Podcasts about democracy award

Imagine you're at home when you hear a knock. At your door are people who want you to share, in detail, who you voted for in the last election, months ago. When you ask them who they are and where they're from, they remain vague and perhaps even aggressive.This was the case for some Americans in the years after the 2020 election, part of a spate of behaviors by election skeptics and deniers that, in some cases, amounted to voter intimidation. The history of voter intimidation in the United States is sordid and violent, especially in the century between the U.S. Civil War and the passage of strong voter protections in the 1960s. But it's important to remember that voter intimidation is against the law. Whether you're voting in-person, by mail or via election dropbox, you should never be made to feel unsafe or intimidated while exercising your freedom to vote..Carly Koppes, the clerk and recorder of Colorado's enormous Weld County, describes to us the steps she and fellow officials took when they received reports of unwelcome and unofficial vigilante election “auditors” going door to door in 2021. Christina Das of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund walks us through the bleak history of voter intimidation in America. And CLC's Jonathan Diaz explains how voter intimidation has evolved to become sneakier and more subversive in the digital age — and the steps you can take if you encounter it.Nationwide nonpartisan Election Protection (EP) hotline:866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683)Host and Guests:Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at CLC, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor's degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.Carly Koppes has been working in the Weld County Clerk and Recorder's office for twenty years starting in June of 2004. Her main department was the Election department, but she has also worked in the Recording and Motor Vehicle departments during her time working for the Clerk and Recorder office. She received her Colorado Election Official Certification from the Colorado Secretary of State in October 2007 and finished up her national designation of Certified Elections/Registration Administrators (CERA) through the Elections Center's Professional Education Program at Auburn University in July of 2014. Carly is a 2016 graduate of the Leadership Program of the Rockies and in 2019 she received her Public Leadership certification from Pepperdine University through the International Association of Government Officials. Carly was also honored along with the Colorado County Clerks Association to receive the Defender of Democracy Award from The Center for Election Innovation and Research in 2022. In 2023 Carly was appointed to the national Local Leadership Council of the Election Assistance Commission and was elected as the Vice Chair of the Council. Carly is the youngest person to be elected to the position of Weld County Clerk and Recorder.  Carly is currently serving on the Executive Board for the Colorado County Clerks Association; Carly was President of the Colorado County Clerks Association in 2021 and will serve as President in 2026.Christina Das is Counsel on the Black Voters on the Rise team with LDF, an interdisciplinary team leading year-round election protection and election administration advocacy efforts across the South, using legal, organizing, and advocacy tools to defend and advance the rights of Black voters to participate in our democracy. Christina's experience includes executing strategic campaigns to expand voter access, such as passing legislation for in-person Early Voting in South Carolina in 2022 and working with state-based coalitions to implement jail-based polling places for eligible detained individuals across Texas. She co-leads the national Election Protection Working Group for Jail and Post-Release Voting and has been working with system impacted individuals over the past four years to break down procedural barriers to accessing the ballot behind bars. Christina will lead LDF's election protection program in Texas for the 2024 cycle and support ongoing litigation efforts. Post-election, she works to safeguard the election certification process from any targeted sabotage efforts, as well as working on future policy and election administration reforms at the local, state, and federal level.Jonathan Diaz is Director for Voting Advocacy and Partnerships at Campaign Legal Center. Jonathan helps lead CLC's work on combating election manipulation and participates on behalf of CLC on a number of democracy reform coalitions, coordinating CLC's work with partner organizations at the national, state and local levels. He also litigates voting rights cases across the United States, including VoteAmerica v. Raffensperger (N.D.Ga.), LUCHA v. Fontes (D.Ariz.), and Raysor v. Lee (N.D.Fla./11th Cir./SCOTUS). Jonathan frequently provides commentary on voting rights and election law issues in the media; he has been quoted in publications including the New York Times, Miami Herald, and ProPublica, and has appeared on Univision, NPR, and CNN, where he was an election law analyst during the 2020 election cycle.Links:Is Voter Intimidation Illegal? What Should I Do If I Experience It? - Campaign Legal CenterTexas Appeals Court Overturns Crystal Mason's Conviction, 5-Year Sentence for Illegal Voting - The Texas TribuneVoter Intimidation in 2022 Follows a Long History of Illegal and Racist Bullying - The ConversationRetro Report: Poll Watchers and the Long History of Voter Intimidation - PBS LearningMediaHow to Navigate Intimidation and Other Obstacles to Voting - CNN About CLC:Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization which advances democracy through law at the federal, state and local levels, fighting for every American's right to responsive government and a fair opportunity to participate in and affect the democratic process. Learn more about us.Democracy Decoded is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what's broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

