8:45 am – at DC Center
Jen Psaki
Jen Psaki is vice president for communications and strategy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. She previously served as White House communications director in Barack Obama’s administration from 2015 to 2017 and as the spokesperson at the State Department under then secretary of state John Kerry from 2013 to 2015. Read the rest of her bio here.
Review the following:
David DeMarco’s Intro:
It’s my pleasure to introduce to you Jeniffer Psaki. She has served in many political communication offices. She served as the 2008 Obama campaigns traveling press secretary and as the deputy press secretary for the White House once he was elected. Jennifer left the White House for a year to take up the role of senior Vice President and managing director of public relations firm Global Strategy Group. In 2012 Jennifer returned to the Obama campaign as their press secretary and in 2013 became the Spokesperson for the State Department. She is now a political commentator on CNN. Please join me in welcoming Jennifer Psaki.
10:50am – at DC Center
Godfrey Plata
Godfrey is a Filipino immigrant and a product of Los Angeles and Long Beach Unified School Districts; he is a former public middle school reading teacher himself. After working in teacher preparation for nine years, he shifted to systems-change work, supporting and leading community organizing efforts in volunteer and paid capacities. He is obsessed with ensuring that students, families, and educators have a seat at the table in the creation and implementation of policies that are meant to serve their interests. Read the rest of this bio here, and check out more of his career here.
Review:
Taylor Jones’ Intro:
Mr. Godfrey Plata is the current democratic candidate for the California State Assembly. Mr. Plata is a former contributor for the Huffington Post and currently serves as the director for the the organization Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE) where his role is to to assist families and community leaders in working to alleviate educational inequities within their communities. In addition to his role as director of LEE, Mr. Plata has also served as Director for teaching in America efforts in Chicago, Houston, and Tulsa. Mr. Plata received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond and masters degree from UC Berkeley. Please help me in welcoming Mr. Plata.
12pm – at DC Center
Josh Lederman
Josh Lederman is a National Political Reporter for NBC News, on the Washington-based national security and politics investigative teams. He appears regularly on MSNBC and other NBC platforms. Previously, Lederman covered foreign affairs, national security and U.S. diplomacy for The Associated Press (AP), based in Washington. From 2013 to 2017, he was a White House reporter for AP and traveled with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden to more than 20 countries. Read the rest of this bio here.
Review:
Sam Burridge’s Intro:
Josh Lederman is a National Political Reporter for NBC News on its national security and politics investigative teams. Before NBC, Lederman worked for the Associated Press covering foreign news, national security, and US diplomacy. From 2013 to 2017, he traveled with President Obama and Vice President Biden to over twenty countries as a White House reporter for the AP. In 2011 and 2012, Lederman covered presidential, House, and Senate campaigns for The Hill. A multimedia journalist, he began his career in journalism in the AP’s Jerusalem bureau. Lederman holds a master’s in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and a bachelor’s in anthropology from George Washington University.
2pm – at Congressional Research Service
Leave from DC Center, go to James Madison Building – 101 Independence Avenue SE
Nate Lucas
Nate works at the Congressional Research Service – learn more about the CRS here. Look at a record of Nate’s career here.
Review:
Leave from CRS – Go straight to meeting with Kaine
Mary Olivia Rentner’s Intro:
Our speaker today is from the Congressional Research Service. The CRS is a legislative branch agency within the Library of Congress that writes reports for Congress on policy and legal matters. The information and analysis that they provide is non-partisan and valued by committees and members throughout the policymaking process. Nathan Lucas is a section manager at the Congressional Research Service, where he has worked for eleven years. He graduated from William & Mary with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He then received a master’s degree in Political Science and Government from Columbia University. Mr. Lucas has also worked in the Defense Intelligence Agency as a division manager and the Office of the Secretary of Defense as a country director. He has written about the implications of the National Security Strategy as well as the potential of artificial intelligence use by the military. Please welcome Nate Lucas.
4:30pm – at Russell Senate Office Building
Senator Tim Kaine
Tim serves on Senate Committees where he is able to work on those priorities every day for
Virginians: the Armed Services; Budget; Foreign Relations; and Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions (HELP) Committees. He is Ranking Member of the Armed Services Readiness
Subcommittee and the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia,
and Counterterrorism. Check out a ton more information about Senator Kaine on his website.
Review:
Kelsey Vita’s Introduction:
Senator Tim Kaine has a wide breadth of political experience, starting as a city
councilmember and working his way up to vice-presidential candidate. He grew up in Overland
Park, Kansas before receiving his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of
Missouri. After a brief break in his studies to volunteer in the Honduras, Senator Kaine
graduated from Harvard Law School, and used his legal education to become a civil rights
attorney in Richmond, Virginia, working to defend Virginians from discrimination. Senator
Kaine has served his community in a variety of capacities, from professor, to Richmond city
councilmember, to Virginia governor, to Democratic National Committee chair, to U.S. Senator.
He is also a talented harmonica player, known for playing with Tripp Johnson, William & Mary guitar and banjo instructor. Please give a warm welcome to Senator Tim Kaine.
DCSI - American Politics 