Byron Wien

BYRON WIEN

Investment Strategist

Byron Wien is Vice Chairman of Blackstone’s Private Wealth Solutions group where he acts as a senior adviser to both the Firm and its clients in analyzing economic, social and political trends to assess the direction of financial markets and thus help guide investment and strategic decisions. 

He has been known for being "the most widely read analyst on Wall Street," "the No. 1 strategist by SmartMoney.com based on his market calls." and was named to the Smart Money Power 30 list of Wall Street’s most influential investors, thinkers, enforcers, policy makers, players and market movers. He was also named by New York Magazine as one of the sixteen most influential people in Wall Street.

He previously served as Chief Investment Strategist for Pequot Capital and before that served for 21 years as Chief (later Senior) U.S. Investment Strategist at Morgan Stanley. In 1995, Mr. Wien co-authored a book with George Soros on the legendary investor’s life and philosophy, Soros on Soros – Staying Ahead of the Curve.

Byron Wien participated in the Economic Forecast for 2021 with Byron Wien and Joe Zidle, on February 15 2021. Wien and Zidle provided a special forecast on the economy and the markets given the many unusual factors - Covid, a new Administration and the continued political divide, raging unemployment, etc. What are we likely to see in the next few months and what can we hope for?

Rick Hertzberg

RICK HERTZBERG

Award-winning journalist

Rick Hertzberg is an award-winning journalist, best known as the principal political commentator for The New Yorker magazine. He is credited with helping to redesign and revitalize the magazine. He is an accomplished writer and believes that America’s system of winner-take-all elections, federalism, and separation of powers is out of date and damaging to political responsibility and democratic accountability.

He previously served as the editor of The New Republic where under his editorship the magazine twice won the National Magazine Award for General Excellence, the magazine world’s highest honor. He went on to serve as the chief speechwriter for President Jimmy Carter where he wrote speeches that at one point increased the president's approval rating by 11 points. Forbes credited Hertzberg as " one of the "25 Most Influential Liberals in the U.S. Media." 

Rick Hertzberg participated in Should the People Pick Our President? With Jesse Wegman and Rick Hertzberg, on January 25, 2021.

Jesse Wegman

JESSE WEGMAN

Journalist and Member of the New York Times Editorial Board

Jesse Wegman serves on the editorial board for The New York Times where he has written about the Supreme Court and legal affairs since 2013. He was previously a senior editor at The Daily Beast and Newsweek, a legal news editor at Reuters, and the managing editor of The New York Observer.

His recent book has been heavily praised with Publishers Weekly saying "Wegman combines in-depth historical analysis and insight into contemporary politics to present a cogent argument that the Electoral College violates America’s ‘core democratic principles’ and should be done away with…" The New York Times wrote, "People have been arguing against the Electoral College from the beginning. But no one… has laid out the case as comprehensively and as readably as Jesse Wegman does.”

Jesse Wegman participated in Should the People Pick Our President? With Jesse Wegman and Rick Hertzberg, on January 25, 2021.

Jeanni Gersen

JEANNIE SUK GERSEN

Professor at Harvard Law School

Jeannie Suk Gersen is a professor at Harvard Law School and is known for her specialty in a large range of topics (including constitutional law, criminal law and procedure). She has written countless articles and three books, one of which, At Home in the Law, was awarded the Law and Society Association's Herbert Jacob Prize for the best law and society book of the year. 

In 2010, she became the first Asian American woman to receive tenure at Harvard Law School.

She is a longtime contributor to The New Yorker, focusing on legal and policy issues. She served as a law clerk to Justice David Souter on the United States Supreme Court, and to Judge Harry Edwards on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Jeanni Suk Gersen participated in The Presidential Pardon with Joyce Vance and Jeanni Suk Gersen, on January 16, 2021.

Joyce Vance

JOYCE VANCE

Former United States Attorney for Alabama

Joyce Vance served as the U.S. Attorney for North Alabama and was one of the first women nominated to the role of U.S. Attorney under President Obama. Her career has made her name be credited with pursuing public corruption prosecutions with integrity. Vance adopted a "smart on crime" approach to violent and recidivist crime, intending to prosecute the most significant cases facing the district so that communities would be safer. As U.S. Attorney, she was responsible for overseeing all federal criminal investigations and prosecutions in north Alabama, including matters involving civil rights, national security, cybercrime, public corruption, health care and corporate fraud, violent crime and drug trafficking. 