Former U.S. Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn is being honored by the Fulton County Democratic Party with the Saving Democracy Award. While in Atlanta, he talks with show host Rose Scott about his experience responding to the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, the upcoming election, and the current state of democracy. Plus, for “Closer Look's,” series focusing on the work of independent and third-party groups amid the 2024 presidential election cycle, Scott talked with members of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, the Green Party and the Working Families Party.The full interviews can be found here and here. Now, we hear from GSU politics and policy professor Tammy Greer for an analysis of each party's priorities and strategies.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In our time rife with political division and worry about our democracy, the contemplative practice does not allow us to be idle spectators. Rather, our spiritual practice is a gift for the Body as a whole. Let us explore together the demands of a contemplative life to face and heal the world around us. Sister Simone Campbell (Roman Catholic Sister of Social Service) is a religious leader, attorney, author and the recipient of a 2022 Presidential Medal of Freedom (the United States' highest civilian honor). She has extensive experience in public advocacy and is currently a leader of "Understanding US," a grassroots program to promote political healing in our nation. She is a member of the Auburn Seminary Senior Fellows. For 17 years she was executive director of NETWORK, Lobby for Catholic Social Justice and leader of Nuns on the Bus. In 2010, she wrote the "nuns' letter" that was seminal in passage of the Affordable Care Act. She has twice spoken at the Democratic National Conventions, appeared on numerous television and radio programs. She has received numerous other awards including the "Franklin D. Roosevelt Four Freedoms Award" and the "Defender of Democracy Award" from the Parliamentarians for Global Action. Prior to Washington, this native Californian led interfaith advocacy in Sacramento and for 18 years was the founder and lead attorney at the Oakland Community Law Center. Her two books, A Nun on the Bus (2014) and Hunger for Hope (2020), are award winning reflections on the substance of her life of justice seeking.

BET,  CNN, PBS, AURN It's 2 Weeks from Mid TermsMy Guest is the "Queen of Late Night Talk Radio". She has a lot to say about Unity, Equality, Community & Economics. Her Background in being a Foot Soldier in the Civil Rights Movement gives us a History lesson in Where we were in The March for Civil Rights Then & the Need to Be United in Wanting a More Prosperous Community & Growth Now.In 1969, Smith was appointed office manager for the National Conference of Christians and Jews, under Ralph King. In 1971, she was named Pittsburgh's first African American consumer affairs investigative reporter for NBC/ WPXI Television. She was then hired as news and public affairs director for Sheridan Broadcasting in 1975, and hosted a talk show on Sheridan's flagship station, WAMO. In 1977, Smith became the director of consumer affairs, as well as energy coordinator of her county in Pennsylvania. That same year, she moved her radio show to KDKA, where she also hosted a television show called Vibrations. Smith then became a radio host for Miami's WGBS (now WNMS) in 1979, and Orlando's WKIS in 1985. In 1988, Smith began hosting a local radio program in Washington D.C., as well as the national Black Entertainment Television talk show "Our Voices," which she hosted for over thirteen years.In 1998, Smith became the host of "The Bev Smith Show," on American Urban Radio Networks, which made her the only African American female radio talk show host with a nationally syndicated show in the country. Smith signed off the air as host of her show in 2011.Smith has received nearly 300 awards and recognitions for her contributions to radio and television, including the Spirit of Democracy Award, the Radio Air Crystal Award and the prestigious Max Robinson Award. She has also been selected by Talkers magazine as one of the most important radio talk show hosts in America.Bev Smith was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on June 9, 2014.© 2022 All Rights Reserved© 2022 Building Abundant Success!!Join Me on ~ iHeart Radio @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBASSpot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23baAmazon Music ~ https://tinyurl.com/AmzBASAudacy:  https://tinyurl.com/BASAud

