FOR IMMEDEATE RELESE
July 22, 2009
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ELLEN R. MALCOLM WILL KEYNOTE GW'S GRADUATE SCHOOL OF POLITICAL MANAGEMENT ANNUAL CELEBRATION
Founder and President of EMILY's List to Address Recent Graduates
Washington, DC - This week, GW's Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) announced that Ellen R. Malcolm, founder and president of EMILY's List, will address recent graduates, students, faculty, alumni, and family at the school's annual celebration.
Every year the GSPM honors its recent graduates with a celebration and a guest speaker, rotating a notable Republican speaker during even numbered years and a notable Democratic speaker during odd numbered years. In 2008 Joe Scarborough, a former Republican Congressman and current host of MSNBC's Morning Joe, served as the guest speaker. Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) addressed the school in 2007.
As president and founder of EMILY’s List, Malcolm helped level the political playing field for women candidates; gave women donors unprecedented influence in electoral politics; brought millions of women voters to the polls; and created a powerful movement dedicated to restoring progressive values to American government. In addition to being the public face and primary fundraiser for EMILY’s List, Ellen in 2003 helped create America Coming Together (ACT), a massive nationwide organization dedicated to empowering and mobilizing voters. Ellen served as ACT’s president in 2003 and 2004, helping to raise over $145 million for a sophisticated and personal voter contact effort in key states. Ellen was also instrumental in the creation of America Votes, a coalition of progressive groups (including ACT and EMILY’s List) that work together to register, educate, and mobilize voters.
In a 2004 profile of Ellen, the New York Times described Malcolm's leadership of EMILY’s List and ACT as “a double threat to Republicans.” The Times quoted Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton referring to Malcolm as “probably the most influential fundraiser and adviser we've seen.”
"We're proud to have a political leader of Malcolm's caliber address our recent graduates," said Christopher Arterton, Dean of The Graduate School of Political Management. "Her legacy impacted the decision of many of our current graduates to pursue careers in the political arena, and she will continue to inspire the political leaders of tomorrow."
An acronym for “Early Money Is Like Yeast” (because it “makes the dough rise”) EMILY’s List is a political network for pro-choice Democratic women candidates that raises money to make women credible contenders, helps women build strong campaigns, and mobilizes women voters to go to the polls. Since its founding in 1985, EMILY’s List has helped elect 15 pro-choice Democratic women U.S. senators, 79 U.S. representatives, and nine state governors. Now one of the largest political action committees in the country, EMILY’s List has over 100,000 members.
The GSPM Celebration will occur at 1:30 pm on Saturday, July 25, 2009 at GW's Dorthy Betts Marvin Theater, 800 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC. Malcolm's address will be webcast live at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/gspmgwu.
The Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) at The George Washington University seeks to improve politics by educating its students and professionals in the tools, principals and values of participatory democracy, preparing them for careers as ethical and effective advocates and leaders at the international, national, and local level.
For more information about GW’s Graduate School of Political Management, visit www.gspm.org.
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