14th Annual Leaders Conference

Washington, D.C. | Nov. 20 – 22

RecapAgendaLivestreamSpeakersLeader Attendees

NewDEAL Leaders from across the country joined us at the 14th Annual Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., last week to unpack this year’s election results, share solutions to the nation’s greatest challenges, and find hope as they recommit to serving on the front lines in their communities.

If you weren’t able to join us, be sure to watch the video recordings from each of the plenary sessions here and stay on the lookout for information regarding the 2025 NewDEAL Forum Ideas Summit in Atlanta, GA, on May 5th and 6th.

Welcome Reception with Governor-elect Matt Meyer

NewDEAL Leader and Delaware Governor-elect Matt Meyer served as the keynote speaker at our Wednesday Welcome Reception, encouraging attendees to take full advantage of NewDEAL’s robust network of like-minded leaders and calling on elected officials to meet this challenging moment. “Right now I really, really believe – more than ever before – the future of our country depends on local leaders like you coming together, facilitated by groups like the NewDEAL, to make sure that the America that we all know is there somewhere,” he said.

Welcoming Remarks from NewDEAL Leader Debbie Cox Bultan

NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan opened the conference with an acknowledgment of the emotional and political challenges of the past few weeks and offered a message of hope and resilience. “My kernel of hope and resolve is fueled by all of you: the NewDEAL Leaders who step up and run for office. Because you get up every day and fight for your constituents. Because you sacrifice and never waver from your commitment to your communities and our country.” In releasing NewDEAL’s post-election report, she urged a laser focus on kitchen-table issues like affordability and encouraged listening to the many leaders, including NewDEALers, who outperformed the top of the ticket to win.

Remarks from U.S. Representative Pat Ryan

U.S. Representative Pat Ryan (NY-18), who won in a tight district not once but twice, joined attendees to share his reflections on this year’s election results and discuss the key role of state and local leaders in the years ahead. “I’m a recovering county executive,” he joked. “I come from local government, and I believe that the real solution to all the things happening in our party, in our country, and in our politics… is literally in this room.”

What Voters Said: Post-Election Poll from Third Way

Third Way Senior Vice President of Social Policy, Education & Politics Lanae Erickson previewed post-election polling outlining the factors that led to the re-election of former President Trump and how the Democratic party gets back on track. “We have to wrest our government back from the MAGA forces that now control it,” she said. “The only vehicle for that, I believe, is the Democratic party.” Check out Third Way’s full memo on the poll and tune in to our podcast, An Honorable Profession, as Lanae breaks down the results.

What Happens Next: Learning from the 2024 Election

Lauren Harper Pope, co-founder of The Welcome Party, led a panel discussion with NewDEALers Scranton, PA, Mayor Paige Cognetti and Georgia House Democratic Caucus Leader Tanya Miller and author of the Slow Boring newsletter Matt Yglesias. “What does this Democratic Party stand for? Is this the party of each one of our constituencies? Is this the party of our loudest constituency?” Miller asked, weighing the lessons learned by Democrats this election cycle. “We’ve gotta… make people think that their survival, their growth, their prosperity lies within the Democratic Party.”

Remarks from New Democrat Coalition Chair U.S. Representative Annie Kuster (NH-02)

New Democrat Coalition Chair and U.S. Representative Annie Kuster (NH-02) joined us to update the ballroom on exciting Congressional victories, highlighting New Dems’ incoming class, which is made up of at least 22 new members (and five NewDEALers), including many who over-performed the top of the ticket in key races across the country. “We won because we ran on commonsense messages… and we steered clear of divisive, culture war issues,” Kuster said. “And that’s the discipline we’ll need going forward.”

Democracy: Lessons for Preserving and Strengthening Our Elections & Institutions

Matt Cohen, senior staff writer with Democracy Docket, led our panel on democracy, election administration, and civic engagement with NewDEALer Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, the National Vote at Home Institute’s Barbara Smith Warner, and Civic (Re)Solve’s Ben Davis. The group spoke candidly about the challenges of the election with Fontes identifying foreign adversaries as a real threat, Davis urging attendees to strengthen our democratic process beyond just election operations, and Warner pointing to Republican-led initiatives to undermine voting at home as a major concern moving forward.

Fireside Chat with U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg

MSNBC’s Symone Sanders-Townsend led a fireside chat with NewDEAL alumnus and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg as they discussed the monumental infrastructure investments made by the Biden Administration and the Secretary’s advice for NewDEAL Leaders. “In a complicated time for the country, our salvation will come from the local,” he said. “Leaders who are at that local level, at that state level… will be one of the most important, collaborative, reality-based and values-based sources of leadership in American society.”

Remarks from U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer

U.S. Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) kicked off our Thursday afternoon programming with engaging and insightful remarks focused on effective governance, drawing from his time leading the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress. “Politics makes it hard to do innovative things when you’re just trying to work for your constituents,” he remarked, adding that we all have agency and should embrace bipartisan, collaborative approaches to governance focused on delivering for the American people.

Strengthening Good Governance

NewDEAL alumnus Jim Townsend and Ben Eikey of the Levin Center for Legislative Oversight and Democracy highlighted the importance of effective government oversight to ensure that policy works for the people. They applauded initiatives by NewDEAL Leaders like North Dakota Representative Jayme Davis, Arizona Corporation Commissioner Anna Tovar, Delaware Representative Krista Griffith, and Georgia Representative Phil Olaleye and urged leaders to incorporate modeling transparency and accountability in public policy to support effectiveness and build trust.

