NLC Inspires New Generation of Progressive Leadership

by Jen Nedeau

Published January 18, 2009 @ 09:50PM PT

New Leaders Council, a non-profit that I volunteer for, has just announced the acceptance of 85 diverse fellows who will be participating in a rigorous five-month training program focused on campaign work, advocacy, organization, communications and leadership training to mold what NLC has termed progressive "political entrepreneurs."

The rigorous application and interview process for the 2009 NLC Institute resulted in the selection of highly competitive fellows from different backgrounds, which will create a national team of over 80 Fellows who will participate in New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles NLC Institutes to become the next generation of progressive leadership.

Of the 85 fellows selected, forty-percent are women, demonstrating an honest attempt at gender parity in my opinion, but still gives NLC room to improve in 2010. Additionally, the program boasts a significant variety of individuals from many different racial, ethnic and sexual orientation backgrounds, which I think is one of the most important things to consider when developing top talent for the future of any political movement.

NLC was founded in 2004 when a community of young political leaders were shut out of power. They realized how the conservatives recruited top talent, provided high-level training, and set up future leaders with mentors. NLC's founders wanted to enable the next generation of progressive leadership in the same way

I think this is especially important when you compare progressive and conservative leadership development programs there is a serious lack of mentorship and investment into the talent of the progressive movement. While conservative organizations such as The Leadership Institute employ a 10 million dollar a year business in developing talent for the conservative movement - the progressives really don't have anything similar, until NLC came along.

I decided to volunteer with NLC because of its unique approach to leadership training that I have yet to see in my years as an activist. I like how NLC allows those in a variety of sectors to network into a political unit. I really think NLC is quite different from other leadership programs, not only because of the five month trainings instead of one week/weekend, but also because NLC aims to create successful leaders in all areas even beyond politics - such as business, agriculture, international relations, technology, law and finance. NLC believes that having a strong network of progressives across a variety of industries is what can really help the progressive movement succeed; a change in strategy from recruiting only the politically involved to participate in campaigns, elections and governance.

All five classes of NLC fellows from across the nation were publicly announced over at the NLC fundraiser on Sunday, Jan 18, 2009 where NLC National Chairman, Mark Walsh; Maine state representative, Sean Flaherty and the CA Secretary of State, Debra Bowen spoke about their commitment to NLC.

The fundraiser celebrated the Institute classes in DC, San Francisco, New York, Boston, and Los Angeles, in addition to announcing the plans for NLC expansion to 10 cities by 2010.

Congratulations to all the fellows in these five cities for taking part in this unique opportunity to change the future of the progressive movement.

BOSTON

Ajay Bam, Product Manager, Nokia

Kristen Beilman, Legislative Aide, Representative John J. Binienda Jr.

Dan Cruz, Legislative Aide, Representative Peter Koutoujian

Sarah Emond, Principal, SKE Communications

Jaime-Alexis Fowler, Editor, Pathfinder International

Sandi Fox, Communications Manager, State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance

Luke Fuzzard, Graduate Student, Harvard Business School, Harvard's Kennedy School of Government

Daniel Glasser, Legislative Aide, State Representative Carl Sciortino

Brendan Greally, Chief Legal Counsel, Joint Committee on Revenue

Carl Lowenberg, Mentor, Urban Ecology Institute

Conor Kennedy, Law Student, Havard Law

Carl Lowenberg, Mentor, Urban Ecology Institute

Rachel O'h-Uiginn, Program Coordiantor, WorldBoston

Robert Orthman, Law Student, Suffolk University Law School

Jason Poulos, Research Intern, Massachusetts Technology Collaborative

Jonathan Sclarsic, Attorney, Goodwin Procter

Paul Sousa, Student, Northeastern University

Daniel Sullivan, Chief of Staff, Dean of the Massachusetts House of Representatives

Mike Valanzola, Selectman, Town of Wales/ Financial Analyst, EMC

NEW YORK

Alfonso Montero, MS Global Affairs

Michael Nadler, J.D. Candidate, New York University Law School

Christopher H. Marion, First Lieutenant, New York Army National Guard

Douglas Martin, J.D. Candidate, New York University Law School

Julie Blitzer, New Projects Coordinator, Advomatic

Corey Blay, Teacher, Fieldston

Jeff Delaney, Senior Associate, NYC Department of Small Business

Jeannine Torres, Masters Candidate, New York University Stern and Harvard Kennedy School

Kate Landon, Candidate Masters in Public Policy, New York University's Wagner School of Public Policy

John Keaten, Senior Associate, Group Gordon, Inc.

