Andrea Batista Schlesinger
Encyclopedia
Andrea Batista Schlesinger (born October 27, 1976 in Brooklyn, New York) was until 2009 the Executive Director of the Drum Major Institute
. In February 2009, she took a leave from that position to work as a policy adviser to the re-election campaign of Mayor of New York City
Michael Bloomberg
.http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/bloomberg-campaign-hire-has-civil-rights-ties/
. Since then, she has worked in various capacities to promote educational equity and youth empowerment. Andrea directed a national campaign to engage college students in the discussion on the future of Social Security
for the Pew Charitable Trusts, and served as Director of Public Relations of Teach For America
before working as the education advisor to Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer
.
From 2002 to 2009, Andrea Batista Schlesinger led the Drum Major Institute, a think-tank originally founded by an advisor to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement
. Under Andrea's leadership as Executive Director, DMI released several policy papers to national audienceshttp://www.pbs.org/now/politics/middleclassoverview.htmlhttp://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/01/the_drum_major.html including: Congress at the Midterm: Their Middle-Class Record http://www.drummajorinstitute.com/congress/ and Principles for an Immigration Policy to Strengthen and Expand the American Middle Class http://drummajorinstitute.org/immigration/.
, Alternet.com, Tom Paine.com, New York Sun
, Colorlines Magazine
, The Chief-Leader, and City Limits Magazine. She is also a contributor to The Huffington Post
and is on the Editorial Board at The Nation
.
Drum Major Institute
The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy is a non-profit American progressive public policy institute founded during the Civil Rights Movement...
. In February 2009, she took a leave from that position to work as a policy adviser to the re-election campaign of Mayor of New York City
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
.http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/bloomberg-campaign-hire-has-civil-rights-ties/
Background
Andrea was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, by a Dominican mother and a Jewish father. Andrea grew up in Sea Gate, outside of Coney Island. Her background led to a passion for protecting the American dream, and her political interests in high school led to her appointment as the student representative to the New York City Board of Education. Andrea later studied public policy at the University of ChicagoUniversity of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. Since then, she has worked in various capacities to promote educational equity and youth empowerment. Andrea directed a national campaign to engage college students in the discussion on the future of Social Security
Social Security (United States)
In the United States, Social Security refers to the federal Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance program.The original Social Security Act and the current version of the Act, as amended encompass several social welfare and social insurance programs...
for the Pew Charitable Trusts, and served as Director of Public Relations of Teach For America
Teach For America
Teach For America is an American non-profit organization that aims to eliminate educational inequity by enlisting the nation's most promising future leaders to teach for two or more years in low-income communities throughout the United States...
before working as the education advisor to Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer
Fernando Ferrer
Fernando James "Freddy" Ferrer was the Borough President of The Bronx from 1987 to 2001, and was a candidate for Mayor of New York in 2001 and the Democratic Party nominee for Mayor in 2005.- Background :...
.
From 2002 to 2009, Andrea Batista Schlesinger led the Drum Major Institute, a think-tank originally founded by an advisor to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
. Under Andrea's leadership as Executive Director, DMI released several policy papers to national audienceshttp://www.pbs.org/now/politics/middleclassoverview.htmlhttp://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2007/01/the_drum_major.html including: Congress at the Midterm: Their Middle-Class Record http://www.drummajorinstitute.com/congress/ and Principles for an Immigration Policy to Strengthen and Expand the American Middle Class http://drummajorinstitute.org/immigration/.
Publications
Andrea has been published in New York Newsday, Crains New York Business, The Mississippi Sun Herald, New York Daily NewsNew York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
, Alternet.com, Tom Paine.com, New York Sun
New York Sun
The New York Sun was a weekday daily newspaper published in New York City from 2002 to 2008. When it debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of an otherwise unrelated earlier New York paper, The Sun , it became the first general-interest broadsheet newspaper to be started...
, Colorlines Magazine
ColorLines Magazine
ColorLines, founded in 1998, is an American magazine that covers race and politics in society.Articles are primarily composed of essays, investigative reports, think pieces, opinion columns, cultural criticism, fiction, and humor pieces....
, The Chief-Leader, and City Limits Magazine. She is also a contributor to The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
and is on the Editorial Board at The Nation
The Nation
The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...
.
Accomplishments
Andrea has received much recognition for her work, including:- Awarded “40 under 40 Rising Star” by Crain's New York Business.
- Named “35 under 40 Rising Stars, The Next Generation of Political Leaders in New York” by City Hall Newspaper.
- Recipient of LatinaPAC’s Dolores Huerta Award for “making great strides in promoting progress in our community.”
- Named “Expert of the Week” by Fenton CommunicationsFenton CommunicationsFenton is a public interest communications firm based in the United States. Founded by David Fenton in 1982, the firm’s client list includes organizations associated with a diverse array of social issues. -Overview:...
' and the White House Project’s SheSource programhttp://www.shesource.org, a project promoting left-wing women policy experts to television and radio.