Remarks from Jennifer Pahlka

Author of Recoding America and former U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer Jennifer Pahlka addressed government inefficiency and the excess of “proceduralism.” She offered a series of fixes, from improving hiring and retaining civil servants to reinventing public input processes and modernizing government infrastructure. “We have the wrong mindset when it comes to what elected leaders should do. We think that your job is to plant seeds… but what you need to do is tend the soil,” Pahlka said.

Building an Inclusive Economy

Friday morning opened with a panel moderated by Rhett Buttle of Public Private Strategies and featured NewDEAL Leader St. Louis, MO, Mayor Tishaura Jones, Heartland Forward’s Angie Cooper, and John Lettieri of the Economic Innovation Group as they discussed building economic opportunities for all. In St. Louis, Mayor Jones and her team have made a concerted effort to bring government services like violence prevention initiatives, career coaching, and more, directly to long-neglected communities to bridge economic gaps.

Advancing Housing Affordability and Access

NewDEAL alumnus Miro Weinberger moderated a discussion on housing solutions with NewDEALer Salt Lake City, UT, Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Sarah Bronin of the National Zoning Atlas, and Laura Arce of Unidos US. For the panel, smart, low-barrier zoning emerged as a critical tool for building more housing supply and improving capacity. “It’s not just whether the housing can be built but it’s all of the other things happening in the area in and around where that housing is,” Bronin said. “Creating whole communities, whole neighborhoods through zoning is important.”

Remarks from Dr. Arati Prabhakar

In our closing session, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Dr. Arati Prabhakar gave attendees an overview of the progress spearheaded by the Biden Administration to address artificial intelligence – both by embracing its potential to make government work better and putting in place safeguards to ensure responsible use and protect consumer privacy. “The potential here is vast… the opportunities for delivering [government] services better are so promising if we can get it right,” Dr. Prabhakar said.

Download the Agenda

Thursday Morning Plenary

Thursday Afternoon Plenary

Friday Morning Plenary

Friday Afternoon Plenary

Welcome Reception

Wednesday, November 20th at 5:30 PM Et

Matt Meyer

NewDEAL Leader & Governor-elect, Delaware

In 2020, when COVID-19 threatened the health and safety of Delawareans, Meyer led efforts that resulted in Delaware being the first state in the country to offer open, free COVID-19 saliva tests, having provided nearly 300,000 tests to date. New Castle County monitored sewers to identify COVID-19 hotspots quickly and implemented programs to get high speed wifi access to the hardest to reach communities. In two weeks, New Castle County created the largest full-service homeless shelter in state history, converting a 192 room three star hotel into the NCC Hope Center in order to provide dignity and comprehensive services to the most vulnerable Delawareans.

The Meyer Administration also eliminated wasteful spending and streamlined government expenditures, creating a rapid response JobsNow program that facilitated development projects with over 12,000 jobs. He launched NCC innovates, the most extensive effort to start and grow small business in county history and created GreeNCC, an ambitious agenda to address climate change, preserve open space, bikeable-walkable trails and clean water. His Vacant Spaces to Livable Places initiative rapidly reduced the number of vacant delinquent residential properties by more than 30% while generating millions of dollars of new revenue for schools. His community policing initiatives, Hero Help and the Police Mental Health Alliance, have diverted over 500 individuals facing substance abuse and mental illness from incarceration into treatment.

Opening Plenary

Thursday, November 21st at 9 AM ET

Debbie Cox Bultan

CEO, NewDEAL

Debbie Cox Bultan has more than thirty years of experience in center-left politics, public policy, and non-profit leadership. As CEO of NewDEAL, she oversees both strategy and day to day operations for the organization. She is a frequent commentator about trends in, and the importance of, state and local government, and co-hosts the award-winning podcast, An Honorable Profession, where she speaks with exceptional state and local leaders about their work and path into public service.

Debbie previously served as Executive Director for the Civic Leadership Foundation, a Chicago-based non-profit that prepares underserved youth for college, career, and civic life. Prior to helping launch NewDEAL, Debbie spent fifteen years at the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) where she served in a number of capacities, including National Political Director and Chief of Staff. Among her accomplishments at the DLC was developing a network of, and policy tools for, state and local elected officials across the country.

Debbie is also a veteran of numerous political campaigns in California, where she currently resides with her husband and two children.

Pete Buttigieg

NewDEAL Alum & U.S. Secretary of Transportation

Pete Buttigieg serves as the 19th Secretary of Transportation, having been sworn in on February 3, 2021.

His focus as Secretary is to deliver the world’s leading transportation system for the American people and economy. He has worked to achieve organizational excellence in the department’s operations, and to focus the department on five policy goals: safety, jobs, equity, climate, and innovation. In his first year at the Department, he prioritized supporting the development and passage of President Biden’s signature Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Since the law’s passage, Secretary Buttigieg and his team have focused on effectively delivering the investments provided by this legislation, enabling the most significant improvements in U.S. transportation infrastructure in over half a century.

The Secretary has also focused on intervening to support American supply chains dealing with shockwaves from the pandemic, including measures to help cut in half the long-dwelling container congestion at America’s largest ports. Other major initiatives in his early tenure have included a comprehensive national roadway safety strategy to reduce deaths and serious injuries; delivery of emergency COVID-19 relief funds to transit agencies across America; and awards of over $9.5 billion in discretionary funding to enhance transportation through over 800 projects in communities across America.

