NLC wants you in the building, Saturday, March 3, 2012, when we host our first Northeast Conversation at CUNY Baruch in New York City!

The conversation will be led by top progressive thought leaders and key influencers from the NLC community. A job fair will also be held for anyone looking to transition to the next level in their career. Special rates are available for students and NLC members. Bring a friend and prepare yourself for a powerful day of networking and dialogue.

Registration is open, make sure to reserve your seat today!

You may have heard about our incredibly talented class of 2012.

Now meet them face to face.

New Leaders Council is proud to introduce you to the future of American progress. Please congratulate and encourage our fellows. Their place in their chapters was not easily obtained and they are about to embark on the professional and personal journey of a lifetime!

Our people are what make the NLC experience so powerful. Meet the entire New Leaders Council Class of 2012  or read on about a few outstanding new members of our NLC family.

Westley Bayas-Louisiana

New Orleans Director, Stand for Children

Westley Bayas III is the New Orleans City Director with Stand for Children. In this capacity, he ensures effective collaboration with existing city neighborhood and constituency groups, develops and manages the execution of state and city-level strategic electoral and legislative advocacy plans, and organizes parents, teachers, and community-members motivated to help improve New Orleans Schools. He formerly served as the Deputy Director of the Neighborhood Engagement Office with the City of New Orleans, where he served as the liaison between the Mayor’s Office and neighborhood associations/organizations for citywide efforts including blight reduction, neighborhood revitalization and grassroots communications.

He also previously served as an Assistant to Mayor Mitch Landrieu for Constituent Services and Correspondence, Southern Louisiana Regional Field Director for the Democratic National Committee (Organizing for America) and the Director of Community Outreach & Development for local nonprofit The Phoenix of New Orleans. Bayas, a New Orleans native, also serves as a team liaison for the Emerging Philanthropists of New Orleans. He holds a B.G.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Louisiana State University & A&M College.

Shane Culliton- Rhode Island

Public Relations Officer, Fairmount Schools PTO

Shane Culliton is among the millions of Americans currently unemployed. After almost a decade of corporate world experiences, Shane is taking this opportunity to shift back into the sphere of community building. Past employers include CVS/Caremark, the nation’s largest retail pharmacy chain, Bailey Total Health, a health clinic focused on non-drug therapies, Marriot, one of the world’s largest hotel chains, and campaigns for both Gubernatorial and State Senate candidates.

Shane has an MBA from Webster University and a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Northern Arizona University. He completed the Democratic Campaign Management Program in 2002, and participated in NAU’s German Immersion Program in Regensburg, Germany during the summer of 1999.

Shane spent the first ten years of his life in Germany and attributes both his worldview and appreciation of historical items to this experience. Shane is a firm believer in the sustainability movement, the concepts of personal integrity and accountability, and the dangers of exclusionary thought.

Shane is a member of the Rhode Island Payday Lending Reform Coalition and The Woonsocket Neighborhood Team, as well as the Public Relations Officer for the Fairmount Schools PTO in Woonsocket, RI.

Sukie Jefferson- San Francisco

Sukie is a cum laude graduate of Spelman College who double majored in Sociology and Anthropology while completing a minor in Public Health from Morehouse College. Her interest in cultural Anthropology and global health led her to study Western and traditional Brazilian health practices in Bahia, Brazil while researching environmental justice issues in the local favelas. Sukie spent a recent summer working under the direction of Juliana Myeya in the Mwanza region of North-Western Tanzania as an intern for CARE International.  Her research focused on evaluating a Women and Girls Empowerment Program (WAGE II) that seeks to bring quality reproductive and sexual health services to marginalized women and adolescent girls. As a Bill and Melinda Gates Millennium Scholar, Sukie plans to continue traveling the world and developing innovative action plans for communal transformation and social change. After receiving her doctorate in Public Health, Sukie will move overseas and work with a non-profit agency to contribute her efforts towards the eradication of global poverty. Sukie is the youngest of 3 and is currently living in Oakland California, where she is earning her Master of Public Health from the University of San Francisco.

