FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:11/8/2013

Contact: Derrick Crowe, National Priorities Project, 571.318.9114, dcrowe@nationalpriorities.org

NORTHAMPTON, MASS.—Sister Simone Campbell has been recognized as a Democracy Champion by National Priorities Project (NPP). Selected as one of 32 allies and partners from across the country, NPP recognizes Sister Campbell for exemplary leadership and tenacious commitment to the democratic ideals upon which our nation was founded.

“We are honored to celebrate our remarkable allies and partners, without whom our work to democratize the federal budget would be impossible. These Democracy Champions represent a broad cross-section of social movements. We are proud to partner with them as we work towards a federal budget that reflects Americans’ priorities,” NPP Executive Director Jo Comerford said.

National Priorities Project is a national non-profit, non-partisan research organization dedicated to making federal budget information accessible so people can both understand and influence federal spending and revenue decisions. Over the past 30 years, NPP has reached well-over 40 million people and leveraged its research to support thousands of national, regional and state organizations.

To learn more about NPP’s 30-year history visit: http://nationalpriorities.org/en/about/npp-turns-30/.

Below is the full list of the 2013 Democracy Champions. To learn more, visit:http://nationalpriorities.org/en/about/npp-turns-30/democracy-champions/.

• Eric Byler & Annabel Park
  Co-Founders, Coffee Party USA
• Sister Simone Campbell
  Executive Director, NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby
• Tim Carpenter
  Founder and National Director, Progressive Democrats of America
• John Cavanagh
  Fellow, Global Economy, Institute for Policy Studies
• Ben Cohen
  President and Head Stamper, Stamp Stampede
• Cheryl Contee
  Partner, Fission Strategy
• Tom Engelhardt
  Tomdispatch.com
• Seth Flaxman & Kathryn Peters
  Co-Founders, TurboVote
• Barney Frank
  Member of Congress (1981-2012); Chairman, House Financial Services Committee (2007-2011)
• Anna Galland
  Executive Director, MoveOn.org
• Christie George
  Director, New Media Ventures
• Michael Leon Guerrero & Cindy Wiesner
  Grassroots Global Justice
• Sarita Gupta
  Executive Director, Jobs with Justice
• Van Jones
  Host, CNN’s Crossfire
• Judith Le Blanc
  Field Director, Peace Action
• Annie Leonard
  Founder and President, The Story of Stuff Project
• Tiffany Dena Loftin
  Power Shift Coordinator, Energy Action Coalition & Organizer, Dream Defenders
• Katherine McFate
  President & CEO, Center for Effective Government
• Heather McGhee
  Vice President, Policy & Outreach, Demos
• Jim McGovern
  Member of Congress (1996 – present)
• Bill McKibben
  Founder, 350.org
• Ellen Miller
  Executive Director and Co-Founder, Sunlight Foundation
• Leslie Moody
  Executive Director, The Partnership for Working Families
• Bill Moyers
  Moyers and Company
• Liz Ryan Murray
  Policy Director, National People’s Action
• Eli Pariser
  Co-founder, Upworthy
• Ai-jen Poo
  Director, National Domestic Workers Alliance & Co-director, Caring Across Generations
• Robert B. Reich
  Chancellor’s Professor of Public Policy, University of California
• Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner
  Executive Director/CEO and Co-Founder, MomsRising
• Micah L. Sifry
  Co-Founder and Editorial Director, Personal Democracy Media
• Jessie Spector
  Executive Director, Resource Generation
• Deborah Weinstein
  Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs

# # #