John Podesta

From KeyWiki

John Podesta is the president and CEO of the left-wing Center for American Progress. Under his leadership, the Center, founded in 2003, has become a notable leader in the development and advocacy for progressive policy. Podesta also served on the action fund and executive committee of the Center for American Progress.

Born in Chicago John Podesta is a graduate of Knox College and the Georgetown University Law Center, where he is currently a visiting professor of law.

Podesta authored The Power of Progress: How America’s Progressives Can (Once Again) Save Our Economy, Our Climate and Our Country.

Contents 1 Serving Clinton 2 Soros connection 3 Center for American Progress 4 Co-chaired Obama’s transition 5 Other achievements 6 Apollo Alliance 7 ACORN’s Outside Advisory Committee 8 Progressive States Network 9 References

Serving Clinton

Podesta served as White House Chief of Staff to President Bill Clinton. He served in the president’s cabinet and as a principal on the National Security Council. While in the White House, Podesta also served as both an assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff, as well as staff secretary and a senior policy advisor on government information, privacy, telecommunications security, and regulatory policy.

Soros connection

On November 29, 2006 Open Society Institute held a roundtable discussion entitled "How Do Progressives Connect Ideas to Action?"

Individuals and organizations with similarly progressive goals often dilute their power by working alone or even working at cross-purposes. As Americans who are politically left of center move forward, questions of infrastructure, communication, and collaboration are particularly important.

Participants included several key leaders of the "progressive" movement^[1];

• Deepak Bhargava Center for Community Change
• Robert Borosage Campaign for America's Future.
• Rosa Brooks Open Society Institute
• Anna Burger Service Employees International Union
• Eric Foner Columbia University, Department of History
• Michel Gelobter Redefining Progress
• Hendrik Hertzberg The New Yorker
• Alan Jenkins Opportunity Agenda
• Gara LaMarche Open Society Institute
• Jal Mehta New Vision Institute for Policy and Progress
• David Moss The Tobin Project
• Iara Peng Young People For
• Stephanie Robinson The Jamestown Project at Yale
• Joel Rogers University of Wisconsin Law School
• Andrea Batista Schlesinger Drum Major Institute for Public Policy
• Katrina vanden Heuvel The Nation editor.
• John Podesta Center for American Progress
• Michael Waldman The Brennan Center for Justice
• Matthew Yglesias The American Prospect

Center for American Progress

John Podesta is the president and chief executive officer of Center for American Progress.

Co-chaired Obama’s transition

John Podesta served Barack Obama as co-chair of the President's transition, where he coordinated the priorities of the incoming administration’s agenda, oversaw the development of its policies, and spearheaded its appointments of major cabinet secretaries and political appointees.

Other achievements

Podesta has held numerous positions on Capitol Hill, including counselor to Democratic Leader Senator Tom Daschle (1995-1996), chief counsel for the Senate Agriculture Committee (1987-1988), chief minority counsel for the Senate Judiciary Subcommittees on Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks, Security and Terrorism and Regulatory Reform (1981-1987).

Apollo Alliance

John Podesta serves on the board^[2]of the Apollo Alliance.

ACORN’s Outside Advisory Committee

In 2009 the ACORN Outside Advisory Committee comprised of John Banks Vice President of Government Relations Con Ed, Dave Beckwith Executive Director, Needmor Fund, Henry Cisneros Executive Chairman, Cityview, Eric Eve Senior VP of Global Consumer Group, Community Relations, Citigroup, Harvey Hirschfeld President, Lawcash, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend Board Member, RFK Foundation, former MD Lt. Governor, John Podesta President and CEO, Center for American Progress, Andy Stern International President, Service Employees International Union^[3].

Progressive States Network

In 2010, John Podesta served on the Board of Directors for the Progressive States Network, an organization which seeks to "transform the political landscape by sparking progressive actions at the state level".^[4]

References

v • d • e Center for American Progress Board of Directors Carol Browner • Richard Leone • Peter Lewis • Cheryl Mills • Aryeh Neier • John Podesta • Marion Sandler • Hansjorg Wyss Executive Committee John Podesta • Sarah Wartell • Laura Nichols • Jennifer Palmieri • Winnie Stachelberg