Americans for Democratic Action

Americans for Democratic Action (ADA) describes itself as "the nation's most experienced organization committed to liberal politics, liberal policies, and a liberal future."

"In the spirit of the New Deal and ADA founders Eleanor Roosevelt, renowned economist John Kenneth Galbraith, and former Senator and Vice President Hubert Humphrey we lobby through coalition partnerships, through direct advocacy, and through the media. Our lobbying philosophy is based on democratic action - motivating our grassroots members to lobby their Senators and Representatives as constituent-advocates." Another co-founder was Joseph L. Rauh, Jr.

ADA National Chairs & Presidents
(*From 1947 to 1973, ADA's top elected officer was called National Chairman; the title was later changed to National President.)


 * 1947-1948  Wilson Wyatt
 * 1948-1949  Leon Henderson
 * 1949-1950  Senator Hubert Humphrey
 * 1950-1953  Francis Biddle
 * 1954-1955  Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. and James E. Doyle (co-chairs)
 * 1955-1957  Joseph L. Rauh, Jr.
 * 1957-1959  Robert R. Nathan
 * 1959-1962  Samuel H. Beer
 * 1962-1965  John P. Roche
 * 1965-1967  Rep. Don Edwards
 * 1967-1969  John Kenneth Galbraith
 * 1970-1971  Joseph Duffy
 * 1971-1973  Rep. Allard K. Lowenstein
 * 1974-1976  Rep. Donald M. Fraser
 * 1976-1978  Senator George McGovern
 * 1978-1981  Rep. Patsy T. Mink
 * 1981-1984  Rep. Robert F. Drinan, S.J.
 * 1984-1986  Rep. Barney Frank
 * 1986-1989  Rep. Ted Weiss
 * 1989-1991  Rep. Charles B. Rangel
 * 1991-1993  Senator Paul D. Wellstone
 * 1993-1995  Rep. John Lewis
 * 1995-1998  Jack Sheinkman
 * 1998-2000  Rep. Jim Jontz
 * 2000-2008  Rep. Jim McDermott
 * 2008-          Richard Parker

Staff
Accessed August 2008:


 * National Director | Michael J. Wilson
 * Deputy National Director/Communications Director | David Card
 * Working Families Win Project Director | Don Kusler
 * Special Assistant to the Director | Valerie Dulk-Jacobs
 * Legislative Director | Darryl Fagin
 * Special Programs and Communications Manager | Karen Traeger
 * Membership Director | Mei Hong
 * Economic Policy Director | Woodrow Ginsburg
 * Campaign For A Fair Minimum Wage Director | Jane O'Grady

Directors
Accessed August 2008:

OFFICERS
 * Richard Parker, President
 * Allen Kukovich, Chair, National Executive Committee
 * Jim B. Clarke, Treasurer
 * Maria Wilkinson, Secretary
 * Jack Blum, Counsel
 * Nate Kilbert and Dan Munz, NLDA Youth Chairs

VICE PRESIDENTS
 * Elijah Cummings, Member of Congress, Maryland
 * James K. Galbraith, professor, Austin, Texas
 * Eleanor Holmes Norton, Member of Congress, Washington, D.C.
 * Steve Protulis, executive director, Elderly Housing Development and Operations Corporation, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
 * Jan Schakowsky, Member of Congress, Illinois

EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS OF THE BOARD
 * Bernard Bellush, political activist, New York
 * Henry Berger, former executive committee chair, attorney, New York City
 * James J. Bishop, former executive committee chair, Ohio
 * Carol Casey, former treasurer, Vermont
 * Joel Cohen, former national executive committee chair, Washington, D.C.
 * Peter S. diCicco, consultant, AFL-CIO, New Hampshire
 * Woodrow Ginsburg, economist, Virginia
 * William Holayter, former vice president, political activist, Washington state
 * Bill Markus, former executive committee chair, businessman, Pennsylvania
 * Evelyn Jones Rich, former Secretary, foundation executive, New York
 * Marvin Rich, chair ADA development committee, fund raising consultant, New York
 * Christine Riddiough, former treasurer, Washington, D.C.
 * Peter Schott, political activist, Rehoboth Beach, DE
 * Ellen Vollinger, staff, Food Research and Action Center, Bethesda, MD
 * Jamal Watson, former YDA chair, New Jersey
 * Roberta Weiner, former ADA secretary, political activist, Washington, D.C.
 * Jeffrey Wice, former YDA chair, attorney, Bethesda, Maryland
 * Carole Wilson, former ADA secretary, attorney, Washington, D.C.

