Unite America announces five new board members

New leadership in the Voters First movement comes from a variety of backgrounds, including Republican politics, Democratic politics, philanthropy, and business

Unite America is proud to introduce five new members of its operating board, whose diversity of experience reflects what the Voters First movement is all about: welcoming anyone, regardless of political background, who wants their elected representatives to put country over party.

The five board members, in alphabetical order, are:

• Dr. Carolyn Bourdeaux, an educator and former member of Congress from Georgia’s 7th Congressional District;
• Tom Curren, the founder of Change the Rules and Hawthorne Consultants;
• Christian Hendricks, a digital media executive who served as McClatchy’s Chief Strategy Officer, Chief Product Officer, and Chief Digital Officer;
• Sam Mar, Executive Vice President of Communications & External Affairs for Arnold Ventures; and
• Chad Sweet, Co-Founder of The Chertoff Group and former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security.

Says Unite America executive director Nick Troiano: “An essential component of Unite America’s mission is to assemble a first-class team that embodies our core value of putting the voters first. The Unite America team is excited to bring aboard five accomplished leaders who meet this standard so well, in Carolyn, Tom, Chris, Sam, and Chad. Our movement — and, ultimately and most importantly, the voters — will benefit from their leadership and involvement.”

Mar’s joining the Unite America board is part of a strategic partnership between Unite America and Arnold Ventures' democracy program, which has granted more than $50 million since 2015 to address an “unfair system of rules and practices designed for and protected by people in power to keep them in power.”