Zeena Starbuck

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Felicia Taylor

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Felicia Taylor

Anchor-correspondent for CNN

Felicia Taylor was an anchor-correspondent for CNN International’s World Business Today having previously been contributing to the Business Updates unit for CNN. She was also the co-host of Retirement Living TV’s Daily Cafe until November 2009. Previously, Taylor was a business news anchor and a correspondent for CNBC. Prior to CNBC, she served as weekend anchor on WNBC-TV in New York. 

Taylor was a moderator for Afghanistan with Ambassador Peter Galbraith and the Honorable Mike Rogers in 2021 and for the “Women’s Breakfast” subsection of The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards 2017, and hosted both a Special Screening of “Disturbing the Peace” and a Lunch and Discussion with: NY Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

Twitter: @ftaylorCNN

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Representative Mike Rogers

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Mike Rogers

Former U.S. Representative for Michigan's 8th congressional district

Honorary Mike Rogers, is a former member of Congress representing Michigan’s Eighth Congressional District, officer in the U.S. Army, and FBI special Agent. From his time in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he chaired the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) and was a member of the Energy and Commerce panel. Mike built a legacy as a tireless and effective leader on counterterrorism and national security policy.

As chairman of HPSCI, Mike authorized and oversaw a budget of $70 billion that provided funding to the nation’s 17 intelligence agencies. Rogers was a prominent leader on cybersecurity in the United States Congress during his service, shepherding multiple cybersecurity bills through the House of Representatives and is a highly sought-after national expert on cyber policy.

Mike has also worked with two presidents, Congressional leadership, and countless foreign leaders, diplomats and intelligence professionals to ensure our nation is well equipped with the resources necessary to get the job done.

Mike is the host and executive producer of Declassified: Untold Stories of American Spies that airs on CNN. Hon. Mike Rogers is also a CNN national security commentator and a regular in major news outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press.

On August 25, 2021, Hon. Mike Rogers participated in Afghanistan with Ambassador Peter Galbraith and the Honorable Mike Rogers.

Ambassador Peter Galbraith

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Ambassador Peter Galbraith

Author, policy adviser, former U.S. diplomat

Ambassador Peter Galbraith is an author, politician, and former United States Diplomat. From 1993 to 1998, he served as the first U.S. Ambassador to Croatia, where he was co-mediator of the 1995 Erdut Agreement that ended the Croatian War of Independence. He was a cabinet member in East Timor’s first transitional government, successfully negotiating the Timor Sea Treaty. In 2009, Ambassador Galbraith was an Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations serving as Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan. Ambassador Peter Galbraith also served two terms as a Vermont State Senator from Windham County from 2011 to 2015, and was a candidate for Governor of Vermont in 2016.

Beginning in 2003, Galbraith acted as an adviser to the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq. As an author and commentator, he argued that Iraq has broken up and that the US occupation authorities should not try to build a strong central government over Kurdish objections. In 2009, Galbraith was appointed United Nations’ Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan where he contributed to exposing the massive fraud that took place in the 2009 Afghanistan Presidential Elections.

He is also the author of two critically acclaimed books on the Iraq War, including bestselling The End of Iraq: How American Incompetence Created a War Without End. In the 1980s, Galbraith uncovered the beginnings of the Anfal campaign against the Iraqi Kurds and, in 1988, documented the use of chemical weapons, leading the U.S. Senate to pass The Prevention of Genocide Act of 1988. Beginning in 2003, Ambassador Galbraith was an informal advisor to the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq, supporting the Kurdistan delegation in the drafting process of the 2005 Iraqi Constitution. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, the research arm of the Council for a Livable World.

Ambassador Galbraith was an assistant professor of International Relations and Economics at Windham College in Putney, Vermont, from 1975 to 1978. Later, he was the professor of National Security Strategy at the National War College in 1999 and between 2001 and 2003. In addition to his books, Ambassador Peter Galbraith has written extensively for a range of publications including The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Guardian.

