DASS Leadership

Prior to being elected, Secretary Aguilar served twelve years as General Counsel for Agassi Graf, the management company for Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf, and the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education. In this role, he was responsible for communications and media, marketing and brand management, strategic partnerships, legal and government affairs. The Secretary also served as Special Counsel to the Chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, Jim Rogers, and as a lawyer for the parent company of the Las Vegas and Reno NBC affiliates, KSNV Channel 3 and KRNV Channel 4, and 15 other NBC affiliates.

The Secretary combined his expertise in business and sports to launch a sports technology startup company, Blueprint Sports & Entertainment, connecting athletes and brands where they live and play. In recent years, Secretary Aguilar spent a year working at Adidas Global Headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany as a member of the Brand Sustainability team through a transatlantic Fellowship with the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH.

Secretary Aguilar graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and accounting, an MBA and Juris Doctor. At the University of Arizona, he was also elected to represent the more than 35,000 students as Student Body President. Secretary Aguilar is a member of the Nevada, California, and Arizona Bars.

Secretary Aguilar is the Founding Chairman of Cristo Rey St. Viator College Preparatory High School. Cristo Rey serves students in one of Las Vegas’ most vulnerable neighborhoods, and provides an innovative work-study program designed to prepare them for future careers.

Governors Jim Gibbons and Brian Sandoval appointed Secretary Aguilar to the Nevada Athletic Commission, which regulates boxing and mixed martial arts. He served on the Commission for eight years, two of which he served as Chairman.

Stephanie Thomas was sworn in as Connecticut’s Secretary of the State on January 4, 2023. With a distinguished 30-year career advising and problem-solving for nonprofit organizations, running her own business, and serving as a State Representative of the 143rd District (Norwalk, Wilton, Westport), Secretary Thomas brings a unique blend of business expertise and a passion for civics to public service.

Since taking office, Secretary Thomas has led the implementation of significant election reforms in the state, including the successful roll-out of early voting. In September 2023, she secured a historic investment of $25 million to replace the state’s aging tabulators, marking Connecticut’s first voting machine upgrade since 2006. During her term, Secretary Thomas will also institute a new centralized voter registration system, election night reporting system, upgrades to the business.ct.gov portal and oversee the implementation of the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of Connecticut, universal access to absentee ballots and automatic voter registration at several Connecticut agencies.

A former small business owner, Secretary Thomas has worked to pass business-friendly legislation, and she has created a monthly e-newsletter that aggregates funding and training resources in one place to save business owners’ time.

Secretary Thomas believes that a healthy representative democracy relies on regular and active participation in civic life by all. To promote robust civic engagement, she has met Connecticut’s communities in their own spaces, thereby cultivating a nonpartisan dialogue between the people and their government. She has travelled to barbershops and salons around the state as part of her Connect & Cut series, held civic trivia events at local libraries, encouraged businesses and nonprofits to be civic ambassadors through her innovative CEO (Civically Engaged Organization) program, and put the power of civics into the hands of the public by providing plain-language, civics resources at Civics101.ct.gov.

Secretary Thomas made history as the first Black person to be elected Secretary of the State of Connecticut. She has dedicated time to serving on many boards and strategic planning committees, and she has been an active volunteer in her community. She currently serves on the Executive Board of the National Association of Secretaries of State. Secretary Thomas holds a B.A. from New York University and an M.S. in Nonprofit Management from New School University. She and her husband are proud residents of Norwalk, Connecticut.

Alexi Giannoulias was sworn in as the Secretary of State of Illinois on January 9, 2023, becoming the first Democrat to hold the office in nearly 25 years. As Secretary of State, he oversees one of the largest and most critical state agencies, managing Illinois’ driver services, business registrations, libraries, and election integrity efforts.

Prior to serving as Secretary of State, Giannoulias was Illinois State Treasurer from 2007 to 2011, where he focused on financial reform, ethical oversight, and investment strategies that supported economic growth. He also worked in the private sector as a community banker and later as the chairman of the Illinois Community College Board.