She has gone on to join MSNBC as a contributor and frequently provides on-air commentary regarding developments in legal issues that involve the Trump administration, including the ability to self-pardon.  Administration.

Joyce Vance participated in The Presidential Pardon with Joyce Vance and Jeanni Suk Gersen, on January 16, 2021.

Steve Hawkins

STEVE HAWKINS

Executive Director of the Marijuana Policy Project

Steve Hawkins has been at the forefront of the movement to advance criminal justice reform, working to advance civil and human rights as an advocate, policy strategist, nonprofit leader, and foundation executive.

Steve began his career as an attorney with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund challenging racial disparities in the criminal justice system, particularly where the prosecution sought to impose the death penalty on indigent African Americans. He then served as executive director of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, where he led a bipartisan campaign to end capital punishment for juveniles, leading to repeal in several conservative states and ultimately a historic victory in the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 2008, Steve was named executive vice president of the NAACP, where he spearheaded efforts to end the New York City police practice of “stop and frisk,” worked with leading corporations to remove obstacles to employment for formerly incarcerated persons, and engaged elected officials to restore voting rights to former felons. He also successfully encouraged the NAACP board of directors to adopt its policy in support of marijuana decriminalization. Steve continued working to address civil and human rights abuses in the United States as executive director of the American section of Amnesty International, the world’s largest human rights organization. Under his leadership, the organization confronted police abuse in Ferguson, Baltimore, and other cities, and it spotlighted prolonged solitary confinement and other human rights violations occurring in U.S. prisons and jails.

Most recently, Steve was the president of the Coalition for Public Safety, the largest national bipartisan effort to reform the justice system at the state and federal levels. In this role, he oversaw campaigns to advance policy change through public education, engagement with government officials, and mobilizing stakeholders. He also fostered development of strategic alliances involving business leaders, law enforcement officials, scholars, faith leaders, victims’ advocates and other key voices.

Steve Hawkins participated in Marijuana Legalization with Dr. Mitch Rosenthal and Steve Hawkins, on April 1st 2021.

Mitch Rosenthal

MITCH ROSENTHAL

President of the Rosenthal Center for Addiction Studies

Mitchell S. “Mitch” Rosenthal, M.D. is president of the Rosenthal Center for Addiction Studies a nonprofit institution designed to meet the informational needs of healthcare professionals, policy makers, and members of the public confronting issues of drug use and addiction.

A pioneer in the treatment of substance abuse, Dr. Rosenthal was founder of Phoenix House, the nation's leading private, non-profit provider of substance abuse services. He began work in the field in 1965 as a psychiatrist at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Oakland, California (1965-1967), where he established the first service-sponsored therapeutic community, successfully treating both alcoholics and drug addicts.  

As a leading advocate for the treatment community, Dr. Rosenthal chaired the New York State Advisory Council on Substance Abuse from 1985 to 1997. He has been a White House advisor on drug abuse and a special consultant to the Office of National Drug Control Policy. A graduate of Lafayette College, Dr. Rosenthal earned his medical degree at the State University of New York's (SUNY) Downstate Medical Center. He served his residencies - in adult, child, and community psychiatry at Kings County Psychiatric Hospital, and the Staten Island Mental Health Society. He is a lecturer in psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and was awarded an honorary degree (Doctor of Humane Letters) by SUNY Downstate Medical Center in 2002.

Mitchell S. Rosenthal participated in Marijuana Legalization with Dr. Mitch Rosenthal and Steve Hawkins, on April 1st 2021. He has one book from 1972, Drugs, Parents, and Children: The Three-way Connection.

