FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 23, 2019
CONTACT: Allison Abney
allison@emergeamerica.org; (202) 670-7994
Emerge America Names Amanda Renteria as Board Chair
Washington, D.C.—Emerge America, the nation’s premier organization that recruits, trains and provides a powerful network of Democratic women who want to run for office, announced today that Democratic strategist, Amanda Renteria, will be the new chair of its board of directors. Renteria brings a wealth of political knowledge to the role, informed by her diverse career in public service at the local, state and federal level. During the 2016 presidential election, she served as Secretary Hillary Clinton’s national political director where she managed the campaign’s political strategy with elected officials and constituent groups. She was the first Latina chief of staff in the U.S. Senate and has run for office herself twice.
“Amanda is a well-respected and knowledgeable Democratic strategist and we are thrilled that she will be leading our board,” said Emerge America President and Founder Andrea Dew Steele. “She understands what it takes to navigate the evolving political landscape of our country, has played an influential role in some of the most important legislative debates of the last decade and has been a longtime champion of women and women of color in Democratic politics. She will continue to be a strong voice for our mission to achieve gender parity at every level of government.”
“I am proud to lead Emerge America’s board during one of the most important times in our lives. The 4,000+ network of diverse women trained to run for office is a powerful sisterhood,” Renteria said. “In 2018, 415 Emerge women won their races, and there is a strong, growing bench for 2019 and 2020. I look forward to working with our fantastic board to empower women to run and use our collective voice to make a positive difference.”
Along with the announcement of Renteria as board chair, several other members of the Emerge America board were named to the organization’s executive committee, including Rashmi Yadav Marya as Vice Chair, Danielle Pacifico-Cogan as Secretary and Caroline Donahue as Treasurer. Yadav Marya is a community activist who has worked internationally to implement critical healthcare and equity policies. Pacifico-Cogan is currently the director of communications for the Children’s Institute, Oregon’s leading early childhood advocacy organization. Donahue previously spent more than 21 years in the tech industry and served as the chief marketing officer at software development company, Intuit.
Since it was founded in 2002, Emerge America has trained more than 4,000 Democratic women to run for office. The organization’s selective six-month training program operates in 25 states across the country and teaches participants real-world political skills like public speaking, fundraising, campaign strategy, labor and political endorsements, voter contact, media and messaging and more. Candidates also meet an array of dynamic women who hold elected and appointed office and become a part of a supportive network, which includes a national association of Emerge alumnae, the Emerge board and advisory council members.
To learn more about Emerge America and its work, please visit: www.emergeamerica.org.
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