2023 Ideas Summit Attendees – NewDEAL

Stephanie Pitcher

Rachel Walsh — Wed, 03 May 2023 01:00:57 +0000

Stephanie Pitcher

Senator | Salt Lake City, UT

Stephanie is a State Senator, attorney, and an advocate for innovation and political bipartisanship. Stephanie was first elected to the Utah State Senate (SD14) in November 2022, and represents communities in eastern Salt Lake County. Prior to that, Stephanie served four years in the Utah House of Representatives.

During her first term in the House, Stephanie led the charge to reform Utah’s cash bail and pretrial system, moving Utah away from a two-tier, wealth-based system towards a pretrial process is that focused on risk. Stephanie has also passed legislation that improves air quality by cracking down on unlawful vehicle polluters, implements innovative childcare solutions for state employees, bans the shackling of pregnant inmates during labor and delivery, allows candidates for public office to use campaign funds for childcare expenses, and creates a statewide Victim Address Confidentiality Program. Much of Stephanie’s policy work has focused on increasing governmental transparency and promoting innovation and reform in Utah’s criminal justice system.

Stephanie earned her MPA and Juris Doctorate from the University of Utah. She is an International Candidate Master in chess and an eight-time Utah Women’s State Chess Champion. Stephanie currently works as a Deputy District Attorney for Davis County.

James Walkinshaw

Rachel Walsh — Wed, 03 May 2023 01:00:47 +0000

James Walkinshaw

County Supervisor | Fairfax County, VA

James Walkinshaw currently serves on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, representing the Braddock District. He is Chairman of the Board’s Legislative Committee, responsible for Fairfax County’s legislative agenda in Congress and with the Virginia General Assembly. He also serves on the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, the National Capital Regional Transportation Planning Board, the Fairfax County Council to End Domestic Violence, and the Virginia Railway Express Executive Committee.

During more than a decade of service as Chief of Staff to Congressman Gerry Connolly, James oversaw all aspects of the Congressman’s office and served as his chief adviser on a host of issues, working closely with local, state, and federal officials. On the Board of Supervisors, James has worked to ensure that Fairfax County continues to be a great place to live, work, and raise a family. He has led initiatives to address climate change, reduce plastic pollution, support small businesses, and provide tax relief to military families.

In 2022, James secured approval for an innovative public-private partnership that will deliver hundreds of new affordable housing units and child care for low and moderate income families on the grounds of the Fairfax County Government Center complex.

Kristen McDonald Rivet

Rachel Walsh — Wed, 03 May 2023 01:00:37 +0000

Kristen McDonald Rivet

U.S. Representative | MI-08

With more than 30 years of experience in public policy and advocacy, Senator Kristen McDonald Rivet knows firsthand how to champion our communities and step up as a leader. She is serving her first term in the Michigan Senate. Throughout her career, McDonald Rivet has worked for systemic change to improve employment and educational opportunities, revitalize neighborhoods, increase youth development programs and create public policy addressing institutional inequity issues.

In addition to providing strategic leadership to two non-profits focused on improving health and economic outcomes in Michigan, McDonald Rivet served as a City Commissioner for Bay City and President/ CEO of the network of Greater Midland Community Centers. McDonald Rivet was also a lead architect of Michigan’s birth to five system of care (Great Start) and its parent organization, the Early Childhood Investment Corporation (ECIC). These initiatives have helped millions of Michiganders thrive.

Luke Bronin

Andrea Cruz — Tue, 06 Dec 2022 17:17:28 +0000

Luke Bronin

Former Mayor | Hartford, CT

Luke Bronin is a husband, a father, a veteran, and an attorney, and, during his tenure are mayor, committed to building a stronger Hartford for all of the city’s residents.

After taking office in 2016, Mayor Bronin led the city through the biggest fiscal crisis in the city’s history, working to put Hartford on a path to fiscal stability. In addition to promoting economic development and investment, his administration has focused on building opportunity for Hartford residents through key initiatives like the Youth Service Corps and the Reentry Welcome Center. He has also worked to position Hartford as a center of innovation and establish Hartford a leader in environmental stewardship.

