2010 Communications Institute
On July 18-21, 2010, The Opportunity Agenda conducted its inaugural Communications Institute to commence training successive groups and generations of social justice opinion leaders. The initial Institute, with an emphasis on race, gender, and economic opportunity, was held in New York City.
The inaugural class consisted of 13 competitively-selected Fellows, who received comprehensive training on a variety of communications skills, including framing and narrative development, utilizing public opinion and media research, understanding Web 2.0 and social networking, persuasive writing, and on-camera broadcast presentation.
After the residency, The Opportunity Agenda continues to support skills development through providing continued training opportunities, information webinars, and media outreach and placement.
The 2010 Communications Institute was made possible, in part, by the generous contributions of Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Public Welfare Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Frank Sica.
Meet the 2010 Fellows
Bettina Damiani
Director, Good Jobs New YorkBettina Damiani is the Director of Good Jobs New York, a project of Good Jobs First and the Fiscal Policy Institute, which seeks to make economic development subsidies more accountable. At Good Jobs New York, Damiani brought more transparency and public participation to development projects, including the rebuilding of Lower...
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Radhika K. Fox
Federal Policy Director, PolicyLinkRadhika K. Fox is the Federal Policy Director for PolicyLink, a national research and action institute advancing economic and social equity by lifting up what works. Fox coordinates the organization’s federal legislative agenda. She works with Congress, the Administration, key federal agencies, and partner organizations to ensure the voices of...
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Sharron Garrison
Communications Director, Mississippi Center for JusticeSharon Garrison is the Communications Director for the Mississippi Center for Justice. Previously, Garrison served as press secretary for a 2007 gubernatorial campaign in Mississippi and served as Communications Director of The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, a statewide nonprofit that received national acclaim for campaigns to reduce tobacco use....
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Chris Keeley
Coordinator, New York Stimulus AllianceChris Keeley is the coordinator of the New York Stimulus Alliance, a state-wide collaboration of six organizing groups working to bring accountability, transparency and fairness to the Recovery Act. Previously, Keeley was Associate Director of Common Cause/NY, where he organized around a range of good government issues after serving as...
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Yvonne Liu
Senior Research Associate, Applied Research CenterYvonne Liu is a Senior Research Associate at the Applied Research Center, a public policy institute advancing racial justice through research, advocacy, and journalism. She has four years of experience in policy analysis and applied sociological research in the areas of healthcare, education, and urban planning. In 2004, she helped...
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Guillermo Mayer
President and CEO, Public Advocates Inc.Guillermo Mayer is the President/CEO at Public Advocates Inc. in San Francisco, specializing in education and transit equity litigation and advocacy. Mayer worked in the California Senate, first as legislative aide for former Senator Hilda Solis, and subsequently as legislative director for former Senator Tom Hayden. Originally from Guadalajara, Mexico,...
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Tani Mills
Chief of External and Legislative Affairs, Center for Employment OpportunitiesTani Mills is the Chief of External and Legislative Affairs for the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO), a nonprofit corporation that provides employment services to men and women with criminal convictions in New York. Mills is responsible for external affairs including business development in New York City, community presentations and...
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Dennis Parker
Director of the Racial Justice Program, ACLUDennis Parker is the Director of the ACLU's Racial Justice Program, which seeks to create equal opportunities for communities of color through litigation, public education, organizing, and legislation. Prior to joining the ACLU, he was Chief of the Civil Rights Bureau of the New York State Attorney General’s Office, and...
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Jason Reece
Senior Researcher, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & EthnicityJason Reece is a Senior Researcher at the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race & Ethnicity at The Ohio State University and has worked for the Institute since 2003. He manages and directs the Opportunity Communities Initiative, which includes all GIS, housing, community development, neighborhood revitalization, and regional equity...
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Brittny Saunders
Senior Advocate, Center for Social InclusionBrittny Saunders is a Senior Advocate at the Center for Social Inclusion. While in law school, she worked with a number of racial justice organizations, including the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment and the ACLU Racial Justice Program, the Harvard Civil Rights-Civil Liberties Law Journal, the Harvard Black...
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