On August 25, 2021, Ambassador Peter Galbraith participated in Afghanistan with Ambassador Peter Galbraith and the Honorable Mike Rogers.

Twitter: @GalbraithforVT

Ken Auletta

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Ken Auletta

American writer, journalist, media critic

Ken Auletta is an American journalist and media critic at The New Yorker. He has worked in government and on several political campaigns along with having taught and trained Peace Corps volunteers. In 1974, Auletta became the chief political correspondent for the New York Post. Following that, he was a staff writer and weekly columnist for The Village Voice, and then a contributing editor at New York Magazine. He started contributing to The New Yorker in 1977. Between 1977 and 1993, he wrote a weekly political column for the New York Daily News.

Auletta has been writing his column, the Annals of Communications, since 1992. He has written twelve books, including five bestsellers —Three Blind Mice: How the TV Networks Lost Their Way; Greed and Glory On Wall Street: The Fall of the House of Lehman; The Highwaymen: Warriors of the Information Super Highway; World War 3.0: Microsoft and Its Enemies; and Googled: The End Of The World As We Know It. His most recent book, Frenemies: The Epic Disruption of the Ad Business (and Everything Else), was published in June of 2018.

Before becoming a journalist and author, Auletta trained Peace Corps volunteers, served as Special Assistant to the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce, and worked on Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign. 

Auletta has served as a Pulitzer Prize juror and a judge for the Livingston Awards for Young Journalists. In 2001, his profile of Ted Turner won the National Magazine Award for best profile. The New York Public Library chose him as a Literary Lion. He was also a board member for PEN, a worldwide association of writers, and a trustee of The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival. 

On July 28, 2021 Ken Auletta participated in A Conversation with American's Police Commissioner, Bill Bratton

Twitter: @kenauletta

Zachary Karabell

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dr. Zachary Karabell

Head of Global Strategy at Envestnet

Zachary Karabell is Head of Global Strategy at Envestnet, a publicly traded financial services firm, and is President of River Twice Research. Previously, he was Executive Vice President, Chief Economist, and Head of Marketing at Fred Alger Management, a New York-based investment firm that manages approximately $22 billion. He was also President of Fred Alger & Company, Portfolio Manager of the China-U.S. Growth Fund (CHUSX), and Executive Vice President of Alger’s Spectra Funds. At Alger, he oversaw the creation, launch and marketing of several funds, led corporate strategy for strategic acquisitions, and represented the firm at public forums and in the media. He also ran the River Twice Fund from 2011-2013, an alternative investment fund which used sustainable business as its primary investment theme.

Dr. Karabell has taught at several leading universities, including Harvard and Dartmouth, and has written widely on economics, investing, history and international relations. His most recent book, The Leading Indicators: A Short History of the Numbers That Rule Our World, was published by Simon & Schuster in February 2014. He is the author of eleven previous books. He sits on the board of the New America Foundation and the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs, and in 2003, the World Economic Forum designated him a “Global Leader for Tomorrow.” He is a Senior Advisor for BSR, a membership organization that works with global corporations on issues of sustainability.

As a commentator, Karabell is a Contributing Editor for Politico and writes the Wealth of Nations column. Previously he wrote “The Edgy Optimist” column for Slate, Reuters, and The Atlantic. He is a regular commentator on MSNBC and was a Contributing Editor for The Daily Beast. He also contributes to such publications as The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times,The Financial Times, and Foreign Affairs.

Karabell also sits on the board of New America and PEN America. In 2003, the World Economic Forum designated him a "Global Leader for Tomorrow." As a commentator, Karabell is a Contributing Editor for Wired and for Politico, and the host of the podcast “What Could Go Right?”

On July 21, 2021 Zachary Karabell participated in The Story of American Capitalism with Zachary Karabell & Douglas Brinkley

Twitter: @zacharykarabell

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Ed Rendell

After 34 years of public service, Governor Ed Rendell has become a champion on the issues of alternative energy and government efficiency. As the governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011, he worked to make the government more responsible and responsive to the public's needs, and he successfully cut wasteful spending and improved efficiency leading to savings of over $1 billion. He continues to pursue key issues from his time in office, striving to make America a cleaner, more efficient place and to foster investment in our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. 

