At the Democracy Fund, we embrace the fact that we work in a complex system in which creating impact relies on having in-depth strategic advice and a strong network of partners with whom to collaborate. In that spirit, we are delighted to launch our Senior Fellows program to enlist a diverse group of experts and leaders to inform the strategies of each of our initiatives and help us to expand our networks.
We are excited to introduce our first four Senior Fellows and Consultants: Paul DeGregorio, Marvin Ammori, Geneva Overholser, and Jake Shapiro. Each brings deep experience in their respective fields and will play an important role supporting our teams:
You can read more about our Senior Fellows and Consultants here. We expect to bring on additional fellows in the coming months and are pleased to welcome Paul, Marvin, Geneva, and Jake to the Democracy Fund.
- Commissioner Paul S. DeGregorio, former Chair of the Election Administration Commission and former Director of Elections for St. Louis County, MO, will work with our Responsive Politics Initiative to develop effective strategies and represent the Fund at key events to strengthen election administration in the U.S.
- Marvin Ammori, a leading First Amendment lawyer and expert in communications policy will advise our Informed Participation Initiative on how issues of free expression, technology, and communications policy will shape the ability of the public to participate in politics and affect the economics and nature of news media institutions.
- Geneva Overholser, acclaimed editor and journalist and former director of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism, will advise our Informed Participation Initiative on its work to strengthen journalism at the state and local levels and on its efforts to increase public engagement with news.
- Jake Shapiro, founding CEO of the Public Radio Exchange (PRX), will bring his expertise on innovation in news media production to our Informed Participation Initiative’s work on issues related to the future of news media distribution across the country.