Hannah Pingree chosen as one of nation’s top elected officials

Aspen Institute invites Maine House Majority Leader to participate in prestigious national fellowship

November 5, 2007

WASHINGTON, DC -- Following an eight-month search involving input from more than 1,000 business, political, and civic leaders, the Aspen Institute has selected Maine House Majority Leader Hannah Pingree as one of the nation's top young elected officials. Pingree will participate in a fellowship program honoring public leaders identified as "the true rising stars" of American politics.

Drawn from the ranks of federal, state, and local governments, and representing 22 states, the Class of 2007 will form the third class of the Aspen-Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership, designed to bring together “the very best of the nation's emerging leaders” to discuss broad issues of democratic governance and effective public service. This class of Fellows will convene late in November for a conversation centered on the underlying values and principles of a democratic society.

Pingree, D-North Haven, is serving her third term in the Maine Legislature. In her first term she served on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee, and in her second term she was the House Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee. She was elected House Majority Leader by her peers in the Democratic caucus shortly after the 2006 general election.

Former Congressman Mickey Edwards, the program's director, said the new fellowship class represents “the true promise of America––an outstanding group of young leaders with a clear commitment to putting aside partisan differences for the good of our nation." Edwards said the selection process involved finding young officials who had not only earned reputations for thoughtfulness and intelligence, but who had also been recognized for "their willingness to cross party lines and their ability to remain focused on the ideals that originally led them into public service.”

The Institute's Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership program brings together bipartisan groups of public officials judged to be the rising stars of American politics. The Fellows are selected after a detailed process that involves business, professional, and civic leaders, as well as an advisory committee of more than 50 leading political figures.

At 31, Pingree is the youngest woman to serve as House Majority Leader in Maine history. Prior to serving in the Maine Legislature, she was a fundraiser for the U.S. Senate campaign of her mother, Chellie Pingree. She also worked for two years in New York City as the political director and “Election 2000” producer for iVillage.com, the largest political internet site for women.

In addition to serving in the Legislature, Pingree runs a capital campaign to build a new public school facility on the island of North Haven, where she grew up and still lives today. The legislative district that she represents is comprised of 11 island and coastal towns in Penobscot Bay.

Congressman Edwards described the program's goals as twofold: "in a political world in which partisanship has become increasingly negative and public decision-making has become increasingly polarized, we're working to help a new generation of public leaders build lasting relationships across party lines, and at the same time, we're trying to sharpen the focus of the political conversation on our common goals as members of a diverse democracy."

Aspen Institute President Walter Isaacson said the Rodel Fellows "represent the best hope for America's future—upcoming leaders committed to working together for the common good."

Below is the entire list of invitees, recognized by the Aspen Institute as “among the very best, brightest, and most promising members of America's emerging political leadership”:

Bill Baroni, New Jersey House of Representatives
Mike Bishop, Majority Leader, Michigan State Senate
Anthony Brown, Lieutenant Governor, Maryland
Susan Bysiewicz, Secretary of State, Connecticut
Casey Cagle, Lieutenant Governor, Georgia
John Chiang, State Controller, California
Glenn Coffee, President, Pro-Tem, Oklahoma State Senate
Randall Edwards, State Treasurer, Oregon
Bob Ferguson, King County (Washington) Council
Justine Fox-Young, New Mexico House of Representatives
Elba Garcia, Mayor Pro-Tem, Dallas (Texas)
Veronica Gonzales, Texas House of Representatives
Rachel Kaprielian, Assistant Majority Leader, Massachusetts House of Representatives
Brian Krolicki, Lieutenant Governor, Nevada
Kris Mayes, Arizona Corporation Commissioner
Dustin McDaniel, Attorney General, Arkansas
Shane Osborn, State Treasurer, Nebraska
Sean Parnell, Lieutenant Governor, Alaska
Hannah Pingree, Majority Leader, Maine House of Representatives
Kasim Reed, Georgia State Senate
Lewis Reed, President, St. Louis (Missouri) Board of Aldermen
Marco Rubio, Speaker, Florida House of Representatives
Derek Schmidt, Majority Leader, Kansas State Senate
Lawrence Wasden, Attorney General, Idaho

For additional information concerning the Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership, please contact the program’s assistant director, Gia Regan, at 202/736-2525 or at gia.regan@aspeninstitute.org. In addition, more information on Rodel Fellows and the program can be found at www.aspeninstitute.org/rodel.

The Aspen Institute, founded in 1950, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering enlightened leadership and open-minded dialogue. Through seminars, policy programs, conferences, and leadership development initiatives, the Institute and its international partners seek to promote nonpartisan inquiry and an appreciation for timeless values. The Institute is headquartered in Washington, DC, and has campuses in Aspen, Colorado, and on the Wye River on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Its international network includes partner Aspen Institutes in Berlin, Rome, Lyon, Tokyo, New Delhi, and Bucharest, and leadership programs in Africa, Central America and India.

Contact: