Washington, D.C.—The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) announced today that Representative Joaquin Castro, Congressman for the 20th District of Texas; Amaney A. Jamal, Dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and scholar of Middle Eastern politics; and, as an honorary member, Senator Todd Young from Indiana, will join its Board of Directors.
“These new members joining NED have distinguished careers across multiple sectors and broad expertise on issues related to democracy,” said NED Chairman Kenneth Wollack. “The mission and work of the Endowment will benefit measurably from their leadership.”
Elected for three-year terms, the NED Board members include leading scholars and practitioners in democracy and foreign policy, and representatives from labor, business, and politics.
“As challenges increase for NED’s grantees and partners on the frontlines of freedom, NED will continue to grow and adapt for the future,” said President and Chief Executive Officer Damon Wilson. “These terrific directors will bring new energy, vision, and experience to NED at a critical time for our organization.”
The NED Board also recognized the outstanding service of departing board members Elliot Abrams, Michele Dunne, and Ambassador Melanne Verveer who had served out their terms, along with Karen Bass, who stepped down upon her election as mayor of Los Angeles and Senator Ben Sasse who stepped down upon his departure from the Senate. The Board unanimously approved Eileen Donahoe as Vice Chair, Jendayi Frazer as Secretary, and Marlene Colucci as Treasurer.
“We are deeply grateful for the wisdom, energy, and commitment of our departing board members, who have made significant contributions to NED’s ongoing effort,” Wollack said.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY
NED is an independent, nonprofit, grant-making foundation dedicated to the development and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world. With an annual appropriation from Congress, NED funds over 2,000 grants in around 100 countries. NED’s grants program is augmented by the International Forum for Democratic Studies, a research center that publishes the Journal of Democracy; the World Movement for Democracy; and the Center for International Media Assistance. Follow NED on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
ABOUT THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Joaquin Castro (D-San Antonio) represents Texas’ 20th District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Serving his sixth term, Rep. Castro has demonstrated a strong commitment to democracy at home and abroad through his work to address global challenges, protect human rights, and advance the United States’ core values and interests. Rep. Castro is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and is the immediate past Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Development, International Organizations, and Global Corporate Social Impact. Before Congress, Rep. Castro served five terms in the Texas Legislature. He is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School.
Amaney A. Jamal is Dean of the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, the Edwards S. Sanford Professor of Politics, and Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. Jamal also directs the Workshop on Arab Political Development, and the Bobst-AUB Collaborative Initiative. She is the former President of the Association of Middle East Women’s Studies (AMEWS). Her current research focuses on the drivers of political behavior in the Arab world, Muslim immigration to the US and Europe, and the effect of inequality and poverty on political outcomes. Jamal is author and editor of several books, including Barriers to Democracy (2007), winner of the 2008 APSA Best Book Award in comparative democratization, which explores the role of civic associations in promoting democratic effects in the Arab world. Jamal is co-principal investigator of the Arab Barometer Project, senior advisor on Pew Research Center projects focusing on Islam in America, and 2005 Carnegie Scholar. The daughter of Palestinian immigrants to the United States, she holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan.
Senator Todd Young (Honorary) represents the state of Indiana. He currently serves on the U.S. Senate Committees on Finance; Foreign Relations; Commerce, Science & Transportation; and Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Previously, in the House, he served on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Budget Committee, and most recently the House Ways and Means Committee. A fifth-generation Hoosier, Todd is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. In 2000, Todd was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps as a Captain. While serving in the Marines and working as a business consultant, Todd earned an MBA and his law degree. He worked at a small law firm in Paoli, Indiana. In 2010, Todd ran for Congress and served three terms representing Indiana’s 9th District. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016.
MEDIA INQUIRIES
- Christine Bednarz, Director of Communications, (202) 200-6872, christineb@ned.org
