About the institute
Board of Directors
The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate is dedicated to educating the public about the important role of the Senate in our government, encouraging participatory democracy, invigorating civil discourse, and inspiring the next generation of citizens and leaders to engage in the civic life of their communities.
Bruce A. Percelay
Chair of the Board
Andrew Card Jr.
Chairman, National Endowment for Democracy
Andrew H. Card, Jr. served as Chairman of the National Endowment for Democracy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions around the world, from January 2018 to January 2021. Card has also held numerous senior government positions under three Presidents, including Chief of Staff to President George W. Bush, Deputy Chief of Staff to President George H.W. Bush, and U.S. Secretary of Transportation. He also served in President Ronald Reagan’s Administration.
Card was President of Franklin Pierce University (2015 – 2016), served as Executive Director of the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas A&M (2013 – 2014), and was Acting Dean of The Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M. Card serves on the Board of Directors of Union Pacific, the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, the Board of Directors of Draganfly, the Business Advisory Board of BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics, Energy Security Partners, and Go Electric. He and his wife, The Reverend Kathleene Card, are from Holbrook, MA, have three children and six grandchildren.
Ranny Cooper
President of Weber Shandwick Public Affairs
The Honorable William “Mo” Cowan
Chief Legal and External Affairs Officer, Devoted Health
Senator William “Mo” Cowan (retired) is Chief Legal and External Affairs Officer for Devoted Health. Previously, Mo led global government affairs and global litigation for General Electric. Earlier in his career, Mo was a partner at Mintz Levin and was President and CEO of ML Strategies.
In 2013, Governor Deval Patrick appointed Mo to serve as the interim U.S. Senator. From 2009-2013,Mo held senior leadership roles in Governor Patrick’s administration.
Mo serves on governance and advisory boards for the Massachusetts General Hospital, Duke University, MassChallenge, Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate, Eastern Bank Corporation, Stackwell Capital, and Mass General Brigham. Mo also is a founding member of the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund.
Mo is a graduate of Duke University and Northeastern University School of Law. He holds honorary degrees from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, Bridgewater State College and Newbury College.
Stephanie Cutter
Partner & Cofounder, Precision Strategies
Stephanie Cutter is a co-founder and partner at Precision. At Precision, Stephanie has revolutionized the integration of data-driven communications with digital and campaign style organizing to improve reputations, reset a narrative, manage crises and drive people to action. She has improved the brand of one of the nation’s largest health insurers during a controversial merger; successfully launched a news network; restored the reputation of a multinational financial institution; reshaped a national storyline on behalf of a leading professional athlete; and successfully managed a global crisis for a well known consumer tech platform. The New York Times called Stephanie “the polished, sometimes scarily organized strategist who gets things done” and who “has a long and favorable reputation with some of the most influential journalists and opinion makers in Washington.” Named “one of the most prominent voices in the [Democratic] party, and one of its top strategists and crisis managers” by Politico, Stephanie has crafted high-level communications, reputation and crisis- management strategies for two U.S. Presidents, U.S. Senate leaders, and the nation’s highest profile political campaigns and Fortune 500 corporations. After helping to elect President Obama in 2008 and serving in the White House as a senior adviser, Stephanie was President Obama’s 2012 deputy campaign manager in charge of communications, media, policy, and research as well as being a member of the senior strategy team.
In 2020, Stephanie once again changed the political communications game as the Chief Program Executive for the first-ever virtual Democratic National Convention and the Executive Producer of President Biden’s Inauguration. According to the Washington Post, the Convention was a “production that knew exactly what story it wanted to tell and how to use the tools of electronic persuasion to tell it.” Stephanie was nominated for an Emmy award for production of “Celebrating America,” the inaugural primetime special at the Lincoln Memorial which was watched by more than 100 million people.
GQ named her one of “the 50 most powerful people in Washington.” Prior to working with President Obama, Stephanie served as a senior aide to Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, Senator Ted Kennedy, Senator John Kerry, and President Bill Clinton. Stephanie is the former co-host of CNN’s Crossfire, and frequently appears on TV networks and cable offering commentary of the news of the day.
The Honorable Thomas A. Daschle
Former Democratic Leader of the U.S. Senate
An Air Force veteran and four-term Congressman from South Dakota, Tom Daschle won election to the Senate in 1986 and was elected Democratic Leader by his colleagues in 1996. Daschle held that leadership position for eight years, becoming the first Democrat to serve as both Majority Leader and Minority leader on two separate occasions. Currently, Senator Daschle serves as CEO for the Daschle Group, which he founded. He also serves on the boards of the Center for American Progress and National Democratic Institute. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Health Policy and Management Council at the Harvard School of Public Health. In 2007 he joined former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Robert J. Dole, and George J. Mitchell to found the Bipartisan Policy Center.
The Honorable Chris Dodd
Senior Counsel, Arnold & Porter
Former United States Senator Chris Dodd represented Connecticut in the United States Congress for 36 years – six years in the House of Representatives and thirty years in the Senate. A widely respected legislator with a reputation for reaching across party lines, Senator Dodd is best known as an author or co-author of several pieces of landmark legislation, including the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Help America Vote Act, and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. He served as a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is a recognized expert on Latin America. Senator Dodd is currently Senior Counsel at the law firm Arnold & Porter, after serving seven years as Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association.
The Honorable Linda Dorcena Forry
Former Massachusetts State Senator
Linda Dorcena Forry is the Vice President Northeast Region, for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Relations at Suffolk Construction. Linda is a former Massachusetts State Senator and State Representative. She served 13 years in elected office and worked over two decades in the public sector in various capacities in both state and local government. Linda is a graduate of Boston College Carroll School of Management, and also holds a Masters in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She lives in Dorchester with Bill Forry, her husband, and four children.
Cody Keenan
Chief Speechwriter for President Barack Obama
Cody Keenan wrote alongside President Obama for 14 years, rising from a campaign intern in Chicago to become Obama’s chief speechwriter at the White House and post-presidential collaborator. He discovered his passion for public service during his first job in Washington – as a young aide to Senator Edward M. Kennedy. Today, Cody is a partner at leading speechwriting firm Fenway Strategies, teaches a popular course on speechwriting at his alma mater Northwestern University, and in 2022, his first book Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America became an instant New York Times Bestseller. He lives in New York City with his wife Kristen and their daughter Gracie.
The Honorable Joseph P. Kennedy
Founder, Groundwork Project
A former Congressman, legal aid volunteer, and assistant district attorney, Joe Kennedy founded Groundwork Project to address pervasive disparities in the American political system and to help build a Democratic Party that is more inclusive, representative, and fair.
In addition to Groundwork Project, Kennedy now serves as a senior advisor to the Emerson Collective, the Poor People’s Campaign and the National Association of Community Health Centers and appears on CNN as a political commentator. He also serves on the boards of Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, the Woodwell Climate Research Center, the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health and the Robert F. Kennedy Children’s Action Corps.
Prior to serving in Congress, Kennedy was an Assistant District Attorney in Massachusetts. He attended Stanford University and Harvard Law School, where he was an active member of the Legal Aid Bureau, and spent two years in the United States Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. The grandson of former U.S. Attorney General and Senator Robert Kennedy and great-nephew of President John F. Kennedy and Senator Ted Kennedy, he and his wife live in Newton, Massachusetts with their two young children.
The Honorable Patrick J. Kennedy
Former US Representative, Rhode Island; Founder, The Kennedy Forum; Co-Founder, One Mind
During his time in Congress, Patrick J. Kennedy co-authored the landmark Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (Federal Parity Law), which requires insurers to cover treatment for mental health and substance use disorders no more restrictively than treatment for illnesses of the body, such as diabetes and cancer. In 2013, he founded The Kennedy Forum, a nonprofit that unites advocates, business leaders, and government agencies to advance evidence-based practices, policies, and programming in mental health and addiction. In 2015, Kennedy co-authored the New York Times Bestseller, “A Common Struggle: A Personal Journey Through the Past and Future of Mental Illness and Addiction,” which details a bold plan for the future of
mental health care in America. In 2017, he was appointed to the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. Kennedy is also the founder of DontDenyMe.org, an educational campaign that empowers consumers and providers to understand parity rights and connects them to essential appeals
guidance and resources; co-founder of One Mind, an organization that pushes for greater global investment in brain research; co-founder of Psych Hub, the most comprehensive online learning platform on mental health, substance use, and suicide prevention topics in the world; co-chair of the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention’s Mental Health & Suicide Prevention National Response to COVID-19 (National Response); and co-chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Behavioral Health Integration Task Force.
Martin Luther King III
Global Human Rights Activist and CO-Founder of Drum Major Institute
As the oldest son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Martin Luther King III serves as an ambassador of his parent’s legacy of nonviolent social change. A graduate of his father’s Alma mater, Morehouse College, Mr. King has devoted his life to working in the non-profit sector to promote civil rights and global human rights and to eradicate the “triple evils” of racism, militarism and poverty his father identified as the scourges of humankind. As a high school student, he served as a Page to Senator Edward Kennedy, and continued his public service, supporting social change movements through speaking engagements, appearances and his writing
As the elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the organization co-founded by his father, Mr. King reinvigorated SCLC by stabilizing the governance, program and development components. A former President and CEO of the Atlanta-based King Center, Mr. King remains a member of its Board of Directors. In addition, Mr. King has conducted nearly 40 Poverty Study Tours in a groundbreaking initiative, which has sparked public debate and law enforcement advocacy on the issue of poverty. In conjunction with Ambassador Andrew Young and other partners, Mr. King co-founded Bounce TV, the first independently owned and operated TV network featuring African-Americans. The network’s content includes movies, sports, documentaries and original programming. The recipient of numerous awards and honorary degrees, Mr. King is married to Arndrea Waters King and the father of a daughter, Yolanda Rene named in honor of his late sister Yolanda Denise King.
The Honorable Martin T. Meehan
President, University of Massachusetts
Marty Meehan, the first undergraduate alumnus to lead the five-campus
University of Massachusetts system, has served as president
since 2015, following eight years as Chancellor of UMass
Lowell. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 to 2007.
With an abiding belief in public higher education’s power to
transform lives, President Meehan has called the University of Massachusetts
“the most important institution in Massachusetts in the critical areas of social
mobility and economic growth.” Under his leadership, every campus has
achieved national rankings, the university’s enrollment has grown to nearly
75,000 students, institutional financial aid has grown by 67 percent to $395
million per year, and the research enterprise has grown to $813 million in
annual investment. A system-wide efficiency and effectiveness initiative has
generated more than $100 million in savings over the last two years. The
university recently received its three largest philanthropic gifts in its history,
totaling nearly $250 million.
Representing the 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House, President
Meehan served on the House Armed Services and Judiciary committees and
established a national reputation for his legislative leadership. He earned
recognition for efforts to protect the public from the health risks of tobacco
and pass the 2002 bi-partisan campaign reform law, known as the McCain-
Feingold Bill in the Senate and the Shays-Meehan Bill in the House.
Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, President Meehan was one of seven children in
a family where the importance of education was emphasized. A first-
generation college student, he attended Lowell public schools and graduated
cum laude from UMass Lowell in 1978 with a degree in education and political
science. He earned a master’s degree in public administration from Suffolk
University in 1981 and a juris doctor from Suffolk University Law School in
1986.
Robert Shrum
Director of the Center for the Political Future and the Carmen H. and Louis Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics at USC Dornsife
Robert Shrum is the Director of the Center for the Political Future and the Carmen H. and Louis Warschaw Chair in Practical Politics at USC Dornsife. A legendary political strategist, he was once described as “the most sought-after consultant in the Democratic Party,” by The Atlantic Monthly. After a storied career working for clients like Senator Edward M. Kennedy, Senator Barbara Mikulski, and the presidential campaigns of Vice President Al Gore and Senator John Kerry, Shrum was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) in 2015. As a journalist, Shrum’s work has appeared in the New York Times, New York Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Time, Newsweek, and The Huffington Post. Now he enjoys instructing the next generation of leaders at USC, with a prior academic career that includes teaching at New York University, time as a Silliman Fellow at Yale, and serving as a Kennedy Fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard. Shrum is a graduate of Georgetown University and the Harvard Law School.
The Honorable John E. Sununu
Former U.S. Senator, New Hampshire
Senator John Sununu served for three terms in the House of Representatives (1997-2003) and for six years as the youngest member of the United States Senate (2003-2009). Before entering public service, Sununu worked for emerging high-tech firms as an engineer, strategy consultant, and a Chief Financial Officer. In Congress, he put his financial and technical expertise to work for the country, serving on Senate committees such as Commerce, Finance, Banking, and Foreign Relations.