The first openly gay person confirmed to serve in a president’s Cabinet, Secretary Buttigieg previously served two terms as mayor of his hometown, South Bend, Indiana, where he worked across the aisle to transform the city’s future. Household income grew, poverty fell, and unemployment was cut in half. His work on transportation as mayor was nationally recognized, including an award for innovative streetscape design from the U.S. Department of Transportation where he now serves.

He also served for seven years as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, taking a leave of absence from the mayor’s office for a deployment to Afghanistan in 2014.

The son of Joseph Buttigieg, who immigrated to the United States from Malta, and Jennifer Anne Montgomery, a fifth-generation Hoosier, Secretary Buttigieg is a graduate of Harvard University and Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar and completed a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. He lives with his husband Chasten, their two children, Gus and Penelope, and their dog.

Ben Davis

Founder & Director, Civic (Re)Solve

Ben Davis founded and leads Civic (Re)Solve, an audacious ten-year program of the Wend Collective designed to foster enduring civic capacity across the United States in service of a thriving and representative democracy. Ben joined the Wend Collective after co-founding OnSight Public Affairs, a home for fifteen years of work in public-policy advocacy, political consulting and campaign management in the Rocky Mountain West. He specializes in strategy development, paid and earned communications, and leadership driven by collaboration and trust. 

An advocate, a seeker, and a devout believer in the power of art and music, Ben’s work is animated by a passion for connection and opportunity as tools for justice. When he’s not at his desk, you can find him hanging with his family, shaking a tail-feather, or playing on the trails behind his home in Golden, Colorado.

Lanae Erickson

Senior Vice President for Social Policy, Education & Politics, Third Way

Lanae spends her days helping policymakers and advocates to better understand the complexities of how voters in the middle approach topics that are often perceived politically as black and white, including hot button issues like immigration, crime, abortion, and guns. Working closely with leaders in the LGBT movement, she spearheaded Third Way’s Commitment Campaign, which mobilized moderate Americans to support marriage for gay couples by changing the conversation from legal rights and benefits to the importance of making a lifetime commitment in front of family and friends.

Lanae served as a member of President Obama’s third White House Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Her commentary has been featured in a variety of news outlets, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, Politico, The New Yorker, and PBS News Hour. She has also appeared on MSNBC, NPR, Fox News, CSPAN’s Washington Journal, CNN, Bloomberg Television, Air America, and her home state’s Minnesota Public Radio.

Adrian Fontes

NewDEAL Leader & Secretary of State, Arizona

In 2022, Adrian Fontes was elected as Arizona’s 21st Secretary of State. Secretary Fontes is a proud Arizona native, an honorable veteran of the United States Marine Corps, and the father of three daughters, who has spent a lifetime fighting for justice and defending our Democracy.

Secretary Fontes served on active duty from 1992 to 1996 and was nominated for a meritorious commission. His service to our country taught him the importance of dedication, discipline, and sacrifice to forcefully fight for the American dream.

After graduating from law school, Secretary Fontes spent his career advocating for justice and fighting for those who are disadvantaged — first as a prosecutor with the Denver District Attorney and then at the Maricopa County Attorney’s office. He later led the International Prosecution Unit at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office. He practiced law for 15 years before running for office in 2016 when he was elected Maricopa County Recorder.

As Recorder, Secretary Fontes revolutionized the election system by ensuring that every eligible Arizonan had the access they needed to vote. Adrian enhanced ballot tracking technology and increased process transparency, winning recognition and awards from election organizations across the country.

In 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 crisis and amidst violent protests, Maricopa County saw record voter turnout, as well as record numbers of new voters registered for both parties. Secretary Fontes later testified before Congress to inform them of threats facing election officials.

Secretary Fontes is committed to preserving integrity in our elections, making voting easier for registered voters, and ensuring that Arizona’s business community has a non-partisan partner in the Secretary’s office.

Paige Gebhardt Cognetti

NewDEAL Leader & Mayor, Scranton, PA

Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti has been an advocate for good government and transparency throughout her career. Mayor Cognetti served in the Obama-Biden administration from 2009-2012 as a senior advisor to the Under Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Treasury Department. Cognetti previously served as a director on the Scranton School Board, overseeing a $160M budget and helping navigate the district’s dual crises of financial distress and public mistrust. She advised the Pennsylvania Auditor General, the Commonwealth’s chief fiscal watchdog, on oversight of school districts, care for older adults, criminal justice reform and student debt.

With her federal and Commonwealth experience, she has organized major intergovernmental initiatives for Scranton including the COVID-19 emergency response, protecting small businesses and families through the economic crisis, and replacing old street signs throughout the city. She donates 5% of her salary back to the city, refuses a government car and gas card, and buys her own stamps and stationary to communicate with constituents. Fiscal reforms like these allowed Scranton to finish 2020 with a surplus.

Paige was born in Eugene, Oregon and spent most of her childhood in Beaverton, Oregon. She lives in Scranton with her husband, Ryan, and their daughter, Sloane, and much of the time they are fortunate to be joined by Paige’s mother, Lynda Gebhardt, the best grandma out there.

