New Paradigm Institute – Mission Statement

Carrying degrees from Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Danny has helped lead multiple lawsuits of historic importance, including three Supreme Court cases, the Iran Contra Lawsuit, the Three mile Island litigation, and the first Sanctuary defense case. Prior to forming the Christic Institute in Washington D.C, he litigated a number of high-profile cases including establishing the right of news journalists to protect their sources, the Pentagon Papers case for the NYT, the Watergate Burglary case, and the Wounded Knee occupation case for the ACLU. He directed the New Paradigm Initiative at the State of the World Forum, and authored his book The People’s Advocate.

Sara is a cofounder and executive director of the Christic Institute which became the Romero Institute in 1995. An interfaith law and policy center based in Santa Cruz, CA, the Institute exposes and implements solutions to serious threats to the environment, structural injustice, and human and constitutional rights. The Institute teams have led many national campaigns including Karen Silkwood, Iran Contra, Greensboro Civil Rights, and Lakota Law. A graduate of U.C. Berkeley, she was a television anchor and journalist, and a national N.O.W feminist leader. She served as the Executive Director at the State of the World Forum in 1999.

Jim Garrison, Ph.D, worked with Danny and Sara in the Christic Institute as Director of Nuclear Policy and as Director of the Easlen Soviet-American Exchange Program from 1985 – 1990. He served as President of the Gorbachev Foundation/USA (1992 – 1995) and President of the State of the World Forum (1995 – 2004) with Mikhail Gorbachev serving as Convening Chairman. In 2005, He became President of Ubiquity University. Jim received his B.A. from the University of Santa Clara, an MTS from Harvard, and a PhD from Cambridge. His books include The Plutonium Culture, America as Empire, The Darkness of God: Theology after Hiroshima, Citizen Diplomacy, and Civilization and the Transformation of Power.

Daniel oversees the New Paradigm Institute communications team and tech capacity. He has over 15 years of experience as a Romero project director, organizer, researcher, and writer. He led the national Democreation Youth Voting project in 2004, a Festival Movement speaking tour, and the Lakota People’s Law Project for nine years, transitioning it to the leadership of Chase Iron Eyes in 2023. He holds a BA in Political Theory from Harvard College with honors, an MA in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago, and was offered a full PhD Fellowship to Brown University in political philosophy.

Anna spearheads fundraising efforts and donor relations for the Institute. Before joining the Romero team in 2019, Anna worked in marketing, sales, and entertainment. She is excited to be a part of this vital shift towards openness, knowledge, and understanding – of our universe and place within it. Anna holds a BA in American Literature & Culture from the University of California, Los Angeles and resides with her family in Carmel, CA.

Daniel Fettinger’s tenure as Director of Technology at the first Mandarin Immersion School in the United States exemplifies his comprehensive expertise and people-oriented approach. His nearly three decades in technology, shaping departments for companies like StubHub and TheFind from inception to acquisition, underscore his profound technical leadership. Beyond tech, his endeavors as a children’s book author and certified Reiki master enrich his insights into user needs and expectations, integrating a unique blend of system understanding with a deep appreciation for the human elements at play.

Greg has 15+ years experience as a digital marketer, community manager, developer evangelist, webmaster and content creator for some of the largest corporations in Silicon Valley. In his spare time Greg enjoys digital photography, hiking and is a volunteer DJ and Music Director at a local community radio station. Greg resides with his family in Santa Cruz, CA.

With over two decades of professional corporate experience spanning diverse industries in both the public and private sectors, Katie has honed a multifaceted skill set and developed a profound understanding of organizational dynamics.

Demonstrating a talent for fostering cross-functional partnerships, streamlining processes, and aligning organizational objectives with actionable strategies, Katie has consistently delivered impactful results throughout her career. Her adaptability, coupled with a steadfast commitment to integrity and accountability, enables her to navigate complexities effectively and achieve success in challenging environments.

Kevin Wright has 25 years of experience in Washington, DC, in public relations, communications, and issue advocacy. He founded Solve Advocacy, an issue advocacy and communications consulting firm dedicated to UAP and edge science issues. He is a press and media strategy consultant to New Paradigm Institute and a weekly columnist for the Roswell Daily Record.

Lesley-Reid, raised during apartheid era South Africa, has a lifelong commitment to social justice. After living undocumented in the U.S. for ten years and raising a family, they graduated Magna Cum Laude from UCSC in 2014 with BAs in Feminist Studies and Sociology. They are a founding member of Pajaro Valley Pride in Watsonville, CA. Lesley-Reid disrupts discrimination and advocates for intersectionality to ensure that folks who have historically been at the margins of queer movements are centered in our work and personal spaces. Lesley-Reid facilitates spaces for LGBTQ2+ folks of all ages and backgrounds to develop and share their stories, actively seeking ways to amplify the voices of marginalized communities. Their passion is shining a light and bringing change to the challenges BIPOC, transgender, and gender non-conforming members face, both within and beyond the Queer community.

Tyler Zahradnik is a self motivated and innovative multimedia producer and digital communications specialist. Collaborations include Anomaly Entertainment, Travel Channel and Discovery Plus, with productions airing on national television. Tyler’s background specialty is audio engineering and music composition, which evolved into videography and video production. Currently, Tyler is pursuing Journalism at NYU.