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Rendell served two terms as Mayor of Philadelphia and two terms as Governor of Pennsylvania. His legislative agenda focused on commonsense political reform and putting progress ahead of partisanship. As Governor, he energized Pennsylvania’s economy, revitalized communities, improved education, protected the environment, expanded access to health care to all children, and made affordable prescription drugs available to older Pennsylvanians. He also spearheaded initiatives encouraging the use of alternative and renewable energy, including wind farms and solar panels.

As Mayor, Rendell eliminated a crippling deficit, balanced the City’s budget, and generated five consecutive budget surpluses. Philadelphia’s renaissance, which The New York Times called “the most stunning turnaround in recent urban history,” is largely attributed to his determination, inspiration, and energy. The subject of the book Prayer for the City by Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Buzz Bissinger, Rendell was called “one of America’s best, most interesting mayors.” Before serving as Mayor, Rendell was elected District Attorney of Philadelphia for two terms from 1978 through 1985. Rendell also served as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee during the 2000 Presidential election. 

In 2012, Governor Rendell penned his first book, A Nation of Wusses: How America’s Leaders Lost the Guts to Make Us Great where he chronicles his political career while making a strong statement about the state of American leadership.

Perhaps no other issue has been and continues to be as important to Rendell as America’s dire need to rebuild and reinvest in its infrastructure. He worked with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to found Building America's Future, a national infrastructure-investment coalition. Rendell currently serves as Co-Chair of the organization.

Rendell serves as a consultant or board member for several green and alternative energy firms, including Own Energy, The Efficiency Network and VNG.co. He has also remained heavily involved in the campaign for government efficiency and strategic cost cutting through his work with entities such as Government Sourcing Solutions and Public Financial Management.

He currently sits on several boards, supports multiple non-profit organizations and teaches government and politics courses at the University of Pennsylvania. An Army veteran, he holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Villanova Law School.

Governor Rendell discussed his book A Nation of Wusses: How America’s Leaders Lost the Guts to Make Us Great at The Common Good in 2012: Governor Ed Rendell on “A Nation of Wusses” – July 12, 2012. He was also a distinguished participant at The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards - May 27, 2016. He currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Twitter:@GovEdRendell

Books:

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Honorary Advisory Board Member: William J. Bratton

William “Bill'' Bratton is renowned as one of the nation’s top law enforcement officers and one of the world’s most respected and trusted experts on risk and security issues. He currently serves as Executive Chairman of Risk Advisory at Teneo Holdings, where he advises clients on risk identification, prevention, and response in key security areas, including: cyber risk management, counterterrorism, crisis anticipation, critical infrastructure, and health crisis advisory. He also serves as the Chairman of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, offering his experience and expertise to provide the Secretary real-time, real-world, and independent advice to support decision-making across the spectrum of homeland security operations.

 During his 46-year career in law enforcement, Bratton instituted progressive change while leading six police departments. He served two terms as the New York City Police Commissioner and seven years as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, making him the only person to have led the police departments of the two largest cities in the U.S.. 

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Bratton established an international reputation for re-engineering police departments and fighting crime in the 1990’s. As Chief of the New York City Transit Police, Boston Police Commissioner, and New York City Police Commissioner, he revitalized morale and cut crime, achieving the largest crime declines in New York City’s history. At the NYPD in 1994 and 1995, he led the development of Compstat, the internationally acclaimed command accountability system now in use by police departments nationwide. Bratton also implemented major reforms to the NYPD’s counterterrorism program by developing two new units—the Critical Response Command and the Strategic Response Group.

As Los Angeles Police Chief from 2002 to 2009, and in a city known for its entrenched gang culture and youth violence, he brought crime to historically low levels, greatly improved race relations, and reached out to young people with a range of innovative police programs. 

