Adams Commission Members

Jackie G. Cushman, Chair

Jackie Gingrich Cushman is chair of the Adams Memorial Commission and president of the Adams Memorial Foundation. She is an author, corporate strategist, and board member. She is blessed to have been born a United States citizen and is committed to give back to her country. For over two decades, Cushman has provided leadership and direction for causes that have made her community and our nation stronger. She championed the Chattahoochee Riverlands, a project stewarded by the Trust for Public Land that encompasses 100 miles of river. This project is moving forward rapidly and has had over $250M in private and public investment. She believes as John Adams once wrote to Benjamin Rush, a signatory to the U.S. Declaration of Independence, "Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives."

Her experience in politics spans five decades and includes work as a volunteer, fundraiser, strategist, and spokeswoman. As an author of three books who penned weekly syndicated columns for nearly two decades, Cushman is a keen observer of world events. She has appeared on numerous national and local programs as a political commentator. In addition to having extensive media experience, Cushman holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. During her years in corporate finance, she ran the financial planning department of a $3 billion wireless company and worked extensively in corporate strategy. She earned her MBA in finance from Georgia State University and her undergraduate degree from Presbyterian College. She and her husband have two children.

Major General (Ret) Army Peter S. Cooke, Vice Chair

Peter S. Cooke has over 40 years of experience with public-private partnerships, specifically in the real estate development industry. He has led real estate ventures in affordable housing, military housing, office space, and commercial space. In addition to his corporate experience, Cooke served for 39 years in the U.S. Army Reserve, a tenure that was highlighted by his time as Commanding General of the U.S. Army's 96th Regional Readiness Command. After his retirement from the military, Cooke co-founded and served as Director of the National Center for Veteran's Studies and helped to create initiatives like the Partnership with America & Employer Partnership that provide employment resources for veterans and current reservists.

Cooke serves as the Chairman of the Board of The American College of National Security leaders and was previously a Candidate for Governor and Congress for the State of Utah.

Congressman Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly, Commissioner

Congressman Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly is serving his eighth term in the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia’s 11th District, which includes Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax in Northern Virginia.

Prior to his election to Congress, he served 14 years on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, including five years as Chairman. Throughout his career, protecting and growing Northern Virginia’s economy has been his top priority. In Congress, he has played a key role in securing federal dollars for transportation improvements in Northern Virginia, including the completion of the Fairfax County Parkway, widening the Prince William County Parkway, providing ongoing support for Rail to Dulles, and securing the annual federal commitment of $150 million for the regional Metro system.

Congressman Connolly is a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and serves as the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation. In this role, he is responsible for shaping government-wide policy on issues related to information security, including cybersecurity and privacy; government-wide federal information technology management and innovation; and procurement.

Congressman Connolly also serves on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Using his extensive background in foreign policy, including as a senior staff member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he has become a leading voice on foreign assistance reform, war powers, embassy security, and democracy promotion abroad. Congressman Connolly co-authored the bipartisan Issa-Connolly Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act (FITARA), which was signed into law in 2014, and represents the first major overhaul of the federal laws governing IT management since the enactment of the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996.

In 2016, Connolly passed the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act, which allows temporary employees of land management agencies to now be eligible for civil servant positions. He also helped pass the Telework Enhancement Act, which requires the federal government to increase the use of telework by federal employees to ensure continuity of operations by federal agencies during emergency situations, enhance recruitment of a quality federal workforce, reduce traffic congestion, and improve the region’s air quality. For his efforts, he has twice been recognized as a Federal Computer Week Fed 100 winner, was named the 2013 FedScoop Tech Champion of the Year, the 2015 FCW Eagle Award recipient, and received the AFFIRM Award for Leadership in the IT community.

He has also introduced important legislation to streamline and improve our election system, find savings in federal IT procurement and data center consolidation, and reform U.S. Foreign Aid.

In addition to his Committee assignments, Congressman Connolly is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, chair of the Smart Contracting Caucus, a founding member and Chair Emeritus of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on U.S.-Turkey Relations and Turkish Americans, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Korea, co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Georgia, and co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on Taiwan.

