Voices for Progress

Sanford A. (Sandy) Newman is the Founder and President of Voices for Progress and Voices for Progress Education Fund. Newman has created two other successful organizations. Project Vote, founded in 1982, had become the nation’s leading minority voter participation organization by the time Newman left it in 1993. Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, founded in 1995, today comprises 5,000 police chiefs, sheriffs and elected prosecutors, all advocating programs like Head Start and quality child care. As a donor advisor and strategist from 2003 to 2009, Newman played a key role in reviving voter registration drives (which were nearly extinct) strengthening scientific research to determine what really works to increase voting, and helping revive enforcement of laws requiring public assistance offices to provide voter registration services.

Megan Michaud is the Policy and Legislative Director at Voices for Progress and Voices for Progress Education Fund.  Prior to joining Voices, Megan spent more than 9 years on Capitol Hill working for Members of the House of Representatives, including Reps. Jan Schakowsky (Illinois) and Tom Allen (Maine).  She was most recently Legislative Director and Floor Assistant for Rep. Schakowsky, a Chief Deputy Whip in the Democratic House Leadership.  She handled budget, tax, and economic issues, and served as Rep. Schakowsky’s lead staffer when Schakowsky was a member of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (the Simpson-Bowles Commission).  Born and raised in Maine, she graduated from Colby College with a B.A. in Anthropology and a minor in math.

Mark Donovan is the Membership and Development Coordinator at Voices for Progress and Voices for Progress Education Fund.  He is an experienced leader who specializes in growing organizations.  Prior to joining Voices, Mark worked as a Regional Field Director at Organizing for America—Pennsylvania building a team of over 2,300 volunteers.  In the past he’s been Chairman of a 35 member board, worked other campaigns as a Field Organizer and Press Secretary, and been a recruiter in the financial sector.  Today, he enjoys exploring his newly adopted home-city of DC, watching the Boston Red Sox, and skiing.

Katie Whitehouse is the Policy and Legislative Associate at Voices for Progress and Voices for Progress Education Fund. She previously worked as an AmeriCorps member in Washington, DC public schools and interned for the Corporation for National and Community Service. She graduated from Trinity University with a degree in psychology and received a Masters in Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.