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Felicia Taylor

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Felicia Taylor

Anchor-correspondent for CNN

Felicia Taylor was an anchor-correspondent for CNN International’s World Business Today having previously been contributing to the Business Updates unit for CNN. She was also the co-host of Retirement Living TV’s Daily Cafe until November 2009. Previously, Taylor was a business news anchor and a correspondent for CNBC. Prior to CNBC, she served as weekend anchor on WNBC-TV in New York. 

Taylor was a moderator for Afghanistan with Ambassador Peter Galbraith and the Honorable Mike Rogers in 2021 and for the “Women’s Breakfast” subsection of The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards 2017, and hosted both a Special Screening of “Disturbing the Peace” and a Lunch and Discussion with: NY Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

Twitter: @ftaylorCNN

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Representative Mike Rogers

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Mike Rogers

Former U.S. Representative for Michigan's 8th congressional district

Honorary Mike Rogers, is a former member of Congress representing Michigan’s Eighth Congressional District, officer in the U.S. Army, and FBI special Agent. From his time in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he chaired the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) and was a member of the Energy and Commerce panel. Mike built a legacy as a tireless and effective leader on counterterrorism and national security policy.

As chairman of HPSCI, Mike authorized and oversaw a budget of $70 billion that provided funding to the nation’s 17 intelligence agencies. Rogers was a prominent leader on cybersecurity in the United States Congress during his service, shepherding multiple cybersecurity bills through the House of Representatives and is a highly sought-after national expert on cyber policy.

Mike has also worked with two presidents, Congressional leadership, and countless foreign leaders, diplomats and intelligence professionals to ensure our nation is well equipped with the resources necessary to get the job done.

Mike is the host and executive producer of Declassified: Untold Stories of American Spies that airs on CNN. Hon. Mike Rogers is also a CNN national security commentator and a regular in major news outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press.

On August 25, 2021, Hon. Mike Rogers participated in Afghanistan with Ambassador Peter Galbraith and the Honorable Mike Rogers.

Ambassador Peter Galbraith

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Ambassador Peter Galbraith

Author, policy adviser, former U.S. diplomat

Ambassador Peter Galbraith is an author, politician, and former United States Diplomat. From 1993 to 1998, he served as the first U.S. Ambassador to Croatia, where he was co-mediator of the 1995 Erdut Agreement that ended the Croatian War of Independence. He was a cabinet member in East Timor’s first transitional government, successfully negotiating the Timor Sea Treaty. In 2009, Ambassador Galbraith was an Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations serving as Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan. Ambassador Peter Galbraith also served two terms as a Vermont State Senator from Windham County from 2011 to 2015, and was a candidate for Governor of Vermont in 2016.

Beginning in 2003, Galbraith acted as an adviser to the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq. As an author and commentator, he argued that Iraq has broken up and that the US occupation authorities should not try to build a strong central government over Kurdish objections. In 2009, Galbraith was appointed United Nations’ Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan where he contributed to exposing the massive fraud that took place in the 2009 Afghanistan Presidential Elections.

He is also the author of two critically acclaimed books on the Iraq War, including bestselling The End of Iraq: How American Incompetence Created a War Without End. In the 1980s, Galbraith uncovered the beginnings of the Anfal campaign against the Iraqi Kurds and, in 1988, documented the use of chemical weapons, leading the U.S. Senate to pass The Prevention of Genocide Act of 1988. Beginning in 2003, Ambassador Galbraith was an informal advisor to the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq, supporting the Kurdistan delegation in the drafting process of the 2005 Iraqi Constitution. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, the research arm of the Council for a Livable World.

Ambassador Galbraith was an assistant professor of International Relations and Economics at Windham College in Putney, Vermont, from 1975 to 1978. Later, he was the professor of National Security Strategy at the National War College in 1999 and between 2001 and 2003. In addition to his books, Ambassador Peter Galbraith has written extensively for a range of publications including The New York Review of Books, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Guardian.

On August 25, 2021, Ambassador Peter Galbraith participated in Afghanistan with Ambassador Peter Galbraith and the Honorable Mike Rogers.

Twitter: @GalbraithforVT

Ken Auletta

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Ken Auletta

American writer, journalist, media critic

Ken Auletta is an American journalist and media critic at The New Yorker. He has worked in government and on several political campaigns along with having taught and trained Peace Corps volunteers. In 1974, Auletta became the chief political correspondent for the New York Post. Following that, he was a staff writer and weekly columnist for The Village Voice, and then a contributing editor at New York Magazine. He started contributing to The New Yorker in 1977. Between 1977 and 1993, he wrote a weekly political column for the New York Daily News.

Auletta has been writing his column, the Annals of Communications, since 1992. He has written twelve books, including five bestsellers —Three Blind Mice: How the TV Networks Lost Their Way; Greed and Glory On Wall Street: The Fall of the House of Lehman; The Highwaymen: Warriors of the Information Super Highway; World War 3.0: Microsoft and Its Enemies; and Googled: The End Of The World As We Know It. His most recent book, Frenemies: The Epic Disruption of the Ad Business (and Everything Else), was published in June of 2018.

Before becoming a journalist and author, Auletta trained Peace Corps volunteers, served as Special Assistant to the U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce, and worked on Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 presidential campaign. 

Auletta has served as a Pulitzer Prize juror and a judge for the Livingston Awards for Young Journalists. In 2001, his profile of Ted Turner won the National Magazine Award for best profile. The New York Public Library chose him as a Literary Lion. He was also a board member for PEN, a worldwide association of writers, and a trustee of The Public Theater/New York Shakespeare Festival. 

On July 28, 2021 Ken Auletta participated in A Conversation with American's Police Commissioner, Bill Bratton

Twitter: @kenauletta

Zachary Karabell

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dr. Zachary Karabell

Head of Global Strategy at Envestnet

Zachary Karabell is Head of Global Strategy at Envestnet, a publicly traded financial services firm, and is President of River Twice Research. Previously, he was Executive Vice President, Chief Economist, and Head of Marketing at Fred Alger Management, a New York-based investment firm that manages approximately $22 billion. He was also President of Fred Alger & Company, Portfolio Manager of the China-U.S. Growth Fund (CHUSX), and Executive Vice President of Alger’s Spectra Funds. At Alger, he oversaw the creation, launch and marketing of several funds, led corporate strategy for strategic acquisitions, and represented the firm at public forums and in the media. He also ran the River Twice Fund from 2011-2013, an alternative investment fund which used sustainable business as its primary investment theme.

Dr. Karabell has taught at several leading universities, including Harvard and Dartmouth, and has written widely on economics, investing, history and international relations. His most recent book, The Leading Indicators: A Short History of the Numbers That Rule Our World, was published by Simon & Schuster in February 2014. He is the author of eleven previous books. He sits on the board of the New America Foundation and the Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs, and in 2003, the World Economic Forum designated him a “Global Leader for Tomorrow.” He is a Senior Advisor for BSR, a membership organization that works with global corporations on issues of sustainability.

As a commentator, Karabell is a Contributing Editor for Politico and writes the Wealth of Nations column. Previously he wrote “The Edgy Optimist” column for Slate, Reuters, and The Atlantic. He is a regular commentator on MSNBC and was a Contributing Editor for The Daily Beast. He also contributes to such publications as The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times,The Financial Times, and Foreign Affairs.

Karabell also sits on the board of New America and PEN America. In 2003, the World Economic Forum designated him a "Global Leader for Tomorrow." As a commentator, Karabell is a Contributing Editor for Wired and for Politico, and the host of the podcast “What Could Go Right?”

On July 21, 2021 Zachary Karabell participated in The Story of American Capitalism with Zachary Karabell & Douglas Brinkley

Twitter: @zacharykarabell

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Governor Mario Cuomo ✝

“It was Mario Cuomo’s great gift and our good fortune that he was both a sterling orator and a passionate public servant. His life was a blessing,” - President Bill Clinton

Mario Cuomo was a three-term governor of New York who commanded national attention with his remarkable oratory skill. From 1983 to 1994, he led New York with a passion for problem solving and unyielding empathy for his constituents, garnering nationwide admiration. He exemplified the ideal of politicians being informed, instructive, and intellectual without condescension. A tenacious debater with a spellbinding public presence, he came to personify the liberal wing of his national party.

Cuomo was born to Andrea and Immaculata Cuomo on June 15th, 1932, in Queens, New York. His parents were Italian immigrants who arrived in the United States with no resources or local connections. They went on to open a grocery store in South Jamaica, Queens, where Cuomo worked as a child. While earning his Bachelor’s degree, Cuomo signed a contract to play center field for the Brunswick Pirates baseball team, but eventually returned to St. John’s University and graduated summa cum laude. He then attended St. John’s School of Law and graduated at the top of his class in 1956.

Cuomo’s first job in the legal profession was as an assistant to Judge Adrian P. Burke of the New York State Court of Appeals - a body Cuomo would go on to reshape by appointing all seven members, including the first woman to serve as chief judge. After entering private practice, Cuomo gained prominence defending local property owners from government seizures, and negotiating city-neighborhood disputes. He entered public life in 1974 as New York’s Secretary of State, before serving two terms as Lieutenant Governor under Governor Hugh Carey.

Cuomo with wife Matilda after Cuomo won the 1982 Democratic gubernatorial primary. 

Cuomo with wife Matilda after Cuomo won the 1982 Democratic gubernatorial primary. 

Cuomo was elected Governor of New York in 1982, and became known for his tireless work ethic and powerful, plain speaking oratory skill. In an era when liberal thought was increasingly discredited, Cuomo celebrated it, challenging Ronald Reagan at the height of his presidency with an affirmative view of government and a message of compassion. He held several positions that went against the grain of public opinion, most prominent being his opposition to the death penalty. His annual veto of the death penalty became a rite, and he invoked it as a testimony to his character and principles.

In his tenure, Cuomo improved roads, revitalized education and infrastructure in New York City, created a large homeless assistance program, invested in high tech facilities, and initiated programs to support those with AIDS and mental illnesses. He appointed the Empire State’s first two female appellate judges; including the first Hispanic judge on the tribunal.

Cuomo delivers his keynote address to the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, 1984.

Cuomo delivers his keynote address to the Democratic National Convention in San Francisco, 1984.

Cuomo’s keynote address at the 1984 Democratic National Convention eclipsed the party’s presidential nominee and established him as a national political figure. He regularly travelled across the nation, and was considered a spokesman for liberal politics. In 1986 and 1990 Cuomo won the highest margin ever for re-election to a second and third term.

Cuomo was married to his wife, Matilda, for more than six decades. They had five children, including current New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. Mario Cuomo passed away at the age of 82 on January 1st, 2015. 

The Common Good was honored to host Mario Cuomo in May of 2011:Manhattan Society: The Common Good Hosts Screening for “Living for 32”. He served as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Selected Media:

Cuomo nominating Bill Clinton for president at the 1992 Democratic National Convention in New York.

Cuomo nominating Bill Clinton for president at the 1992 Democratic National Convention in New York.

Books:

  • Lincoln Lessons: Reflections on America's Greatest Leader. Williams, & Pederson (Eds)., Contributor Cuomo and 14 others, 2009.

  • C is for Ciao: An Italy Alphabet. Cuomo with Elissa Grodin, illustrated by Marco Ventura, 2008. 

  • As They Saw It: A Half-Century of Conversations from the Open Mind. Cuomo with Richard Heffner and Marc Jaffe, 2004. 

  • Lincoln on Democracy. Abraham Lincoln, Edited by Cuomo, & Harold Holzer, 2004. 

  • Why Lincoln Matters: Today More Than Ever. Cuomo, 2004.

  • The Blue Spruce. Cuomo,1999. 

  • Reason to Believe: A Keen Assessment of Who We Are and an Inspiring Vision of What We Could Be. Cuomo, 1996. 

  • More Than Words: The Speeches of Mario Cuomo. Cuomo, 1993

  • Diaries of M. Cuomo: The Campaign for Governor. Cuomo, 1984.

  •  Forest Hills Diary: The Crisis of Low-income Housing. Cuomo, M. 1975.

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Ed Rendell

After 34 years of public service, Governor Ed Rendell has become a champion on the issues of alternative energy and government efficiency. As the governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011, he worked to make the government more responsible and responsive to the public's needs, and he successfully cut wasteful spending and improved efficiency leading to savings of over $1 billion. He continues to pursue key issues from his time in office, striving to make America a cleaner, more efficient place and to foster investment in our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. 

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Rendell served two terms as Mayor of Philadelphia and two terms as Governor of Pennsylvania. His legislative agenda focused on commonsense political reform and putting progress ahead of partisanship. As Governor, he energized Pennsylvania’s economy, revitalized communities, improved education, protected the environment, expanded access to health care to all children, and made affordable prescription drugs available to older Pennsylvanians. He also spearheaded initiatives encouraging the use of alternative and renewable energy, including wind farms and solar panels.

As Mayor, Rendell eliminated a crippling deficit, balanced the City’s budget, and generated five consecutive budget surpluses. Philadelphia’s renaissance, which The New York Times called “the most stunning turnaround in recent urban history,” is largely attributed to his determination, inspiration, and energy. The subject of the book Prayer for the City by Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Buzz Bissinger, Rendell was called “one of America’s best, most interesting mayors.” Before serving as Mayor, Rendell was elected District Attorney of Philadelphia for two terms from 1978 through 1985. Rendell also served as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee during the 2000 Presidential election. 

In 2012, Governor Rendell penned his first book, A Nation of Wusses: How America’s Leaders Lost the Guts to Make Us Great where he chronicles his political career while making a strong statement about the state of American leadership.

Perhaps no other issue has been and continues to be as important to Rendell as America’s dire need to rebuild and reinvest in its infrastructure. He worked with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to found Building America's Future, a national infrastructure-investment coalition. Rendell currently serves as Co-Chair of the organization.

Rendell serves as a consultant or board member for several green and alternative energy firms, including Own Energy, The Efficiency Network and VNG.co. He has also remained heavily involved in the campaign for government efficiency and strategic cost cutting through his work with entities such as Government Sourcing Solutions and Public Financial Management.

He currently sits on several boards, supports multiple non-profit organizations and teaches government and politics courses at the University of Pennsylvania. An Army veteran, he holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from Villanova Law School.

Governor Rendell discussed his book A Nation of Wusses: How America’s Leaders Lost the Guts to Make Us Great at The Common Good in 2012: Governor Ed Rendell on “A Nation of Wusses” – July 12, 2012. He was also a distinguished participant at The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards - May 27, 2016. He currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Twitter:@GovEdRendell

Books:

Congresswoman Katie Porter

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Congresswoman Katie Porter represents the 45th Congressional District in Orange County, California.