Tom Rogers

TOM ROGERS

Founder of CNBC and MSNBC

Tom Rogers, a true innovator and leader in the field of television, news and entertainment, Tom Rogers is the founder of CNBC and a CNBC contributor, as well as the founder of MSNBC. He also served as the first President of NBC cable. He is the former CEO of TiVo and is currently Chairman of Engine Media, a broad based sports, esports, and news content & distribution company. He can also be credited for bringing Netflix and Amazon to the TV screen. He is the former Senior Counsel to the House Telecommunications Committee where he oversaw the FCC and media industry. He is also an Editor-at-Large for Newsweek.

He has been inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame and has won an Emmy Award for contributions to the development of advanced television and advanced advertising.

Tom Rogers was the moderator in The Common Good New York City Mayoral Candidate Speaker Series With Maya Wiley on March 25 2021.

Maya Wiley

MAYA WILEY

American lawyer, professor, and civil rights activist

Maya Wiley is a nationally recognized racial justice and equity advocate. She is a leader in city government and in spurring democratic change. As Counsel to the Mayor, she delivered for New York City on civil and immigrant rights, women and minority owned business contracts, universal broadband access and more. After leaving City Hall, she held police accountable as Chair of the Civilian Complaint Review Board, and worked to improve public education as a Co-Chair of the School Diversity Task Force. At the New School, where she served as a University Professor, she founded the Digital Equity Laboratory on universal and inclusive broadband.

Maya is a veteran of both the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and the ACLU, was a former Legal Analyst for NBC News and MSNBC — where she argued against Trump’s attacks on our civil liberties and democratic norms — and was the founder and president of the Center for Social Inclusion. Maya was also Senior Advisor on Race and Poverty at the Open Society Foundations, the largest funder of human rights work the world over.

Maya Wiley participated in The Common Good New York City Mayoral Candidate Speaker Series With Maya Wiley, on March 25 2021.

Al Sharpton

AL SHARPTON

American Civil Rights Activist

Reverend Al Sharpton, is an internationally renowned civil rights leader, Baptist minister, politician, talk show host, and founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), which has more than 100 chapters across the country. Reverend Sharpton is also the host of “PoliticsNation” on MSNBC; a nationally syndicated daily radio show “Keepin’ It Real”; and a nationally broadcast radio show on Sunday titled, “The Hour of Power.”

A disciple of the teachings of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Reverend Sharpton has been at the forefront of the modern civil rights movement for nearly half of a century. He has championed police reform and accountability, calling for the elimination of unjust policies like “Stop-and-Frisk.” Reverend Sharpton also has a brief history of advocating for voting rights, equity in education and healthcare, LGBTQ rights. Sharpton’s advocacy efforts and “tell it like it is” personality led to him being hailed as a “champion for the downtrodden" by former and first African American President Barack Obama.

Reverend Al Sharpton participated in The Civil Rights Movement with Reverend Al Sharpton, on March 18 2021.

Moderated by past speaker Jill Iscol and, new to The Common Good, Ralph Dawson.

Philippe Etienne

PHILIPPE ETIENNE

French Ambassador to the United States

Philippe Etienne is the Ambassador of France to the United States. He previously held numerous posts within the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, notably including Ambassador of France to Romania (2002-2005), Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs (2007-2009), Permanent Representative of France to the European Union (2009-2014), Ambassador of France to Germany (2014-2017) and most recently, Diplomatic Adviser to the President (2017-2019).

Philippe Etienne is an expert on the European Union and continental Europe. He has held posts in Moscow, Belgrade, Bucharest, Bonn, Berlin and Brussels. He has also served as an adviser in the Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs on several occasions.

A graduate of the École Normale Supérieure and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration (“Voltaire” Class, 1980), Philippe Etienne also holds the Agrégation (teaching diploma) in Mathematics, has a degree in Economics and is a graduate of the National Institute for Oriental Languages and Civilizations (Serbo-Croatian).

He speaks English, German, Spanish, Russian and Romanian.

He is an Officer of the Legion of Honor and a Commander of the National Order of Merit.

Philippe Etienne participated in U.S. - French Relations, on March 10 2021.

Oren Segal

OREN SEGAL

Vice President of the Center of Extremism at the Anti-Defamation League

Oren Segal is the Vice President of the Center of Extremism at the Anti-Defamation League. Oren Segal and the ADL fight against extremism, terrorism, and all other forms of hate in the real world and on social media. Recognized as the foremost authority on extremism, the Center provides resources, expertise and training which enables law enforcement, public officials and internet and technology companies to identify and counter emerging threats.

