Blake Zante, Executive Director
Email: blakezante@mail.fresnostate.edu
Blake Zante is the executive director of the Kenneth L. Maddy Institute. As an alumnus of the Maddy Institute’s Legislative Intern Scholar Program, Zante’s journey has been rooted in a commitment to public service and civic engagement.
As executive director, Zante oversees the institute’s operations, orchestrating its diverse programs with the aim of training the next generation of leaders, bolstering democratic participation, providing nonpartisan public policy analysis, and increasing civic engagement in the San Joaquin Valley and state of California. He is also responsible for producing and hosting public affairs programs, such as the Maddy Report, which serve to illuminate the impact of public policy on San Joaquin Valley agriculture and various other sectors.
Zante succeeds Mark Keppler, who diligently guided the Maddy Institute for 19 years. Former leaders of the Maddy Institute include former Fresno State President Harold Haak, Representative Jim Costa, and former Mayor of Fresno Dan Whitehurst.
A government affairs and communications professional, Zante worked as a district representative to former Speaker of the House of Representatives Kevin McCarthy, as press secretary to state Senator Andreas Borgeas, and operated a public affairs consultancy.
Beyond his professional commitments, Zante remains deeply engaged in community service and advocacy. He serves as a Fresno County planning commissioner, a board member for both the Fresno State Alumni Association and the San Joaquin Political Academy of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the Fresno Rotary Club.
Zante earned a BA in political science from Fresno State. During his time at the university, he served as student body president and received a President’s Honors Scholarship from the Smittcamp Family Honors College. Zante is an alumnus of the Capital Fellows Program. He is currently finishing his masters in public administration (MPA).
In recognition of his exemplary contributions, Zante was named to Fresno Business Street’s “40 under 40” class in 2021. He was born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley and is proud to continue living in and giving back to his home community with his wife.
Guadalupe Cruz, Program Coordinator
Email: gcruz0521@mail.fresnostate.edu
In September Guadalupe Cruz was named the Program Coordinator of the Maddy Institute.
Along with providing administrative assistance in the office, Guadalupe will be primarily responsible for overseeing the Maddy Legislative Internship Scholar Program in Washington, D.C., Sacramento, and various political offices throughout the Central Valley. Additionally, she will be assisting with the Maddy Daily and the Citizenship Academy, as well as hosting El Informe Maddy, and managing our social media outreach.
Prior to her current role, Guadalupe successfully completed three Maddy Legislative Internships in the office of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, Former U.S. Representative TJ Cox, and Assemblyman Devon J. Mathis.
Guadalupe earned her bachelor’s degree (magna cum laude) with a double major in Political Science and Sociology from California State University, Fresno. She is the first in her family to attend and graduate from college.
Tonia Loeffler, Program Coordinator
Email: tloeffler@csufresno.edu
Tonia Loeffler is a Program Coordinator for the Maddy Institute. Her duties include facilitating the production of The Maddy Report television and Valley Views radio/podcast programming, coordinating Maddy Institute events, dabbling in fundraising, and overseeing various administrative functions.
Previously, Tonia has served as an events coordinator, a community college instructor, and a full-time mom.
Tonia earned her bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism and her master’s degree in Linguistics from California State University, Fresno. She has two daughters who have made life exciting, fun, busy, and beyond fulfilling. Her oldest daughter is a sophomore at USC and her youngest will be attending UCLA in fall of 2024.
Lillian Hammerstrom, Student Assistant
Email: lilyhammerstrom@mail.fresnostate.edu
Lillian Hammerstrom is double majoring in Political Science and Spanish with a minor in English Literature at Fresno State and is a member of the Smittcamp Family Honors College. Born and raised in the Central Valley, Lillian has always been fascinated with local politics and has had the opportunity to serve as a Maddy intern twice!
She has also interned in the Fresno County District Attorney’s office and the Public Defender’s office. On campus, Lillian has participated in the Fresno State Mock Trial Team, and currently serves as the operations coordinator for the Fresno State chapter of Camp Kesem, and has previously held the position of volunteer coordinator. Lillian has a passion for public policy, law, and serving others, and will be attending UC Davis School of Law at King Hall in the fall, and plans to pursue a career in immigration advocacy or public defense.
