SUNSHINE WEEK

SIXTH ANNUAL SUNSHINE WEEK SYMPOSIUM – March 18, 2026

Day

Hour

Minute

Second

Americans for Prosperity Foundation (AFPF) is happy to announce its Sixth Annual Sunshine Week Symposium, which will bring together a panel of transparency experts to discuss cutting-edge issues related to the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state open-records laws. Join us online for a robust exploration into the current state and future of FOIA on Wednesday, March 18^th, from 10:00–11:30am ET.

Our expert panelists will explore the following issues, and more:

Improving proactive disclosure
Records retention and management practices in a digital age
Processing platforms, the rise of Artificial Intelligence, and agency resource limitations
The impact of copyright claims on public access
The state of FOIA enforcement—judicial review, OGIS mediation, and more

This year’s symposium participants include:

Ryan Mulvey, Senior Policy Counsel, Americans for Prosperity Foundation & Professorial Lecturer in Law, The George Washington University Law School
Margaret Kwoka, The Frank R. Strong Chair in Law, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
Frank LoMonte, Newsroom Legal Counsel, CNN & Adjunct Instructor, University of Georgia School of Law
Michael Sarich, Founder, FOIA University & Former FOIA Director, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

* Panelist affiliations provided for identification purposes only

Registration for online viewing is available here.

Sunshine Week 2026 Panelists

Ryan Mulvey is senior policy counsel at Americans for Prosperity Foundation. Ryan’s practice touches on various aspects of government oversight, civic engagement, and administrative and constitutional law. He regularly lectures on government transparency and litigates cases under the FOIA and Administrative Procedure Act. Ryan has helped to prosecute state public records requests, too, and provided amicus support at various levels of state and federal courts, including the Supreme Court. As a policy expert, he regularly advises congressional staff about FOIA reform and cutting-edge transparency issues. Of particular note, in his role at Cause of Action Institute, Ryan served as lead counsel in the landmark case, Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, in which the Supreme Court overruled the forty-year-old Chevron deference doctrine. In addition to his work at AFPF, Ryan is Professorial Lecturer in Law at The George Washington University Law School, where he teaches FOIA as part of an administrative-law clinic. He also serves as president of the American Society of Access Professionals and is a contributor at FOIA Advisor. Ryan currently serves on the 2024-2026 Term of the Federal Freedom of Information Act Advisory Committee.

Frank LoMonte is newsroom legal counsel to CNN, where he advises the network’s 3,000 worldwide journalists on the full range of legal issues that arise in gathering and distributing news. He is an adjunct instructor at the University of Georgia School of Law and previously taught at the University of Florida, where he directed the Joseph L. Brechner Center for Freedom of Information. After graduating from the University of Georgia School of Law, he clerked for federal judges on the Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals and the Northern District of Georgia. He is co-chair of the Free Speech and Free Press Committee of the American Bar Association and a national board member with the Society of Professional Journalists Foundation. SPJ recently awarded him the organization’s highest honor for career achievement, the Wells Key. He has published more than 30 articles in legal journals addressing a variety of media-law topics. He current serves as an appointed member of the FOIA Advisory Committee of the National Archives.

Margaret B. Kwoka holds the Frank R. Strong Chair in Law at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Her research focuses on government transparency and her 2001 book, Saving the Freedom of Information Act, was published by Cambridge University Press. In the 2022-2023 academic year, Professor Kwoka completed research on independent oversight of transparency laws in México under a Fulbright-García Robles grant. She regularly provides expert commentary to the press, consults on FOIA matters, and testifies before state legislatures and Congress on FOIA oversight. She has also twice served on the federal FOIA Advisory Committee. Professor Kwoka holds an A.B. from Brown University and a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law, and she clerked for the Honorable Phillip Rapoza, Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court and the Honorable Michael Murphy, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Prior to joining the academy, she litigated FOIA cases at Public Citizen Litigation Group in Washington, D.C.

Michael Sarich is the Founder of FOIA University and a leading authority on government transparency. A lawyer and Army veteran, he served as Director of the Department of Veterans Affairs' FOIA Service, where he modernized one of the largest FOIA programs in the federal government. Under his leadership, VA was recognized by the Government Accountability Office as the top federal department for backlog reduction, setting new standards for efficiency, technology adoption, and public access. As co-founder of the Chief FOIA Officer's Technology Committee, Michael has been at the forefront of integrating smart technology into FOIA operations — championing workflow automation, AI-assisted redaction, and data-driven case management to reduce delays and rebuild public trust. His innovations at VA have become a benchmark across government, and his current work continues to shape how agencies at every level approach the future of open government. A three-time University of Maryland graduate and former Laurel City Councilman, Michael brings the same commitment to service that defines his role as a father, baseball coach, and Scout leader. Whether navigating complex legal frameworks or coaching from the third-base line, he believes in empowering others with the tools and trust they need to succeed.