WHO WE ARE


For over 30 years, Public Agenda has been providing unbiased and unparalleled research that bridges the gap between American leaders and what the public really thinks about issues ranging from education to foreign policy to immigration to religion and civility in American life. Nonpartisan and nonprofit, Public Agenda was founded by social scientist and author Daniel Yankelovich and former Secretary of State Cyrus Vance in 1975. Public Agenda's two-fold mission is to help:

  • American leaders better understand the public's point of view.
  • Citizens know more about critical policy issues so they can make thoughtful, informed decisions.

Officers
Daniel YankelovichChairman and Co-Founder
Lloyd MorrisettChairman, Executive Committee
Board of Directors
David ColemanFounder, Student Achievement Partners, LLC
Philip HowardVice-Chairman of Covington & Burling and founder of Common Good
Alice S. HuangSenior Faculty Associate, California Institute of Technology
Ann KirschnerUniversity Dean, Macaulay Honors College at the City University of New York
Alan I. LeshnerChief Executive Officer, American Association for the Advancement of Science
David MathewsPresident, Charles F. Kettering Foundation
Judith Davidson MoyersPresident, Public Affairs Television, Inc.
Deborah WadsworthSenior Advisor, Public Agenda
Mitchel WallersteinPresident-designate of Baruch College, City University of New York
Co-Founder
Cyrus VanceFormer U.S. Secretary of State
Honorary Members
Peter G. PetersonFounder and Chairman, Peter G. Peterson Foundation
Sidney HarmanFounder and chairman emeritus of Harman International Industries
Bobby R. InmanAdmiral, U.S. Navy (retired)

Staff
Ruth A. WoodenPresident
Executive Vice Presidents
Will Friedman, Ph.D.Chief Operating Officer
Scott BittleDirector of Public Issues Analysis
Jean JohnsonDirector of Education Insights and Director of Programs
Research
Jonathan RochkindVice President and Director of Research
Amber N. OttResearch Manager
Samantha DuPontResearch Associate
John DobleSenior Research Fellow
Steve FarkasSenior Research Fellow
John ImmerwahrSenior Research Fellow
Public Engagement
Alison Kadlec, Ph.D.Vice President and Director of the Center for Advances in Public Engagement
Lara BirnbackSenior Project Director, Public Engagement Programs and
Senior Associate, Development and Donor Relations
Gwen WrightPublic Engagement Associate
Isaac RowlettPublic Engagement Associate
Online
Francie GraceVice President and Managing Editor
David WhiteVice President, Director of Technology
Payal JoshiWeb Assistant
Allison RizzoloEditorial Assistant
Communications
Sanura WeathersGraphics Designer
Administration
Alex TrillingVice President and General Manager
Joan AustinAdministrative Assistant