Jane Swift is among spring IOP fellows

The former governor of New Hampshire, a New York Times political reporter, the former commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, a high-ranking official in Ireland, and a leader in civic participation have all been chosen for fellowships at the Kennedy School of Government’s (KSG’s) Institute of Politics (IOP).

Melanie Campbell, the CEO and executive director of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation; Martin Mackin, general secretary of Fianna Fail, Ireland’s largest political party; Katharine Seelye, a New York Times journalist; Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, of New Hampshire; and Jim Ziglar, a former commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and secretary of the U.S. Senate, will join the IOP as resident fellows this spring.

The IOP has also announced nine visiting fellows this semester. They include former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift; U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo; U.S. Reps. Connie Morella and Glen Browder; and Mayors Marc Morial (New Orleans), Ron Kirk (Dallas), and Dimitris Avramopoulos (Athens, Greece).

“As the nation turns its attention to the 2004 elections, these luminaries will help put many of the vital issues facing our country into perspective,” said Dan Glickman, director of the IOP, and a former U.S. cabinet secretary and member of Congress. “We are honored that the fellows have agreed to take time from their busy lives to train and interact with the next generation of leaders.”

The resident fellows for spring 2003

Melanie Campbell, executive director and CEO of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation (NCBCP) based in Washington, D.C., has more than 20 years of experience as a civic leader, political strategist, youth advocate, and community servant. In 2000, she was recognized as one of Washington’s “Top 40 Under 40 Emerging Leaders.” At the NCBCP, she created an innovative, youth-focused leadership development program – Black Youth Vote! – and convened the Voices of the Electorate Election Reform Task Force. Campbell was recently elected to serve on the board of the Black Leadership Forum, a confederation of the leaders of the 21 top African-American civil rights and service organizations. She is a contributing writer in the recently released book “The Paradox of Loyalty: African Americans Respond to the War on Terrorism.” She holds a B.A. from Clark Atlanta University and is an active member of the National Council of Negro Women, the National Congress of Black Women, and the NAACP, among other national organizations.

Martin Mackin is general secretary of Ireland’s largest political party, Fianna Fail, with particular responsibility for election strategy and campaign planning. Most recently he was the chief strategist for the successful “Yes to Nice” referendum campaign, which was the decisive vote to enlarge the European Union, and Fianna Fail’s 2002 general election victory. He was appointed to the Irish senate in May 2002. Prior to this position, Mackin was head of Fianna Fail’s European office and press officer for the Fianna Fail parliamentary party. In 1997, Mackin served as spokesperson and head of rebuttal in the general election campaign, and head of press in the presidential election campaign. He has a bachelor’s degree in French and English from University College Dublin, and a master’s degree in European social policy analysis from the National University of Ireland.

Katharine (Kit) Q. Seelye is a Washington, D.C.-based political reporter for The New York Times, where her articles appear regularly on the front page. Regarded nationally as a first-rate journalist, Seelye has covered the White House, Capitol Hill, and the environment for The Times and was “on the bus” covering the past three presidential campaigns (Bill Clinton in 1992, Bob Dole in 1996, and Al Gore in 2000). Before joining the Times, she was a political reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer and covered the statehouse in Albany, N.Y. She earned a B.A. from Lake Forest College, and an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University, where she received a fellowship to work with The Associated Press in East Africa.

Jeanne Shaheen was elected governor of New Hampshire in 1996, becoming the state’s first woman governor, and its first Democrat elected governor in 16 years. As chief executive, she focused on education, health care, and the expansion of high-tech business in New Hampshire. She served three terms as governor, winning re-election in 1998 and 2000. In 2002, she was narrowly defeated in her bid for the U.S. Senate. Prior to becoming governor, Shaheen served in the New Hampshire State Senate, and managed Gary Hart’s 1984 presidential campaign. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, and a master’s degree from the University of Mississippi.

Jim Ziglar has served in the federal government for more than 15 years. Most recently, he was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as commissioner of the Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS), and faced some of the INS’ greatest challenges in the wake of Sept. 11. Prior to his appointment as INS commissioner, Ziglar was unanimously elected sergeant of arms of the U.S. Senate, where he served as the chief officer for administration, protocol, and security. In 1987, Ziglar served as assistant secretary of the interior for water and science. Ziglar began his legal career as law clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Harry A. Blackmun in the 1972 term. In addition to Ziglar’s career in law and public service, he also has a total of 23 years of experience in investment banking. He is a member of the bars of New York, Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Arizona. He holds a B.A. and a J.D. from George Washington University.

Visiting fellows will visit the IOP for one to two weeks to lead discussion groups and interact with students, faculty, and research centers. They are as follows:

Dimitris Avramopoulos, mayor of Athens from 1994 to 2002.

Jeff Blodgett, campaign manager of Wellstone for Senate.

Glen Browder, U.S. congressman representing Alabama from 1989 to 1997.

Andrew Cuomo, 2002 candidate for governor of New York; secretary of U.S. Housing and Urban Development (1997-2001); and founder of Housing Enterprise for the Less Privileged.

Ron Kirk, 2002 candidate for U.S. Senate; mayor of Dallas from 1995 to 2001; and Texas secretary of state in 1994.

Constance Morella, U.S. congresswoman representing Maryland since 1987.

Marc Morial, mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002.

Zvi Rafiah, consultant and commentator on American-Israeli relations, and former minister-counselor for Congressional Affairs, Embassy of Israel, Washington, D.C.

Jane Swift, former governor of Massachusetts (2001 to January 2003).