Speaker Bios

SPEAKER BIOS (in order of appearance) – WINNING AMERICA 2022

* Jerry Brown – Former four-term governor of California.

*Robert Kuttner – Co-founder of Economic Policy Institute & also of The American Prospect; author of numerous books on the economy, including this year, Going Big: FDR’s Legacy, Biden’s New Deal, and the Struggle to Save Democracy.

* David Cay Johnston – Pulitzer-prize winning author of Free Lunch and The Making of Donald Trump; ex-NY Times reporter, 13 years; founder of DCReport; professor at Syracuse University. * Thom Hartmann – Top-rated national radio talk host and author of many books on public
affairs.

*Robert Fellmeth – Professor of Law at San Diego School of Law. Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Public Interest Law and The Children’s Advocacy Institute.

* Dr. Steffie Woolhandler – Distinguished Professor of Public Health at Hunter College; co-founder of Physicians for National Health Policy; co-author of leading Medicare-for-All proposal.

* Irwin Redlener – Co-founder of Children’ Health Fund & director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at the Earth Institute, Columbia University.

*Richard Aborn – President of the Citizens Crime Commission, ex-President of Handgun Control Inc & a principal strategist behind the Brady Law and Assault Weapons Ban.

* Russell Mokhiber – Publisher of The Corporate Crime Reporter.

* Rep. Jamie Raskin – Member of the House Special Committee on January 6 and author of Unthinkable.

* Ruth Ben-Ghiat – Author of Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present. Professor of History at NYU.

* William Hartung – Director of the Arms & Security Project at the Center for International Policy. Author of Prophets of War.

* (Ret. Col.) Lawrence Wilkerson – Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell; now professor at College of William and Mary.

* Marielena Hincapié – Director of the National Immigration Law Center.

* Mark Green – 1st NYC Public Advocate; author/editor of several books, including Changing America, Citizen Transition books for Clinton (1992) and Obama (2008) and Losing our Democracy (2004).

* Jim Hightower – Syndicated columnist, national radio commentator, publisher of the monthly The Hightower Lowdown. Previously Texas Agricultural Commissioner (1983-1991).

* Anat Shenker-Osorio – Principal and founder of ASO Communications, a political consultancy that develops messaging for progressive campaigns.

* Bill Hillsman – Founded and runs North Hills Advertising in Minnesota. Has won 150 “Pollies” (Oscars for ads). Author of Run the Other Way. Clients included Paul Wellstone, Jesse Ventura, John Hickenlooper,

* Heather McGhee – Past head of Demos. Author of The Sum of US: What Racism Costs Everyone. Chair, Color of Change. NBC contributor.

* Rob Weissman – President of Public Citizen.

* Annie Leonard – Co-director of Greenpeace, USA.

* Lois Gibbs – Discovered Love Canal, NY built on chemical waste dump. Led citizens drive for cleanup & evacuation. Runs the grassroots Center for Health, Environment & Justice.

* Joe Madison – Renowned national radio talk show host for 40 years. Went on hunger strike for several weeks in 2021 to protest voter suppression.

* Sophia Woodrow – Grew up in Roswell, Georgia and is a third-year student at Stanford University. Working for the Future Coalition, she is currently building electoral coalitions in GA & AZ for the ’22 midterms.

* Celinda Lake – Leading Democratic pollster & strategist who was one of the two pollsters for Biden 2020. President of Lake Research Partners.

* Ralph Nader – Consumer advocate, author of 17 books – including Unsafe at Any Speed – and founder of dozens of citizen organizations around the country.