He is currently a Director for Boston Scientific, a leading manufacturer of medical devices, having joined the board in 2009, and serves as Senior Advisor for TAP Advisors, an investment bank specializing in technology, media, and telecommunications. In 2018 he also joined the Governing Council of Lloyds of London, the world’s oldest and most successful insurance marketplace.
Previously, John served on the board of the Close-Up Foundation, Washington DC’s pre-eminent civics education program. He is currently a Trustee of the American University of Beirut. Senator Sununu holds BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from Harvard University. He and his wife Kitty have three children.
Marcelo Suárez-Orozco
Chancellor, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Marcelo Suárez-Orozco is Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Prior to his return to the Commonwealth, he served as the inaugural UCLA Wasserman Dean and Distinguished Professor of Education. Dr. Suárez-Orozco’s research focuses on conceptual and empirical problems in the areas of cultural psychology and psychological anthropology with a focus on the study of mass migration, globalization and education. He is the author of numerous scholarly essays, award-winning books and edited volumes published by Harvard University Press, Stanford University Press, University of California Press, Cambridge University Press, Columbia University Press and others. His scholarly papers are published in a range of disciplines and languages in international journals. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, W. T. Grant, Spencer, Rockefeller, Hewlett, Ford and Carnegie, and multiple others. He has also served as the Victor S. Thomas Professor of Education and as Member of the Inaugural Executive Committee of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies at Harvard University. At NYU, he served as the inaugural Courtney Sale Ross University Professor.
Dr. Suárez-Orozco earned his A.B. in psychology, M.A. in anthropology, and Ph.D. in anthropology at UC Berkeley. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts with his wife, the eminent psychologist of immigration, Carola Suárez-Orozco. Carola and Marcelo’s hobbies include taking Lilly – their Papillon, for long walks in Boston Harbor and, whenever possible, biking in the woods of Western Massachusetts.
Henry M. Thomas III
President Emeritus, Urban League of Springfield, Inc.
Henry M. Thomas III serves as President Emeritus of the Urban League of Springfield, Inc / Camp Atwater which is the oldest African American overnight youth camp in the United States. Mr. Thomas has served in the Urban League movement for fifity-two years and co-founded New Leadership Charter School in Springfield, Massachusetts, served as previous past Vice President for Youth Development of the National Urban League in New York and is a former chair of the Springfield Fire Commission and Springfield Police Commission. Mr. Thomas has been recognized with several awards and honors including honorary degrees from UMAS Medical School,Westfield State University and Bath Path University, Distinguished Service Awards from the University of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Legislative Black Caucus, and the President’s Medallion from one of his alma maters Western New England University.
Emeritus Board
Ambassador Victoria Reggie Kennedy
Co-Founder and Board President Emerita
Victoria Reggie Kennedy is the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Austria. Prior to her appointment, Ambassador Kennedy was an attorney based in the Boston, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C. offices of the global law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP.
Ambassador Kennedy has been an active leader in the business community of Boston and the greater New England region. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, where she advocated for public policies that contribute to economic success and generate economic opportunity for people and businesses in the region. Ambassador Kennedy has also been a champion for the arts. She was a Trustee of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts where she chaired the Education Committee for more than a decade. She also served for many years on the Board of Overseers of Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts.
Ambassador Kennedy is a leading voice for the empowerment of women and girls and has championed diversity, inclusion, and equity in the workplace. She has been a strong proponent for gun violence prevention, serving on the Board of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence for ten years and co-founding a non-profit organization, Common Sense About Kids and Guns. She advocated for expanding medical research and access to health care to all Americans and was actively involved in the passage of the Affordable Care Act of 2010.
Ambassador Kennedy earned a B.A. in English from Newcomb College and a J.D. from Tulane Law School, both in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is the recipient of numerous civic awards and honors, including eight honorary degrees.