In Washington, Congresswoman Porter has remained committed to putting Orange County families first. As a member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee and Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, she’s asked tough questions of bank CEOs and administration officials to hold them accountable to the American people. She’s also a proud member of the House Natural Resources Committee, where she works tirelessly to protect our beaches and public lands, elevate science-based solutions to the climate crisis, and keep Orange County families safe from wildfires. She chairs the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, where she leads efforts to hold polluters accountable.

Eager to invite families into the conversations happening in the halls of Congress, Rep. Porter has developed a reputation for her use of visual aids during Congressional hearings. She wielded a whiteboard while grilling the CEO of JP Morgan Chase, Jamie Dimon, over how an entry-level employee at his bank couldn’t make ends meet. She also used her signature whiteboard to break down potential cost barriers to COVID-19 tests, which helped her secure a commitment from the Trump Administration to make testing free for every American.

Rep. Porter has also published several reports that break down issues and identify solutions on behalf of Orange County families. She’s exposed how Big Pharma’s mergers and acquisitions destroy innovation and harm patients, shined a spotlight on how the coronavirus pandemic is disproportionately burdening working women, blasted the Trump Administration for mismanaging medical supplies during a pandemic, and detailed how the Trump tax law hurts Orange County homeowners.

On June 30 2021, Katie Porter participated in Rising Leaders Series: Meet Representative Katie Porter



Honorary Advisory Board Member: Kay Koplovitz

Kay Koplovitz is a groundbreaking leader in the television and media industry. She is the founder of USA Network and the first woman in history to head a television network. She is also the visionary who created the business model for cable networks by introducing the dual revenue streams of licensing and advertising. She was the Chairperson and CEO of USA Network until the company was sold for $4.5 billion in 1998. In 1992, she launched the Syfy Channel, which became a top ten rated cable network known for innovative drama and mini-series.

Koplovitz during the early years at USA Network

Koplovitz during the early years at USA Network

Koplovitz has also figured as a major pioneer in sports television.  She launched major professional and collegiate sports on cable television by negotiating the first contracts for cable coverage of Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, and the US Tennis Open. Under her leadership, the USA Network reached first place in cable prime time ratings, where it remained for 14 years. 

A very significant focus now for Koplovitz is helping advance the companies and careers of women entrepreneurs. She is the Chair of Springboard Enterprises, the premier platform for women entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts dedicated to building scalable, sustainable women-led companies.
In 1998, President Clinton appointed Koplovitz to chair the bipartisan National Women’s Business Council. She used this platform to launch Springboard Enterprises, in a move to get women entrepreneurs to “think big” about their growth companies and to raise venture capital to fund them.

As one of today’s leading women in business, Koplovitz has penned, Bold Women, Big Ideas: Learning to Play the High-Risk Entrepreneurial Game, which she wrote to inform and inspire women entrepreneurs to create wealth through equity. In February 2015 she introduced and edited, Been There, Run That, an anthology of best practices from Springboard entrepreneurs who have “been there, run that.” She is a sought after speaker and commentator on subjects ranging from women’s leadership, women’s entrepreneurship, capital formation, creating a human capital ecosystem, to emerging media and management, and corporate board governance.

UBS conference, “Revitalizing America, The Road to Sustainable Growth” (in picture L to R) Jacqueline Novogratz,  President Bill Clinton, Kay Koplovitz, David Gergen, President George W. Bush.

UBS conference, “Revitalizing America, The Road to Sustainable Growth” (in picture L to R) Jacqueline Novogratz,  President Bill Clinton, Kay Koplovitz, David Gergen, President George W. Bush.

Koplovitz currently serves on the Boards of Ion Media Networks and Veniam; she previously chaired Liz Claiborne (later Kate Spade); and served on several major company boards, including the boards of CA Technologies, Time Inc, Oracle, Nabisco, Instinet, and General RE. She also has been a long-term trustee for The International Tennis Hall of Fame and trustee (currently emeritus) of The Paley Center for Media. In 2017, she was inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame.

Koplovitz participated in The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards, 2019 on May 10, 2019. She spoke on the “Women & Power” panel alongside former Congresswoman Mia Love, Alessandra Stanley, and Sally Quinn, moderated by Juju Chang. She also serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Jeffrey Rosen

Jeffrey Rosen is a highly experienced international financier and a top financial executive. He has been a leader in international investment banking for over 40 years, advising corporations in the United States and around the world on mergers, acquisitions, and corporate finance. He is currently a Deputy Chairman and Managing Director of Lazard, the world’s leading financial advisory and asset management firm. 