Lauren Harper Pope

Co-Founder, WelcomePAC, The Welcome Party, and the Welcome Democracy Institute

Lauren Harper Pope is a Welcome Co-Founder working to depolarize American politics and grow a strong, vibrant and coherent Center Left faction of the Democratic Party through work with WelcomePAC, The Welcome Party and The Welcome Democracy Institute.

In the 2024 election cycle, Lauren led the coordinated (hard side) program for WelcomePAC with a slate of 9 pragmatic Democrats in conservative-leaning congressional districts across the country, including the 3 Blue Dog co-chairs. She also hosted season one of The Depolarizers podcast, where she and guests discussed ways to effectively depolarize American politics.

Lauren is an alumna of the University of South Carolina. She lives in the Charlotte metro in Indian Land, South Carolina.

Tanya Miller

NewDEAL Leader & House Democratic Caucus Leader, Georgia

Tanya Miller is the State Representative for the people of Georgia’s District 62. Prior to her election in 2022, Tanya spent eight years on the frontlines of public safety as a prosecutor in the Crimes Against Women and Children Unit and Homicide Unit, fighting to get justice for victims of unspeakable tragedy. Her current practice specializes in criminal defense, civil rights, and police brutality cases. Tanya, joining forces with advocacy groups and police brutality victims, successfully lobbied to change the Atlanta Police Department’s and the Department of Justice’s body camera policy to one that provides for increased accountability.

In the Georgia General Assembly, Tanya quickly established herself as a leading voice on criminal justice reform, Medicaid expansion, economic development in minority communities, and public safety. She has stood firmly against misguided efforts to criminalize at-risk youth, defund public schools, and diminish voting rights in Georgia.

Barbara Smith Warner

Executive Director, National Vote at Home Institute

Barbara Smith Warner serves as the Executive Director of the National Vote at Home Institute, a national non-profit that works to promote and expand the use of mailed-out ballots that allow all voters to safely and securely vote at home. Since its founding in 2018,  NVAHI’s work has resulted in universal Vote at Home expanding from 3 states to 8 plus Washington DC, and almost 75% of voters now residing in states where they can Vote at Home for any reason. Voting at home is foundational democracy reform that centers every voter in their right to vote, and dramatically increases both turnout and participation. Barbara served 9 years (2014-2022) as an Oregon state representative, including almost 3 years as the Majority Leader of the Oregon House. Highlights of her legislative service include expanding education funding, codifying reproductive health rights in state law, paid sick and family leave time, and expanding voting rights. She has done legislative and political work throughout the country, at the state and national level, for more than 25 years, and is deeply committed to an open, accessible government that is of, for and by the people.

Thursday Breakout Sessions

Thursday, November 21st at 1:45 PM ET

Dorcey Applyrs

NewDEAL Leader & Chief City Auditor, Albany, NY

Dr. Applyrs currently serves as Albany’s Chief City Auditor. She was appointed by Mayor Kathy Sheehan to serve in this capacity on January 1, 2020.  Prior to her appointment as Chief City Auditor, Applyrs served on the Albany Common Council representing the City’s First Ward. She was elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. During her second term, she served as Chair of the Public Safety Committee.

Dr. Applyrs has earned a master’s degree and doctorate in public health from the University at Albany School of Public Health. She remains actively involved with her alma mater. Dr. Applyrs serves as Clinical Associate Professor in the Health Policy, Management, and Behavior Department and member of the Dean’s Advisory Council and Community Advisory Council. She also serves as the Subject Matter Expert for the School’s Center for Public Health Continuing Education and sits on the Albany County Board of Public Health.

Dr. Applyrs is highly engaged with the Albany community. She served as the Vice President for Community Health Initiatives with the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region and a former board member. She currently serves as board member for Eleanor’s Legacy, The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern NY,  Center for Women in Government and Civil Society, and the Capital District New Leaders Council.

Ethan Ashley

NewDEAL Leader & School Board Member, Orleans Parish, LA | CEO & Co-Founder, School Board Partners

Ethan Charles Ashley serves as an elected Orleans Parish School Board member. Ethan has worked on policy and advocacy issues in many positions, including on the Hill, at the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, at the Urban League of Louisiana, at the ADL, at the CDL and for the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs.

Ethan is an advisory board member for Bard Early College New Orleans, a rigorous, credit-bearing, tuition-free college course of student in the liberal arts and sciences available to junior and senior level students. Ethan is also a board member of the Boy Scouts of America Southeast Louisiana Council, the National Juvenile Justice Network and the New Orleans Regional Leadership Institute. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc., where he has inspired colleagues to support youth through scholarships and mentoring. Ethan was a 2014 fellow of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Community Leadership Network. Ethan is a member of Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, LA.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Ethan graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School, a law magnet high school in Los Angeles, at the age of 16. Afterwards, he continued his education at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a Juris Doctor degree by the age of 22.

Above all, Ethan is a strong advocate for equity, business development, youth justice, civil rights, and servant leadership.

Alex Bores

NewDEAL Leaders & Assemblymember, New York

Alex Bores is a fifth-generation New Yorker who was born, raised, and lived his whole life in Manhattan. When he was elected as the representative for the​ 73rd District in 2022, he became the first Democrat elected in New York at any level with a degree in Computer Science.

Assemblymember Bores is an engineer, whose career has included helping the Department of Justice solve violent crimes in New York City, working with three Manhattan District Attorneys, and building software for local governments’ COVID relief programs to help 50,000 families keep their homes warm and their water running. He has championed bills encouraging innovation, protecting democracy, implementing licensure reform, promoting public safety, and more. ​

Alex and his wife, Darya, live on the Upper East Side.