How does the Venezuelan crisis of democracy relate to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other international trends? Venezuelan political leader and pro-democracy activist Leopoldo López joins the podcast to discuss with Francis Fukuyama and Marisa Kellam, a visiting scholar at CDDRL who researches the quality of democracy with a focus on Latin America. In this inspiring conversation, López emphasizes idealism, leadership, and his personal commitment to freedom.Leopoldo López is the founder and national coordinator of the Voluntad Popular political party. He received a Bachelor's degree cum laude in sociology and economics from Kenyon College and a Master's degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He was awarded an honoris causa doctorate in Law from Kenyon College in 2007.López was elected mayor of the municipality of Chacao in Caracas in 2000 and he finished his second term with a 92% approval rate. He also won third place at the World Mayor Awards and the 2007 and 2008 “Premio Transparencia,” awarded by Transparency International.In 2014 he was unjustly detained by the Maduro regime and was sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment. He spent four years in a military prison, a year and a half in house arrest, and another year and a half in the Spanish embassy in Caracas under political asylum. He was recognized by Amnesty International as a prisoner of conscience. Also, in 2015 his detention was declared arbitrary by the UN.In October 2020, López escaped from Venezuela through Colombia to join his family in Spain. It was the first time in seven years that he was able to be with his family in freedom. In his exile, López continues his fight for Venezuela's democracy and freedom.López has received several international awards for his fight for democracy and freedom in Venezuela. Among them, he was honored with the 2014 Harvard alumni achievement award, the NED's 2013 Democracy Award, the 2016 Geneva Summit Courage Award, and the 2017 Sakharov Prize for Freedom and Thought.Marisa Kellam researches the quality of democracy with a focus on Latin America and a growing interest in East Asia. Her research links institutional analysis to various governance outcomes in democracies along three lines of inquiry: political parties and coalitional politics; mass electoral behavior and party system change; and democratic accountability and media freedom. She has published her research in various peer-reviewed journals, including The British Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, Party Politics, Electoral Studies, and Political Communication.Originally from Santa Rosa, California, Kellam earned her Ph.D. in political science from UCLA and spent several years as an assistant professor at Texas A&M University. Since 2013, she has been an Associate Professor at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan, where she also served as Director of the English-based degree programs for the School of Political Science & Economics. Currently, she is a steering committee member for the V-Dem Regional Center for East Asia and a visiting scholar at the Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.

Our correspondent Hatice Kamer reports from Diyarbakir on the commemoration of Halabja massacre which took place in 1988, the arrest of 24 female activists in Diyarbakir, and awarding this year's Peace, Friendship and Democracy Award to Emine Şenyaşar, who has been fighting for justice for her husband and two children who died in 2018.  - Rapora Hatice Kamer ji Amedê li ser girtina 24 jinên çalakvan li Amedê, bîranîna Komkujiya Helepçe, xelatkirina Emîne Şenyaşar û mijarên din di nav raporê de hene.

Ekow N. Yankah is a Professor of Law at Cardozo School of Law in New York City. He teaches criminal law, criminal procedure, jurisprudence, policing and race, and torts. He is a celebrated teacher, scholar, and a voting rights and election law expert. In 2020, he was awarded the Guardian of Democracy Award by the New York Democratic Lawyers Council. He holds degrees from the University of Michigan, Columbia Law School, and Oxford University.

Dusty Johnson is South Dakota's U.S. Representative. He's also the latest winner of a Democracy Award given to him and his office in the category of transparency and accountability. He joins us today with details. SDPB's Richard Two Bulls talks about a new trial being conducted by the Black Hills Center for American Indian Health in regards to COVID-19. The spring of 2019 flooding took place across South Dakota. Curt Ulmer is from Menno and Jennifer Strait is from White River. We spoke with them in 2019 and today we catch up with them during a drought where situations are much different. Bishop Peter Muhich of the Catholic Dioceses of Rapid City and Bishop Donald DeGrood of the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls issued a joint statement saying COVID vaccinations are "not a universal moral duty." Does that contradict directions from Pope Francis? How are Catholics called to consider vaccination in a public health emergency? SDPB's Kevin Woster offers insight for this "On the Other Hand"

