Public Agenda Announces Executive Promotions

NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2009 — Public Agenda, the nonprofit, nonpartisan civic engagement and research organization, today announced that Will Friedman has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. In addition, Alison Kadlec has been named Vice President of Public Engagement and Director of Public Agenda's Center for Advances in Public Engagement (CAPE), which researches, develops and disseminates new insights and practices to build the field of civic engagement and citizen-centered politics.

In his new role, Friedman will be responsible for leading the planning, implementation and administration of Public Agenda's new business development efforts and day-to-day operations. A main focus will be on executing growth strategies for the organization to more closely align its core competencies in public onion research and public engagement. He will remain Director of Public Engagement Programs and continue to expand and oversee Public Agenda's burgeoning portfolio of community-based public engagement projects.

Kadlec will be responsible for managing CAPE, where she will lead the development of research and evaluation to inform the work of practitioners in advancing civic problem solving. She will also act as Friedman's deputy in running the overall operations of the public engagement department, including new business development and will serve as project director for several of Public Agenda’s major engagement initiatives.

"With these senior management promotions, Public Agenda is concentrating its resources on providing a more robust and integrated approach to using research and public engagement to help communities and the nation address critical challenges. Friedman and Kadlec's strong leadership skills and deep experience in the field of civic engagement are unique assets which will build the organization's intellectual and institutional strengths," said Public Agenda's President Ruth Wooden.

Will Friedman joined Public Agenda in 1994 and founded the organizations’ public engagement department in 1996, overseeing a steady and expanding stream of work aimed at helping communities and states tackle tough issues in more inclusive, ways. In 2006 he established Public Agenda's Center for Advances in Public Engagement.

Since joining Public Agenda in 2005, Alison Kadlec has played an integral role in many public engagement and research projects, including a major initiative in the Kansas City region on math, science and technology education and workforce development.