Prior to joining Lazard in 2002, Rosen was a Managing Director of Wasserstein Perella which he helped found in 1988, and Chairman of Wasserstein Perella International. The Wasserstein Perella team of the early 1990’s is well known for hosting a dynasty of bankers and executives who went on to lead banks and corporations throughout Wall Street and the country. When the firm merged with Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, he became Deputy Chairman and Head of Continental European Investment Business of the newly enlarged company, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein.

Rosen, center left, joins Bruce Wasserstein and other members of Lazard to celebrate the firm’s first appearance on the New York Stock Exchange

Rosen, center left, joins Bruce Wasserstein and other members of Lazard to celebrate the firm’s first appearance on the New York Stock Exchange

Previously, he was Executive Director of Credit Suisse First Boston in London, and subsequently was a Managing Director of The First Boston Corporation in New York. From 2005 to 2015, he was a non-executive Director of WPP plc, a world leader in communications, commerce, and technology. 

Rosen is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, The Economic Club of New York, and the Board of Advisors of Moore Fréres & Company, and serves as the President of the Board of Trustees of the International Center of Photography. He is also a Trustee of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Educational Foundation and of the American Academy in Berlin. 


A graduate of Yale College and Harvard Business School with distinction, he is married with two sons and lives in New York City. 

He currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Rosen with Dr. Hubert Burda, Arianna Huffington, and Dominik Wichmann at the Munich Residence Palace, 2017

Rosen with Dr. Hubert Burda, Arianna Huffington, and Dominik Wichmann at the Munich Residence Palace, 2017

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Efraim Halevy

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Joining us from Israel, we will have Efraim Halevy. A lawyer and an Israeli intelligence expert, Halevy was the ninth director of Mossad, the national intelligence agency of Israel, responsible for intelligence collection, covert operations, and counter-terrorism He also served as the 4th head of the Israeli National Security Council. Above all, Halevy may be remembered for his part in bringing about the Israel–Jordan peace treaty.

Halevy served as the envoy and confidant of five Prime Ministers: Yitzhak Shamir, Yitzhak Rabin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Ehud Barak and Ariel Sharon. He took an active part in a special mission by Rabin in forging the Israel–Jordan Treaty of Peace. After the failure of the Mossad operation to assassinate Hamas leader Khaled Mashal in 1997, he took an active part in Benjamin Netanyahu's mission to return the Mossad men captured in Jordan, and to settle the crisis with the King of Jordan.

In December 2014 Halevy was interviewed by The Times of Israel. He claimed that Israel would never have peace unless Palestinians were treated with dignity as equals. He was critical of Benjamin Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett and their policies, especially regarding Jerusalem. He underscored the importance of the upcoming 17 March 2015 elections, which from his perspective "constitute an unprecedented opportunity to determine Israel's policy vis-à-vis the peace process.

On June 8 2021, Efraim Halevy participated in the Tracing his father’s escape during the Holocaust, Rick Salomon found himself drawn into the histories of lesser-known heroes of WWII, a Japanese diplomat who signed thousands of visas that rescued Jews from certain death.

Rick Salomon, spent six years working with the Consulate General of Japan to obtain access to the original visa documents where copies are on display at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.

On June 9 2021, Rick Salomon participated in the Hamas & Gaza: Where Does Israel Go From Here? Event

Rick Salomon

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Rick Salomon is a CEO, Harvard-trained lawyer who has organized and moderated a diverse set of programs, including on the Middle East, for a host of organizations, including the 92Y, Temple Emanu-El's Streicker Center, and the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, which he co-founded and sits on the Board.

Tracing his father’s escape during the Holocaust, Rick Salomon found himself drawn into the histories of lesser-known heroes of WWII, a Japanese diplomat who signed thousands of visas that rescued Jews from certain death.

Rick Salomon, spent six years working with the Consulate General of Japan to obtain access to the original visa documents where copies are on display at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.

On June 8 2021, Rick Salomon participated in the Hamas & Gaza: Where Does Israel Go From Here? Event


Honorary Advisory Board Member: Bob Corker

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Senator Bob Corker has had an exemplary career in public service and private business.  He represented Tennesseans in the Senate from 2007 to 2018, and became a national and global thought leader on fiscal, financial, and foreign policy issues during his tenure, leading to recognition as one of the 100 most influential people in the world according to TIME Magazine.  Corker has always advocated for a strong, compassionate America - one that doesn’t close its borders, look inwards, or waver in the face of injustice. Throughout his career as a businessman and in politics, he has been willing to speak his mind to express his principled positions or to get things done for the people.  As the Mayor of Chattanooga and then as a Senator, he displayed an admirable commitment to civility, bipartisanship, and integrity. 

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Corker was first elected to the Senate in 2006, and was overwhelmingly reelected to the seat in 2012. He quickly rose to prominence on the Banking Committee where he became known for his tough, no-nonsense questioning of witnesses during the auto industry bailout and 2008 financial crisis. Corker was also a key voice in Congress on housing finance reform: a bipartisan bill he co-authored in 2013 has been called the “blueprint” for our nation’s housing finance system. A key leader on our nation’s fiscal challenges, Corker is one of the few members of Congress to produce a bill that would set our country on a path to fiscal solvency. 

Recognizing the important impact US leadership and diplomacy abroad can have on our economy and national security, Corker was also an active leader on the Foreign Relations Committee. After taking office in 2007, he visited more than 60 countries to gain a deeper understanding of the strategic relationships between the United States and other nations. In 2015, his colleagues elected him chairman. As the lead Republican on the committee, Corker proved his shrewd leadership as he worked with his colleagues to set the committee agenda and help carry out legislative and oversight responsibilities.

He was Tennessee’s commissioner of finance and mayor of Chattanooga before being elected to the Senate, but he spent most of his life in business. At the age of 25, Corker started his own general contracting firm with $8,000 in savings and a pickup truck. He quickly expanded operations to 18 states around the country. eventually expanding operations to 18 states. Soon after, he founded the Corker Group, which acquired, developed, built, managed, and leased projects. He ultimately purchased two of the largest and oldest real estate holding companies in Chattanooga.

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After an extensive public service career, in January of 2019, Corker returned to business. He currently serves as chairman of Rise Ventures, a joint venture between the Corker Group and Rise Partners; is chairman of One-to-One Health; and is a special advisor to Jefferies Financial Group, a global investment banking firm. He also serves on the advisory board for several philanthropic and policy-focused organizations. 

During his twenties, Corker participated in a mission trip to Haiti which he credits as his inspiration to become an active member in his community. After his mission trip, Corker helped establish the Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise, a non-profit organization that provides low-interest home loans and home maintenance education to thousands of residents living in Tennessee.

Corker was born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, the son of Jean J. Hutto and Robert Phillips “Phil” Corker. His great-great-grandfather was U.S. Congressman Stephen A. Corker. After attending public school in Chattanooga, Corker graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1974 with a degree in Industrial Management. He and his wife of 28 years, Elizabeth, live in Chattanooga. They have two daughters, Emily Corker, Julia and her husband Justin Spickard, and one grandchild.

The Common Good was pleased to host Senator Corker at The Common Good Forum and American Spirit Awards in 2021. He currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Twitter:  @SenBobCorker

Selected media:

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of America’s best known scientists, an astronomer, author, and public figure who has popularized interest in and the study of science for decades. Widely known for his charisma, humor, and passion to bring the cosmos alive to millions around the globe and his highly-awarded television and radio programs, he is also renowned for his commitment to aiming for the stars while staying grounded in reality, speaking out about the greatest problems facing our nation and our world with a pragmatic, fact-first agenda.

I dream of a world where the truth is what shapes people’s politics, rather than politics shaping what people think is true.  - Tyson

Inspired to study space and the stars by a visit to the Hayden Planetarium in New York City when he was twelve years old, Tyson is now the fifth head of that same world-renowned institution, and the first occupant of its Frederick P. Rose Directorship. He is also a research associate of the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History.

In 2001, President Bush appointed Tyson to serve on a twelve-member commission that studied the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. The final report, published in 2002, contained recommendations for Congress and the major agencies of the government to promote a thriving future of transportation, space exploration, and national security.

Three years later, Tyson was again appointed by President Bush to serve on a nine-member commission on the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy, dubbed the “Moon, Mars, and Beyond” commission. The group charted a path to allow a new space vision to become part of the American agenda. In 2006, the head of NASA appointed Tyson to serve on its prestigious Advisory Council, which guides NASA through its perennial need to fit ambitious visions into restricted budgets.

Chuck Nice, Brian Greene,Tyson, Heather Berlin, Sasha Cohen, and Baba Brinkman after a Startalk recording

Chuck Nice, Brian Greene,Tyson, Heather Berlin, Sasha Cohen, and Baba Brinkman after a Startalk recording

The Cosmos  team accepts the Peabody Award 

The Cosmos  team accepts the Peabody Award 



Through his written publications and his media appearances, Tyson works to bring an understanding and appreciation of the scientific world to the general public. For five seasons, he appeared as the host of PBS NOVA’s spinoff program NOVA ScienceNOW, which offers an accessible look at the science which shapes the understanding of our place in the universe. In 2009, Tyson identified a cadre of professional comedians to aid him in bringing science to commercial radio with the NSF-funded StarTalk. StarTalk combines celebrity guests with informative, playful banter, and is aimed at an audience that never thought they would, or could, like science. Now also a popular podcast, it ran as a limited-run television series on the National Geographic Channel. In its first year on television and in three successive seasons, it was nominated for a Best Informational Programming Emmy. The 2014 series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, presented by Tyson, won a Peabody award in the Education category, and four Emmy Awards.

In addition to dozens of professional publications, Tyson has written, and continues to write for the public. From 1995 to 2005, Tyson was a monthly essayist for Natural History magazine. He has also written fifteen books, including his memoir The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist. His 2004 book Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution, co-written with Donald Goldsmith, is the companion book to the PBS NOVA mini-series Origins, which Tyson also hosted.

Tyson’s other books include: the playful and informative Death By Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries, a New York Times bestseller, The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet, on his experience at the center of the controversy over Pluto’s planetary status and the basis for the PBS NOVA documentary The Pluto Files, Astrophysics for People In A Hurry, a domestic and international bestseller that offers an introduction to everything that’s making news in the universe, in one place, succinctly presented for people in a hurry, and the New York Times Bestsellers Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military, coauthored with Avis Lang, and Letters from an Astrophysicist.

Tyson is the recipient of twenty-one honorary doctorates and the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest award given by NASA to a non-government citizen. His contributions to the public appreciation of the cosmos have been recognized by the International Astronomical Union’s official naming of asteroid “13123 Tyson.” And by zoologists’ naming of Indirani Tysoni, a species of leaping frog in India. Tyson was also voted “Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive'' by People Magazine in 2000.

Tyson receives an honorary doctorate from Yale University

Tyson receives an honorary doctorate from Yale University

Tyson was born and raised in New York City where he was educated in the public schools clear through his graduation from the Bronx High School of Science. He went on to earn his BA in Physics from Harvard and his PhD in Astrophysics from Columbia. Tyson lives in New York City with his wife, a former IT project manager with Bloomberg Financial Markets.

In 2021, he was awarded The Common Good American Spirit Award for Public Integrity. He currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

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Selected Media:

Books:

  • Cosmic Queries: StarTalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going, 2021 

  • Letters from An Astrophysicist, 2019

  • Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military, with Avis Lang, 2018

  • Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, 2017

  • Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour, with Michael A. Strauss and J. Richard Gott, 2016

  • Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier, 2012

  • The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet, 2009

  • Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries, 2007

  • The Sky Is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist, 2004

  • Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution, with Donald Goldsmith, 2004 

  • City of Stars: A New Yorker's Guide to the Cosmos, 2002

  • Cosmic Horizons: Astronomy at the Cutting Edge, 2000

  • One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos, 2000

  • Just Visiting This Planet, 1998

  •  Universe Down to Earth, 1994

  •  Merlin's Tour of the Universe, 1989

Honorary Advisory Board Member: Robert Wolf

Robert Wolf is an expert financier and influential business leader. He is the founder and CEO of 32 Advisors, a boutique consulting and advisory firm, and the Chairman and Co-Founder of Measure, an aerial intelligence  company. He has been named to Worth Magazine's 100 Most Powerful People in Finance multiple times, most recently in 2018. He is a regular contributor to Fox News and Fox Business.

Wolf’s firm, 32 Advisors, includes the direct investing arm 32 Ventures, the bi-partisan economic insights platform Strategic Worldviews and the Flint, Michigan accelerator group 100K Ventures. Prior to forming 32 Advisors, Wolf spent 18 years at Union Bank Switzerland, a global financial services firm. There he held several senior positions, including Chairman and CEO of UBS Americas, and President & Chief Operating Officer of UBS Investment Bank. He joined UBS in 1994 after spending approximately 10 years at Salomon Brothers.

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Wolf held three Presidential appointments under President Obama; as a member of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board, the Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, and the Export Council. In 2012, he was on the Homeland Security Advisory Council's Border Infrastructure Task Force. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Obama Foundation, on the Undergraduate Executive Board of the Wharton School, on the Economic Advisory Council for the Center for American Progress and on the board of the Partnership for NYC. He formerly served as Vice Chairman of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights, on the board of trustees of the Children's Aid Society, and on the Athletics Board of Overseers at UPenn. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and serves on the Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy.

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Wolf received a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. While at UPenn, he played on the varsity football team that won IVY League Championships in both the 1982 and 1983 seasons. He currently resides in Purchase, NY. He grew up in Marblehead, MA and is in the town's Athletics Hall of Fame. His wife, Carol, is a Director of Events & Strategic Partnerships at Sandy Hook Promise.

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The Common Good was pleased to have Wolf moderate the 2019 event Global Challenges: Facts and Fears in Our New Era with Richard Haass. Wolf currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board.

Twitter: @robertwolf32

Selected media:






Honorary Advisory Board Member: William J. Bratton

William “Bill'' Bratton is renowned as one of the nation’s top law enforcement officers and one of the world’s most respected and trusted experts on risk and security issues. He currently serves as Executive Chairman of Risk Advisory at Teneo Holdings, where he advises clients on risk identification, prevention, and response in key security areas, including: cyber risk management, counterterrorism, crisis anticipation, critical infrastructure, and health crisis advisory. He also serves as the Chairman of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, offering his experience and expertise to provide the Secretary real-time, real-world, and independent advice to support decision-making across the spectrum of homeland security operations.

 During his 46-year career in law enforcement, Bratton instituted progressive change while leading six police departments. He served two terms as the New York City Police Commissioner and seven years as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, making him the only person to have led the police departments of the two largest cities in the U.S.. 