Kesha Hodge Washington

NewDEAL Leader & City Councilmember, Phoenix, AZ

Kesha Hodge Washington was sworn in as District 8 Councilwoman on April 17, 2023, she is the first African-American woman to be elected to the Phoenix City Council. Councilwoman Hodge Washington serves on the Audit Committee, the Economic Development and Housing and Transportation Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittees, and her top priorities in the district are homelessness, affordable and attainable housing, and economic development.

Within months of joining Council, Councilwoman Hodge Washington stepped up to co-chair the general obligation bond outreach campaign and worked diligently to ensure its successful passage, becoming the first bond package passed in over twenty years. With her leadership, the bond received overwhelming support to secure $500M investment for various city projects ranging from public safety and infrastructure/new and renovated facilities to economic development and sustainability measures.

On Council, Councilwoman Hodge Washington remains a vocal advocate for housing protection and combatting the devasting, long-lasting impacts that flow from an eviction and homelessness. Among other measures, she leads in calling for protective initiatives, such as right to counsel programs, that bring balance and fairness to the eviction process. Councilwoman Hodge Washington also values inclusivity and transparency in all aspects of government. She ensured those principles were extended to the City’s Civilian Review Board and successfully championed for the inclusion of ethical standards and procedural safeguards to ensure equal access for information, further fostering a more accountable and just system.

Ranjeev Puri

Policy Advisor, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education

Sarah Mehrotra is a Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Sarah Mehrotra joined the Department of Education from the DC Office of the State Superintendent (OSSE), where she served as a Special Assistant for Federal Programs and Strategic Funding. Previously, Sarah was a Senior Data and Policy Analyst at The Education Trust, where she led the organization’s assessment, accountability, and educator portfolios. While at Ed Trust, Sarah partnered with districts, states, and advocacy organizations across the country to support efforts to address unfinished learning and advance educational equity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sarah has conducted extensive research in elementary and secondary education and has authored novel research like Improving Low-Performing Schools: A Meta-Analysis of Impact Evaluation Studies. Sarah’s research experience includes serving as Deputy Project Manager of Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Appalachia with SRI International. Sarah holds a B.A. in neuroscience from Hamilton College, a Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and previously served as a Fulbright teaching fellow in Malaysia.

Ranjeev Puri

NewDEAL Leader & House Minority Leader, Michigan

State Representative Ranjeev Puri was first elected in 2020, and has been focused on delivering for the people of Michigan from the start. Ranjeev works to find solutions to the issues that matter most, from tackling childcare to preserving clean water and standing up for small business to ensuring our schools are safe, Rep. Puri knows that improving the quality of life for everyday Michiganders is the biggest priority.

Additionally, Ranjeev comes to the Michigan legislature from Detroit’s automotive industry, finding innovation solutions to ensure Michigan remains competitive as the industry evolves to electric and self-driving vehicles during the mobility movement.

Ranjeev is the first person of color to represent the 24tht district, and the first Sikh-American in Michigan’s legislative history. Ranjeev is fighting for a more inclusive and better Michigan in which we can all be proud to call home, regardless of background or belief. Ranjeev is the son of immigrants, and lives in Canton, with his wife and three young children.

Gary Winslett

Associate Professor of Political Science & the Director of the International Politics and Economics Program, Middlebury College

Gary Winslett is an Associate Professor of Political Science and the Director of the International Politics and Economics program at Middlebury College where he has taught since 2018. He earned a Ph.D. from Boston College in 2016 and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the European University Institute in Florence. His research focuses on regulation, trade policy, and technology. His first book Competitiveness and Death: Trade and Politics in Cars, Beef, and Drugs was published by the University of Michigan Press in 2021. He has written scholarly articles and chapters for edited volumes on WTO plurilateral negotiations, how digitalization is facilitating the burgeoning international trade in services, intellectual property and the trading relationship between the United States and China, as well as other topics. He teaches courses on International Political Economy, The Politics of Money and Finance, The Politics of Taxes, and International Law. In his free time, he enjoys skiing and hiking with his family.

Thursday Afternoon Plenary

Thursday, November 21st at 3:00 PM ET

Andria McClellan

NewDEAL Leader & Norfolk, VA, City Councilmember

Ms. McClellan graduated from Green Run High School. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, after which she began her career in sales and marketing, working for two Fortune 500 companies. Ms. McClellan graduated from the Wharton Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania in 1996 and then ran two small businesses before returning to Hampton Roads.

Ms. McClellan is currently the Chair of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, where she serves as Chair of its Coastal Resilience Subcommittee and its Legislative Committee. She is the Chair of the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads (HRT), where she serves as the Chair of the Smart Cities & Innovation Committee. Ms. McClellan also serves as the Vice Chair of the Southside Network Authority, the region’s broadband ring initiative. She co-chairs the Mayor’s Commission on Social Equity and Economic Opportunity. From 2018-2019, she co-chaired the Mayor’s Commission on Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation, creating the region’s first ever Climate Action Plan.  Ms. McClellan has also been appointed to the Virginia Joint Sub-Committee on Coastal Flooding and the Local Government Advisory Committee of the Chesapeake Bay Program. She also serves on the Virginia Municipal League’s Environmental Quality Policy Committee.

