Personal Choices. Every day, Americans are making choices in their personal and professional lives that affect the problems we are trying to solve. Some are made by famous politicians or chief executives whom you already know, but scores of others make their choices mostly below the media radar. The lack of a spotlight does not diminish their bold choices that in big ways and small support American values of freedom, diversity, and innovation while helping to make our communities, our country, and our world a better place to live for everyone.
Shared Aspirations. The American Leader is proud to showcase some of these leaders and the choices they’ve made to benefit the public good. Let’s not be confused if they should fall short of their goals or some character flaw be revealed: Their pursuit of our shared aspirations for a better life binds them to us, and us to them. Their stories present a glimpse of the many possible paths that a diverse range of courageous people can take to solve our common problems. We hope they inspire you to be bold in your own way, be it at the dinner table, in the office, or on a larger stage.
Jenny Zimmer: Movement Organizer
Jenny Marienau Zimmer trained to be a movement organizer, an essential role in democracy that rarely gets the media spotlight. When asked why she does what she does, Zimmer makes a clear link between her life’s circumstances and her career decisions. She identifies three pivot points that reflect how her personal growth influenced the choices she has made along her career path.
Nate Hine and Nellie Pennington: Advocates for Children
Nate Hine and Nellie Pennington have opened their hearts and home to more than 20 foster children since 2020 but they agree that foster care is really just a bandaid for the wounds created by poverty and systemic inequality.
Don Henninger: Building Trust in Arizona Elections
Don Henninger is the Republican half of a collaboration that is rebuilding trust in Arizona’s elections through a Democracy Resilience Network supported by the Carter Center in a grassroots defense against election denialism and disinformation coming from the extreme right.
Kendra Abkowitz: Finding Common Ground for Sustainability in Tennessee
Kendra Abkowitz has been an advocate for sustainable solutions to climate change, initially in the Tennessee state government and now in Nashville. In a state that has embraced climate denialism and attacks on democracy that are part of the national culture war, she finds ways to move with the current while still advancing the cause of sustainability and resilience.
Rose Fabia: Volunteer for America
Rose Fabia has committed her early retirement years to increasing collaboration among local grassroots organizations and canvassing to generate votes for Democratic candidates. She does it to protect her daughter and her daughter's future from a Republican Party that threatens the foundations of that future.
Erica Payne: Rallying Tax-Happy Millionaires
Erica Payne created the Patriotic Millionaires, a group of people who have more than $5 million in assets or $1 million in annual income who believe they and others like them should pay more taxes to ensure that our democracy can thrive.
Marilyn Bartlett: Took on the Medical-Industrial Complex
Marilyn Bartlett implemented a payment system for Montana’s state employee health insurance plan that flipped the script on who set the terms of negotiations with the insurance provider.
Sarah Bonk: Engaging Business for Stronger Democracy
Sarah Bonk created Business for America to engage "the economic engine of the country" in improving the health of democracy.
Maya MacGuineas: Fiscal Warrior, Systems Fixer
Despite her reputation as a debt hawk, Maya MacGuineas was an early advocate for pandemic relief spending, and has launched FixUS to address a broken political system that has failed to exercise fiscal responsibility.
Ryan Brebner: Connecting Uninsured Patients with Affordable Coverage
Ryan Brebner and Laura Robbins founded Advocatia to help connect un- and underinsured patients with financial aid programs that make their healthcare more affordable.
Little Tokyo Community Council: Feeding Community, Supporting Local Businesses
The Little Tokyo Community Council, through its Community Feeding Community initiative, supported 84 local businesses by purchasing over 10,000 meals to then distribute to those in need during the pandemic.
Brian Cannon: Making Structural Change
Brian Cannon led the successful effort to end partisan gerrymandering in Virginia, bringing about structural change that enables greater participation by communities of interest and encourages more accountability in Virginia politics.