New Leaders Council Class of 2012 Fellows

2011 was an incredible year at New Leaders Council. Now that it is behind us, NLC is thrilled about the possibility and potential 2012 holds for our members, alumni and chapters. Here at Headquarters, we are working diligently to onboard our next class of fellows who you can learn more about here.

Meet a few standouts from the class of 2012:

Anna Gennari- St. Louis

MSW Student, Washington University in St. Louis

Anna Gennari is a Master’s of Social Work student at The Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis, concentrating in social and economic development with a focus on youth empowerment. Her current projects include the St. Louis Regional Youth Initiative-Best Practice Subcommittee and the Juvenile Rights and Re-Entry Project. Prior to her advanced studies, Anna worked with the Rosemary Anderson High School Alternative Education program to increase educational opportunities for vulnerable youth through service-learning and civic engagement. Anna has also worked as the Community Engagement Specialist for the School’s Uniting Neighborhoods program, where she engaged local businesses, increased student outcomes, and created culturally specific programming to support families and strengthen the relationship between community and school. Her passion for social change began with the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial in Washington D.C. where she served as a Youth Delegate at the World Conference Against Racism in Durban, South Africa. On her way to her MSW, Anna graduated Suma Cum Laude from Portland State University with her B.A. in Social Work, earning the PSU Community Development Scholarship Award for her contribution and excellence in social service and community involvement. She is originally from the St. Louis area.

Charlene Carruthers- New York City

 Campaign Manager, Color of Change

Charlene Carruthers currently serves as a Campaign Manager at Color of Change. A native of Chicago, she has worked extensively to promote social justice, empowerment and build leadership on local and national levels. Trained in the Saul Alinsky tradition of community organizing, Charlene believes in intentional and inclusive power building. Her passion for working with young leaders to build capacity and leadership has led her to work with and train youth of color and women across the country. She has worked for national progressive organizations including the Center for Community Change, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights under Law and the Women’s Media Center. At Color of Change, Charlene works to integrate field and online organizing in order to create progressive change for Black Americans. She has traveled and studied throughout the global south and brings with her a sense of global citizenship. Charlene received her Master’s in Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis, where she focused on urban development and public policy. She is also a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University where she majored in History and International studies.

Navneet Narula- Atlanta 

President & CEO, nBrilliance

Navneet is an award winning entrepreneur and CEO & Managing Partner at nBrilliance, where he builds high performing businesses. Formerly he was a Management Executive in Financial Services, doing mergers & acquisitions at Accenture. He was recognized as one of the “Best Finance Executives” at American Business Awards and honored by Consulting Magazine as Top 30 Consultants in America. He was also named the prestigious American Marshall Memorial Fellow and also been selected as the Aspen Institute Fellow and Asia21 Fellow by Asia Society to discuss world’s most pressing issues & create solutions. For business leadership, he was honored by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as “Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business”, awarded the “Best Management Executive” at Stevie Awards, selected by Georgia Trend as “Top 40 under 40″ – Best and Brightest Leaders in America and named “Outstanding Atlanta” honoree of the year 2008, just to name a few. He is also the Chief Leadership Officer at United Sikhs, a UN mandated-First Global Sikh Humanitarian Relief NGO, where he personally dedicated many months on site serving victims of Tsunami in Asia, Katrina in New Orleans, Asian Earthquake in Kashmir and recently the Haiti earthquake where they have created, managed and supported rehabilitation projects totaling $USD 500 million. Navneet studied Entrepreneurship at Stanford Graduate School of Business and went to Georgetown for MBA and studied at ESADE School of Business, Cornell University and Michigan State University.

It was one warm and wonderful weekend as members of New Leaders Council Executive Committee and National Board of Directors gathered in Miami, Florida December 9-10th.

Led by Executive Director Mark Riddle and Board Chairman Mark Walsh, Winter Retreat served as a critical gathering place for top leadership to discuss the intricacies of the progressive movement and NLC’s role in supporting the next generation of progressive political entrepreneurs across the Country as they emerge from our institute and those of our partners including Truman National Security, New Deal and Roosevelt Institute.

Many thanks to the leadership of New Leaders Council Miami for their hospitality and time. Our out of town guests enjoyed seeing and hearing first hand how progressive values and people are making a difference in South Florida.