Additionally, she is a current board member of the CIVIC Leadership Institute, Elizabeth River Trail Foundation, 757 Angels, 757 Accelerate, Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, UVA Center for Politics, and the Democratic Business Alliance of South Hampton Roads. Ms. McClellan created the annual Engage Norfolk event in 2017, which encourages civic engagement throughout the city and region. She was also tapped in 2016 to be a member of the NewDEAL Leaders, a national organization of pro-growth progressive state and local elected officials.

Ms. McClellan currently resides in Ghent with her three sons and husband, Mike. Ms. McClellan is a member of the Ghent Neighborhood League and Christ & St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

Jennifer Pahlka

Former U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer and Author, Recoding America: Why Government is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better

Jennifer Pahlka is the author of Recoding America: Why Government is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better. She founded Code for America in 2010 and led the organization for ten years. In 2013, she took a leave of absence to serve as U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer under President Obama and helped found the United States Digital Service. She served on the Defense Innovation Board under Presidents Obama and Trump. At the start of the pandemic, she also co-founded United States Digital Response, which helps government meet the needs of the public with volunteer tech support. She received the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and was named by Wired as one of the 25 people who has most shaped the past 25 years. Jennifer is a graduate of Yale University.

Jim Townsend

NewDEAL Alumnus & Director, the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy

James H. (Jim) Townsend, a former member of the Michigan legislature, was named director of the Levin Center at Wayne Law in November 2019. Previously, Townsend practiced law in the Detroit office of Butzel as a member of its Corporate and Real Estate Practice Group. Prior to joining the firm, he represented the 26th District in the Michigan House of Representatives. He serves on the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s advisory council of the Redevelopment Ready Communities® program.

Before his career in law, Townsend was legislative director in the office of U.S. Representative Nita M. Lowey and worked for U.S. Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg. Townsend’s private sector experience includes working as a brand manager at Ford Motor Company, founding and directing the Michigan Suburbs Alliance, and leading economic development at the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Townsend graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with Highest Honors in History, earned an M.B.A. and Master of Public Policy at the University of Michigan, and earned his J.D. (cum laude) at Wayne Law where he was elected to the Order of the Coif.

Friday Morning Plenary

Friday, November 22nd at 9:00 AM ET

Laura Arce

Senior Vice President, Economic Initiatives, UnidosUS

Laura Arce is Senior Vice President for Economic Initiatives at UnidosUS, the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization.  She is the architect of the Home Ownership Means Equity (HOME) initiative, a multi-year movement to transform the economic trajectory of Latinos through homeownership.  Our goal is four million new Latino homeowners this decade.  The HOME initiative leverages policy, research, communications, and community investments to expand homeownership opportunities.

Laura has held senior positions in the private, nonprofit, and public sectors, including at Wells Fargo & Co., the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), and on Capitol Hill. 

Laura is on the boards of the Center for Responsible Lending and the National Housing Conference.  She serves on the FHFA Federal Advisory Committee on Affordable, Equitable, and Sustainable Housing and the Fannie Mae Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. 

Laura is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and holds a master’s degree in urban planning from Rutgers University.

Rhett Buttle

Founder, Public Private Strategies | President, Public Private Strategies Institute

Rhett Buttle is an entrepreneur, advocate, and one of the most trusted leaders at the intersection of business and policy in Washington, DC. He has worked for President Biden, Vice President Harris, President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in government and campaign roles.


Rhett is the founder of Public Private Strategies (PPS) and President of the Public Private Strategies Institute (PPSI), which works to bring together the public and private sectors to build coalitions, activate campaigns, and create strategic partnerships to drive policy and market outcomes. In these roles, he advises leading policy makers, foundations, nonprofits, and corporations. In addition to PPS and PPSI, he has helped found the Small Business Roundtable, Small Business for America’s Future, and the Next Gen Chamber of Commerce. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Aspen Institute and a regular contributor to Forbes, where he writes on the intersection of business, policy, and politics. Rhett has also been featured in The New York Times, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, and several other business publications.

Angie Cooper

Executive Vice President, Heartland Forward

Angie Cooper serves as executive vice president of Heartland Forward, overseeing strategy, public policy, programming and Heartland Forward’s flagship event, the Heartland Summit.

As executive vice president, Angie is focused on being a resource for states and communities – turning Heartland Forward’s research into action, creating new partnerships and leading public policy solutions for state and local communities across the 20 states in the heartland region.

For more than 16 years, Angie worked in international and domestic public policy and government affairs for Walmart Stores, Inc., most recently as senior director of global public policy. Angie also worked in various departments within Walmart including, merchandising, public affairs, state and local government relations and the Walmart foundation.

While at Walmart, Angie served as Walmart’s chair of the Women’s Resource Council (WRC). Angie has also been on the board for the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS), the American Council of Young Political Leaders (ACYPL) and served as board chair of Common Threads.

In 2023, Angie was awarded by the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society as the Charles Benton Digital Equity Emerging Leader for her work on the #1 economic issue of our time – providing everyone access to affordable high-speed internet. She is recognized as a Top 100 Women of Impact in Arkansas and in 2024 was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce National Artificial Intelligence Advisory Committee (NAIAC).

Angie is a native of Oklahoma and a graduate of Oklahoma State University.

Tishaura O. Jones

NewDEAL Leader & Mayor, St. Louis, MO

Tishaura Jones was sworn-in as the 47th mayor and the first Black female mayor in the City’s history on April 20th, 2021.

