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Bill Gates, Director

Bill Gates serves as the Executive Director of the ASU Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory (“MODL”) and is a Professor of Practice of the ASU Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. Bill was elected to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in 2016 and was re-elected in 2020. In 2019, as Chairman of the Board, Bill negotiated a re-organization of the Maricopa County Elections Department with then-Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes. During the November 2022 General Election, Bill participated in 16 press conferences as the eyes of the world were on the Maricopa County Elections Department as numerous statewide races with razor thin margins were counted over a 13-day period. Bill served as the main spokesperson for the Maricopa County Elections Department under the Board of Supervisors during the 2024 election as well.

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Gisselle Ayala, Coordinator

Gisselle is a Coordinator within the Watts School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University. Gisselle is a member of the Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory (MODL) team. She actively supports MODL’s mission by coordinating events, assisting with communications and managing administrative functions that help drive the lab’s initiatives forward.

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Andrea DiFronzo, Assistant Director, Business Operations

Andrea is an Assistant Director, Business Operations in the Morrison Institute for Public Policy within the Watts School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University. Andrea is a member of the Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory (MODL) team. She has over 20 years of business operations experience in higher education and actively supports MODL’s mission by running MODL’s business operations that help drive the lab’s initiatives forward.

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