All remaining chapters will allow those who have already begun the process, extra time to complete their applications. Applications are located at http://new.lc/apply.

This is it! The time is now! Next Friday, November 11, 2011, at 11:59pm PST, applications and nominations for NLC’s 2012 Institutes will close. Visit http://new.lc/apply or http://new.lc/nominate today and tell us about a progressive change maker in your community!

Applying to NLC is an involved, yet incredibly worthwhile process.  Each of our past fellows and alumni completed an application and an interview. Doing so allows NLC’s chapter leaders to build powerful sets of committed leaders who believe progressive ideas are the key to solving America’s current social and economic challenges.

There are seven days left, for you, or someone you know, to become a 2012 New Leaders Council Fellow.  Friday, November 11, 2011 at 11:59pm PST, is the final deadline. Submit your application today and tell NLC all the reasons why you represent the next generation of young progressive leadership.

The final deadline for all applicants and nominees is next Friday, November 11th at 12am. Before deciding to wait until next year to apply, mix it up with past fellows, ask questions about how NLC is active in your community and how you can become an integral part of our movement to train the next generation of progressive leadership.

*New Jersey*
Tue, Nov 1, 7p ET
Question & Answer Conference Call
RSVP 

*Chicago*
Tue, Nov 1, 6:30p CT
Kerryman Bar & Grill, 661 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60654
RSVP

*Los Angeles*
Tue, Nov 1, 5p-7p PT
The Border Grill, 445 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90071
RSVP

*Sacramento*
Tue, Nov 1, 6:30-8:30p PT
Pyramid Brewery, 1029 K St., Sacramento, CA 95814
RSVP 

Good luck to all of our applicants as you move into the next phase. We look forward to meeting each of you during the interview process which will take place in late November, early December. You are the future of our organization. Thank you for taking first steps towards becoming a 2012 NLC Fellow.

For those who have decided not to apply this year, there is still time to nominate a young, socially engaged  professionals to become a 2012 New Leaders Council Fellow. We hope you will do so today by visiting http://new.lc/nominate.

Prior to the final application deadline of November 11, 2011, several NLC chapters will host recruitment events. They are the best method for sharing the many ways NLC is developing the next generation of progressive leaders. Please encourage your friends and colleagues to meet NLC’s dynamic alumni and chapter leadership this week in the following cities:

*Los Angeles*
Tue, Nov 1, 5p-7p
The Border Grill, 445 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90071
RSVP

*Sacramento*
Tue, Nov 1, 6:30-8:30p
Pyramid Brewery, 1029 K St., Sacramento, CA 95814
RSVP 

*San Diego*
Thu, Nov 3, 5:30-6:30p
AFSCME Local 127 3737, Camino del Rio South, #400 San Diego, CA  92108
RSVP

*Boston*
Thu, Nov 3, 6:30-8:30p
Bell in Hand, 45-55 Union Street Boston, MA 02108
RSVP

As the next Executive Director of New Leaders Council, I need you to nominate premium progressive minds. Our 2012 Institutes need thought leaders with the temerity to enact real change.

You know New Leaders Council represents the best and brightest in the progressive community. I’m constantly amazed by our membership’s ambition. NLC is multicultural, socially engaged and exclusive. All of our members have been thoroughly vetted. It’s why this organization continues to make dynamic growth year after year. New Leaders Council has trained over 600 fellows through our annual Institute. This year, we’re expanding to 19 chapters nationwide.

To make a difference nationally and locally, NLC needs everyone this organization has touched. Our network is unquestionably our net worth. I want you to aggressively recruit other eager entrepreneurs. Folks who believe through hard work and ingenuity we can redirect not just the conversation, but our nation’s trajectory as a whole.

As Executive Director, my number one goal is to facilitate your work nationally and locally. To do so, chapters and headquarters, formerly known as national, must work as one. We will win by sharpening and strengthening our messaging. Communication with the public and the media is critical to our overall growth and our ability to attract donors. We will tell our story every and anywhere we can. Join me in making 2012 New Leaders Council’s best year yet.

Mark Riddle
Executive Director