Demos Celebration 2009: A Time for Hope & Action
MEDIA ADVISORY
May 4, 2009
Contact: Tim Rusch or Gennady Kolker, Demos, press@demos.org or (212) 633-1405
Demos Celebration 2009
A Time for Hope & Action
New York, NY—With the first hundred days of a new progressive administration drawing to a close, Demos, a national, non-partisan public policy organization, celebrates its overarching goals of shared economic prosperity, a vibrant and inclusive democracy, a strong public sector working for the common good, and responsible engagement in an interdependent world.
On May 6, 2009, Demos will present “A Time for Hope & Action,” an event that recognizes our progress, our hope for the future, and our celebration of progressive values. This event will honor three distinguished individuals for their outstanding work that represents Demos’ core values. Honorees include: William H. Donaldson, Anthony Romero, and Randi Weingarten. The evening will also feature a silent auction to benefit Demos.
WHEN:
Wednesday, May 6, 2009 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Remarks begin at 7:00 pm.
WHERE:
50 Vanderbilt Avenue at 44th Street, New York, NY
About the Honorees:
William H. Donaldson was the 27th Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from February 2003 to June 2005. His government service spans five presidential administrations, and he held positions as Under Secretary of State to then Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and Counsel and Special Adviser to Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. He also served as the Chairman of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace from 1999-2003. Mr. Donaldson co-founded the Yale University School of Management, and served as the graduate school's first dean and professor of management studies.
Anthony Romero is the Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union. He took the helm of the organization just four days before the September 11, 2001 attacks. Shortly afterward, the ACLU launched its national Safe and Free campaign to protect basic freedoms during a time of crisis. Under Romero's leadership, the ACLU gained court victories on the Patriot Act, filed landmark litigation on the torture and abuse of detainees in U.S. custody, and filed the first successful legal challenge to the Bush administration's illegal NSA spying program. Romero is the ACLU's sixth executive director, and the first Latino and openly gay man to serve in that capacity. In 2005, he was named one of TIME Magazine's “25 Most Influential Hispanics.” Additionally, TIME has named him a "Champion of Civil Rights."
Randi Weingarten is the elected president of the more than 1.4-million-member American Federation of Teachers, which represents teachers; professionals and school-related personnel; higher education faculty and staff; nurses and other healthcare professionals; and local, state and federal employees. She has acted as an emissary for the national AFT in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Under Weingarten’s leadership, AFT membership rose by 35 percent to more than 200,000, including 28,000 home-based child care providers for whom she helped win collective bargaining rights in the largest labor organizing drive in New York City in almost half a century. In addition, salaries of AFT-represented public school employees increased by 43 percent under contracts she negotiated between 2002 and 2008.
Members of the Press:
If you would like to attend this event, please contact Tim Rusch or Gennady Kolker at Demos: press@demos.org or (212) 633-1405.
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