Our Alliances

Alliances advance the Braver Angels mission at the local, state, and regional level, offering members a way to engage with each other in their own communities using the Braver Angels Way. Alliances have a Red-Blue balance in their leadership and strive towards a Red-Blue balance in their membership. There are also "protoalliances" which are not yet fully registered as an alliance with Braver Angels because they don't yet have two politically-different co-leads, but they are in the process of forming!

If you are interested in becoming a Braver Angel in your community, please reach out to your local alliance coordinators via the emails below. Individual alliances use newsletters, weekly round-ups, and individual websites to keep their members informed on upcoming events and news.


New York State Coordinators

Berivan Tamsen, Blue Co-lead

Berivan Tamsen is a dedicated educator committed to expanding equitable access to great public schools. She has worked as a math coach and strategy & talent transformation consultant, expanding access to school systems designed to produce effective teaching and strong student learning outcomes. Berivan's journey as a first-generation American, navigating the complexities of conflicting ethnic identities with a Turkish mother and Kurdish father, is a key factor in her connection with Braver Angels. Berivan loves the inclusivity of Braver Angels, where her unique background is not only accepted but celebrated. Braver Angels provide a welcoming and safe space where she can embrace her multifaceted identities and viewpoints without the burden of choosing between them.

btamsen@braverangels.org

Randy Freeman, Red Co-lead

Randy Freeman became New York State Coordinator when she moved to Somers about five years ago from New Jersey, where she was a state coordinator. Randy joined Braver Angels in 2017 after feeling frustrated with the polarization in our country. She became actively involved right away, first organizing and then moderating workshops. She ran monthly moderator meetings nationally for about a year and has participated in various national events and committees. Two years ago, after retiring from her work as a psychotherapist, Randy put her heart and soul into more local work in Braver Angels, as Westchester County alliance leader as well as state coordinator. She sees herself as available in the State of New York to help people get the most out of their membership and to spread the word about what Braver Angels is trying to accomplish here and nationally.

rfreeman@braverangels.org

Capital Region NYS Alliance

Bruce France
Red co-chair
bfrance@braverangels.org

Michael Asbury
Blue co-chair
masbury@braverangels.org

Eva Galvin
Blue co-chair
egalvin@braverangels.org

Hudson River Valley Alliance

Caroline Berninger
Blue co-chair
cberninger@braverangels.org

New co-share to be announced soon.

Long Island Alliance

Herb Lape
Red co-chair
hlape@braverangels.org

Brian Kell
Independent co-chair
bkell@braverangels.org

Alex Edwards-Bourdrez
Blue co-chair
alexeb2@gmail.com

Gabbi Timmis
Blue co-chair
gtimmis@braverangels.org

Brent Morden
Red co-chair
bmorden@braverangels.org

Rockland County

Barbara Cohen
Independent co-chair
bchinskycohen@braverangels.org

Paulette Staum
Red co-chair
pstaum@braverangels.org

Elaine Annunziata
Blue co-chair
eannunziata@braverangels.org

Tompkins County Alliance

Heather McCarty
Blue co-chair
hmccarty@braverangels.org

Rocco Lucente
Red co-chair
lucenterocco@yahoo.com

Christine Montague
Blue co-chair

Mike Sigler
Red co-chair

Westchester Alliance

Don Scott
Red co-chair
dbscott@gmail.com

Sara Silver
Blue co-chair
saralukose5@yahoo.com

West New York (Proto-alliance)

Joe Canepa
Blue co-chair
jacanepa@buffalo.edu

New co-share to be announced soon.