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A noted author, commentator, and consultant, Commissioner Bratton was a Senior Executive Fellow in Criminal Justice and a member of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government National Executive Session on Policing. For his collaborative efforts in working with U.S. and British police forces, he was recognized by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the honorary title Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). 

Bratton currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board, and he spoke at a Meet & Greet in 2014 at The Common Good.

Twitter: @CommissBratton

Selected Media: 

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Honorary Advisory Board Member: Alan Patricof

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Alan Patricof is a legendary venture capital investor who has founded multiple leading firms in the arena, including Apax Partners, Greycroft LLC, and Primetime Partners. 

One of the first leaders in the industry, he has become one of the country’s pre-eminent authorities on public and private venture capital. A longtime innovator and advocate for venture capital, Patricof entered the venture capital industry in its formative days with the creation of Patricof & Co. Ventures Inc. in 1969. Patricof & Co. was a predecessor to Apax Partners which today is one of the world’s foremost private equity firms with $41 billion under management. His most recent venture, Primetime Partners, is focused on backing technology designed for people in their later stages of life, and investing in mature entrepreneurs.

Patricof has been instrumental in facilitating the seed funding of many major global companies, including Apple Computer, America Online, Office Depot, and Audible. After many years of large-scale investing, in 2004 he stepped back from the daily administration and operational aspects of Apax Partners, LP to concentrate on a smaller investment business model, focusing on a group of small venture deals. In 2006, he founded Greycroft Partners, a venture capital firm, to invest in early and expansion stage investments in digital media. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, Greycroft is currently investing from its fifth Fund as well as its second Growth Fund, and has over $1 billion under management.

With a 40-plus year career in venture capital, Patricof has been instrumental in growing the venture capital field from a base of high net-worth individuals to its position today with broad institutional backing, as well as playing a key role in the essential legislative initiatives that have guided its evolution. He was also a founder and chairman of the board of New York magazine, which later acquired the Village Voice and New West magazine.

Patricof graduated from Ohio State University and received his MBA from Columbia University School of Business.

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He serves on a number of boards including  Columbia Graduate School of Business, and Northside Center for Child Development in Harlem, and is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He has previously served as a member of the President’s Global Development Council, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, TechnoServe, Trickle Up Program, Global Advisory Board of Endeavor, and the World Bank. 

Patricof has participated in many TCG programs and events, including Social Impact - Change and Investing in the Wake of the Coronavirus with Sir Ronald Cohen, and most recently First Friends: The Powerful, Unsung (and Unelected) People Who Shaped Our President's on October 21, 2021.

He currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Twitter: @alanjpatricof 

Selected Media:

Latest appearance on CNBC: Greycroft's Alan Patricof: Social media companies have effectively become utilities 

Patricof, New York Times Op-Ed Stopping Start-Ups 

Patricof for Business Insider Confessions Of A VC Raising Money During Financial Armageddon 

Patricof for The Hill: Say what you will about the presidential candidates, as long as it isn't 'They're too old' 

My American Story: Alan Patricof — The Common Good

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Jon Meacham

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Jon Meacham is a much lauded and widely renowned historian with a concentration on American historical subjects who is also a distinguished visiting professor at Vanderbilt University.

He is revered for his insightful presidential biographies . Meacham was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his best-selling book on Andrew Jackson’s presidency, American Lion in 2009. His 2015 book His Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush was a #1 New York Times bestseller.

Meacham’s other New York Times best sellers include: The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels, published in 2018, Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power published 2012, Franklin and Winston: An Intimate Portrait of an Epic Friendship, published 2003, American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation published 2006, and most recently His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope; and The Hope of Glory, published in 2020.

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Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, he began his journalistic career at The Chattanooga Times, and was the editor of The Washington Monthly before moving to Newsweek in 1995. After serving as Managing Editor of that magazine for eight years, Meacham was Editor-in-Chief from 2006 to 2010. He is a former Executive Editor at Random House, where he published the letters of Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., and books of many highly regarded authors including Al Gore, John Danforth, Clara Bingham, Mary Soames, and Charles Peters.

