Speakers Bureau

Speaker's Bios continued
Media inquiries and interview requests
Timothy Rusch, Communications Director
Tel: (212) 633-1405 Email: press@demos.org

	Miles Rapoport President	Topics of Expertise: Campaign Finance Reform Democracy Demos General Economic Policy/Economic Security Election Day Registration Election Reform Felon Disfranchisement Voter Identification
	As President of Demos since 2001, Miles sets Demos' agenda and oversees the management of the organization and fundraising efforts. Miles has an extensive record of speaking and writing on issues of democracy, election reform, voter access and voter disfranchisement. Recent speeches include: AU Election Reform roundtable, February 2, 2005; NASS Winter 2005 Conference in Washington, DC, February 4-7, 2005; American Prospect's Briefing at the Surdna Foundation on Election Reform, February 24, 2005; League of Women Voters Gathering on Election Reform, March 3-4, 2005; Council on Foundations Annual Conference, April 9-11,2005; Fund for New Jersey's "Agenda New Jersey 2005" Event, May 5-6, 2005; Redistricting conference in Airlie, VA, June 16-17, 2005; the NCSL 2005 Annual Conference, Seattle, WA August 16-18, 2005; Election Conference, Columbus, OH October 7-8, 2005; Election Day Registration Conference, New York, NY October 17, 2005; Center for Policy Alternatives Summit on the States, Washington, DC December 3-4, 2005; Saving our Democracy Conference co-sponsored with New Democracy Project and The Nation magazine, New York, NY January 21, 2006Saving our Democracy Conference co-sponsored with New Democracy Project and The Nation magazine, New York, NY January 21, 2006; Inequality Matters public forum in Minneapolis, MN, January 25, 2006; Minnesota Council of Non-Profits Policy Day, January 26, 2006; Global Relations/Community Affairs Conference of Citigroup, January 27, 2006; and the Inequality Matters public forum cosponsored by Center for American Progress, Washington, DC January 30, 2006. Miles has written a wide range of commentary on issues of election reform for publication and has often been quoted in national magazines, newspapers and wire services, including: Associated Press reports, Reuters, UPI, Bangor Daily News, Bergen Record, National Civic Review, Hartford Courant, American Prospect, The New York Times, KGW.com, The Oregonian, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Washington Times and others. He has also appeared on TV and in numerous radio interviews, including: CNN News, CNN with Lou Dobbs, CNNfn, ABC News Radio, The Yolanda Gaskins Show, Democracy Now!, KLSD radio, the Chuck Goyette Show (1100AM KFLX in Arizona), WPKN radio, Talk Back with Hugh Hamilton on WBAI, Counter Spin radio, WTIC radio, the Brian Lehrer Show and many others. Prior to assuming the helm at Demos, Rapoport was the Secretary of State of Connecticut from 1995-1999, and a leader of efforts for campaign finance, election reform and expanding citizen participation. As Secretary, he released two unique reports on the State of Democracy in Connecticut. Prior to his election as Secretary of State, Rapoport served for ten years (1985-1994) in the Connecticut legislature. He was a leading expert on electoral reform and chaired the Government Administration and Elections Committee. Miles is the founder of Northeast Action, a leading political reform organization in New England. Rapoport moved to Demos from his position as Executive Director of DemocracyWorks, a Hartford-based group that works on democracy reform. In addition to his role at Demos, Miles currently serves on the following Boards of Directors: DemocracyWorks, the Paul J. Aicher Foundation, the Center for Policy Alternatives (Board Secretary), Northeast Action and the Independent Sector Civic Engagement Task Force. Quotes for Attribution: Democracy Reform: "Reformers need to join with secretaries of state and legislators who care about making democracy work to develop and enact a real agenda of reforms. One element is the necessary administrative repairs, like computerized voter lists, adequate poll-worker compensation and training, reliable and auditable voting machines, and provisional ballot standards. But in addition, we need bold thinking and action to genuinely open up the democratic process so that everyone has the fullest opportunity to join in. Election-day registration, early voting, and generally wider opportunities to cast ballots should head the list, as well as liberalizing voting-rights restoration, encouraging youth participation, and changing procedures to expand voters' choices and voices." Election Day Registration (EDR): "The evidence that EDR works is clear. In 2004, in all six states with Election Day Registration-Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Wyoming-an average of 73.8% of all eligible voted, compared with 60.2% of eligible voters in states without EDR. That's a difference of 13.6 percentage points. And four of those six states led the nation in voter turnout." "It is clear by now that too many eligible voters have no political voice because of arbitrary voter registration cut-off dates and arcane election procedures. All states should have voters' concerns at the center of any debate on election reform, and Election Day Registration should be a top priority for state legislatures in the next session. It is time to reduce barriers to electoral participation if we are going to have a Democracy that works for all." Election Integrity: "Conservative columnists and political operatives continue to spread misinformation about voter fraud. Prominent commentators like George Will and others make dubious claims that 'new' voter registration procedures - some enacted as far back as 1993 - and other measures to ensure greater voter participation have led to an increase in voter fraud. It simply isn't true. But we do face real challenges to fair elections."
