Meet Blue Star Families’ Newly Appointed National Advisory Board Members

Published on January 16, 2026

We’re excited to announce the newest additions to our National Advisory Board — seven extraordinary individuals with diverse perspectives, a powerful mix of expertise, and an unwavering commitment to advancing military and veteran family initiatives. 

Our newly appointed National Advisory Board members include:

  • Gadi Dechter, Vice President for Communications and Government Affairs at Princeton University

  • Edward Felsenthal, Executive Chairman and former Editor-in-Chief and CEO of TIME, and Senior Advisor in the Office of the CEO at Salesforce

  • The Honorable Ronald Keohane, former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs

  • Mary Mahoney, spouse of the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Christopher Mahoney, and an advocate for military families

  • Bill McBride, a veteran state and federal policy strategist who served from 2019–2025 as Executive Director of the National Governors Association (NGA)

  • Nishant Roy, Chief Impact Officer at Chobani

  • Kiersten Todt, Mastercard’s Senior Vice President for Cybersecurity Partnership and Engagement and former Chief of Staff at CISA

BSF co-founder and CEO, Kathy Roth-Doquet, Kathy Roth-Douquet, said this about the new appointments:

“We’re honored to welcome this extraordinary group of leaders — Gadi Dechter, Edward Felsenthal, Bill McBride, the Honorable Ronald Keohane, Mary Mahoney, Nishant Roy, and Kiersen Todt — to the Blue Star Families National Advisory Board. Each of them brings unique expertise and a longstanding commitment to service: from national security and federal policy, to global media leadership, to corporate impact and innovation, to advocacy for military families. Their diverse backgrounds and deep dedication to our community will strengthen Blue Star Families in powerful ways. We are excited to work alongside them as we expand our programs, grow meaningful partnerships, and advance policies that improve the lives of military and veteran families.”

You can learn more about each Board member in our latest press release.

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