Our People

Susan Gates

Executive Director

sgates@faithandlaw.org

Dr. Susan Wharton Gates has over 30 years’ experience in public policy, first as a budget examiner in the Office of Management and Budget and later at Freddie Mac, where she worked for 19 years, becoming vice president of public policy. Susan is the author of Days of Slaughter: Inside the Fall of Freddie Mac and Why It Could Happen Again (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2017) and is an adjunct professor at Virginia Tech.

Susan received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware, a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh and a PhD in Public Administration from Virginia Tech. She completed the Advanced Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. In May 2023, she completed a Masters of Arts degree in Religion at Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.

Susan has a passion for the intersection of Christian faith and public policy. As the new Executive director of Faith and Law, she is eager to draw on her background in both public policy and theology.

Susan lives in Vienna, Virginia with her husband of 40 years, Peter, whom she met when she was six years old! They have three adult children and three grandchildren.

Jacque Armentrout

Director of Communications

jarmentrout@faithandlaw.org

• LinkedIn

Jacque Armentrout serves as Faith and Law’s Communication Director. Prior to coming to Faith and Law, Jacque worked in development at America World Adoption, creating and implementing their strategic digital fundraising and communication efforts. Jacque also worked at AKQA, leading digital projects for major companies such as USPS and Disney as well as D.C. based startup, Silas Partners, where she managed the design and development of websites and multi-channel marketing campaigns for Christian ministries such as Langham Partnership, Harvest and NRB. Originally from Switzerland, Jacque earned a bachelors degree from Duke University. She lives in Oakton, VA with her husband and three children.

Maddie Foster

Programming Director

mfoster@faithandlaw.org

Maddie Foster is the Programming Director at Faith & Law, where she helps foster theological formation that equips Hill staffers to faithfully unite their Christian convictions and public vocations. She earned her B.A. in Philosophy from Christendom College and pursued graduate studies in Theology at the University of Notre Dame, later teaching theology at Providence Cristo Rey High School in Indianapolis and Notre Dame Academy in Villanova. Her experience also includes curriculum development and program coordination for a Christian International Baccalaureate school in Erbil, Iraq, as well as work advancing educational access through the Vanguard Group’s 529 Plan. Maddie and her husband make their home in Hyattsville, Maryland, where they delight in family life with their daughter, Phoebe Abigail, and look forward with joy to welcoming a second child in January.

Janene Schmitz

Mentorship Program Director

jschmitz@faithandlaw.org

Janene Schmitz oversees our Mentorship Program. Prior to Faith and Law Janene worked at the Charles Koch Institute, connecting hopeful interns and young employees to careers that advance economic freedom and champion personal liberty. In addition to her time with CKI, she also worked at other non profits, assisting in operations and fundraising. She and her husband live in Alexandria with their three young children.