Oren joined the ADL in 1998 after working for the New York Times and the Jewish Community Federation in San Francisco. Most of Oren’s 21 years at the ADL has been directed towards evaluating the activity and tactics of extremist groups and movements from across the political spectrum, training law enforcement, and publishing reports and articles on a wide range of extremist topics. In 2006, Oren was recognized by the FBI for his exceptional service in the public interest. He was named to the Forward’s list of 50 influential, intriguing, and inspiring American Jews in 2019.

Additionally, Oren Segal is an expert on Muslim extremism overseeing the ADL’s Islamic Affairs department. In a presentation titled “Muslim Extremism: A Growing Domestic and International Threat,” Mr. Segal provides an overview of the radicalization process and criminal activity associated with those motivated by radical Islamic interpretations.

Oren Segal has been interviewed by national and international media outlets such as: ABC World News Tonight, FOX News, The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and the National Geographic Channel.

Oren is a graduate from Wheaton College in Massachusetts.

Oren Segal participated in The Rise and Threat of Right Wing Domestic Terrorism. Along with Jeh Johnson, Michael German and Robert Pape he discussed the rise of right wing terrorism, and what can be done to fight it.

Robert Pape

ROBERT PAPE

Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago

Robert Pape is Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago specializing in international security affairs, as well as, a successful publicist. His commentary on international security policy has appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post, New Republic, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, as well as on Nightline, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, Fox News, and National Public Radio. 

Before coming to Chicago in 1999, he taught international relations at Dartmouth College for five years and air power strategy for the USAF's School of Advanced Airpower Studies for three years.

His current work focuses on the causes of suicide terrorism and the politics of unipolarity. He is the director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats.

Robert Pape participated in The Rise and Threat of Right Wing Domestic Terrorism. Along with Jeh Johnson, Michael German and Oren Segal he discussed the rise of right wing terrorism, and what can be done to fight it.

Michael German

MICHAEL GERMAN

Fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice’s Liberty and National Security Program and former FBI Agent

Michael German is a retired FBI agent, scholar, and writer. German is a fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice’s Liberty & National Security Program, which seeks to ensure that the U.S. government respects human rights and fundamental freedoms in conducting the fight against terrorism. A former special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, his work focuses on law enforcement and intelligence oversight and reform. Prior to joining the Brennan Center, German served as the policy counsel for national security and privacy for the American Civil Liberties Union’s Washington legislative office.

German is the author of Disrupt, Discredit, and Divide: How the New FBI Damages Democracy. The book chronicles how the FBI transformed itself after the 9/11 attacks from a law enforcement agency famous for prosecuting organized crime and corruption to arguably the most secretive domestic intelligence agency the country has ever seen. A 16-year veteran of federal law enforcement, German served as an FBI special agent, where he specialized in domestic terrorism and covert operations. He left the FBI in 2004 after reporting continuing deficiencies in FBI counterterrorism operations to Congress. German served as an adjunct professor of law enforcement and terrorism at National Defense University. He joined the ACLU’s Washington legislative office in 2006 and the Brennan Center in 2014. His first book, Thinking Like a Terrorist: Insights of a Former FBI Undercover Agent, was published in 2007.

Michael German also participated in The Rise and Threat of Right Wing Domestic Terrorism. Along with Jeh Johnson, Robert Pape and Oren Segal he discussed the rise of right wing terrorism, and what can be done to fight it.

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Bernard Schwartz

Bernard L. Schwartz is a visionary industrialist and a giant in the aerospace industry, as well as a private investor, a progressive public policy advocate, and a philanthropist. A renowned international dealmaker with a reputation for honesty and fairness, he is currently chairman and CEO of BLS Investments, LLC, a private investment firm he founded in 2006. 