Karina Virk, Student Assistant
Email: karinavirk@mail.fresnostate.edu
Karina Virk is a senior at Fresno State and is graduating with a degree in Community Health and a minor in Physical Sciences. She is also completing two certificates in Alcohol and Drug Studies and Emergency Medical Services. Born and raised in Clovis, she is passionate about volunteering in her community and learning more about the healthcare challenges we face in the Central Valley. Karina has been a volunteer at Valley Children’s Hospital for eight years and serves as a mentor to new volunteers.
At Fresno State, Karina is currently an officer in the Student Public Health Association and is involved in other clubs on campus. She also works with Fresno County’s Tobacco Prevention Program, under the Advocates for Tobacco Abstinence Coalition, to reduce tobacco use in our community by raising awareness of the tobacco industry’s impact.
After graduating, Karina plans to attend medical school and wants to pursue a master’s in public health. Using her passion for medicine and interest in public health policy, Karina hopes to work as a primary care physician and as an advocate for underserved populations in the Central Valley through health education and policymaking.
Huda Alazani, Student Assistant
Email: halazani@mail.fresnostate.edu
Huda Alazani is a senior at Fresno State majoring in Political Science with the goal of pursuing law school after obtaining her bachelor’s degree. She is also a president’s scholar with the Smittcamp Family Honors College, where she currently serves as the president for the Council of President’s Scholars.
On campus, Huda is a member of clubs such as Pi Sigma Alpha, the League of Women Voters, and she serves as the Vice President of the Students for Palestinian Liberation. Huda is passionate about serving her community and believes in providing opportunities, which she hopes to achieve by becoming an immigration attorney in the future. She hopes to provide valuable insight, become more involved locally, and be of service to her community.
Camalah Saleh, Student Assistant
Email: Camalah@mail.fresnostate.edu
Camalah Saleh is a second-year at California State University, Fresno double majoring in Political Science and Communication. Camalah is also a member of the Smittcamp Family Honors College. Camalah’s passion for local politics has been shaped by firsthand experiences of its direct impact on our daily lives and is looking forward to learning more about its process.
On campus, Camalah serves as the president of the League of Women Voters student unit where she works with others to increase voter participation among college students. Additionally, she proudly represents her community as a delegate for Assembly District 31 and serves as the Communication Director for the Arab-American Caucus. Camalah has also had the experience of working on the political campaigns of Anna Caballero, Manpreet Kaur, and the No on C Coalition. Beyond her political involvement, Camalah also works as a student assistant for the Maddy Institute and was just admitted into the Central Valley Law Fellows Program.
After obtaining her bachelor’s, Camalah plans to attend law school to become an immigration attorney. Her goal is to give back to her community by one day establishing an immigration law firm in Sanger, CA- the town her family immigrated to when she was three.
Claudio Silva, Student Assistant
Email: casilvaq99@mail.fresnostate.edu
Claudio Silva is a freshman at Fresno State, majoring in Public Health with a Spanish minor to obtain a BSN through the Nursing Program. He was born and raised in Hanford, CA, and this close-knit town has nurtured his love for a sense of community from volunteering to working with the non-profit organization Communities for a New California. He is also an Honors student and a part of the Smittcamp Family Honors College 25th Cohort.
At Fresno State, Claudio is involved with the Camp Kesem chapter and hopes to expand his interests and continue joining other clubs and organizations. Being a part of the medical field has always been a long-term goal and something that he finds extremely rewarding. Therefore, he hopes to pursue a master’s and even a doctorate in Nursing to use his passion for medicine to help inform individuals from minority groups about how to obtain adequate healthcare and their options.
Rawan Kiran, Student Assistant
Email: rawankiran@mail.fresnostate.edu
Rawan Kiran is a first-year history major at Fresno State with a minor in Middle East Studies. She is a member of the Smittcamp Family Honors College and the secretary of the Muslim Student Association on campus. In her community, Rawan is Cofounder of Masjid Fresno Girls, an organization that serves the female Muslim youth in Fresno.
Rawan is passionate about community and connection. She hopes to attend law school after obtaining her Bachelor’s degree to help bridge the connection between the Central Valley’s Muslim population and its political community.
Shireen Virk, Student Assistant
Email: shireenvirk@mail.fresnostate.edu
Shireen Virk is a second year majoring in Biochemistry and is a member of the Smittcamp Family Honors College. She has volunteered at Valley Childrens as a patient pal for 6 years, and is also contributing to research in Biochemistry at Fresno State under Dr. Maitra. Shireen plans on attending medical school after obtaining her bachelors degree, and is pursuing a career in cardiovascular surgery.