TSD Newsroom
State Sen. Raumesh Akbari (District 29, Memphis) is one of 15 leaders from across the country selected to join the NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders), a selective national network of rising state and local elected officials.
Members of the 165-plus-person network are working to enact pro-growth progressive solutions in a diverse array of communities and were chosen from among more than 1,500 nominations over the organization’s eight-year history.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) and former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell are honorary co-chairs.
Akbari and her peers in the new class of leaders were recognized for their “unwavering commitment to expanding opportunity, as they work to move their communities forward in the new economy and reject the idea that policymakers can or should want to turn the clock back to a prior era.”
The selected leaders’ work will help build on policy recommendations that NewDEAL Leaders help develop.
“While much of the political world is focused on the balance of power in D.C., we must also remember the tremendous impact that innovative state and local officials have on enacting policies that meet the demands of a changing world and expand opportunity for all,” said Senator Warner and former Governor Markell.
“Supporting the rising leaders in the NewDEAL has never been more important. We look forward to promoting the work of Senator Akbari and giving her the opportunity to learn from other leaders as she joins a network with a proven track record of governing successfully in diverse communities,” Warner and Markell said in an issued statement.
“As I continue to fight for progress on education and criminal justice reform in Memphis and for all Tennesseans, I look forward to sharing the lessons we have learned and hearing from other leaders who are setting the standard for effective governance,” said Akbari. “I’m excited to be a part of this new class and to work with them on NewDEAL’s efforts to expand opportunity in communities nationwide.”
Akbari first took office in 2013 as a member of the state House of Representatives (District 91). She is in her first term as a state senator.
(Learn more at http://www.newdealleaders.org/leaders.)