Prior to establishing BLS Investments, Schwartz served for 34 years as chairman of the board and CEO of Loral Corporation and its successor, Loral Space & Communications, a satellite communications company formed in 1996. He is well known in the business world for his forthright style, his integrity, and his consistent advocacy for his workers, emphasising people over profits at his highly successful companies. Loral Corporation, a Fortune 200 defense electronics firm, employed as many as 38,000 employees at its 25 locations. At its height, Loral attained annual revenues of nearly $7.5 billion and had a market value of $13 billion.

In addition, from 1989 to 2005, Schwartz was chairman of the board of K&F Industries, a worldwide leader in the manufacture of wheels, brakes and brake control systems for the aviation industry. He also served as chairman and CEO of Globalstar Telecommunications Limited until 2001, a low-Earth orbit global mobile satellite telecommunications network launched under his leadership in 1991.

Deeply troubled by the growing economic disparity in America, Schwartz also manages the investments of the Bernard and Irene Schwartz Foundation, which supports think tanks and economic policy advocacy organizations that focus on developing policies that promote U.S. economic growth and job creation initiatives. It also supports universities, medical research centers and New York City-based cultural organizations. Schwartz is a life-long Democrat and an active supporter of the Democratic Party.

Schwartz is often called upon to express his views or provide counsel on matters ranging from U.S. economic growth and competitiveness to job creation, investment in infrastructure, innovation, technology, and research and development. He has established programs at numerous organizations that examine current U.S. economic policy and competitiveness, and consistently challenge current orthodoxy to develop policy proposals that will further U.S. economic and technological success and create jobs. These organizations include: Third Way, The New School, Council on Foreign Relations, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Century Foundation, Roosevelt Institute, and the Center for American Progress. He is publisher of Democracy: a Journal of Ideas, a quarterly publication that spurs debate on economic and foreign policy issues.

A lifelong New Yorker, Mr. Schwartz also actively supports New York University Langone Medical Center, New-York Historical Society, Thirteen/WNET Educational Broadcasting Corporation, Baruch College and the New York Film Society. Schwartz serves as a trustee or board member of several of these organizations, most recently joining the Honorary Advisory Board of The Common Good.

Schwartz graduated from City College of New York with a Bachelor of Science degree and holds an honorary Doctorate of Science degree from the college. His book, JUST SAY YES: What I've Learned About Life, Luck, and the Pursuit of Opportunity, was published in 2014.

Selected Media:

What the Democrats Need Now - 2018 piece by Schwartz Democracy Journal

Bernard L. Schwartz on his new book, 'Just Say Yes' - An Interview with Charlie Rose at the New-York Historical Society

Billionaire Bernard Schwartz describes Biden as ‘pro-business’ leader; predicts boon to economy

My American Story: Bernard Schwartz — The Common Good

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Stanley Shuman

Stanley Shuman is a titan of venture capital and private equity who has been a leader in the investment industry for over 45 years. He has been associated with the high-level investment bank Allen & Company since 1961, as Executive Vice President, Managing Director, and now as Senior Advisor. He has also worked extensively in the media industry, serving as a Director of the multinational media powerhouse News Corporation for 23 years.

Shuman’s expertise is also highly sought after on matters of national and international policy. He was appointed by President Clinton to the President’s Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, was the Chair of the National Law Project on Community Economic Development, and served on the Financial Control Board for the City of New York for nineteen years. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Economic Club of New York. 

Shuman has led and continues to lead and serve on the boards of many New York institutions including Carnegie Hall; New York Law School; the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation; the Wiltwyck School residential treatment center for disadvantaged, emotionally disturbed children; and Channel 13/WNet. He is a long standing member of several corporate boards in addition to News Corp, including SESAC for 20 years and Palamon Capital Partners for 15 years.

Stan Shuman with fellow TCG Honorary Board Member Bernard Schwartz and Denise Schwartz at the Stage of Legends at Carnegie Hall.

Shuman as the StoryCorps honoree, 2013.

He is Trustee Emeritus at Phillips Academy, Andover, the Vail Valley Foundation, and The National Public Radio Foundation.  He has also served on the Executive Committee of the Harvard Board of Overseers Committee on University Resources and as Chairman of the Board of Visitors of the Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy at Duke University.

