March 31, 2022
Contact: Jonathon Dworkin, 202-660-1340 x5
NewDEAL Launches Advisory Council
Sen. Mary Landrieu, Mayor Manny Diaz, Kiki McLean, and Emily Cain are among the Council’s inaugural members
Washington, D.C. - NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders) has announced a new Advisory Council, bringing together thought leaders with backgrounds in government, business, and advocacy to support the organization’s network of innovative, forward-thinking state and local elected officials from across the country. A full list of individuals on the Advisory Council is below.
Launched in conjunction with NewDEAL’s eleventh anniversary, the 11-member group includes former members of Congress, heads of leading think tank and advocacy groups, and successful entrepreneurs. They are charged with helping to develop new ways to amplify the voices and spread the ideas of NewDEAL Leaders, recognizing them as the future of the Democratic Party and the country. The members of NewDEAL who the Council will support are nearly 200 state and local elected officials who have been chosen from more than 1750 nominations and are united by their work to enact pro-growth progressive solutions in a diverse array of communities.
NewDEAL alumni include Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Stacey Abrams, Jason Kander, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, and other members of Congress.
“Promoting outstanding state and local leadership and spreading great ideas across the country is vital as NewDEAL Leaders navigate so many competing challenges amid an ongoing pandemic, the impacts of climate change, necessary demands for racial justice, and threats to our democracy,” said NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan. “In this context, I am thrilled and honored to welcome an esteemed and diverse group of leaders to our Advisory Council to build on NewDEAL’s work. Together we will be able to do more than ever to support members in serving their communities, sharing their policy successes, and reaching their potential in public service.”
The Council’s efforts will complement the leadership of NewDEAL Honorary Co-Chairs U.S. Senator Chris Coons, Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland, and Columbia, SC Mayor Steve Benjamin.
The Advisory Council launch comes ahead of one of the organization’s signature events, the annual Ideas Summit, which will take place May 23-24 in Philadelphia, PA. About 50 NewDEAL Leaders will join other innovators from the public and private sectors to discuss a forward-looking agenda for state and local Democrats to address the biggest challenges facing our country, including the future of work and education, climate change, and threats to our democracy.
Members of the NewDEAL Advisory Council:
Sen. Emily Cain – Executive Director, Emily’s List & Former Maine State Senator
Jonathan Cowan – President and Co-founder, Third Way
Mayor Manny Diaz – Senior Partner, Lydecker LLP & Former Mayor of Miami, FL
Mitch Draizin – President, City University of New York LGBT Advisory Council & Founder of Longview Capital Advisors
Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson – President and CEO, Chicago Urban League & Former Indiana Attorney General and Mayor of Gary, IN
Controller Wendy Greuel – Vice-Chair, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority & Former City Controller, Los Angeles, CA
U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu – Senior Policy Advisor, Van Ness Feldman LLP & Former U.S. Senator and Louisiana State Treasurer
Rep. Ben McAdams – Founder, Common Ground Institute & Former U.S. Representative (UT-4) & Mayor of Salt Lake County, UT
Kiki McLean – Treasurer, Democratic Governors Association
Oscar Ramirez – Co-founder, Fulcrum Public Affairs LLP
Bruce Rubin – Former Industrial Executive & Board Member and Advisor
About NewDEAL
The NewDEAL brings together leaders focused on expanding opportunity, helping them develop and spread innovative ideas to spur economic growth that is broadly-earned and sustainable. Most importantly, the organization facilitates the exchange of ideas among its members and connects them with other pro-growth progressive political, policy, and private sector leaders.