About The New Deal Forum
In this rapidly changing world, America is fundamentally at a crossroads. The pace of change in our economy and nearly every facet of our lives is accelerating due to unstoppable forces: globalization and technological innovation. These forces have left many Americans behind and will continue to stifle opportunity unless we adapt. Progress in policymaking at the state and local levels is critical to promoting and advancing an economic agenda that expands opportunity for everyone.
The NewDEAL Forum is a Washington-DC based non-profit organization which identifies and promotes innovative, future-oriented state and local pro-growth progressive policies that can improve the lives of all Americans. By facilitating the identification and spread of policy ideas, the NewDEAL Forum seeks to foster economic growth, reduce barriers to opportunity and promote good government in communities, cities and states throughout the country.
Meet Our Board
Anne Slaughter Andrew
Former US Ambassador
Former U.S. Ambassador Andrew is a mission-driven entrepreneur, executive, and lawyer whose career has centered on advancing strategic initiatives and businesses that deliver sustainable outcomes. She served as our U.S. Ambassador in Costa Rica under President Obama (2010-2013), leading an Embassy of more than 300 staff and 10 federal agencies. Ms. Andrew is now on the Board of Sunnova Energy International, Inc. (NOVA), serving as Lead Director, is a partner with the Clean Energy Ventures Group, and serves on the Board of several clean-tech start-ups in the Americas. Ms. Andrew is also the Board Chair for the Cleantech Leaders Climate Forum. Through the work of her consulting company WindRun Strategies, she advises organizations on policy matters that advance an inclusive path to a net-zero economy, including the 2020 launch of the NewDEAL Forum’s Climate Solutions Report for State and Local Policymakers. Former Amb. Andrew also serves as Chair of the Telluride Foundation in Telluride, Colorado, on the Wilson Center's Latin America Advisory Board, and on the Board of the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum.
David Burd
Partner, Heidrick & Struggles
David Burd is a Partner at the global executive search and talent advisory firm Heidrick & Struggles. There, he is a member of the Legal, Risk, Compliance & Government Affairs practice and focuses his work on identifying and recruiting talent for senior legal, compliance, and government affairs roles. Prior to joining Heidrick, he spent his career at the intersection of law, government, and regulated industry. He practiced at the law firm of Arnold & Porter, and then in-house as General Counsel and Head of Business Development at a venture-backed energy start-up. He served on President Obama’s transition team and later at the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. David also was a consultant at McKinsey & Company, and served as a General Manager at Uber, where he ran the Baltimore and Greater Maryland market for the company.
David has long been involved in politics. He helped lead the young professional organizing and fundraising effort for the Obama campaign in 2007-2008 and was on the National Finance Committee for the re-election in 2011-2012. He later founded and led Ascend, a PAC focused on investing in high-potential local and state Democratic candidates. He is a past Board Chair and long-time Board member of Future Caucus, a bipartisan organization dedicated to working with young legislators to bridge the partisan divide and create a more collaborative governance. David holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School and earned a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School and a B.A. in Political Science from the College of Arts & Sciences, magna cum laude, at the University of Pennsylvania.
Claude Fontheim
CEO, Fontheim International, LLC
Claude Fontheim is the CEO of Fontheim International, LLC, a business consultancy providing global ESG services and international policy advice. He has over 30 years of experience in these fields, working with businesses to pursue opportunities and resolve challenges in Asia, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa
Mr. Fontheim is a Co-founder and Senior Advisor to the American Leadership Initiative, which develops international economic policies and strategies with government officials and diverse stakeholders; and Board Chair of GlobalWorks Foundation, an innovator in the field of business and human rights. In addition, he serves on the board of the Center for International Private Enterprise, a core institution of the National Endowment for Democracy, and chairs the Advisory Council for human rights NGO GoodWeave International.
Mr. Fontheim previously served on the President’s Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations, the U.S. Trade Representative’s Trade Advisory Committee on Africa, and the State Department’s Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy. He was also Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council’s Project on the Global Economy and International Trade.
Ted Koutsoubas
Independent Consultant
Ted Koutsoubas is a nationally-recognized executive with a passion for serving low-income, first and second generation, and other underprivileged Americans. Serving as Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for Medicaid at Aetna, a CVS Health company, Ted led growth initiatives, market development, thought leadership, and strategic alliances. Employing his strong national network of relationships, Ted worked to position Aetna as the preeminent Medicaid managed care thought leader and coverage provider.