Shuman with wife Sydney Roberts Gould, 2013

Shuman is a graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School. Born in Boston, he remains a lifelong Red Sox fan.  He is married to Sydney Roberts Gould and has two sons, David and Michael; two stepsons, Gordon and Howard Gould, and six grandchildren.

He currently serves on The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Selected Media:

• More than 150 CEOs urge Congress to pass Biden's Covid relief packag

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Steven Brill

Steven Brill is an award-winning journalist, author, academic thought leader, and entrepreneur. He has founded a number of incredibly important and successful journalism ventures.

In 1979, Brill launched The American Lawyer, a magazine which covers the business of law firms and lawyers in the U.S. and around the world, and is highly regarded for its surveys, including the “Am Law 100”, an annual ranking of the 100 U.S. law firms. Brill went on to found Court TV (now TruTV), a channel focused on true crime documentaries and coverage of prominent criminal cases; Brill’s Content Magazine, a media watchdog publication; Journalism Online, which created a new, viable business model for journalism to flourish online; and NewsGuard which rates news sites as to how reliable and credible the news platforms and sites are..

 In support of future generations of journalism,  he and his wife Cynthia founded the Yale Journalism Initiative, which recruits and trains students to contribute to democracy in the United States and around the world by becoming journalists.

Brill, with fellow TCG Honorary Advisory Board Member Tom Rogers in 2001

Brill on Meet the Press

Brill’s most recent venture, NewsGuard, Inc, allows users to check the reliability of their online sources by reviewing the credibility of news and information websites and tracking online misinformation. NewsGuard recently launched a new “Responsible Advertising for News Segments” program which helps companies protect themselves from having their advertising unintentionally fund misinformation and hoax websites.

An exceptional author as well as a digital entrepreneur, Brill’s feature articles have appeared in The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, TIME, Esquire, New York Magazine, and Harpers. His 2013 TIME cover story, “Bitter Pill: Why Medical Bills Are Killing Us,” won the National Magazine Award for Public Service; he expanded the story into a best-selling book, America’s Bitter Pill. Brill’s other books include Tailspin, a cogent narrative describing how America’s core values have come to power the nation’s decline, The Teamsters, a New York Times best-seller on the lives and leaders of American teamsters, Class Warfare, a clear breakdown on the American education system and the adults fighting over it’s reform, and AFTER, a sweeping narrative of the first year after September 11th.  

A graduate of Yale College and Yale Law School, Brill is also an adjunct professor at Yale Law School.

Brill spoke at The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards 2017, and he currently serves as a member ofThe Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Twitter: @StevenBrill

Selected Media:

• New Tool Helps Ad Buyers Choose Sites That Reflect A Company's Values

• NewsGuard Launches "Responsible Advertising for News Segments" to Help Brands Stop Funding Misinformation

• Steven Brill is powering his newest company with humans, not computers

• NewGuard Co-founder Gordon Crovitz Op-Ed for Politico What I Learned on My Quest to Fix America’s Social Media Problem 

• Brill for Time Magazine, 2018 "Tailspin": How My Generation Broke America 

• Interview with Brill Combating Vaccine Misinformation 

• Interview with Brill on Law Talk podcast Steven Brill: Entrepreneur, Attorney, and Best-Selling Author  

Books:

• Tailspin: The People and Forces Behind America's Fifty-Year Fall—and Those Fighting to Reverse It. 2018

• America's Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Back-Room Deals, and the Fight to Fix Our Broken Healthcare System 2015

• Class Warfare : Inside the Fight to Fix America's Schools 2011

•  After : How America Confronted the September 12 Era 2003

• Trial By Jury 1990

The Teamsters 1978

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Ambassador Nicholas Burns

As a distinguished Foreign Service officer, Ambassador Nicholas Burns is recognized as one of the most effective and thoughtful diplomats of his generation.  He is also a renowned columnist, lecturer, professor, and foreign policy advisor, and has been associated with Harvard University for many years. 

