March Fourth Leadership Team
Kitty Brandtner
Founder and Co-President
Kitty Brandtner is the founder and co-president of March Fourth. Following the mass shooting tragedies in Buffalo, Uvalde, and Highland Park, Kitty created a movement focused exclusively on the assault weapons ban. Nine days after the Fourth of July shooting in 2022, she mobilized 500+ supporters for a rally and meetings on Capitol Hill. Two weeks later, the House passed the Assault Weapons Ban bill for the first time in nearly 30 years.
Before forming March Fourth, Kitty was a sales executive working with multi-billion-dollar firms and high-growth startups. In her role, she helped grow the technology recruiting unit into the largest revenue-producing team at the LaSalle Network and consistently earned achievement honors and acknowledgment. In 2023, Kitty left her full-time job of 14 years to follow her heart and focus on ending mass shootings in America by leading March Fourth as a volunteer. She currently lives in the North Shore of Chicago with her husband and three young children.
Maureen Westphal
Co-President
Maureen Westphal is the co-president of March Fourth. Her passion for activism began when her family was the victim of random gun violence in their home in Washington, D.C. in 2021 and culminated with the Fourth of July parade mass shooting near her hometown in 2022. As a two-time cancer survivor and parent of young children, Maureen is driven by her determination to keep her family, friends, and community safe from preventable tragedies.
Maureen previously served as the vice president of American Energy Action, executive director of the Partnership for Transportation Innovation and Opportunity, and director of communications for the American Beverage Association. She has held several positions in the U.S. House of Representatives for Congressman Steny Hoyer (D-MD) in his roles as House Majority Leader and Minority Whip and for the House Committee on Appropriations.
A graduate of Regis University, Maureen began her career in Denver, Colorado, where she served as a legislative aide for Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon, and led statewide candidate and issue advocacy campaigns. She lives in Maryland with her husband and two daughters.
Claire Laws
Vice President, Marketing
Claire has been with March Fourth since its inception, previously leading the People team and now in her role as vice president of marketing. Claire’s frustration with the lack of legislative action to prevent mass shootings in America led to her involvement with the organization.
Claire brings over 15 years of experience in the corporate world, primarily in marketing roles. She frequently draws on her experience in strategic communications, storytelling, and sales enablement as the leader of the March Fourth Marketing team. She began her career in advertising and marketing at CNN, before earning an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and moving into B2B marketing and product roles at a large commercial real estate corporation. She lives in Chicago with her husband and young daughter.
Kate Dorsch
Executive Assistant
Kate Dorsch is the executive assistant to the founder. As a former educator and the mother of young children, Kate is deeply passionate about ending mass shootings. She began volunteering with Democratic candidates in 2019 and was drawn to March Fourth due to her frustration over the lack of progress in gun sense legislation. She is passionate about fighting for an assault weapons ban to keep all families safe. She is a graduate of Manhattanville College and Fordham University and currently lives outside of New York City with her husband and two children.