Carolyn McPhillips
President
Carolyn McPhillips joined the Forum's staff in July 2005. In June 2020, Carolyn succeeded as President of MFDF. Immediately prior to joining the Forum, she lived in Naples, Italy. She was an associate in the Financial Services Group of Dechert
LLP from 2000 to 2003.
David B. Smith, Jr.
Executive Vice President & General Counsel
David Smith
is the Executive Vice President for Policy and Legal Affairs at MFDF. He joined the Forum's staff in November 2005. Previously, David served with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as Associate Director (Public Utility and Investment
Company Regulation), and, prior to that, as Assistant General Counsel for Investment Management, Office of the General Counsel. Before that, he served as staff attorney, then Senior Counsel, with the same Office.
Dianne M. Descoteaux
Senior Counsel
Dianne M. Descoteaux joined MFDF as Senior Counsel in October 2023. She has more than 20 years of experience as an attorney in the investment management industry and in private law practice advising clients on legal and compliance issues arising
under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Prior to joining MFDF, Dianne was Associate General Counsel at the Investment Adviser Association. Before IAA, Dianne served as General Counsel at Cipperman Compliance
Services, LLC, now a part of ACA Group, and worked as in-house counsel at SEI Investments. She has also practiced law in the Investment Management Practice Groups of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, Morrison & Foerster LLP and Stradley Ronon
Stevens & Young LLP. Dianne is a McKenna Scholar and Honors graduate of Claremont McKenna College and earned her law degree at Duke University School of Law.
Sara Vargo
Counsel
Sara Vargo joined the Forum in
October 2021. Prior to joining the Forum’s staff, she was the Director of Government Relations and International Affairs at the Managed Funds Association. Earlier in her career she worked as a regulatory analyst at FINRA in the Office of
Fraud Detection and Market Intelligence, and on Capitol Hill as a subcommittee legal clerk for the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. She is a magna cum laude graduate of The Ohio State University, and earned a Juris Doctor
from the University of Toledo.
Young Hee Kim
Chief of Staff
Young Hee Kim
joined the Forum in April 2012. Before joining MFDF, Young was a public affairs and research analyst in the federal government and nonprofit settings.
Leslie Beckbridge
Operations & Member Services Manager
Leslie Beckbridge joined the Forum as Membership Associate in March 2015. Prior to joining the Forum's staff, Leslie worked at a DC consulting firm providing communications, business development, and client relations support. Leslie's background
is primarily in the nonprofit sector, and she brings experience in customer service, database management, executive support, and staffing to the Forum team.