Burns started his foreign service career in Egypt and Mauritania, before serving in the American Consulate General in Jerusalem, where he coordinated U.S. economic assistance to the Palestinian people in the West Bank. He went on to serve on the National Security Council, as Director for Soviet Affairs in the Administration of President George H.W. Bush and later as Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia Affairs and Special Assistant to President Clinton.  He capped his twenty-seven year career with the State Department for President George W. Bush as Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, making him the third-ranking official at the State Department. He led negotiations on the U.S.–India Civil Nuclear Agreement, a $30 billion long-term military assistance agreement with Israel, and served as the lead U.S. negotiator on Iran’s nuclear program. At the State Department, Burns also served as the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, the Ambassador to Greece, and as the State Department Spokesman. From 2014-2017, he was a member of Secretary of State John Kerry’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board. 

Burns, center, with Lieutenant General D. Petraeus, left, and NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop de Scheffer.

President Bush, Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, Representative to NATO Burns, and Secretary Powell at the North Atlantic Council meeting in Istanbul.

Burns interviews Hillary Clinton at Harvard

A widely respected expert on foreign affairs and negotiation, he currently teaches at the Harvard Kennedy School as the Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations. He serves on the Board of Directors of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, one of the world’s top university-affiliated think tanks which serves as the center of the Kennedy School’s research, teaching, and training in international security and diplomacy, environmental and resource issues, and science and technology policy. Burns is also the founder and Faculty Chair of the Belfer Center’s Future of Diplomacy Project and Faculty Chair of the Center’s Project on Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship. At the university, he is a Faculty Affiliate of the Middle East Initiative, and is a Faculty Associate at Harvard’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. 

Former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright, left, and Condoleezza Rice, right, with Burns at the Aspen Institute 

In addition to his work at Harvard, Burns is Senior Counselor for the Cohen Group, serves on the Board of Directors of Entegris, Inc, the Executive Director of the Aspen Strategy Group and the Aspen Security Forum, and is Chairman of the Board of Our Generation Speaks, a start-up incubator which seeks to bring together young entrepreneurial Palestinians and Israelis in common purpose.  Burns is vice chairman of the American Ditchley Foundation and serves on the Panel of Senior Advisors at Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Council.

Burns with Chancellor Angela Merkel at Harvard’s 2019 Commencement.

He serves on the boards of several non-profit organizations, including the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, Refugees International, and the NATO Cyber Center of Excellence. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Committee on Conscience of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Order of Saint John. He is a Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and a life-long member of Red Sox Nation.

In recognition for his work both in the foreign service and since his retirement, Burns has received fifteen honorary degrees, the Presidential Distinguished Service Award, the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award, the 2017 Ignatian Award from Boston College, 2016 New Englander of the Year from the New England Council, the Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service from the Johns Hopkins University, the Boston College Alumni Achievement Award, and the Jean Mayer Global Citizenship Award from Tufts University. He has a BA in History from Boston College, an MA from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, earned the Certificat Pratique de Langue Francaise at the University of Paris-Sorbonne, and, in 2020, was a Fulbright scholar at Queen Mary University of London.

The Common Good has been pleased to host Burns on several occasions, most recently for the The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards, 2019 where he participated on the “World View: Security Challenges & Opportunities” panel alongside Ambassador Bill Burns and Congresswoman Jane Harman, moderated by Edward Luce.

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

Twitter: @RNicholasBurns

Read More:

• Burns for Foreign Affairs The Diplomat as Gardener

• Burns for his column at The Boston Globe: Three myths about Putin's Russia

• Burns and Anja Manuel Op-Ed for The Hill: On India, the US must think bigger

• Burns and Frank Wisner Op-Ed for Washington Post: A planned Kosovo-Serbia meeting at the White House is falling apart. It was always a bad idea. 