From CNN, BET, AURN I'm LIVE in Studio Talking w the Legendary Journalist & Talk Show Host Bev Smith This March, America marks a Historic Events It's Women's History Month, Bev's Birthday & The Anniversary of the Selma Marches for Voter's Rights. Voters Rights Now.......... He-La Cells is being Researched for a Cure for COVID, We Talk Black Inventors, Newspapers, Media, Community. Many Black & People of many cultures & races marched for civil rights . How have we fared since then? Talk Media Icon Bev Smith & I discuss History, Church, "Good Trouble" for America & Urban-American in the 21st Century. The collective efforts of many American's & cultures have helped this country grow economically, educationally & socially. Bev gives us her insight & tells us some of her experiences during her years in the industry. Bev is a History Maker, among Most Important Syndicated Talk Show Hosts in America. Smith began her television and radio career in 1971 when she was named Pittsburgh’s first African-American Consumer Affairs Investigative Reporter for WPXI Television. In 1975, she was named News and Public Affairs Director for Sheridan Broadcasting and hosted a lively talk show on Sheridan's flagship station, WAMO. Since then, Bev Smith has taken her “fire brand” style of talk shows to KDKA and WTAE Radio in Pittsburgh, WNWS in Miami, WKIS in Orlando and WRC in Washington DC. Bev also worked at Black Entertainment Television for over thirteen years, as the host of the popular national television talk show "Our Voices." In 2011, Bev signed off the air as host of "The Bev Smith Show" which was heard on the American Urban Radio Networks, where she was fondly known by many of her fans as "The Queen of Late Night Talk." She hosted the show since 1998, and was the only African American woman radio talk show host who had a nationally syndicated show in the country and was the only African American woman to host a nationally syndicated Radio show. Bev captures her audience with the latest news makers. Never afraid to tackle issues, she has lived with the homeless, walked the streets investigating prostitutes, raised money for babies with AIDS and talked with inmates on death row. She has interviewed personalities such as President Barack Obama, Bill Cosby, Cyril Wecht, MD, JD, Vice President Al Gore, Jesse Jackson, Maxine Waters, Al Sharpton and a host of guests, many of whom she now refers to as her “special 20 friends .Bev Smith Show offers a "Unique Community Connection," African-Americans know and trust her to deliver critical information and entertainment news. Bev is especially passionate and devoted to educating the public about literacy; she has worked with a number of organizations focused on improving literacy in the nation, including "Reading is Fundamental" and "Head Start." Bev is honored with the; “The Bev Smith Library Room” will open at the newly designed Garfield Commons –Community Room at the Pride Center, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Bev Smith library room is a multi-purpose learning room that will be available for to help youth and adults grow in literacy through reading. She has received nearly 300 awards, citations and trophies for her contributions in radio and television, including the Spirit of Democracy Award, the Radio Air Crystal Award and the prestigious Max Robinson Award. She has also been selected by Talkers magazine as one of the most important radio talk show hosts in America.For the past five years. Bev is also diligently working on her life story in a biography that will tell more about her experience working in an industry that didn’t always welcome her with open arms because of her color, gender and now her age. © 2021 All Rights Reserved © 2021 BuildingAbundantSuccess!! Join Me on ~ iHeart Radio @ https://tinyurl.com/iHeartBAS Spot Me on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yxuy23ba

This episode welcomes Iyad el-Baghdadi and Belabbes Benkredda to discuss the Arab Spring and its aftermath. Today’s show is the second of 2 parts. We explore the murder of Jamal Kashoggi, whom our guests knew personally; government repression, the situation in Palestine, Iyad el-Baghdadi's life journey, and the US role in the Middle East. Iyad el-Baghdadi is among the most influential human rights activists who rose to prominence during the Arab Spring protests. He is one of the top voices in the online Arab world, and has been published at The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Foreign Policy. He also runs a podcast called The Arab Tyrant Manual, and is a fellow at the Norwegian think tank Civita. Iyad is a stateless Palestinian who was born in Kuwait and raised in the United Arab Emirates, he is now a political refugee in Norway. Belabbes Benkredda is an Algerian-German social innovator, and the founder of The Munathara Initiative, an Arab online and television debate forum that promotes the voices of youth, women and marginalized communities in the Arab public. He was a recipient of the 2013 Democracy Award of the National Democratic Institute, and in 2016 became a World Fellow at Yale’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Belabbes is currently a senior research scholar at Yale Law School.

