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RHIANA GUNN-WRIGHT POLICY DIRECTOR, NEW CONSENSUS

Policy Positions and Areas of Focus Core Communities Focused on climate policies as vehicle to Connected with progressive politicians and improve conditions for vulnerable activists who advance climate policies communities Progressive Politicians and Staff – Developed The Green New Deal – Developed Green New Deal with progressive politicians revolutionary policies to address climate • Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), change introduced Green New Deal bill • Recruited by Rep. Ocasio-Cortez Campaign • , Ocasio-Cortez Manager Saikat Chakrabarti to develop Campaign Manager and former Chief of policy framework to transition country off Staff, recruited Gunn-Wright to develop fossil fuels Green New Deal after meeting through her • Plan developed by Gunn-Wright includes work on Abdul El-Sayed’s campaign shifting to net-zero greenhouse gas • Ariel Eckblad, current Ocasio-Cortez Chief emissions, creating millions of high-wage of Staff, key to environmental agenda jobs, investing in infrastructure, securing • Dan Riffle, current Ocasio-Cortez Legislative clean air, water, and resources, and Aide, key to environmental agenda promoting justice and equity in vulnerable • Senator (D-MA), introduced communities Green New Deal bill • Aims to transform the economy over ten • Morgan Gray, Markey Chief of years through investments in clean energy Staff/Legislative Director, key to and infrastructure environmental agenda • The plan has set the agenda for Democratic • Lindsey Griffith, Markey Environment environmental policy by creating a litmus Legislative Assistant test for addressing climate change • Abdul El-Sayed, former candidate for • So far, it has not advanced in the House or Michigan Governor, Gunn-Wright served as Senate, though the House established a policy director Select Committee on the Climate Crisis Environmental Researchers and Activists – Social Justice – Prioritizes social justice Works on a daily basis with climate activists across all policy sectors • Demond Drummer, former community • Informed by upbringing in Chicago and organizer from Chicago, co-founder and experience with vulnerable communities Executive Director of New Consensus • Early research and policy work focused on • , senior advisor for Bernie ways to improve social justice Sanders, co-founder of New Consensus • Green New Deal policies would seek to • Joel Bach, founder and Executive Director of improve economic and social conditions for the YEARS Project vulnerable communities • Davide Felber, founder and chairman of the • The Green New Deal resolution includes YEARS Project calls for universal health care, increased • Alexandra Rojas, current minimum wages, and anti-trust action leader • Supports politicians and organizations that • Nasim Thompson, current Justice prioritize social justice, like the Justice Democrats leader Democrats and Rep. Ocasio-Cortez • Members of the , an environmental activism organization

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RHIANA GUNN-WRIGHT POLICY DIRECTOR, NEW CONSENSUS

Selected Publications Media Appearances Infrequently authors formal commentary on Leverages new media to expand awareness climate policy goals and support for climate policies

Commentary – Rare commentary with legacy TV – Appears occasionally on cable news to media outlets on Green New Deal policies promote policies • With Justin Talbot Zorn and Ben Beachy, “A • CBS News: Interview explaining Green New Green New Deal is fiscally responsible. Deal, May 2019 Climate inaction is not,” The Guardian, • MSNBC: Addressing concerns with the February 2019, arguing that real economic Green New Deal plan, March 2019 responsibility relies on sustaining • MSNBC: Discussing the impact of climate communities and resources change, June 2019

Research Articles – In previous work with the Online Media – Maintains prominent persona Institute for Women’s Policy Research, on sites like YouTube and Twitter to discuss published research on issues for vulnerable climate change communities • Regular appearances discussing the Green • With Barbara Gault, “Improving Outcomes New Deal and dispelling myths with for Marginalized Girls in the Secondary YouTube channel for “The YEARS Project,” Education and Workforce Development a climate activism organization Systems,” January 2013 • Uses Twitter account to promote progressive • “The Pregnancy Assistance Fund as a politicians and issues Support for Student Parents in Postsecondary Education,” July 2012 Podcasts – Conducts frequent interviews on • With Abby Thorman and Jessica Otto, progressive podcasts focusing on climate “Housing Resources and Programs for activism Single Student Parents at Community and • Interview on the Ezra Klein Show, March Technical Colleges,” April 2012 2019 • Interview on “Pod Save America,” explaining the Green New Deal, February 2019 • Interview with the Columbia Energy Financial Disclosures and Donors Exchange, focusing on the Green New Deal, Contributes small donations to Democratic February 2019 progressive politicians she is connected to • $145 to Abdul El-Sayed for Michigan (Gubernatorial Candidate who Gunn-Wright Speaking Engagements worked for), 2017 Occasional speaking engagements with academic institutions and nonprofit groups focus on explaining the Green New Deal • Speech at Tulane University on the Green New Deal and studying the environment across academic disciplines, November

2019 • Panel discussing the Green New Deal at the Aspen Ideas Festival, June 2019 • Discussion with Ashima Sukhdev at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation on the goals and ideas of the Green New Deal, June 2019

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RHIANA GUNN-WRIGHT POLICY DIRECTOR, NEW CONSENSUS

Criticisms and Controversies Info From Formative Years Criticisms of Gunn-Wright focus on the Background in Chicago and education attune policies of the Green New Deal and their her to the experience of vulnerable feasibility populations • Republicans have often criticized the Green • Raised by family on the south side of New Deal by characterizing it as “socialism,” Chicago claiming that it would require a government • Experienced asthma growing up due to takeover of the energy industry Chicago pollution • Some Democrats have criticized the Green • Left for boarding school in Aurora, IL at age New Deal for going too far and for causing 14 division within the Democratic party • Graduated magna cum laude from Yale studying African American studies and Profiles Others Have Written women’s, gender, and sexuality studies— Profiles focus on Gunn-Wright’s background has subsequently focused on the effects and her work with progressive politicians in government policy for vulnerable populations developing the Green New Deal Family Background Donna M. Owens, “She, The People: Meet Raised by large extended family in Chicago Rhiana Gunn-Wright, An Architect Behind the • Raised by mother, grandmother, extended Green New Deal,” Essence, April 2019 family and caring “village” on the south side • Brief biography detailing Gunn-Wright’s of Chicago background and experience

David Wallace-Wells, “Green New Deal’s Rhiana Gunn-Wright: ‘You Just Don’t See This Sort of Change This Rapidly,’” New York Magazine, September 2019 • Interview explaining the policy approach of the Green New Deal

Karen L. Smith-Janssen, “The Architect Behind Aleandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal Has a Plan to Save the Planet—and All of Us,” Marie Claire, October 2019 • Profile linking the Green New Deal to Gunn- Wright’s upbringing and experience in activism

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