An Honorable Profession

Recording from the 15th Annual NewDEAL Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., host Ryan Coonerty talks with New Hampshire State Representative and Democratic Leader Alexis Simpson about the importance of ethical leadership in these troubled times, how she approaches her legislative priorities, and how her weekends as a minister in her community informs how she does her job as a legislator. Ryan a...

Recorded at the 15th Annual NewDEAL Leaders Conference in Washington, D.C., host Ryan Coonerty talks with Durham, NC, Mayor Leonardo Williams. They talk about how the mayor built a career grounded in community service and leadership, and how his experiences equipped him with what he needs most to be a successful mayor. In addition, they unpack what it means to lead when there are ICE raids in your...

Happy Thanksgiving! While our team is off for the holiday, we want to take this opportunity to revisit our conversation with Commissioner Lesley Briones from Harris County, TX. Host Ryan Coonerty and Briones explain her role representing the third-largest county in the country with a population larger than 26 U.S. states and 34 cities. They discuss her journey as a Harvard and Yale Law School grad...

In this week's episode, host Ryan Coonerty speaks with Harris County, TX, County Commissioner Lesley Briones, who explains her role representing the third-largest county in the country with a population larger than 26 U.S. States and 34 cities. Ryan and Briones discuss her journey as a Harvard and Yale Law School graduate who became a public school teacher and then a judge, and how her parents ins...

In this week's episode, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with Arizona State Representative Stephanie Simacek. They talk about how her journey from teacher to legislator, including how a concern with her daughter's education drove her to run for office and  how she flipped a seat in one of the state's most competitive districts. Simacek explains what she's learned about using her voice...

In this week's episode, host Ryan Coonerty speaks with Michigan State Senator Sarah Anthony. They talk about her achievements and her many ''firsts' in politics - including her path to becoming the first African American woman elected to the Michigan Senate and the first to Chair the Senate Appropriations Committee  -- and the obstacles she has overcome along the way. Anthony explains how she is t...

We're celebrating our 300th episode of An Honorable Profession! Thank you to our listeners for being part of this journey and we look forward to introducing you to more inspiring leaders from across the country over our next 300 episodes. In this special episode, hosts NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan and Ryan Coonerty are joined by former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, a longtime NewDEA...

In this week's episode, host Ryan Coonerty sits down with Houston City Councilmember Ed Pollard. They discuss being a blue dot in a red state, Pollard's approach to being  "pro- growth and pro-business," and what Houston needs to do to reach its true potential. Ryan and Pollard also talk about what national Democrats get wrong about the politics of Texas and immigrant communities, Pollard's full-t...

 In this week's episode, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with New Jersey Majority Leader Lou Greenwald. They discuss Greenwald's approach to governing, including his work on the bipartisan Next New Jersey Manufacturing Program, which will invest in the state's economy, create jobs, and bring long-term economic growth. In addition, Debbie asks about this year's New Jersey governor's r...

In this week's episode, host Ryan Coonerty sits down with Connecticut Representative Eleni Kavros DeGraw. They discuss her work to reduce hunger in her state, pass landmark  legislation to make housing more affordable despite pushback, and advance Connecticut's first criminal justice model for trauma-informed engagement with survivors of sexual assault. Kavros DeGraw also explains how her backgrou...

In this week's episode, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan sits down with Bronx, NY State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey. They discuss how experiences in high school and college inspired Bailey to run for public office, the advice he has for his constituents during these uncertain times, and his bi-partisan work on criminal justice reform. They also discuss Senator Bailey's new role as the Chair of...

In this week's episode, co-host Ryan Coonerty speaks with Alabama State Representative and Minority Whip Jeremy Gray. They discuss his career journey from Division 1 football to the Alabama Legislature, where he advocates for student-athletes and works on tech and innovation policy to keep Alabama's economy competitive. Ryan and Representative Gray also discuss how financial literacy is key to bui...

