Donna Brazile to keynote 2011 Professional Conference

Donna Brazile

Political analyst and media commentator Donna Brazile will deliver the keynote speech Oct. 20 at the 2011 Education Minnesota Professional Conference in St. Paul.

Brazile, a New Orleans native, has been active in politics since age 9, when she supported a city council candidate who promised to build a playground in her neighborhood. She currently serves on the Democratic National Committee as vice chair of voter registration and participation. She was involved in every presidential campaign from 1976 through 2000, when she became the first African American woman to head a major presidential campaign (that of then-Vice President Al Gore).

Known for her outspoken style, Brazile also works extensively as an analyst and commentator for media outlets including CNN, ABC News, NPR’s “News and Notes” and “This Week with Christiane Amanpour,” as well as the print publications Roll Call and Ms.

Brazile is also the author of a best-selling autobiography, "Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics," and an adjunct professor of women’s and gender studies at Georgetown University in Washington.
 
Before serving as DNC vice chair, Brazile led the party’s Voting Rights Institute, established in 2001 to help protect and promote the rights of all American citizens to participate in the electoral process. She served this year as interim party chair during the transition to Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s assuming the post.

Brazile says her passion is encouraging young people to vote, work within the system to strengthen it, and run for public office.

Brazile is founder and managing director of Brazile & Associates LLC, a general consulting, grassroots advocacy, and training firm based in Washington.

The Education Minnesota Professional Conference is set for Oct. 20 and 21 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre. The first day of the conference includes activities all day, including Brazile’s speech. The second day focuses on workshops that can be counted toward teacher license renewal. The conference is free and open to the public.

April 27, 2011