Transparency, Integrity, and Service define who she is and how she did it. Since 2012, Tishaura O. Jones has helped the City of St. Louis earn and save over $30 million and counting.

With a deep personal commitment, a wealth of experience, and a proven record of leadership, Jones started her career as a public servant in 2002 when she was appointed as Democratic Committeewoman of the 8th Ward in the City of St. Louis. A history-maker on a mission, she served two terms in the Missouri House of Representatives, and was selected as the first African American woman in Missouri history to hold the position of Assistant Minority Floor Leader. She also is the first African American woman to serve as Treasurer of St. Louis.

Mayor Jones has a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Hampton University and a Master’s degree in Health Administration from the Saint Louis University School of Public Health. A graduate of the Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, she has served as Vice President of Public Finance for Blaylock Robert Van, LLC, an investment banking firm, as well as adjunct faculty at the Anheuser-Busch School of Business at Harris-Stowe State University.

In her tenure as Treasurer, she launched the Office of Financial Empowerment (OFE) to help St. Louisans make better financial choices, as OFE’s College Kids Program has helped over 18,000 public school students start saving through educational savings accounts. With over a million and a half dollars saved to date, these college saving accounts will help more city children get a higher education, using parking revenue, family contributions and community support.

Mayor Jones’ volunteer service is as notable as her robust career accomplishments. A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., her dedication to public service has earned her numerous accolades including awards from the St. Louis Coalition for Human Rights, the RCGA, and the Lupus Foundation of America. From financial empowerment to the modernizing of services, Jones has helped make city government easier to navigate, easier to participate in, and easier to understand.

She is also the proud mother of Aden.

John Lettieri

President & CEO, Economic Innovation Group

John W. Lettieri is a Cofounder of the Economic Innovation Group (EIG) and serves as its President and Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership, EIG has grown into one of the premier public policy organizations in the country, with nationally recognized ideas and research on place-based policy, business dynamism, regional inequality, remote work, immigration, retirement security, population and migration trends, and more. John’s career in public policy has included roles in both the public and private sectors, including as a legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Chuck Hagel and as Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs for a leading business association. He is often invited to testify before Congress and speaks to audiences around the country on a range of economic issues, including immigration reform, worker mobility, entrepreneurship, and improving access to opportunity for all Americans. His commentary and analysis appear frequently in national news outlets, including the AP, The Atlantic, Financial Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.

Erin Mendenhall

NewDEAL Leader & Mayor, Salt Lake City, UT

Erin Mendenhall was sworn in as the 36th Mayor of Salt Lake City on January 6, 2020. Prior to being elected Mayor, Erin represented District 5 on the City Council for six years, including one year as its chair. She is the first mayor in Salt Lake City history to have been publicly elected from the City Council.

As Mayor, Erin is working hard to make Salt Lake City more environmentally and economically resilient, and to take advantage of the region’s historic period of economic opportunity. She is determined to ensure every Salt Laker — no matter their neighborhood, economic or housing status, faith, race, or sexual or gender identity — can access all the city has to offer. Erin’s love for the extraordinary people of Salt Lake City drives an unrelenting commitment to bringing people from different walks of life together in pursuit of results for the entire city.

Miro Weinberger

NewDEAL Alum & Former Mayor, Burlington, VT

Miro Weinberger served four terms as mayor of Burlington, Vt. He was born and raised in Vermont and interned for former Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) while in college. He previously worked as an affordable housing developer and served on the Airport Commission. As mayor, he has prioritized housing, racial equity, fiscal responsibility and climate action. Since his election in March 2012, Weinberger has been working to put Burlington’s finances in order and in 2019 restored the City’s Aa3 credit rating, from the edge of junk bond status less than a decade before. In 2014 Burlington achieved 100% renewable energy generation, and five years later Weinberger launched a plan to achieve Net Zero by 2030 by steadily eliminating Burlington’s use of fossil fuels for heating and ground transportation and ‘electrifying everything’. In 2021, he announced an effort to double the rate of housing production and end homelessness by 2025. He lives in Burlington with his wife and two daughters.

Friday Breakout Sessions

Friday, November 22nd at 11:15 AM ET

Laura Capps

NewDEAL Leader & County Supervisor, Santa Barbara, CA

Laura Capps is a County Supervisor and former President of the Board of Education for Santa Barbara Unified School District, and a proud graduate of Santa Barbara public schools.  During her first term she led the charge to transition the 21 school district to renewable energy, provided accountability and oversight, successfully recruited a new Superintendent and been a voice for the community by putting the needs of students first.

Laura has devoted her career to public service, serving as a White House speechwriter for President Clinton, a communications director on John Kerry’s presidential campaign, an advisor in the United States Senate to Senator Edward Kennedy, part of Al Gore’s climate change campaign, and Senior Vice President at Ocean Conservancy.  In addition to her service with the Santa Barbara Unified Board of Education, Laura manages her own public affairs practice collaborating with non-profit organizations on issues of climate, poverty, immigration, and childhood hunger.   Active in the community, Laura has served as president of the Community Environmental Council, board member of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Chair of the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women and for several terms on the Board of Trustees for her alma mater, University of California, Berkeley. She has taught college courses on Congress and politics at the University of California Washington Center and holds a Masters in History with Distinction from the London School of Economics.

