Diverse Set of Leaders Join New Advisory Board at Georgetown’s McCourt School of Public Policy

Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy is pleased to announce the formation of a new advisory board to support the school’s mission of building an inclusive community of rigorously trained, ethically grounded future leaders and providing bold solutions that drive impact for the common good. The McCourt School welcomes to its founding advisory board seventeen dynamic leaders in politics, policy, business and philanthropy who will support the school as it forges its new chapter.

The founding McCourt School advisory board members include:

• Neil Bradley (C’98), EVP & Chief Policy Officer, US Chamber of Commerce
• Tami Buckner, Partner, Michael Best Strategies
• Robert Doar, President and Morgridge Scholar, American Enterprise Institute
• Maria Ghazal (MPP’90), Senior Vice President & Counsel, Business Roundtable
• Scott Gottlieb, Special Partner, NEA; Resident Fellow, AEI; and Former Commissioner, FDA
• Chanelle Hardy, Head of Civil Rights, Google   
• Dan Helfrich (F’98, MBA’99), Chairman & CEO, Deloitte Consulting LLC
• Michele Jawando, Senior Vice President of Programs, Omidyar Network
• Regina Johnson (MPM’20), Partner Inclusive Growth Strategy Lead, Microsoft
• Joe Lockhart (C’80), Managing Director, Rational 360
• Cecilia Munoz, Senior Advisor, New America
• Craig Newmark, CSR & Founder, Craig Newmark Philanthropies (craigslist, founder)
• Courtney Diesel O’Donnell (C’98), Advisor and Social Impact Leader, Commissioner, President’s Commission on White House Fellowships
• Luke Schoenfelder (C’12), Founder and CEO, Latch
• Dan Tangherlini, Multi-Sector Practitioner
• William Tatum, Senior Regional Community Engagement Lead, Amazon
• Nicholas Thompson, CEO, The Atlantic

“With its strengths and expertise, and its commitment to the common good, the McCourt School is uniquely positioned to address the most difficult challenges facing our world today.  This new advisory board is poised to help us engage in our work that much more deeply,” said Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia. “I wish to express my gratitude to each of these extraordinary individuals for their service to the McCourt School, and to Georgetown.”

Advancing strategic priorities, contributing expertise

The board will support the McCourt School in the advancement of its strategic priorities, including its aspiration to one day eliminate tuition barriers for students seeking a policy education, to double the size of the McCourt School faculty and to increase resources for research innovation, in an effort to generate more bold and evidence-based policy solutions that serve the common good.

The board will also contribute their expertise and extend their networks to expand the school’s issue-specific bench of experts and deepen the impact of their work, diversify experiential and career development opportunities for students, advance vibrant community programming at McCourt’s new home on Georgetown’s Capitol Campus, and further embed equity and inclusion within the school and its work. 

Reflecting a commitment to inclusion

In inviting partners to join its inaugural advisory board, the McCourt School took an intentional approach to broaden the set of voices, backgrounds and professional expertise represented among the leaders who will help the school write its next chapter. 

“This inspiring and accomplished set of individuals bring a variety of lived experience and professional expertise that reflect and strengthen our commitment to diversity and inclusion,” said McCourt School Dean Maria Cancian. “I cannot thank these leaders enough for their generosity, and I look forward to engaging them in our efforts to build the most inclusive public policy school in the nation.”

A bright and bold future

This new entity advances the bright and bold future of the McCourt School, and builds upon the momentum created earlier this year by the second transformational 0M investment in the school from Georgetown alumnus and civic entrepreneur Frank H. McCourt Jr. (C’75).

A full M will support scholarships and financial aid, increasing access for students historically underrepresented in public policy education, and marking a significant advancement of the school’s aspiration to be the most inclusive public policy school in the nation. An additional M will allow the McCourt School to continue making critical investments in faculty and research.

The McCourt School will soon break ground on a new home on Georgetown’s Capitol Campus, a space that will unite the school’s research and teaching arms for the first time, serve as a new platform for innovation and collaboration, and provide a dynamic front door to Georgetown for the policymaking world.