Throughout his career, Giannoulias has been a champion of modernizing government services, protecting voting rights, and expanding access to public resources. As Secretary of State, he has prioritized upgrading the DMV experience, strengthening cybersecurity for elections, and improving transparency in government operations.

Giannoulias holds a law degree from Tulane University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Boston University. A lifelong Illinois resident, he continues to advocate for innovative policies that streamline government services and promote equity and accessibility for all Illinoisans.

Steve Simon is Minnesota’s 22nd Secretary of State. He was sworn into office on January 5, 2015, and as Minnesota’s chief elections administrator pledged in his inaugural address to “work with anyone, of any political affiliation, from any part of our state” to protect, defend, and strengthen the right to vote in Minnesota.

As Secretary of State, he partners with township, city, and county officials to organize elections on behalf of Minnesota’s nearly four million eligible voters, and to ensure that the election system is fair.

Simon also oversees a wide range of services for Minnesota businesses and administers the “Safe at Home” address confidentiality program for people whose personal safety is at risk, often due to physical abuse or threats.

His goals as Minnesota’s Secretary of State are straightforward: expand access to voting, remove barriers to voting, make business services as streamlined as possible, strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence and, most importantly, be a Secretary of State for all Minnesotans.

Before being elected Minnesota’s Secretary of State, Simon served in the Minnesota House of Representatives for ten years representing the communities of St. Louis Park and Hopkins.

Simon spent much of his time in the state legislature immersed in elections issues, including serving as the chair of the House Elections Committee in 2013 and 2014. He played a lead role in many of the election reforms that Minnesota has embraced over the last several years, including no-excuse absentee voting, online voter registration, and easier access to voting for Minnesotans overseas, including those in the military.

Simon also served as Assistant Attorney General of Minnesota and worked as a lawyer in private practice for several years.

Simon grew up in St. Louis Park and Hopkins. He graduated with a B.A in Political Science from Tufts University in Massachusetts in 1992, and earned a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1996. Simon and his wife Leia live in Hopkins with their two children, Hannah and Noah, and rescue dog, Hugo.

In 2022, Adrian Fontes was elected as Arizona’s 21st Secretary of State. Secretary Fontes is a proud Arizona native, an honorable veteran of the United States Marine Corps, husband, and father who has spent a lifetime fighting for justice and defending our Democracy.

Secretary Fontes served on active duty from 1992 to 1996 and was nominated for a meritorious commission. His service to our country taught him the importance of dedication, discipline, and sacrifice to forcefully fight for the American dream.

After graduating from law school, Secretary Fontes spent his career advocating for justice and fighting for those who are disadvantaged — first as a prosecutor with the Denver District Attorney and then at the Maricopa County Attorneys office. He later led the International Prosecution Unit at the Arizona Attorney Generals Office. He practiced law for 15 years before running for office in 2016 when he was elected Maricopa County Recorder.

As Recorder, Secretary Fontes revolutionized the election system by ensuring that every eligible Arizonan had the access they needed to vote. Adrian enhanced ballot tracking technology and increased process transparency, winning recognition and awards from election organizations across the country.

Secretary Fontes is committed to preserving integrity in our elections, making voting easier for registered voters, and ensuring that Arizonas business community has a non-partisan partner in the Secretarys office.

Sarah Copeland Hanzas serves as the 40th Secretary of State of Vermont. A longtime resident of the Green Mountain State, Sarah grew up in a politically engaged family in Corinth and developed an early interest in public service. She graduated from University of Vermont with dual degrees in History and Geology, completed teacher training at the Upper Valley Educator Institute, and worked as a science teacher, youth coach, and later as a small business owner.

Prior to being elected Secretary of State, Copeland Hanzas served for 18 years in the Vermont House of Representatives, representing the Orange-2 district. As Secretary of State, Copeland Hanzas oversees Vermont’s elections, business registrations, professional licensure, and records. She has focused on strengthening democratic participation, modernizing civic programs, expanding civic education, and updating election systems. Her initiatives include the first statewide universal voting guide and enhanced civic engagement efforts for youth.

She resides in Bradford, Vermont, with her husband and their three children.