• CNN on Burns’ potential appointment as Ambassador to China: Former top State Department official is Biden's leading contender to be US ambassador to China 

• Mediate article on Burns’ remarks: Nick Burns : 'Embarrassing' to Watch Trump's Trip in Britain

• The New York Times on Burns’ previous retirement from the Foreign Service No. 3 U.S. Diplomat, Lead Negotiator on Iran, Retires 

• Aspen Strategy Group publication on National Security:  Technology and National Security: Maintaining America's Edge

• Burns and Douglas Lute publication from Belfer Center: NATO at Seventy: An Alliance in Crisis

• Burns on The Guardian’s Politics Weekly Podcast: Biden makes friends with 'the west': Politics Weekly Extra 

CNN interview with Burns on the US-China Relationship, Biden’s foreign policy vision: U.S.-China Relationship Challenging, but Most Important

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Honorary Advisory Board Member: Tom Rogers

A true innovator and a leader in the fields of television, news and entertainment, Tom Rogers has led a pioneering career at the nexus of media, technology, and public policy for more than three decades. He revolutionized the coverage of business news through the creation of CNBC and MSNBC during his tenure as the first President of NBC Cable, changed how we consume television as the CEO of TiVo, oversaw brands from New York magazine to the History Channel, and helped to draft many of the key laws which govern the development of today’s media industry. He is currently the Executive Chairman of Engine Media, broad based sports, esports, and news content & distribution company, as well as Chairman and CEO of TRget Media, a media investment and advisory firm.

In 1987, Rogers became the first President NBC Cable (now NBCUniversal Cable), Executive Vice President of NBC, and NBC’s chief strategist. In this role, he founded the nation’s leading business news channel CNBC and established the NBC/Microsoft joint venture, MSNBC. He was also instrumental in the establishment of many popular channels, including National Geographic Channel and Court TV (now truTV), and oversaw many more, including American Movie Classics and Bravo. He remains a contributor at CNBC today, with appearances including Squawk on the Street, Mad Money with Jim Cramer, and Fast Money.

Over his eleven years as Tivo’s longest serving President and CEO, Rogers led the company as it changed how consumers watched television through its invention of the DVR. Before TiVo, Rogers was Chairman and CEO of PRIMEDIA Inc., which at the time was the leading targeted media company in the United States. PRIMEDIA published over 200 magazines, and operated more than 400 websites.

Prior to entering the media industry, Rogers was Senior Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Telecommunications, Consumer Protection and Finance Subcommittee where he was responsible for overseeing the Federal Communications Commission, and drafted a variety of laws which shape communications today, such as the Cable Franchise Policy and Communications Act of 1984, which established a national policy for the regulation of cable television communications. A graduate of Wesleyan University and Columbia Law School, he has been inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame and has won an Emmy Award for contributions to the development of advanced television and advanced advertising. He is currently an Editor-at-Large for Newsweek. 

Rogers rings the bell at NASDAQ for TiVo

Rogers joined TCG on Wednesday October 28th, 2020 to moderate “The Election that Could Break America,”  a discussion about what to expect after the 2020 Biden-Trump election. He currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

DNI Director Jim Clapper, Tom Rogers, and CNN’s John Berman at the Common Good

Selected Media:

Closing Bell Interview: Netflix has pricing power: Fmr. NBC Cable President Tom Rogers

Rogers for Newsweek: Bringing Justice to Justice

 Riptide Interview Tom Rogers

Rogers on CNBC: Media mogul Tom Rogers reacts to Disney's quarterly results

Andy Serwer

Andy Serwer

American journalist

Andy Serwer is the editor in chief for Yahoo Finance, where he oversees all editorial content from breaking news to in-depth stories to original video programming. He was previously the managing editor of Fortune and worked at Time Inc. for 29 years. He has been a regular guest on MSNBC’S Morning Joe and CNBC’s Squawkbox and many other TV and radio programs.

Serwer's daily online musings have earned him a reputation as one of the sharpest and most entertaining market commentators anywhere. According to an article in the May 22, 2000, New Yorker, "Achaea had Homer, the Spanish Civil War had Hemingway, California had the Beach Boys, and now our hyperactive stock market has its own poet-singer--Andy Serwer." He was named 2000 Business Journalist of the Year by TJFR, who called him "perhaps the nation's top multimedia talent, successfully juggling the roles of serious journalist, astute commentator and occasional court jester."

Serwer has also written for Sports Illustrated, Politico, SLAM Magazine, and TIME. He has appeared on CNN’s In the Money, NBC’s The Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN’s American Morning, and CBS This Morning.

Serwer participated in "The Economy in Crisis -- When the Worst Is Yet to Come" event in company with Glenn Hutchins.