Jeff “Skunk” Baxter
Senior Fellow and Member, Board of Regents, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
Jeff Baxter currently serves as Chairman of the Civilian Advisory Board for Ballistic Missile Defense. He has acted in an advisory capacity for Congressmen Curt Weldon and Dana Rohrabacher, both members of the House Science Committee, and has participated in numerous wargames for the Pentagon. Mr. Baxter was invited to serve on the Laser Advisory Board at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and has lectured at the University of Manitoba School of Political Science on the topic of regional conflict and missile defense. He is a world-renowned guitarist and a former member of both Steely Dan and the Doobie Brothers.
Claire Costenoble-Caherty, PhD
Research Analyst, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
Prior to joining the Institute, Dr. Claire Costenoble-Caherty received her doctorate in Emerging Infectious Diseases from the Uniformed Services University in 2020, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology from The University of Maryland College Park in 2013. She conducted her doctoral research in the laboratory of Dr. Ann Jerse, where she developed murine models of gonorrhea/chlamydia coinfection and upper reproductive tract infection, and studied the immune response in the context of such infections.
Mike Fritze, PhD
Senior Fellow, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
Dr. Mike Fritze is a Senior Fellow and former Vice President at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. He is responsible for the Microelectronics related portfolio with interests and activities in the areas of secure access strategies, supply chain issues, support of legacy technologies, DoD innovation policy, outreach to Industry and strengthening the US Industrial Base. Customers have included OSD, DARPA, USAF and NNSA. Dr. Fritze is active on the NDIA Electronics Division co-chairing the Policy subcommittee. Prior to his affiliation with the Institute, Dr. Fritze ran microelectronics Programs at USC-ISI and was a Program Manager at DARPA MTO. Prior to that, he was a staff member at MITLL.
Trevor Huffard
Research Assistant, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
Trevor Huffard is a Research Assistant at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. Trevor received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Santa Clara University and his Bachelor of Science in Commerce from the Levy School of Business. Before joining the Potomac Institute, he worked at Daversa Partners, an executive search firm. At the Institute, among other duties, Trevor manages the internship program.
Sharon Layani
Research Analyst, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
Sharon Layani is a Research Analyst in the S&T Division. She provides assessments of emerging science and technology trends, government acquisition strategies, strategic planning, and policy recommendations. Prior to her work at the Institute, she served as Research Associate and Research Coordinator at the International Center for Terrorism Studies. Her work focused on counterterrorism, international security, and rule of law issues. She provided research support and analysis for books, such as NATO: From Regional to Global Security Provider (2015) and The Islamic State: Combating a Caliphate Without Borders (2015), and assisted on a number of counterterrorism reports and projects. Ms. Layani served on the senior staff for Terrorism: An Electronic Journal and Knowledge Base and coordinated foreign policy and national security-related seminars. Ms. Layani graduated from the University of Michigan with a double major in Political Science and Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, and a minor in International Studies focusing on the Middle East.
Jody Moxham
Senior Fellow, Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
Jody Moxham is a strategic communication expert with a career focused on helping multinational corporations and government organizations measurably strengthen the persuasiveness of their global marketing strategies and communications. PhaseOne communications was founded to market a unique methodology, serving many corporate clients. After 9/11, PhaseOne dedicated a select team of analysts to work on national security projects. PhaseOne contracts spread across the IC and the DOD, for understanding target audiences, strategies for easing tensions, and understanding motivations of adversaries. In 2012 PhaseOne sold the company and Jody left in 2015. Jody was also instrumental in founding the US Marketing Communications College to help train US government personnel in private sector communication basics. She is currently a contributing faculty member for the Senior Joint Information Operations Applications Course (SJIOAC), a Senior Fellow at Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, a Senior Advisor to Parenthetic, a strategic communications company, and continues to advise and teach within the US government community.