AT-LARGE NATIONAL BOARD MEMBERS
 * Bill Anderson, labor activist, Maryland and the Dominican Republic
 * Gary Bass, director, OMB Watch, Arlington, VA
 * Tim Carpenter, national director, Progressive Democrats of America
 * Sylvia Chaplain, businesswoman, New Hampshire
 * Brandi Conforti, activist, Massachusetts
 * Maria Cordone, legislative department, International Association of Machinists
 * Jo Deutsch, staff, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Washington, DC
 * Vic Fingerhut, Fingerhut, Power, Smith and Co., Washington, D.C.
 * Bill Goold, staff director, Congressional Progressive Caucus, VA
 * Andy Gussert, AFT, Wisconsin
 * William Hamilton, vice president, Fenton Communication, Virginia
 * John Isaacs, president, Council for a Livable World, Washington, D.C.
 * David Jacobs, professor, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD
 * Hans Johnson, Democracy Project, Washington, D.C.
 * Cheryl Kagan, former Maryland Delegate, Rockville, MD
 * Kevin Layton, staff, Human Rights Campaign, Washington, DC
 * James Levin, attorney, New York
 * Bob Lucore, staff, United American Nurses, Washington, D.C.
 * Tammy Lohmann, long-time Minnesota chapter activist, St. Paul, Minnesota
 * Lewis Maltby, president, National Work Rights Institute, New Jersey
 * Howard Manly, health policy specialist, Virginia
 * Burkett McInturff, law student, New York
 * Matthew McKinnon, director, Machinists Non-Partisan League, Maryland
 * William Millar II, Special Assistant to Chairperson, Pequot Pharmaceutical Network, Mashantucket, CT
 * Gwendolyn Mink, Professor, Smith College, Amherst, MA
 * Jane O'Grady, chair, Campaign for a Fair Minimum Wage, Washington, D.C.
 * Ray Pempek, activist, Chicago, IL
 * Markley Roberts, volunteer activist, Washington, D.C.
 * Eric Sklar, businessperson, California
 * Ted van Dyk, author, Seattle, WA
 * Richard Warden, labor consultant, Rehoboth Beach, DE
 * Joanne Zurcher, director, Washington office, Americans for UNFPA, Virginia

HONORARY PRESIDENTS
 * Joseph Duffy
 * Don Edwards, former Member of Congress
 * Barney Frank (D-MA), U.S. House of Representatives
 * Donald M. Fraser, former Member of Congress
 * John Lewis (D-GA), U.S. House of Representatives
 * Jim McDermott (D-WA), U.S. House of Representatives
 * George McGovern, former United States Senator
 * Charles Rangel (D-NY), U.S. House of Representatives

HONORARY VICE PRESIDENTS
 * Ed Asner, actor, Los Angeles, CA
 * Neil Abercrombie, Member of Congress, Hawaii
 * Al Bilik, former president, Public Employees Department, AFL-CIO, Washington, D.C.
 * Sherrod Brown, Senator, Ohio
 * Tom Buffenbarger, president, IAM, Maryland
 * John Conyers, Jr., Member of Congress, Michigan
 * Rosa DeLauro, Member of Congress, Connecticut
 * Marion Wright Edelman, president, Children's Defense Fund, Washington, D.C.
 * Eliot Engel, Member of Congress, New York
 * Jeff Faux, former president, Economic Policy Institute, Washington, D.C.
 * Fernando Ferrer, Borough President, Bronx
 * Bob Filner, Member of Congress, California
 * Leo Gerard, president, United Steelworkers of America, Pittsburgh
 * Jim Graham, city council member, Washington, D.C.
 * Luis Gutierrez, Member of Congress, Illinois
 * Tom Harkin, Senator, Iowa
 * Jesse Jackson, Jr., Member of Congress, Illinois
 * Victor Kamber, political consultant, Washington, D.C.
 * Peter Kostmayer, director, Zero Population Growth, New York
 * Robert Kuttner, author, publisher, Massachusetts
 * Ann F. Lewis, political activist, Maryland
 * Nita Lowey, Member of Congress, chair DCCC, New York
 * William Lucy, secretary-treasurer, AFSCME, Washington, D.C.
 * Carolyn Maloney, Member of Congress, New York
 * Gerald McEntee, president, AFSCME, Washington, D.C.
 * Abner Mikva, former Counsel to the President, Chicago, Illinois
 * Joyce Miller, political activist, Washington, D.C.
 * Norman Mineta, Secretary of Transportation, California
 * Jerrold Nadler, Member of Congress, New York
 * John Olver, Member of Congress, Massachusetts
 * Major Owens, Member of Congress, New York
 * Donald Payne, Member of Congress, New Jersey
 * Arturo Rodriguez, president, United Farm Workers of America, California
 * Bobby Rush, Member of Congress, Illinois
 * Bernard Sanders, Senator, Vermont
 * Jan Schakowsky, Member of Congress, Illinois
 * Patricia Schroeder, former president, Association of American Publishers, Florida
 * Charles Schumer, Member of Congress, New York
 * Jose Serrano, Member of Congress, New York
 * Stanley Sheinbaum, political activist, California
 * Fortney H. Stark, Member of Congress, California
 * Michael J. Sullivan, president, Sheet Metal Workers Union, Washington, D.C.
 * William Taylor, attorney, Washington, D.C.
 * Gus Tyler, special assistant to the president, UNITE!, Florida
 * Nydia Velazquez, Member of Congress, New York
 * Maxine Waters, Member of Congress, California
 * Joslyn Williams, president, Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO
 * Lynn Woolsey, Member of Congress, California

Contact

 * Web: http://www.adaction.org

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