Issue One updates

Issue One announces five new members to its Board of Directors


  • Jalen Lee

Issue One is pleased to announce the addition of five talented and renowned individuals to our Board of Directors: Donna Brazile, Barbara Brenner Buder, Emil Hill, Miti Sathe, and Patrick Toussaint. They join a growing movement to fix our broken political system by uniting leaders and key voices from across the political spectrum to usher in an era of comprehensive democracy reform. 

“Issue One is thrilled to welcome these distinguished individuals to our ranks,” said Issue One Founder and CEO Nick Penniman. “With decades of skilled experience both within and outside of government, their unique expertise will benefit our continued mission to renew democracy and create a system that works for all Americans.”

Donna Brazile is a veteran political strategist, author, adjunct professor, and former Interim Chair of the Democratic National Committee. She was the first African American woman to lead a major presidential campaign, serving as campaign manager of Vice President Al Gore’s bid for the presidency in 2000. Brazile has served as a fellow at Harvard University and currently teaches Women and Gender Studies at Georgetown University, while frequently offering her political analysis on cable television. Brazile is also a member of Issue One’s National Council on Election Integrity, a bipartisan group of more than 40 political, government and civic leaders devoted to defending the legitimacy of our elections.

Barbara Brenner Buder is a well-established business and finance expert. More recently, she served as Vice President of Finance and Administration for the San Francisco Theological Seminary. Brenner Buder has managed multi-million dollar budgets for religious institutions and negotiated contracts on behalf of large companies including Bank of America as their Executive Vice President of Corporate Development. A graduate of Yale University and UC Berkeley, she is an active volunteer in her California community, lending her skills to athletic, educational, and other recreational programs. 

Emil Hill comes to Issue One with 20 years of experience supporting some of the nation’s largest organizations, from Fortune 500 companies to civil and human rights organizations. He currently manages a diverse portfolio of high-level clients as Executive Vice President of Public Affairs at Powell Tate. Hill has served as a guest lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, the University of Southern California School of Business, and Morehouse College.

Miti Sathe is an expert executive with decades of experience working in and around politics, managing electoral and business campaigns, and leading diversity initiatives. She is the Founder and Executive Director of Square One, a non-profit that recruits and supports young, diverse, progressive Congressional candidates. Sathe previously served as Director of the Office of Public Engagement under President Obama and worked on his presidential campaign as Deputy Marketing Director. 

Patrick Toussaint has over a decade of experience leading teams and developing strategic solutions for global corporations. Currently serving as Executive Director of HR Strategy at JPMorgan Chase, Toussaint previously worked at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch. Having served on multiple state boards for policy research institutes, Toussaint has extensive experience in cultivating talented, effective, and diverse leadership. He is also Co-Founder of the Hudson County Progressive Alliance.

Issue One is honored and eager to work with these new members of Issue One’s Board of Directors.