Lee C. Bollinger, President of Columbia University, presents the 2009 Biography prize to Meacham.

Lee C. Bollinger, President of Columbia University, presents the 2009 Biography prize to Meacham.

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He is a contributing writer to the New York Times Book Review and a contributing editor of Time. He has written for such varied periodicals as the New York Times op-ed page, the Washington Post, Vanity Fair, and Garden & Gun. In addition to his written work, Meacham is also a regular guest on “Morning Joe'' and other broadcasts for his sought after commentary on history, politics, and religion in America.  

Meacham is a fellow of the Society of American Historians and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a trustee of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, The McCallie School, and The Harpeth Hall School. Meacham chairs the National Advisory Council of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University. He has served on the vestries of St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue and of Trinity Church Wall Street as well as the Board of Regents of The University of the South.

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The Anti-Defamation League awarded Meacham its Hubert H. Humphrey First Amendment Prize. In 2013 the Historical Society of Pennsylvania presented him with its Founder’s Award; in 2016 he was honored with the Sandra Day O’Connor Institute’s Spirit of Democracy Award. Meacham also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale University in 2005 and holds honorary doctorates from Middlebury College, Wake Forest University, the University of Tennessee, Dickinson College, Sewanee, and several other institutions.

A summa cum laude graduate of the University of the South, he lives in Nashville and in Sewanee with his wife and children.

Meacham spoke about The Role of Religion in the 2008 Campaign at The Common Good alongside Amy Sullivan and Steven Waldman, and at The Common Good American Spirit Awards and Forum 2021 where he received  The Common Good American Spirit Award for Thought Leadership in 2021. 

He is currently a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Selected Media:

https://www.msnbc.com/11th-hour/watch/jon-meacham-with-joe-biden-what-you-see-is-what-you-get-109177413591 

https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/watch/jon-meacham-asks-are-republicans-going-to-govern-or-perpetually-campaign-for-trump-s-america-101541445925 

https://www.msnbc.com/11th-hour/watch/meacham-is-this-a-chapter-in-an-unfolding-story-or-the-last-chapter-99181125696 

Meacham’s Podcasts:  “Hope Through History”, a documentary style podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hope-through-history/id1507276251, “It Was Said”, which analyzes important speeches of the past: https://www.history.com/it-was-said-podcast 

Alex Henderson, ‘Jon Meacham: How the Founding Fathers anticipated Donald Trump’, Salon, 5 July 2019

‘“Songs of America”: Tim McGraw & Jon Meacham trace history through music’, MSNBC, 16 June 2019

Twitter: @jmeacham

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Former U.S. Representative Jane Harman

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Jane Harman is an internationally recognized authority on U.S. and global security issues, foreign relations, and lawmaking. Among her many achievements, Harman is a Distinguished Fellow and President Emerita of the Wilson Center, one of the world’s most highly regarded think tanks.

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Harman recently completed a decade as its first female President & CEO. Congresswoman Harman has long been a national expert at the nexus of security and public policy issues, and has received numerous awards for her distinguished service, including the Defense Department Medal for Distinguished Service, the CIA Agency Seal Medal, the CIA Director’s Award, and the Director of National Intelligence Distinguished Public Service Medal.

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She began her political career as the staff director for Senator John Tunney, before joining the Carter White House as special counsel to the Department of Defense. 

In 1992, she was elected to represent the 36th district of California, one of the record-breaking 37 women to be elected to Congress that year - subsequently labeled the “Year of the Woman”.

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She went on to become a nine-term member of Congress who served decades on all the major security committees in the House of Representatives: six years on Armed Services, eight years on Intelligence, and eight on Homeland Security. 

During her time in Congress, Harman also earned a reputation as a supporter of a diverse set of causes, from promoting information sharing across the federal government in the interest of national security, the creation of a Cabinet-level homeland security department, to a partial ban on semi-automatic weapons.