Prior to becoming mayor, Mayor Bronin served in senior positions in both federal and state government. In 2013, he was appointed by then-Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy to serve as General Counsel. As the governor’s chief lawyer, Bronin was deeply involved in developing policies to combat veterans’ homelessness, pass common sense gun laws, expand economic opportunities, reform our criminal justice system, and protect our environment.

Prior to his role in the Governor’s office, he served in the Obama Administration as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In that role, he helped lead the federal government’s efforts to isolate and disrupt international terrorist groups, and advanced U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. Previously, he served as the Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, as an international affairs fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations, and as Chief of Staff to the President of Property and Casualty Operations at the Hartford Financial Services Group, one of the capital city’s largest employers.

Mayor Bronin served as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and was a member of the military’s anti-corruption task force during his deployment to Afghanistan from September 2010 to April 2011. He earned his B.A. and J.D. from Yale University and his M.A. from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.

He and his wife Sara live in Hartford with their three young kids.

Cavalier Johnson

Andrea Cruz — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 00:03:39 +0000

Cavalier Johnson

Mayor | Milwaukee, WI

Mayor Cavalier Johnson took office as Acting Mayor of the City of Milwaukee in late 2021, and he set out immediately to build a safer city. He has prioritized violence reduction, economic development, and roadway safety. Before taking on his role as Acting Mayor, Johnson served as Common Council President while representing the city’s 2nd Aldermanic District.

In April of 2022, Mayor Johnson was elected as the forty-fifth chief executive of the City of Milwaukee winning with more than seventy percent of the vote. He is the first Black Mayor elected in the city, and only the fourth elected mayor in the past sixty-two years.

Mayor Johnson’s commitment to public service began at an early age when he was selected by the YMCA to participate in a pre-college program for low-income Milwaukee Public School students. That program, Sponsor-A-Scholar, instilled in him a passion to make Milwaukee better for future generations.

Growing up, his family moved frequently, and until middle school Mayor Johnson attended a different Milwaukee Public School almost every year. He has seen violence, evictions, food insecurity — challenges common in urban poverty. He brings that lived experience to his work as Mayor.

After graduating Bay View High School, Mayor Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and returned home to work for the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board (MAWIB), now Employ Milwaukee. His focus included working with at-risk youth, youth entering the workforce for the first time, and adults retooling to enter the workforce.

Before his election as Alderman, he served as a staff assistant in the Mayor’s Office, where he worked with community and faith leaders to find creative solutions to pressing issues facing families.

Mayor Johnson remains deeply committed to the community, having served on the boards of the Milwaukee YMCA, ACLU-Wisconsin and Milwaukee Community Brainstorming Conference.

He and his wife, Dominique, have one son and twin daughters and live on Milwaukee’s north side.

Monique Diaz

Andrea Cruz — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 23:50:13 +0000

Monique Diaz

District Judge | Bexar County, TX

Monique Diaz is a San Antonio native. She and her two brothers were raised by their Puerto Rican mother and Dominican father. Monique earned her undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of Texas at Austin, and her law degree from St. Mary’s University School of Law. Prior to being elected to the bench, Monique owned and operated her own law firm for nearly a decade, where she represented low-income families, victims of domestic violence, civil litigants and small businesses. In the public sector, she represented non-profit and government agencies, and served as a City Attorney and City Prosecutor for municipalities statewide. In 2018, Monique was elected to the bench as Judge of the 150th Civil District Court in Bexar County where she presided over all civil matters. She currently serves on the Bexar County Juvenile Board, and is Co-Chair of the joint city-county Collaborative Commission on Domestic Violence.

Ranjeev Puri

Andrea Cruz — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 23:53:32 +0000

Ranjeev Puri

Representative | Canton, MI

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.