Ted earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and is an active member of the Penn alumni community. He serves on the Board of Directors of The NewDEAL, a national network of rising state and local elected leaders. He was also a Leadership 2030 Fellow with the Hellenic American Leadership Council, the leading Greek American community advocacy organization. A proud second-generation American of Greek immigrant parents, Ted grew up in the great State of New Jersey and currently resides in the Washington, DC metropolitan area with his wife and their Maltese puppy.
Ben Mcadams
Founder & CEO, Common Ground Institute
Ben McAdams served as a Member of the United States Congress, a Utah State Senator, and Mayor of Salt Lake County, Utah. He is the founder and CEO of the Common Ground Institute, an organization supporting jurisdictions working to create revenue and other public benefits from government-owned real estate through public-private partnerships. He is also a Senior Fellow for the Government Finance Officers Association, where he leads the Putting Public Assets to Work Incubator, working with jurisdictions across the U.S. to support their development of public asset management strategies.
Prior to elected office, McAdams taught Securities Regulation at the University of Utah law school and was an attorney with Davis Polk in New York and Dorsey & Whitney in Salt Lake City, where he specialized in public and private securities transactions for U.S. and international issuers.
Helen Milby
Founder and President, Helen Milby & Company
Helen Milby is the founder and president of Helen Milby & Company (HM&CO), a strategic, fundraising and non-profit consulting firm based in Washington, DC. Before founding HM&CO in 2005, Ms. Milby built a solid record as a senior political and non-profit fundraising executive. Over the last 20 years, she has worked tirelessly for moderate political leaders and pro-innovation ideals.
In addition to founding the NewDEAL, she is most proud of her work with the New Democrat Coalition Action to support House pro-innovation Democrats and GlobalWIN—the Global Women’s Innovation Network, a group that provides a dynamic forum for women executives and thought leaders in academia, government and business who are passionate about innovation and its potential to advance critical policy issues. Ms. Milby is a native Washingtonian, a graduate of the Madeira School, and she received a Bachelor of Arts from Colby College; she and her husband have two daughters.
Lou Pieh
Director of Policy and Communities, Mill Industries Inc. (Mill)
Luseni (Lou) Pieh is an attorney, strategist, and policy progressional who is currently working on organic waste policies and the implications for communities at Mill Industries Inc. (Mill). Mill makes it easy to prevent food waste at home with an innovative new kitchen bin that helps to create pathways that keeps food out of landfills. Previously, Lou held roles in the public, private, and non-profit sectors working primarily on environmental and sustainability issues. Of note, Lou served as a member of the U.S. EPA’s Agency Review Team for the Biden-Harris Transition and before that held senior roles in the Obama Administration in the U.S. EPA as Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Initiatives and as Senior Director in Cabinet Affairs at the White House.
Lou has a B.A. from Michigan State University, a J.D. from Indiana University-Bloomington, and an LL.M in Natural Resources and Environmental Law and Policy from the University of Denver.
Mariel Sáez
Senior Vice President, SKDK
Mariel is a senior communications strategist with over a decade of experience in government and politics. At SKDK, she helps clients develop and execute successful communications and message strategies as well as issue advocacy campaigns. She joined SKDK from President Biden’s White House communications team, where she served as the Director of Broadcast Media. In that role, she served as the Administration’s point person for television and radio networks.
Prior to her role at the White House, Sáez served as Deputy Communications Director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee and on the communications team of the Biden-Harris presidential campaign. Sáez also has over a decade of experience working on Capitol Hill for former House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer. Originally from Maryland, she earned a bachelor’s degree in economics at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
Abigail Seldin
Chief Growth Officer at Scholarship America
Abigail Seldin serves as the Chief Growth Officer at Scholarship America, the largest nonprofit administrator of private scholarships in the United States. Seldin co-founded and led two technology-driven startups from inception to acquisition: College Abacus (acquired by ECMC Group in 2014) and Civic Mapping Initiative (acquired by National League of Cities in 2023).
Seldin serves as a board member for New DEAL Leaders, Open Campus Media, and the Association of American Rhodes Scholars. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA and MS in anthropology, and studied at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.