[Harman watches President Obama sign the Reducing Over-Classification Act, 2010]

Drawing upon a career that included service as President Carter’s Secretary of the Cabinet and hundreds of diplomatic missions abroad, Harman holds posts on nearly a dozen governmental and non-governmental advisory boards and commissions.

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[Cong. Jane Harman with Michael Chertoff at The Common Good]

[Cong. Jane Harman with Michael Chertoff at The Common Good]

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Harman co-chairs the Homeland Security Experts Group with former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.  She serves on the board of Iridium Communication Inc, a NASDAQ traded satellite communications company, and is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group, the Advisory Board of the Munich Security Conference, the Executive Committee of the Trilateral Commission, the Presidential Debates Commission and the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. She is a member of the Defense Policy Board, the State Department Foreign Policy Board, and the Homeland Security Advisory Committee. Harman is a Trustee of the Aspen Institute and an Honorary Trustee at the University of Southern California. 

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Her upcoming book, Insanity Defense: Why Our Failure to Confront Hard National Security Problems Makes Us Less Safe, offers an insider's account of America's ineffectual approach to some of the hardest defense and intelligence issues in the three decades since the Cold War ended.

Originally from Los Angeles, she is a product of California public school, as well as a graduate of Smith College and Harvard Law School. 

[Jane Harman speaking at Smith College’s Commencement ceremony in 2006]

Harman has participated in several events at The Common Good, including Combating Misinformation with Clint Watts and Cong. Jane Harman, and the “World View: Security Challenges & Opportunities” panel alongside Ambassadors Bill Burns and Nicholas Burns, moderated by Financial Times’ Edward Luce, at The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards, 2019 and in the National Security Threats event alongside Michael Chertoff.

[L-R, Ambassador Nicholas Burns, Ambassador Bill Burns (now CIA Director), Cong. Jane Harman, FT’s Ed Luce at The Common Good Forum]]

Ambassador Jane Hartley

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Ambassador Jane Hartley

Former U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco

Jane Hartley served as Ambassador to the French Republic and the Principality of Monaco from 2014 – 2017 during some of the most difficult times for France. She was confirmed to both posts by the U.S. Senate in September 2014.

Previously, Jane Hartley was Chief Executive Officer and a Founding Principal of Observatory Group, an international economic and political advisory firm providing analysis of key government policies affecting the global capital markets. Before founding the Observatory Group, Ms. Hartley was Chief Executive Officer of the G7 Group. As CEO, Ms. Hartley built G7 Group into a premier research firm providing macroeconomic and political analysis to investors in the global market. The G7 Group put together a network of global policymakers and distributed analysis to most of the major central bankers and finance ministers as well as major financial institutions.

Jane currently serves as a member of the Visiting Committee at the Kennedy School at Harvard University as well as the Executive Committee and the Dean’s Council. She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Jane is a member of the Board of Overseers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Sesame Workshop (Sesame Street) and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Center for American Progress.

Jane Hartley participated in U.S. - French Relations, on March 10 2021.

Ambassador Robert Ford

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Ambassador Robert Ford

Former U.S. Ambassador to Syria

Robert Ford finished a thirty year career with the U.S. Department of State in April 2014. He was the U.S. Ambassador to Syria from 2011-2014, receiving the Profile in Courage award in 2012 from the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston for his human rights work, and a Presidential Honor award in 2012 for his stewardship of the American Embassy in Damascus during a crisis period. He was also presented with the Distinguished Service award, the State Department’s highest award, by Secretary of State John Kerry in March 2014. Ford was the U.S. Ambassador in Algeria 2006-2008 and also served five years in Iraq helping the Iraqis establish their permanent government through three rounds of elections.

He is now a scholar at the Middle East Institute where he writes and speaks about Iraq, Syria and North Africa. He is also a fellow at Yale University Jackson Institute where he teaches about Arab politics and diplomacy.