	John Schwarz Distinguished Senior Fellow	Topics of Expertise: Distribution of Wealth and Income Economic Policy/Economic Security Government and the Public Sector Middle Class Values and Politics
	John's primary interest is in developing a new vision for a more democratic and fairer America based on the value of freedom. He is the author of five books, including "Freedom Reclaimed: Rediscovering the American Vision"; "Illusions of Opportunity: The American Dream in Question"; and, "The Forgotten Americans". He is professor emeritus in the Department of Political Science at University of Arizona. His writing has appeared in political science journals as well as The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic, The Nation, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. He has a B.A. from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. from Indiana University. He also was educated at The London School of Economics and Political Science and L'Institut d'Études Politiques at the University of Paris. Back to Top
	Dianne Stewart Director, Public Works: The Demos Center for the Public Sector	Topics of Expertise: Government and the Public Sector Public Opinion about Government and the Public Sector Tax Policy
	As Director of Public Works, Dianne guides Demos' efforts to restore the essential role of government in achieving public purposes. Dianne came to Demos in 2003 to help build Public Works: the Demos Center for the Public Sector. Dianne's articles have been published in such places as American Prospect, National Civic Review, A Journal of the National Municipal League; SPARC Change, and the newsletter of the National Council of Non-Profit Associations. Dianne has presented at a number of conferences, including Funding State Services Conference; the Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN); Volunteers of America; and United for a Fair Economy. Dianne has 20 years of experience inside state government, in the private sector and in a state-level policy NGO working on issues of governance, particularly as they affect low-income families. As the founder and Director of the Office of Governmental Affairs at the Texas Department of Human Services and the 11-year Executive Director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, Ms. Stewart has worked from within and from without in efforts to improve the operations and decision-making of state government. In addition to her role at Demos, Dianne currently serves on the Boards of ProTex: A Network for Progressive Texans, The Institute for Tax and Economic Policy, Washington, D.C., The Management Assistance Group, Washington, D.C. and Advisory Council of the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. Back to Top
	Linda Tarr-Whelan Distinguished Senior Fellow, Women's Empowerment	Topics of Expertise: Government and the Public Sector Health Care Reform International Economic Development Values and Politics Women's Empowerment
	Linda focuses on women's empowerment, including trends in women and the economy, the gender gap, national and international politics, family and work, caregiving, and child care. She has a distinguished career as a management consultant, policy maker, advocate, non-profit leader, communicator, negotiator and government official at the state, national and international levels. Ladies Home Journal named her "One of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Washington." Her extensive record on issues related to women's empowerment includes keynote speeches to the American Council on Education, the Center for Women and Families, and the White House Project. Linda's writing has appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Financial Times and she has been a guest on NPR, CNN, ABC, and others. She was appointed as Ambassador by President Clinton and was the US Representative to the UN Commission on the Status of Women from 1996-2001. Linda also served as Deputy Assistant to President Jimmy Carter. She also founded the Center for Women in Government at SUNY/Albany and was a co-founder of the Coalition of Labor Union Women and Quantum Leaps, a global accelerator for women's entrepreneurship. Currently, she is Managing Director of Tarr-Whelan & Associates, Inc., an international consultant group focused on managing change. Back to Top
	Jennifer Wheary Senior Fellow	Topics of Expertise: Demographics Education Middle Class Youth/Young Adults