Lillith Fellowes-Granda

Associate Director of Financial Regulation, Inclusive Economy Team, Center for American Progress

Lilith Fellowes-Granda is an associate director for financial regulation on the Inclusive Economy team at American Progress. Prior to joining American Progress, she was assistant vice president of government relations and regulatory policy at Barclays, where she analyzed a broad portfolio of policies pertaining to prudential, capital markets and consumer finance regulation.

Her research and analysis have been featured by major news outlets, including The Washington Post, Bloomberg, and American Banker. Fellowes-Granda earned a master’s of public policy from the London School of Economics. She holds a bachelor’s in political science from Rutgers University.

Christine Hunschofsky

NewDEAL Leader and Representative, Florida

Christine Hunschofsky was elected to the City of Parkland Commission in 2013 and elected Mayor in 2016. She led her city through the aftermath of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting in Parkland in 2018.

During her time as Mayor, Christine was appointed to co-chair the United States Conference of Mayors Small Cities Forum and testified before the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force of the 116th Congress regarding the need for universal background checks and extreme risk protection orders. Additionally, she worked with the Broward County School Board and local developers to build additional elementary school space and promoted a Buy Local program to help small businesses. She also worked with managing entities, state, and federal agencies to bring new mental health resources to the community. In 2019, she joined the American Food Coalition and advocated for flood mitigation legislation in Washington DC.

Christine was elected to the Florida House of Representatives as the State Representative for District 96 in November 2020 and in her first term has passed bi-partisan legislation renaming a Coral Reef Conservation Area and establishing a Commission on Mental Health and Substance Abuse to improve the delivery of mental health and substance abuse services in Florida.

Meghan Lukens

NewDEAL Leader & Representative, Colorado

Meghan Lukens is currently serving in the Colorado House of Representatives for House District 26, which includes Eagle, Routt, Moffat, and Rio Blanco counties, the most northwest corner of Colorado. At the State House, she is a proud member of the Education Committee and the Agriculture, Natural Resources & Water Committee. Prior to her election, Rep. Lukens was a social studies teacher at Steamboat Springs High School. She has a Bachelor’s in History and a Master’s in Leadership in Educational Organizations with a Principal’s Licensure.

During her time at the Colorado House of Representatives, Rep. Lukens has passed numerous bills to help people in rural Colorado. Since Colorado is in the midst of an affordable housing crisis, Rep. Lukens sponsored SB23-001: Authority Of Public-private Collaboration Unit For Housing, which provides valuable employees with affordable housing by allowing employers to build workforce housing on government-owned land. Rep. Lukens was also named Mental Health Legislator of the Year from Mental Health Colorado due to her sponsorship of SB23-174: Access To Certain Behavioral Health Services and HB23-1268: Private Treatment for Out-of-state Defendant. In the education space, Rep. Lukens sponsored HB23-1064: Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact which supports teachers who want to move to Colorado.

James Maroney

NewDEAL Leader & Senator, Connecticut

James Maroney was first elected to represent the 14th District (Milford) in 2018.

Senator Maroney currently serves as the Co-Chair of the General Law Committee. In his time as co-chair of the committee, he has passed comprehensive consumer data privacy laws, children and consumer health data privacy laws, a law governing state government use of AI, laws modernizing and expanding the practice of pharmacy in Connecticut, among others.

Recently Senator Maroney was named to the inaugural Leadership Council of the Future of Privacy Forum Center for Artificial Intelligence. Senator Maroney’s work on tech legislation has been recognized nationally.

Curran McSwigan

Senior Economic Policy Advisor, Third Way

As a Senior Economic Policy Advisor, Curran works to help develop and advance a modern policy agenda for America’s toughest economic problems. From supporting policy efforts to help working families, to researching how supply chain issues drive inflation, to thinking about how to address barriers to entrepreneurship for women and communities of color, Curran is committed to helping create an economy where everyone can thrive. Her analysis has been featured in numerous news outlets including Bloomberg, The New York Times, Axios, The Hill, and Forbes.

Prior to joining Third Way, she supported the policy and research teams at the Economic Innovation Group and most recently was a fellow in USAID’s Global Health Bureau. She holds a bachelor’s in political science from Johns Hopkins University and a master’s in public policy from George Washington University.

Elena Parent

NewDEAL Leader & Senator, Georgia

Elena is a State Senator, attorney, and progressive champion. First elected in 2010 as one of 12 Democrats in the nation to unseat a Republican incumbent, Elena focused her efforts in her first term on government transparency and ethics, including independent redistricting. Elected to the State Senate in 2014, Elena has focused on improving access to early childhood education and health care, promoting common-sense gun safety measures, and defeating job-killing and discriminatory “religious freedom” legislation. She has also continued her work toward an independent redistricting commission for Georgia. Elena passed a bill that would close a loophole that allowed severely mentally ill Georgians to acquire guns and is also working toward keeping guns away from those committed of domestic violence. She played a key role in passing Georgia’s Pursuing Justice for Rape Victims Act in 2016. In 2019, she passed CJ’s Law to provide further justice for victims seriously injured in hit-and-run accidents. She continues to lead the state’s fight for portable benefits for gig and other non-traditional workers through a study committee and legislation. In 2018, Elena was elected Vice Chair of Campaigns and Fundraising to the Georgia Senate Democratic Caucus, which allows her the opportunity to recruit and raise money for progressive candidates in Georgia. She is currently serving as NewDEAL’s Education Policy Co-Chair alongside Mayor Steven Reed.

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