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Bratton established an international reputation for re-engineering police departments and fighting crime in the 1990’s. As Chief of the New York City Transit Police, Boston Police Commissioner, and New York City Police Commissioner, he revitalized morale and cut crime, achieving the largest crime declines in New York City’s history. At the NYPD in 1994 and 1995, he led the development of Compstat, the internationally acclaimed command accountability system now in use by police departments nationwide. Bratton also implemented major reforms to the NYPD’s counterterrorism program by developing two new units—the Critical Response Command and the Strategic Response Group.

As Los Angeles Police Chief from 2002 to 2009, and in a city known for its entrenched gang culture and youth violence, he brought crime to historically low levels, greatly improved race relations, and reached out to young people with a range of innovative police programs. 

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A noted author, commentator, and consultant, Commissioner Bratton was a Senior Executive Fellow in Criminal Justice and a member of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government National Executive Session on Policing. For his collaborative efforts in working with U.S. and British police forces, he was recognized by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the honorary title Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). 

Bratton currently serves as a member of The Common Good Honorary Advisory Board, and he spoke at a Meet & Greet in 2014 at The Common Good.

Twitter: @CommissBratton

Selected Media: 

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Representative Elissa Blair Slotkin

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Rep. Slotkin has spent her career in national service. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which took place during her first week of graduate school in New York City, Rep. Slotkin knew that national service would define her career. She was recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to be a Middle East analyst and went on to devote her career to protecting the United States from national security threats. In her role at the CIA, Rep. Slotkin worked alongside the U.S. military during three tours in Iraq as a militia expert. In between her tours in Iraq, Rep. Slotkin held various defense and intelligence positions under President Bush and President Obama, including roles at the White House and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

In 2011, Rep. Slotkin took a senior position at the Pentagon and, until January 2017, she served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. In this role, Rep. Slotkin oversaw policy on Russia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa at the Pentagon and participated in negotiations on some of the country’s most pressing national security issues.



Carol Anderson

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CAROL ANDERSON

Professor and Author

Carol Anderson is the Charles Howard Candler Professor of African American Studies at Emory University and the author of several books: White Rage, The Unspoken Truth of Our Nation’s Divide, a New York Times Bestseller, Washington Post Notable Book of 2016, and a National Book Critics Circle Award winner.

Carol focuses her research on how policy is made and unmade, how racial inequality and racism affect that process and outcome, and how those who have taken the brunt of those laws, and how these individuals and groups have worked to shape a framework that dismantles the legal and political edifice used to limit their rights and their humanity.

Carol Anderson grew up wondering and worrying about her brother serving in Vietnam, watching her neighborhood descend into a place the news would describe as “on the near eastside today”. Professor Anderson grasped early on that policymakers and activists were at work shaping our world.  Carol has made it her goal to find out how and why and then grapple with the consequences.

Her research has garnered an array of grants and fellowships, including sponsors such as the American Council of Learned Societies, Ford Foundation, and Harvard University’s Charles Warren Center. Carol was recently awarded with a 2018 fellowship in Constitutional Studies by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.

Carol Anderson has appeared on PBS NewsHour, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, The Guardian, New York Times, and Washington Post.

She is a Phi Beta Kappa Graduate from Miami University, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Political Science and a bachelor’s in history. Carol Anderson also earned her Ph.D. in History from The Ohio State University.

On May 26 2021, Carol Anderson participated in Voting Righting and American Democracy with Michael Waldman.

David Litt

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DAVID LITT

Political Speechwriter

David Litt entered the White House as a speechwriter in 2011, and left in 2016 as a senior presidential speechwriter and special assistant to the president. In addition to writing remarks for President Barack Obama on a wide range of domestic policy issues, David served as the lead joke writer for several White House Correspondents’ Dinner monologues. Since leaving government, David's work has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and The Boston Globe, among others. From 2016-2018 he was the head writer and producer for Funny Or Die D.C., and he has developed TV pilots for Comedy Central and ABC. 

David's New York Times bestselling memoir, Thanks, Obama: My Hopey Changey White House Years, was published in 2017. His second book, Democracy in One Book Or Less: How It Works, Why It Doesn’t, and Why Fixing It Is Easier Than You Think, was published in June 2020.

On May 26 2021, David Litt participated in Voting Rights and American Democracy with Michael Waldman.

Clarissa Ward

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CLARISSA WARD

Journalist

CNN’s chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward, is a multi-award winning American journalist who's been reporting from front lines across the world for more than 15 years. Ward's career in journalism started in 2002 as an intern at CNN's Moscow bureau. She has since been named Reporter of the Year by the Gracies in 2019 and published her own memoir: 'On All Fronts: The Education of a Journalist', detailing her career as a conflict reporter. 

This year, Ward will collect the Ted Sorensen Award from Network 20/20 in recognition for "adeptly crafting the first draft of history and providing original insight into the people and events of our time."

Clarissa Ward participated in The Common Good Forum & American Spirit Awards, on March 4, 2021.