James J. Karam
President and Founder of First Bristol Corporation
James Karam is president and founder of First Bristol Corporation and provides the leadership and direction of this 38-year-old New England Real Estate Development and Management Company. Founded in 1975, First Bristol’s focus has been the development of major retail shopping centers, first-class office buildings, and hotels throughout Southern New England. Mr. Karam’s commitment to excellence is evidenced by the broad scope of the company’s varied developments and his recognition for being in the forefront of this ever-changing industry. He also is co-owner of WSAR and WHTB radio stations, serving the Massachusetts Southcoast region. Mr. Karam’s current and past professional and civic affiliations are extensive, including as former Chairman of the Board of Governors of the largest New England community health care system, Caritas Christi Health Care System, 10 years as a Trustee and former Chair of the Board for the University of Massachusetts five (5) campus system, and currently as a Board member of the Boston-based Steward Health Care System.
John M. Connors Jr.
Founding Partner and Chairman Emeritus of Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, Inc.
John M. Connors is a founding partner and Chairman Emeritus of Hill, Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos, Inc., a full-service marketing communications company. Under his leadership, Hill, Holliday evolved from a one-room shop in 1968 to one of the nation’s top 20 advertising firms, and counts some of the most well-known brands in the world – including Dunkin’ Donuts, Bank of America, CVS/Pharmacy and Liberty Mutual – among its clients. A Trustee of Boston College, Mr. Connors is known for his extensive involvement in Boston’s civic life and deep commitment to philanthropy, including his support of Camp Harbor View, The Campaign for Catholic Schools and dozens of other charitable organizations. He served for 16 years as Chairman of the Partners HealthCare System Board and currently serves on the Board of Fellows at Harvard Medical School.
A. Lee Fentress
Co-Founder of Octagon
Lee Fentress coordinated Senator Kennedy’s Oral History Project with the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. A Louisiana native who came to know Robert F. Kennedy while serving as an Assistant United States Attorney, Fentress served on the staff of RFK’s historic 1968 Presidential campaign. Following Senator Robert F. Kennedy’s death, Fentress and his law partners formed ProServ, which is often credited with pioneering the modern sports marketing and management industry and led to the creation of Octagon, a global leader in sports, music, and entertainment marketing that recently celebrated its 30th anniversary.
The Honorable Judd Gregg
Former United States Senator
Judd Gregg served as a United States Senator from 1993 to 2011. He was Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Budget Committee and also Chairman and ranking member of the Help, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee. Gregg chaired or was the ranking member of the Appropriation’s subcommittees on Foreign Operations; Homeland Security; and Commerce, State and Justice. He was also a member of the Senate Banking Committee. Prior to his tenure in the Senate, Judd Gregg served as Governor of New Hampshire from 1989 to 1993 and as U.S. Representative from 1981 to 1989. Senator Gregg was appointed as Dartmouth College’s first Distinguished Fellow and where he lectures on national governance and history issues. Gregg serves as a director of Honeywell Corporation.
The Honorable Trent Lott
Former Republican Leader of the U.S. Senate
Senator Trent Lott represented the people of Mississippi in Congress for 35 years and is one of the very few elected officials in our nation’s history to have held elected leadership posts in both the House of Representatives and the United States Senate. Lott served as the House Minority Whip, the 2nd ranking Republican in the House, from 1981 to 1989 and as Senate Majority Leader from 1996 to 2002. He was also elected by his colleagues to serve as Senate Republican Whip in 2006, and is the only person to have held that position in both the House and Senate. Senator Lott currently serves as Senior Counsel at Patton Boggs LLP. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center and the author of Herding Cats: A Life in Politics.
Ralph C. Martin
Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Northeastern University
A highly accomplished trial attorney and civic leader with more than 30 years of private and public sector experience, Ralph Martin currently serves as a Senior Vice President and General Counsel at Northeastern University. Martin made history while serving as the first African American District Attorney in Suffolk County, where his prosecutorial work won acclaim from former President Bill Clinton and former Attorney General Janet Reno. He is the previous chair of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce and currently serves on a number of boards, including the Board of Directors of Boston Children’s Hospital and BlueCross and BlueShield of Massachusetts.
Barry Mills
Interim Chancellor, University of Massachusetts Boston
Barry Mills has served as interim chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston since July 1, 2017. He previously was president of Bowdoin College, from 2001-2015, and was deputy presiding partner of Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City, one of the nation’s preeminent international law firms. He joined the firm in 1979 and became a partner in 1986. His work at Debevoise concentrated on corporate law, real estate, and corporate finance.