This episode welcomes Iyad el-Baghdadi and Belabbes Benkredda to discuss the Arab Spring and its aftermath. Today’s show is the first of 2 parts. We explore the use of Twitter and social media in the Middle East, the Arab Spring uprisings, the influence of the Obama administration during the Arab Spring, and the role of Putin and China in the Middle East and world affairs. Part 2 will air next week and cover additional topics. Iyad el-Baghdadi is among the most influential human rights activists who rose to prominence during the Arab Spring protests. He is one of the top voices in the online Arab world, and has been published at The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Foreign Policy. He also runs a podcast called The Arab Tyrant Manual, and is a fellow at the Norwegian think tank Civita. Iyad is a stateless Palestinian who was born in Kuwait and raised in the United Arab Emirates, he is now a political refugee in Norway. Belabbes Benkredda is an Algerian-German social innovator, and the founder of The Munathara Initiative, an Arab online and television debate forum that promotes the voices of youth, women and marginalized communities in the Arab public. He was a recipient of the 2013 Democracy Award of the National Democratic Institute, and in 2016 became a World Fellow at Yale’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs. Belabbes is currently a senior research scholar at Yale Law School.

Mike Signer is a former mayor who successfully promoted innovation and pluralism in one of America's most well-known cities; a corporate attorney and executive at a major Virginia technology firm; and a public scholar who writes and teaches about constitutionalism, statesmanship, and the rule of law. His leadership against extremism, intolerance, and demagoguery has been recognized around the nation. Mike served as Mayor of Charlottesville from 2016 to 2018, a AAA-bond-rated city of nearly 50,000 that is frequently ranked among America's best places to live and that has Virginia's lowest unemployment rate. He continues to serve on the City Council. He is Vice President and General Counsel of WillowTree, Inc., a digital design agency with over 200 employees whose clients include Fortune 500 companies such as GE, HBO, Nestle, and National Geographic. He serves on the firm's executive team and directs many corporate and strategic matters, including contract negotiations, regulatory compliance, real estate matters, and the firm's Social Impact practice. Mike is a lecturer at the University of Virginia, where he teaches classes on leadership. His books Demagogue: The Fight to Save Democracy from Its Worst Enemies (St. Martin's Press 2009) and Becoming Madison: The Extraordinary Origins of the Least Likely Founding Father (PublicAffairs 2015) both received widely positive reviews. They have been assigned in classes at Rutgers University, the University of Virginia, James Madison University, and George Mason University.  He has written opinion pieces and essays for The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Time, Vox, Democracy, and The New Republic, among others. Mike and the people of Charlottesville received the Anti-Defamation League's Levenson Family Defender of Democracy Award in 2017. He is the recipient of the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of California Alumni Club of Washington, D.C. He is a member of the 2018 class of Aspen Institute Rodel Fellows. He was recognized by Forward Magazine in its "Forward 50" 2017 list of the 50 most influential Jewish leaders in America. He was a 2009 candidate for lieutenant governor of Virginia. He has received senior appointments from three Virginia governors. He has been profiled by CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian and interviewed by Meet the Press, Face the Nation, the Rachel Maddow Show, and NPR's Morning Edition. He has been an invited speaker at Princeton University, Wake Forest University, Ryerson University, South by Southwest, Georgetown University, James Madison University, Marymount University, Israel's Foreign Ministry, the Friedrich Ebert Institute in Berlin, the Anti-Defamation League, the B'nai Brith Youth Organization, and the Richmond World Affairs Council. He has held many leadership roles in nonprofits and civic organizations. He is the former Chair of the Emergency Food Network and former President of the Fifeville Neighborhood Association, both in Charlottesville. He served on the Board of Directors of OneVirginia2021, which advocates for nonpartisan redistricting. As a law student at the University of Virginia, he founded the Coalition for Progress on Race and co-founded the Center for the Study of Race and Law. He was also President of the UVA Law Democrats and Co-President of the UVA chapter of the American Constitution Society. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from U.C., Berkeley, where he was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow; a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law; and a B.A. in politics, magna cum laude, from Princeton University, where he was a work-study student. You can learn more about Mike at his website (https://www.michaelsigner.com/) and give him a follow on twitter: @MikeSigner. Also, if you liked this episode and others, please support us at Patreon or follow me on Twitter: @brianlevenson or Instagram: @IntentionalPerformers. Thanks, Brian  