In this week's episode, hosted by Ryan Coonerty, West Virginia Delegate Kayla Young offers a political history lesson on how once-blue West Virginia took a sharp right turn, what the rest of the country can learn from the Mountain State, and how she approaches her work as  part of the smallest legislative minority in the country. The conversation also dives into energy policy and politics, includi...

In this week's episode, host Ryan Coonerty speaks with Virginia Delegate Michael Feggans. They discuss the current political climate and how his constituents are responding to it, as well as his policy goals and his path to public service. Ryan and Feggans, who served 20 years in the Air Force, specifically talks about the impact the Trump administration has on veterans. In addition, they delve in...

In this week's episode, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with NewDEAL Alum Josh Fryday, the former mayor of his hometown, Novato, CA, who went on to be California's Chief Service Officer and is now a candidate for Lieutenant Governor. They discuss how service benefits everyone and acts as a triple win - for the service member, for the community, and all of us. They emphasize the need...

This week, we bring you another episode of our series on How Government Can Get Sh*t Done, as host Debbie Cox Bultan sits down with Kristina Costa, former Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Clean Energy, Innovation, and Implementation during the Biden administration. They discuss the progress made and results achieved through the implementation of the Inflation Reducti...

In this week's episode, NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with Congressman Adam Smith, who represents Washington State's 9th Congressional District. They talk about what it's like to be in Congress in the current moment, how his constituents are feeling about the Trump administration's actions, and what Democrats can do to fight back to give people a compelling alternative. Their discussion tou...

In this week's episode, co-host Ryan Coonerty talks to David Litt, a former Obama speech writer and author of the recently published book, It's Only Drowning: A True Story of Learning to Surf and the Search for Common Ground. Their conversation touches on what surfing can teach us about  our nation's political and cultural divides, why Democrats should be funny, and how to use humor and authentici...

In this week's episode, co-host Ryan Coonerty talks to Cincinnati City Councilmember Mark Jeffreys. They discuss his path to public service, beginning as the son of an immigrant, relying on food stamps, and then working as a union laborer and as a security guard. Jeffreys talks about  lessons from running major divisions in corporate America and launching startups, and what has driven him to turn...

In this week's episode, co-host Ryan Coonerty sits down with Hawaii State Senator Troy Hashimoto. They reflect on the devastating 2023 Maui wildfires, including lessons around  preparing for and building resilience against natural disasters, as well as best practices for coordinating disaster safety efforts across multiple levels of government. Senator Hashimoto also discusses his efforts to addre...

In this week's episode, NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with Alabama State Representative Phillip Ensler. They talk about the recent legislative session and unpack the realities of working in the legislature during Trump's second administration. Ensler talked about his work to pass bipartisan common-sense gun reform after many years of trying. He details his path to public service, his time w...

In this week's episode, NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with Illinois Lieutenant Governor and U.S. Senate Candidate Juliana Stratton. They discuss how the Pritzker-Stratton administration has improved healthcare and unemployment, and how they've built a balanced budget that will help carry Illinois into a brighter future. Stratton talks about Trump's irresponsible budget bill and the differen...

Recorded at the NewDEAL Forum Ideas Summit in Atlanta, GA, this week's episode features co-host Ryan Coonerty in conversation with former Mountain View City, CA Mayor-now-Councilmember Chris Clark. Clark describes how he balances working for tech companies by day and the interests of the Mountain View community by night. They talk about how lessons learned in tech can be applied to improve local g...

Recorded at the NewDEAL Forum Ideas Summit in Atlanta, GA, this week's  episode features co-host Ryan Coonerty in conversation with Georgia House Democratic Whip Sam Park, the son of a Korean Immigrant and the first openly gay man elected to the Georgia's Legislature. Park talks about his journey to public office, his efforts to fight for healthcare after his mom got stage four cancer, how he advo...

In this week's episode, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with Congressman Greg Landsman who represents Ohio's 1st Congressional District. Landsman is a member of the New Democrat Coalition and co-host of the new podcast, The Fly-In. They talk about the effects of the "One Big Beautiful Bill" that passed the House by one vote - highlighting the massive unpopular cut to health care and...