Jazz Lewis

Andrea Cruz — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 23:49:48 +0000

Jazz Lewis

Delegate | Annapolis, MD

Jazz Lewis is a tireless fighter for his community in Prince George’s County, MD. Jazz started organizing as an activist at the University of Maryland, College Park and began his career as a community organizer in Baltimore. Over his career he has helped to elect progressive leaders, managed programs to increase the undergraduate retention and graduation rate of Black and Latino males, as well as serving as a Senior Advisor to U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on issues of housing, small business, and transportation.

Jazz currently serves in Maryland’s House of Delegates, where he has represented the 24th Legislative District since 2017, and also serves as the Chairman of the Maryland House Democratic Caucus. During his time in the General Assembly, he has championed issues ranging from criminal justice reform, healthcare access, and economic equity. Known, for his passion for justice and equity, Jazz has passed legislation to review our criminal justice from a racial equity lens, passed legislation to require a sentence review for juvenile offenders, supported tax credits for grocery stores in disadvantaged neighborhoods, banned solitary confinement for pregnant mothers and children, subsidized health clinics located in communities with the highest health needs, and much more.

Nantasha Williams

Andrea Cruz — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 23:45:49 +0000

Nantasha Williams

Councilmember | New York, NY

Nantasha is a community leader, social justice advocate, and political organizer committed to affecting real change in her community. Creating new economic opportunities, youth development, housing, and protecting our seniors are her top priorities. It is her mission to serve the residents of her hometown, Southeast Queens, New York, and continue its rich legacy into the future.

Nantasha founded the New York City Black Women’s Political Club, an avenue to build political power for Black women across New York City in 2019. In recognition of her exceptional work and allegiance to her community, Nantasha was honored as one of Albany’s Top 40 under 40 by City & State. But Nantasha’s champion spirit for human rights, women’s rights, and racial equality extends beyond the borders of her home state. She helped lead operations and organizing efforts for one of the largest demonstrations in American history, the Women’s March on Washington, D.C. Nantasha has also organized other demonstrations across the country, leading the charge for protesters demanding representation and implementation of legislative policies for women’s rights and racial justice. Previous to being elected to the City Council, Nantasha served as the Project Manager for Minority Women Business Enterprise Compliance, and helped initiate community outreach efforts for the JFK Redevelopment Program.

Ashley Vanorny

Andrea Cruz — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 23:41:05 +0000

Ashley Vanorny

Councilmember | Cedar Rapids, IA

Councilmember Ashley Vanorny became the second youngest Councilmember to serve Iowa’s second largest city, Cedar Rapids in 2017. Currently is serving in her second term and serves on the Development Committee, Public Safety and Youth Services Committee, Safe, Equitable, and Thriving (S.E.T.) Grant Committee, Area Ambulance Board of Directors, and is a Corridor Municipal Policy Organization member. She is very active in the Iowa League of Cities, having completed the Municipal Leadership Academy and received her Certified Elected Municipal Official designation in 2020. In 2022, Councilmember Vanorny was elected as the first woman from Cedar Rapids, first woman in 12 years and one of the youngest ever to become President-elect for the Iowa League of Cities Executive Board.

Ms. Vanorny graduated from Kirkwood Community College (2012) with an A.S., having studied Criminal Justice. From the University of Iowa she earned a B.S. in Psychology (2014) with an emphasis on Neuroscience and a B.A. in Political Science (2014) with an emphasis in International Relations and American Institutions. She completed her Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration (MHA) from Des Moines University in 2021 and currently serves professionally in Healthcare Administration.

Councilmember Vanorny is a very active volunteer and currently serves on the Linn County Foster Care Review Board, the Linn County League of Women Voters Board, and as an Education Vice President Advisor to Rho Chapter of Gamma Phi Beta. Councilmember Vanorny is a 2018 cohort of the New Leaders Council-Des Moines Chapter, is in the Young Elected Officials Network serving as a Regional Director, and is an alum of the American Council of Young Political Leaders (North Macedonia, 2022). Councilmember Vanorny serves on the Community and Economic Development Committee and as a Race, Equity, and Leadership (R.E.A.L) Council Member with the National League of Cities. In 2020 she was recognized as 35 Under 35 by the Young Elected Officials Network, and was recognized by the Corridor Business Journal as Forty Under 40.