Robert Sadow, Associate Consultant, Bain & Company

Leah Malone, Candidate Masters of Global Affairs, New York University

William Evans, J.D. and M.P.P. Candidate, New York University Law School and Harvard Kennedy School of Government

Emma Mankey Hidem, Associate Producer, Red Light Films

Julie Raisch, Student, New York University

Jackie Bokser, J.D. Candidate, Law School Class 2012

Gil Schwartz, M.A. Political Science and Theology, Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary

Lamont Carolina, Community Liaison, NYC Councilman Charles Barron

SAN FRANCISCO

Joel Brown, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, Pneumos LLP

Katherine Casey, Program Associate, Education Pioneers

Crystal Cole, Business Incubator Manager, BUILD

Derek Duarte, Law Clerk, City of Berkeley, City Attorney's Office

Jessica Eastman, Operations & Development Manager, Elmhurst Community Prep Middle School

Matt Haney, Law and Education Masters Candidate, Stanford University

Meena Harris, User Operations Specialist for Growth and User Insights, Facebook

Jennifer Hong, Office Manager, Lightpole, Inc.

Tyler Huebner, Associate Consultant, ICF International

Kula Koenig, Project Manager, Capitol Campaigns

DeWitt Lacy, Civil Rights Attorney

Boniface Ndirangu, Director, Eden House Kenya Ltd.

Marina Pol Longo, Associate, FSG Social Impact Advisors

Jason Shafton, Local Markets Strategy & Operations Associate, Google

Ian Thomson, Founder, CleanTech Human Capital

Joshua To, Project Director, Google

WASHINGTON DC

Janessa Goldbeck, Director of Membership, GI-Net

Caitlin Howarth, Policy Director, Roosevelt Institution

David Aaron Joseph, Voter Targeting Analyst, Grassroots Solutions

Mariana Marques, Director of Research Program Development, UMD School of Medicine

Scott Winship, Research Manager, Economic Mobility Project of the Pew Charitable Trusts

Clay West, Defense Counsel, Guantanamo Military Commissions

Kate Brandt, Special Assistant to Carol Browner, Energy and Climate Change Czar

Noah Cuttler, Senior Legislative Aide, Representative Mary Jo Kilroy

Cameron French, Talent Liaison, 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee

Sabrina Hersi Issa, Digital Director, Be Bold Media

Steven Lubot, President of the Law Democrats, The George Washington Law School

Mike Simmons, Legislative Correspondent, Senator Dick Durbin

A. Angelique, Legislative Staffer, Senator Mary Landrieu

Mike Traxinger, Staff Assistant, Representative Stephanie Herseth Sandlin

Ashely Stover, Foreign Affairs Legislative Correspondent, Senator Robert Casey

Avi Zevin, Clean Energy Initiative Policy Analyst, Third Way

Farid E. Ben Amor, Political Coordinator

LOS ANGELES

James Erickson, Sabbatical

Jonathan Gibson, Volunteer Coordinator, The Cambodian Family

David Graham-Caso, Account Executive, Fiona Hutton & Associates

Saurabh Kikani, Committee Member, Young Lawyers for Obama

Denise Lopez, Field Representative, California State Senate, District 22

Ana Mascarenas, Membership Coordinator, Physicians for Social Responsibility-Los Angeles

Katherine Ryan, Owner, Blue Dog Entertainment

Shawn Sebastian, Development Associate, Esperanza Community Housing Corporation

Lisa Thong, Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment

Igor Tregub, General Engineer, National Nuclear Security Administration

Maggie Wells, Research Associate, Accumentrics, Inc.

Jane Yakowitz, Executive Director, Project SEAPHE

Byron Adams, Corps Member, Teach for America

Aviva Altmann, Development Associate, Green Dot Public Schools

Dina Cervantes, Student, California State University, Northridge