Dr. J. Keith Motley
Chancellor Emeritus, University of Massachusetts Boston
J. Keith Motley served as the 8th Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Boston, an institution with nearly 16,000 undergraduate and graduate students, a faculty of more than 1,000, and a $323 million annual budget. With more than 20 years of experience in higher education administration, Dr. Motley is also a founder of the Roxbury Preparatory Charter School, Concerned Black Men of Massachusetts, and the Paul Robeson Institute for Positive Self-Development. Dr. Motley serves on numerous boards of community organizations with local, regional, and national reach, and he holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northeastern University and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Boston College.
The Honorable Louis B. Susman
Former United States Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s
Louis B. Susman was sworn in as the United States Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s on July 29, 2009 by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He took up his duties in London on August 17, 2009 and retired on April 3, 2013. A banker and a lawyer with extensive experience, Ambassador Susman was the Vice Chairman of Citigroup Corporate and Investment Banking. He is also a former member of the Citigroup International Advisory Board. Prior to joining Salomon Brothers, Inc. in June 1989, Mr. Susman practiced law in the City of St. Louis for 27 years and was a senior partner at the St. Louis based law firm of Thompson & Mitchell. Ambassador Susman is presently the Non-Executive Chairman of Edelman, Special Advisor to BDT Capital Partners and Special Advisor to Henry Crown & Co. In addition, Ambassador Susman is a member of the Board of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
Fred.A Seigel
President and Chief Operating Officer, Beacon Capital Partners
Fred Seigel is the President and Chief Operating Officer of Beacon Capital Partners, a Boston-based private real estate investment firm with offices in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, DC, London, Luxembourg, and Paris. Prior to joining Beacon Capital, Mr. Seigel served as Managing Director of Latona Associates, a private merchant bank, and as Founder, President & Director of Energy Capital Partners, which specialized in financing energy projects across the United States. Mr. Seigel is a member of The Real Estate Roundtable and also serves on the Board of Directors for the Greenprint Foundation and the Citi Performing Arts Center.
Barbara A. Souliotis
Former State Director, Office of The Honourable Edward M. Kennedy
Barbara Souliotis is the only staff person to work for Senator Edward M. Kennedy for the entirety of his nearly 47-year Senate career. She first began working with Senator Kennedy while he served in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in the early 1960’s. For the last 23 years of Senator Kennedy’s Senate service, Barbara ran his Boston office as Senator Kennedy’s State Director, a role she would reprise for his successor, interim U.S. Senator Paul G. Kirk, Jr. Barbara currently serves on the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation’s New Frontier Award Committee, and was honored with the 2003 Congressman John Joseph Moakley Exemplary Public Service Award.
In Memoriam
Nick Littlefield (August 6, 1942 – February 4, 2017)
Partner at Foley Hoag, LLP
From 1989 through 1997, Nick Littlefield served as Staff Director and Chief Counsel for the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, where he worked under Senator Kennedy’s direction to pass landmark legislation including the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Ryan White AIDS Care Act, the Prescription Drug User Fee Act, the Family & Medical Leave Act, and the Safe Medical Devices Act. As a partner at Foley Hoag, LLP, Nick chaired the firm’s Government Strategies Group starting in 1998, and taught frequently at Harvard Law School, Northeastern University, and The Heller School for Social Policy and Management. From 1972 to 1976, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.
David W. Burke (April 3, 1936 – April 18, 2014)
Founding Director
David W. Burke was an American news executive and political administrator. He was Vice President ABC News, where he worked with Peter Jennings and Barbara Walters, among others. President of CBS News (1988–90). He was the executive secretary of the Advisory Committee on Labor-Management Policy under President Kennedy. In 1965, Mr. Burke joined Senator Kennedy’s staff as a legislative assistant. Within three weeks he was shepherding legislation to abolish the poll tax and liberalize immigration. The next year, he became administrative assistant, the top job in a Senate office. Mr. Burke served as a Founding Director of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate.
Kara Kennedy (February 27, 1960 – September 16, 2011)
Board Member
Kara Kennedy gave her time to Sibley Hospital, and to the women of the N Street Village in Washington, D.C. She served as a board member of the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate where she co-produced a film about the Institute that was shown at its inaugural groundbreaking event. Kennedy was a reading tutor and was preparing to join the Board of Reading Partners at the time of her death.
Kennedy was on the National Advisory Board of the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (NOFAS)