Almost two decades have passed since the Hong Kong handover ceremony and much has changed for the now self-governing special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. On 17 October the Lowy Institute hosted a conversation with Anson Chan, former Chief Secretary of the Hong Kong government both before and after the handover, and Martin CM Lee (Lee Chu Ming), founding Chairman of the Hong Kong Democratic Party. Chan and Lee will discuss Hong Kong’s relationship with the mainland, the outcome and implications of the recently concluded elections for the Legislative Council, and why Hong Kong should matter to the rest of the world. Anson Chan retired as the Chief Secretary for Administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in 2001. As Chief Secretary, she headed the 190 000-strong civil service. She was the first woman and the first Chinese to hold the second-highest governmental position in Hong Kong. During her career in the public service she was responsible for development of Hong Kong’s economic infrastructure including the planning and construction of Hong Kong’s new international airport, port expansion, and deregulation of the telecommunications market. Martin CM Lee (Lee Chu Ming) is a Senior Counsel (formerly, Queen’s Counsel). He is the founding Chairman (1994–2002) of the Democratic Party, which is one of the largest and most popular political parties in Hong Kong, and was an elected member of the Legislative Council from 1985 to 2008. The European People’s Party and European Democrats in the European Parliament named Mr Lee the first non-European recipient of the Schuman Medal in January 2000. In 1997, the National Endowment for Democracy presented its Democracy Award to Mr Lee at a Capitol Hill ceremony in Washington DC.

Belabbes Benkredda is an award-winning social innovator, open debate advocate and the founder of the Munathara Initiative, a fledging online and television debate forum for Arab youth. In 2013, he received the Democracy Award from the National Democratic Institute in Washington, DC for his work in fostering citizen participation in the Arab public sphere. Prior to the Initiative, Belabbes worked with the German Foreign Office, the League of Arab States and the Council for Arab-British Understanding. Since moving to Dubai in 2005, he’s been a government consultant specialized on public diplomacy in the Arab world, a frequent television commentator, and op-ed columnist for the region’s largest English daily. Belabbes studied International Relations, Philosophy of Law and Middle East Politics. A son of Algerian immigrants to Germany, he is a polyglot conversant in six languages and with a basic knowledge of another three.

Richard Fisher's lecture was given on March 30, 2010. Richard W. Fisher assumed the office of president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas on April 4, 2005. In this role, Fisher serves as a member of the Federal Open Market Committee, the Federal Reserve’s principal monetary policymaking group. Fisher is former vice chairman of Kissinger McLarty Associates, a strategic advisory firm chaired by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Fisher began his career in 1975 at the private bank of Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., where he specialized in fixed income and foreign exchange markets. He became assistant to the secretary of the Treasury during the Carter administration, working on issues related to the dollar crisis of 1978–79. He then returned to Brown Brothers to found its Texas operations in Dallas. In 1987, Fisher created Fisher Capital Management and a separate funds-management firm, Fisher Ewing Partners. Fisher Ewing’s sole fund, Value Partners, earned a compound rate of return of 24 percent per annum during his period as managing partner. He sold his controlling interests in both firms when he rejoined the government in 1997. From 1997 to 2001, Fisher was deputy U.S. trade representative with the rank of ambassador. He oversaw the implementation of NAFTA and various agreements with Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Chile, and Singapore. He was a senior member of the team that negotiated the bilateral accords for China's and Taiwan's accession to the World Trade Organization. Throughout his career, Fisher has served on numerous for-profit and not-for-profit boards. He has also maintained his academic interests, teaching graduate courses and serving on several university boards. He was a Weatherhead Fellow at Harvard in 2001, is an honorary fellow of Hertford College at Oxford University, and is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A first-generation American, Fisher is equally fluent in Spanish and English, having spent his formative years in Mexico. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy (1967–69), graduated with honors from Harvard University in economics (1971), read Latin American politics at Oxford (1972–73), and received an MBA from Stanford University (1975). In October of 2006, Fisher received the Service to Democracy Award and Dwight D. Eisenhower Medal for Public Service from the American Assembly. In April 2009, he was inducted into the Dallas Business Hall of Fame.