Congressman Gerry Connolly currently serves as Acting President of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA), having also served as President from 2020-2022. The NATO PA is an affiliate organization of NATO and is comprised of more than two hundred and fifty delegates from the parliaments and legislative bodies of the Alliance’s 30 member states. As president, Mr. Connolly sets the Assembly’s broader agenda and represents the Assembly on all key international issues. He works in a bipartisan manner to support the values of the Transatlantic Alliance and strengthen Congressional commitment to NATO.

Congressman Connolly was ranked the Most Effective Lawmaker of the 117th Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking.

Prior to his election to Congress, Congressman Connolly served as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors in Fairfax County, the largest jurisdiction in the Washington, D.C. metro area with more than 1.1 million residents. He earned a reputation as a pragmatic leader for his initiatives to expand affordable housing opportunities, reduce gang violence, promote reusable energy, and advance critical transportation improvements. During his tenure on the Board, Fairfax was recognized as a Best Managed County.

Congressman Connolly received an M.A. in Public Administration from Harvard University in 1979. He received a B.A. in Literature from Maryknoll College in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

Congressman Connolly has worked in the non-profit sector, primarily advocating for hunger aid and international assistance. He also has strong ties to the business community, having spent two decades working for organizations and companies involved in international trade, regulatory matters, technology, and research. He resides in Fairfax with his wife Smitty and has a daughter Caitlin.

Congressman Morgan Griffith, Commissioner

Morgan Griffith was first elected to represent the Ninth Congressional District of Virginia in the U.S. House of Representatives on November 2, 2010.

Morgan is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over some of the most important issues facing Virginia’s Ninth District including public health and federal regulations.

For the 118th Congress, Morgan was named Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. He is also a member of the Subcommittee on Health and the Subcommittee on Energy.  Further, he serves as a member of the Committee on House Administration, which oversees the daily operations of the House of Representatives and Capitol security and provides oversight of federal elections. 

Prior to his election to the U.S. House of Representatives, Morgan served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1994 to 2011, where he represented the Eighth District. In 2000, Morgan was elected House Majority Leader, the first Republican in Virginia history to hold that position.

Morgan is a graduate of Salem’s Andrew Lewis High School and an honors graduate of Emory & Henry College. After completing studies at the Washington and Lee University School of Law, Morgan returned to Southwest Virginia where he practiced law for nearly three decades. Morgan is married to Hilary, and together they have three children.

Timothy Harleth, Commissioner

Mr. Harleth is the CEO and co-founder of Generational Equity Labs ("Genrae"). Genrae is a financial technology company that aims to make homeownership a viable option for millions of Americans. The Genrae team is dedicated to addressing the affordability problem in today's housing market. From 2017 to 2021, Mr. Harleth served as the Chief Usher of the White House. As a component head within the Executive Office of the President, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Executive Residence at the White House and the official functions of the President. He held the nation's highest level of security clearance and worked in conjunction with the White House Military Office and Secret Service to maintain operational security of the complex. Additionally, his position functioned as museum administrative oversight for the 60,000 fine art and decorative art objects within the White House Collection.

During his White House tenure, Mr. Harleth oversaw various projects spearheaded by the First Lady, including the construction of the Tennis Pavilion and the renovation of the Rose Garden. He was instrumental in forming new strategic relationships with outside entities; he established a new partnership agreement with the Department of Interior and the Trust for the National Mall. He successfully strengthened existing partnerships with agencies such as the General Services Administration, the United States Secret Service, the White House Military Office, the National Park Service, the White House Historical Association, and the Smithsonian Institution, as well as past presidential administrations.

Richard A. Houghton, Commissioner

Richard A. Houghton is a Principal Landscape Architect at Halvorson | Tighe & Bond Studio in Boston, Massachusetts. The firm's expertise in Landscape Architecture and Urban Design creates timeless, engaging landscapes that are rooted in fundamental design principles and inspired by the dynamics of nature. Houghton has 20 years of experience leading complex, transformative landscape architecture projects focused on reimagining and invigorating the urban public real while preserving and enhancing cultural landscapes. His passion for creating outstanding civic spaces has led to collaborations that have memorialized defining individuals and events in American history.

