senate as the Democratic Party nominee against incumbent U.S. Senator Roger Wicker.

David is also a founding Board member of the Mississippi Democratic Trust. In 2016, he was named as an inaugural member of Mississippi’s Top 50 Most Influential People. Since he was first elected to the Mississippi legislature in November 2007, Representative Baria received numerous legislative awards from groups such as the American Lung Association, the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, the American Federation of Teachers, Mississippi Architects and the Mississippi Association for Justice.

David Baria is currently a partner at Cosmich Simmons & Brown, PLLC in its Bay St. Louis, Mississippi office. His practice consists largely of insurance, business, construction and personal injury litigation, representing both businesses and individuals. David has over 30 years of litigation experience in the state and federal courts in Mississippi and has been recognized by his peers as “preeminent,” achieving the highest legal ability rating given by Martindale Hubbell (“AV”) and a “Superb” rating by AVVO. David has been inducted into the American Board of Trial Advocates, Litigation Counsel of America and is a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation. He has also been repeatedly recognized by Mid-South Super Lawyers and Best Lawyers. David was also awarded the Lifetime Achievement award from the Mississippi Association for Justice in 2017.

David is a graduate of USM (B.S. in Criminal Justice) where he also attended a summer program at the University of London, and a graduate of the University of Mississippi Law School where he also attended a summer program at Cambridge University. David is married to Marcie Fyke Baria. They have three children (Merritt, Bess and Max) who live with them in Bay St. Louis, MS.

CDA Board Member: Former Mayor of Alexandria,
Virginia Allison Silberberg

A Government Relations/Public Policy Consultant and writer, Allison Silberberg served as the Mayor of Alexandria, Virginia, from 2016 through 2018 after serving as Vice Mayor from 2012 through 2015. Allison’s mayoral term had transformational impact, including: securing Virginia Tech’s $1 billion Innovation Campus for the city, part of the largest business deal in the region’s history; approving and building three schools; tripling the dedicated funding for the city’s Affordable Housing Fund; approving the plan to address the sewage outfall issues after two decades of inconsequential actions; approving the new Metro station plan; creating the city’s first Arts District; quintupling the number of trees planted per year from 225 to 1,100; and drafting and adopting the city’s Statement on Inclusiveness, which garnered national attention.

Allison has over 25 years of experience in public policy and public service, including working on Capitol Hill for Senator Lloyd M. Bentsen. Her most recent consulting work includes serving as Government Relations Director for a housing nonprofit to help residents at risk of eviction or foreclosure at the height of the pandemic and the national housing crisis, as well as being part of a team that has launched a statewide and national Stroke Smart campaign.  

A lifelong advocate for social justice issues, Allison is the author of two books, including Visionaries In Our Midst: Ordinary People who are Changing our World, which profiles individuals who are making a difference in our country, hitting #1 on Amazon’s List for Philanthropy & Charity. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News, and on PBS.org. A Russian Studies major in college, Allison has a B.A. in international relations and history from American University, and she has an M.F.A. in playwriting from UCLA’s School of Theater, Film & Television.

CDA Board Member: Roosevelt “Trey” Daniels

Roosevelt Daniels, III is a passionate and skillful political strategist, and organizer. Daniels has worked in several political capacities: Deputy Political Director Hillary For America, National Surrogate Outreach Director Sylvester Turner for Mayor (Houston, TX) District Director for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Government Affairs Director for the City of Jackson. Daniels also has experience developing communications strategies for both sides of the aisle. Daniels has engineered several successful electorate expansion strategies most notable expansion strategy U.S. Senator Thad Cochran to defeat his Tea Party challenger.

Daniels held his first major leadership role in 2008 where he served as one of the State Political Directors for Obama for America. Upon the historic election of President Obama, Daniels was afforded the opportunity to work for the Democratic National Committee and was later appointed to be the 2012 Obama for America State Director for Mississippi. Roosevelt was tasked with the responsibility of fostering and maintaining political relationships.

While serving as the Government Affairs Director Roosevelt decided to put his skills and relationships to practice and became a quick study at the Mississippi State Legislature. Roosevelt learned the appropriations process and forged relationships with key committee chairmen and with the Lieutenant Governor’s Office. Daniels’ understanding of politics and grassroots organizing led him to be consistently successful for the City of Jackson.  Procuring millions of dollars for infrastructure projects and crime prevention programs. The was also selected to serve on a special working group committee to create U.S. Department of Transportation bond surety program for minority contractors.

One of Daniels greatest accomplishments was the launching of “Cutting for Confidence.” Cutting for Confidence is a community service project where he partnered with corporations to provide haircuts for young men. Daniels aspires to uplift the less fortunate of society by providing access to opportunities. Roosevelt is a graduate of Hampton University where he holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science.

CDA Board Member: Patricia “Trish” Reilly

Having worked twenty years as professional staff on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., she last served as Communications Director and Chief of Staff to Pennsylvania Congressman Tim Holden. A veteran campaign strategist, she has experience in messaging, grassroots organizing, including the effective use of social media, and fundraising, both political and charitable. Member, Board of Directors of Pennsylvania State Society of Washington, DC.