Everyday Democracy
How Local Leaders are Building Trust and Belonging
Event
Agenda & Speakers for this event can be found on the conference page.
Please join New America’s Political Reform Program, New America’s Education Policy Program, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE), Campus Compact, and Democracy Notes on Oct 24, 2025 from 10am-12pm for a dynamic, in-person event with civic leaders from across the country.
The program will feature back-to-back fireside chats with experts who are advancing participatory governance in communities around the United States. From local democracy forums to grassroots coalitions, panelists will discuss how they are building trust, collectively solving everyday problems, and strengthening civic life at the local level.
This interactive conversation will bring together practitioners from inside and outside government who are reimagining how residents and institutions work together. We will explore how culture—our shared norms, stories, and ways of engaging—shapes the practice of democracy, and why that matters more than ever in an era of national polarization and fractured federal infrastructure.
Participants will gain insights into innovative approaches that foster belonging, bridge divides, and widen civic participation in decision-making. Whether through public assemblies, co-governance models, or creative community-building, these leaders are showing how democratic culture can be sustained and renewed from the ground up.
Speakers:
- Sam Berger, Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- Kevin A. Christian, Director, Academic and Student Affairs, American Association of Community Colleges
- Mike Gavin, President, Delta College
- Hollie Russon Gilman, Senior Fellow, Political Reform Program, New America
- Shannon N. Green, President and CEO, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement
- Bobbie Laur, President, Campus Compact
- Kimberlyn Leary, Senior Fellow, New America and an Emma Bloomberg Lecturer in Public Policy and Management, Harvard Kennedy School
- Mark Schmitt, Senior Director, Political Reform Program, New America
- Rupa Ventakesh, Assistant City Manager, City of Fort Collins, Colorado
- Richard Young, Executive Director, CivicLex
This event is in partnership with Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE), Campus Compact, Democracy Notes, and New America’s Education Policy Program.