Ambassador Ford spoke at The Common Good in 2017: Syrian Civil War: End in Sight? : Ambassador Robert Ford. We are thrilled to announce Ambassador Ford joined The Common Good in Conference Call with Ambassador Robert Ford-- Syria, he briefed us on the withdrawal of the US troops in Syria. Twitter: @fordrs58

John Avlon

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John Avlon

Author, columnist, commentator

John Avlon is an author, columnist and commentator. He is a senior political analyst and anchor at CNN, appearing on New Day every morning.

From 2013 to 2018, he was the editor-in-chief and managing director of The Daily Beast. He is the author of the books Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics, Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America, and Washington’s Farewell: the Founding Father’s Warning to Future Generations. He is also the co-editor of the acclaimed Deadline Artists journalism anthologies. Avlon served as chief speechwriter to New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and, in 2012, won the National Society of Newspaper Columnists award for best online column. Avlon is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln.

John Avlon spoke at The Common Good in 2018: Defending Democracy: John Avlon, Philip Bobbitt, Ian Kahn, Garry Kasparov, and Bret Stephens - November 29th, 2018, and moderated the panel “Rule of Law, Corruption, and Abuse of Power” featuring Bill Browder and Preet Bharara at The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards - May 10, 2019. Avlon was also a co-speaker at our The Rise of Lincoln & U.S. Division with author Sidney Blumenthal on September 24, 2019.

Avlon joined TCG again on September 30, 2020 for The First Presidential Debate Panel alongside Ed Rollins and Doug Sosnick. The panelists reviewed and analyzed the highs and lows of the face-off between the Democrat (Biden) and the Republican (Trump) nominees and how the debate may affect each ticket’s election fortunes.

Twitter: @JohnAvlon

Steve Bullock

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Governor Steve Bullock

Politician, attorney, 24th Governor of Montana

Governor Steve Bullock is a politician, attorney, and former professor. He was elected Montana’s 24th Governor in 2012 and reelected in 2016. Throughout his career Bullock has emphasizes his desire to bring people together and bridge partisan divides.

As Governor, he has fought on behalf of workers, students, and families, working with a Republican legislature to expand Medicaid, pass an Earned Income Tax Credit, and establish the state’s first public pre-K. He was also the first governor in the country to protect net neutrality through Executive Order.

Prior to his governorship, Bullock acted as the Attorney General of Montana, winning the election in 2008. While in this role he pushed for tougher drunken driving laws, a crackdown on prescription drug abuse, tackled the misclassification of employees as independent contractors by FedEx, and pursued the railroad industry for monopolistic business practices.

On May 14th, 2019 Bullock announced his candidacy for the 2020 Presidential Election, running on the Democratic ticket. Bullock made campaign finance reform a central cause of his campaign, continuing his political legacy to fight corruption in politics. As Attorney General he had taken this fight to the Supreme Court in the first challenge to Citizens United, and later passed one of the strongest campaign disclosure laws in the country. During his candidacy, Bullock has simultaneously been suing the Trump Administration to ensure that wealthy donors can’t hide their influence.

The Common Good hosted Bullock on July 17th, 2019, presenting 2020 Presidential Candidates: Governor Steve Bullock as part of the 2020 Presidential Candidates Series.

Twitter: @GovernorBullock

Felix Rohatyn

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Felix Rohatyn

Banker, diplomat

Felix George Rohatyn is an American investment banker known for his role in preventing the bankruptcy of New York City in the 1970’s and for serving as United States Ambassador to France. He was also a long term advisor to the U.S. Democratic Party.

Rohatyn became widely known in the 1970’s for successfully restructuring New York City’s debt and resolving the city’s fiscal crisis. While running MAC for the city of New York, Rohatyn continued his deal making at Lazard, and he completed such deals as Sony’s acquisition of Columbia. Rohatyn was United States Ambassador to France 1997-2000 during the second Clinton Administration and is a Commander in the French Legion of Honor.