	Jennifer researches the future of demographic change and its impact on economic opportunity in the U.S., as well the strategic development of human capital for the 21st century.  She has written numerous op-eds and articles that have been published in LA Daily News, The San Diego Tribune, Denver Post, NY Daily News, and Newsday. Prior to joining Demos, Jennifer worked in the academic, non-profit and private sectors. She consults regularly with media organizations around the country on demographics and audience research. She holds a B.S. from Cornell University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Quotes for Attribution: Education: "The successful pursuit of the American Dream by millions of immigrants has made our nation great. We must support, rather than cut, programs benefiting first-generation and low-income students. We must control escalating college costs. We must make sure opportunity is on the agenda for everyone." Media and Religion: "Over-simplification of American religious belief and practice is a brilliant political strategy. It polarizes our society and mobilizes extreme positions at either end of the political spectrum. While two opposing, irreconcilable viewpoints duke it out, real issues go unaddressed." Middle Class Economic Security: "Over the last three decades, America's infrastructure of opportunity has begun to erode. The activist policies of the postwar era that built the middle class have given way to more a laissez-faire approach to the economy and dramatic gaps between rich and poor. Global competition has grown fiercer and unions have grown weaker. Many of the good jobs that ensured widespread prosperity in the past are migrating overseas. The cost of basic elements of a middle class life - a home, health insurance, a college education - have soared in recent years, outpacing the growth in incomes. As a result of these changes, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Americans to enter and remain in the middle class." "Policies to strengthen access to the middle class attack structural problems which limit opportunity for all Americans, particularly those on the lower end of the income and opportunity spectrum. By addressing weaknesses in the current infrastructure of opportunity, such policies can lend an important hand in improving the mobility of those who are starting out disproportionately behind." Back to Top
	Brenda Wright** Managing Attorney for Demos' partner organization NVRI **Demos affiliate	Topics of Expertise: Campaign Finance Reform Civil Liberties Democracy Election Day Registration Election Reform Felon Disfranchisement Voter Identification
	Brenda Wright is the Managing Attorney for Demos' partner organization National Voting Rights Institute (NVRI) in Boston, Massachusetts. Brenda directs NVRI's nationwide litigation program and engages in public education in furtherance of NVRI's mission to vindicate the constitutional right of all citizens, regardless of their economic status, to full and meaningful participation in the electoral process. Before joining NVRI in 1997, Brenda served as Director of the Voting Rights Project at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, D.C., litigating cases throughout the country to protect the voting rights of citizens of color. She successfully argued Young v. Fordice, the first Supreme Court case involving the 1993 "Motor-Voter" law, which challenged Mississippi's effort to establish a racially discriminatory dual registration requirement for voting in federal and state elections. Brenda has extensive experience as a speaker and writer on voting rights, campaign finance reform, and other election reform and democracy issues. She has testified before Congress, federal agencies and state legislatures and makes frequent presentations at national conferences and convenings. She has also authored numerous opinion pieces, law review articles and other publications on voting rights, campaign finance reform and other democracy issues. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and a member of the Advisory Boards of Just Democracy and Common Cause Massachusetts. She received her law degree from Yale Law School and her B.A. from Bryn Mawr College. Back to Top
	Cindy Zeldin Federal Affairs Coordinator, Economic Opportunity Program	Topics of Expertise: Bankruptcy Credit Card Industry/Credit Card Debt Economic Policy/Economic Security Health Care Reform Middle-class Student Loan Debt Youth/Young Adults
	As Federal Affairs Coordinator for the Economic Opportunity Program, Cindy is responsible for developing the Economic Opportunity Program's outreach and legislative strategy in Washington, DC. Previously, Cindy was a Senior Program Associate in the Health Policy Program at the New America Foundation, and has also worked in state government in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of a team conducting performance evaluations of state programs. Cindy currently provides commentary on TPMCafe.com through articles and blog posts, and has written articles for several other online commentary sites, including TomPaine.com. She has a B.A. in Political Science from Emory University and an M.A. in Public Policy with a concentration in Women's Studies from The George Washington University. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Women's Studies Endowment, an alumnae-run organization that provides small scholarships to Women's Studies graduate students in Washington, DC. Back to Top