Houghton led the design and project delivery for the Hancock Adams Common in Quincy, Massachusetts, which has become the keystone to the revitalization of Quincy's downtown. The project reorganized the street layout to create a civic open space uniting the historic Old Town Hall and Church of the Presidents, where the crypts of the two Adams presidents are and created a pedestrian promenade punctuated by bronze sculptures of John Adams, Abigail Adams, John Hancock, and two monumental fountains. Recognized for its significance for preservation, engineering, and landscape architecture, the project has received multiple awards. Houghton is an active member of the American Society of Landscape Architects and has been a panelist for the Boston Society of Civil Engineers and the ArchitectureBoston Expo.

Congressman Stephen F. Lynch, Commissioner

Congressman Stephen F. Lynch was first sworn in to the United States Congress in October 2001, following the sudden passing of legendary Congressman John Joseph Moakley.

The son of Francis Lynch, an ironworker, and Anne Lynch, a postal clerk, Congressman Lynch was born and raised in the public housing projects of South Boston.

Upon graduation from South Boston High School in 1973, Congressman Lynch entered the Ironworkers Apprenticeship Program and later joined his father as a member of Boston's Ironworkers Local 7. He worked as a structural ironworker for 18 years and was eventually elected president of the Iron Workers Union, the youngest president in the history of the 2000 member union.

Congressman Lynch continued his education at Wentworth Institute of Technology on nights and weekends, earning a Bachelor's degree in Construction Management.

He later received a law degree from Boston College Law School, was admitted to both the Massachusetts and New Hampshire Bar, and continued his advocacy for working people as a labor and employment attorney.

In 1994, Congressman Lynch was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives. After just fourteen months in office, he was elected to the Massachusetts State Senate in a special election. In the Senate, he served as Chair of the Joint Committee on Commerce and Labor. In 1999, he earned a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

During his career as an ironworker, Congressman Lynch worked at the General Motors Plant in Framingham, Massachusetts, the General Dynamics Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts, and the U.S. Steel Plant in Gary, Indiana, all of which were either shut down or severely curtailed due to unfair foreign trade practices. Congressman Lynch's first-hand experience in seeing the effects of plant closings on American workers and local communities led him to focus on efforts to improve U.S. Trade Policy and protect American jobs.

In the 118th Congress, Congressman Lynch is a member of the Financial Services Committee, where he serves as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology and Inclusion and is a member of the Subcommittee on Capital Markets. Congressman Lynch also serves as the lead Democrat to the Financial Services Committee's bipartisan Working Group on Artificial Intelligence.

On the Committee on Oversight and Accountability, he is a member of the Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs and the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation.

Congressman Lynch is also a member of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, which is an investigative subcommittee of the Committee on the Judiciary.

Congressman Lynch is a co-founder of the Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus, which was formed to protect workers’ rights and educate Members of Congress on issues that impact American families.

He and his wife Margaret continue to live in their lifelong hometown of South Boston where they raised their daughter Victoria and niece Crystal.

Congressman John Moolenaar, Commissioner

Congressman John Moolenaar represents the hardworking residents of Michigan's Second Congressional District.

As Michigan’s senior member of the House Committee on Appropriations, Moolenaar is dedicated to holding the federal government accountable to taxpayers.

He strongly believes in fiscal responsibility and has been fighting to make the economy work for Michigan families and seniors. As a member of the committee, he serves on the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies and the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.

During his time in Congress, Congressman Moolenaar has focused on improving the lives of the Michiganders. He has introduced legislation to hold the VA accountable to our veterans; to help rural residents get better internet; and to improve the quality-of-care seniors are receiving.

Along with Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Congressman Moolenaar serves as the Co- Chair for the School Choice Caucus, and as a parent, Moolenaar is proud to stand in support of parental rights and school choice in Michigan and across America.

Moolenaar brings years of leadership experience in the private and public sectors to Congress. He began his career as a chemist, after graduating from Hope College with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. Moolenaar then worked in business development, and as a school administrator. Moolenaar has a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University. From 2003-2008, he served in the Michigan House of Representatives, and in the Michigan State Senate from 2011- 2015.

Congressman Moolenaar and his wife, Amy, raised their family in Michigan and are blessed with six children and two grandchildren.