In 1990, he received The Hundred Year Association of New York’s Gold Medal Award “in recognition of outstanding contributions to the City of New York.” Rohatyn is also the recipient of The International Center in New York’s Award of Excellence. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a Trustee for the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Christopher Ruddy

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Christopher Ruddy

Businessman, journalist

Christopher Ruddy is the CEO of Newsmax Media, which publishes Newsmax.com and broadcasts the Newsmax TV network. Following Ruddy's work at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in 1998, he started Newsmax with Richard Mellon Scaife, who owned the Tribune-Review. In April 2010, media-industry magazine Folio named Ruddy to its "FOLIO 40," an "annual list of magazine industry influencers and innovators".

A prominent conservative, Ruddy was an early donor to Donald Trump's presidential campaign. The Washington Post has referred to him as "the Trump Whisperer".

Ruddy spoke at The Common Good in 2017: The Press, Fake News and Politics: Chris Ruddy.

Twitter: @ChrisRuddyNMX

Scott Reich

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Scott Reich

Author, attorney

Scott Reich is the author of the acclaimed book, The Power of Citizenship: Why JFK Matters, and is in-house counsel at American Express, where he supports the company’s digital and mobile payments strategy and helps the business develop innovative ways to provide value to card members. He’s also an adjunct lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania, where he teaches a course on the American presidency. Prior to working at American Express, Reich practiced law at the international law firm Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and co-founded an online grocery business that aims to combat hunger while creating a healthier, more sustainable food system.

Reich serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, and in 2010, he was appointed by the governor of New York to serve on the College Council of SUNY-Old Westbury. Reich has appeared on NBC, CBS, Fox, MSNBC, Bloomberg, WPIX, Larry King Now, and several national and local radio shows. He has also written for the Huffington Post.

Reich spoke at The Common Good in 2013: Exploring the Legacy of JFK: Citizenship and Public Service with Scott Reich.

Twitter: @ScottDReich

Steve Rattner

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Steve Rattner

Businessman

Steve Rattner is the Chairman and CEO of Willet Advisors LLC, which invests former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s personal and philanthropic assets. He is the Economic Analyst for MSNBC’s Morning Joe and is a Contributing Writer for the Op-Ed page of The New York Times.

Rattner wrote the book Overhaul: An Insider’s Account of the Obama Administration’s Emergency Rescue of the Auto Industry about his time as Counselor to the Secretary of the Treasury leading the Obama Administration’s successful restructure of the automobile industry. Before this, in 2000, Rattner formed Quadrangle Group LLC, a private investment firm that had more than $6 billion of assets under management. He was Managing Principal there until February 2009.

Before the start of his investment banking career, Mr. Rattner worked as a journalist for The New York Times for nine years, mostly as an economic correspondent in New York, London and Washington. In 1982, he joined Lehman Brothers and was then a Managing Director at Morgan Stanley before leaving to become a General Partner at Lazard Frères in 1989. While at Lazard Frères & Co., he served as Deputy Chairman and Deputy Chief Executive Officer.

Twitter: @SteveRattner

Mark Ruffalo

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Mark Ruffalo

Actor, activist

Mark Ruffalo is an environmental activist and actor known for his portrayal of Bruce Banner/the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with The Avengers.

He starred in and was an executive producer of the 2014 television drama film The Normal Heart, for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie (as a producer) and he won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor in a TV Movie. The same year, he portrayed Dave Schultz in Foxcatcher, for which he was nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. In 2015, he was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Infinitely Polar Bear and also received BAFTA and Academy Award nominations for his role in the drama Spotlight.

As an environmental activist, Ruffalo has focused his efforts on combating fracking in New York state. Receiving an environmental award at Dickinson College in early 2015, Ruffalo notably told graduates, "I'm here to tell you that 'activist' is not a dirty word." Living that message, Ruffalo founded the Solutions Project, which pushes for 100 percent renewable energy, and is active with Water Defense, a group dedicated to clean water initiatives.

Ruffalo spoke at The Common Good on the Clean Energy and the Water Defense Fund in 2012.

Twitter: @MarkRuffalo