Alexia Kelley
Encyclopedia
Alexia Kelley currently serves as director of the Department of Health and Human Services
' Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She is the principal founder and executive director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
.
in Religion with honors from Haverford College
in 1989. Her thesis focused on the writings and speeches of the Quaker abolition
ist and suffragist
, Lucretia Mott
. After college, she worked at the Friends Committee on National Legislation
(FCNL) in Washington, D.C.
, a Quaker social justice
lobby
and one the oldest ecumenical
lobby organizations in the United States
. From there, she attended Harvard Divinity School
, graduating in 1993 with a Master of Theological Studies
. During her graduate program, she studied for a semester at the School of Divinity at Howard University
.
Following graduate school, Kelley served at the Catholic Campaign for Human Development
for nearly a decade. CCHD, a national Catholic anti-poverty initiative, is one of the largest private funders of community organizing and economic development projects led by low-income people; funds are raised by Catholic parishes annually. During her tenure at CCHD, Kelley co-edited Living the Catholic Social Tradition: Cases and Commentary with Dr. Kathleen Maas Weigert of Georgetown University
. The book profiles community organizing projects across the country that had received support from CCHD, and it explores the principles of the Catholic social tradition that undergird support and participation in such projects.
Following her tenure at CCHD, Kelley worked for three years at Environmental Resources Trust (ERT), a business unit of the non-profit organization
Winrock International dedicated to promoting renewable energy
development and climate change
mitigation. There she worked on renewable energy policy and development projects, including a partnership between ERT and Verdant Power
.
In the fall of 2004, she took a leave from ERT from to serve as religious outreach director for the Democratic National Committee
on the John Kerry campaign
. She assisted in outreach to faith communities for the Kerry campaign. In 2005, she co-founded Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, a faith-based
organization that works to promote the Catholic social justice tradition and Catholic support for social justice issues such as health care reform
, economic justice, peace
, and labor rights
. Catholics in Alliance helped to restore a social justice lens to Catholics in public life, to Catholic voter outreach, and to the media understanding of the Catholic vote. In addition to restoring a primary focus on social justice vis-a-vis faith and politics, Catholics in Alliance pioneered a common-ground approach to the abortion
issue which focused on prevention, education, and support for vulnerable pregnant women.
Kelley co-authored A Nation for All: How the Catholic Vision of the Common Good Can Save America from the Politics of Division with Catholics United
director Chris Korzen
. The book, published in July 2008, reintroduced the concept of the common good into the national dialogue on faith and politics, as both a uniquely Catholic and American principle. A Nation for All helped to shape the national values and politics discussion during the 2008 election.
. With Chris Korzen, Kelley launched Catholics for Sebelius, a Catholics United project to support Kathleen Sebelius
' nomination and subsequent confirmation as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
United States Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services is a Cabinet department of the United States government with the goal of protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is "Improving the health, safety, and well-being of America"...
' Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. She is the principal founder and executive director of Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good is a non-partisan, non-profit 501 Roman Catholic organization in the United States, which aims to promote "the fullness of the Catholic social tradition in the public square". The organization was founded in 2005 by Tom Perriello...
.
Education and career
Kelley graduated with a B.A.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Religion with honors from Haverford College
Haverford College
Haverford College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania, United States, a suburb of Philadelphia...
in 1989. Her thesis focused on the writings and speeches of the Quaker abolition
Abolition
Abolish means to put an end to something or to stop something.Abolition may refer to:*Abolitionism *Abolition of death penalty *Abolition of monarchy*Prison abolition movement...
ist and suffragist
Suffrage
Suffrage, political franchise, or simply the franchise, distinct from mere voting rights, is the civil right to vote gained through the democratic process...
, Lucretia Mott
Lucretia Mott
Lucretia Coffin Mott was an American Quaker, abolitionist, social reformer, and proponent of women's rights.- Early life and education:...
. After college, she worked at the Friends Committee on National Legislation
Friends Committee on National Legislation
The Friends Committee on National Legislation a 501 lobbying organization in the public interest founded in 1943 by members of the Religious Society of Friends...
(FCNL) in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, a Quaker social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
lobby
Lobby
Lobby may refer to:* Lobby , an entranceway or foyer in a building* Lobbying, the action or the group used to influence a viewpoint to politicians* Lobby , a thick stew made in North Staffordshire, not unlike Lancashire Hotpot...
and one the oldest ecumenical
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
lobby organizations in the United States
Lobbying in the United States
Lobbying in the United States targets the United States Senate, the United States House of Representatives, and state legislatures. Lobbyists may also represent their clients' or organizations' interests in dealings with federal, state, or local executive branch agencies or the courts. Lobby...
. From there, she attended Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's mission is to train and educate its students either in the academic study of religion, or for the practice of a religious ministry or other public...
, graduating in 1993 with a Master of Theological Studies
Master of Theological Studies
A Master of Theological Studies is a general academic degree that gives students an introduction to advanced theological studies. The M.T.S usually requires two years of program study to complete. The Latin equivalent for M.T.S...
. During her graduate program, she studied for a semester at the School of Divinity at Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
.
Following graduate school, Kelley served at the Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Catholic Campaign for Human Development
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is the domestic antipoverty and social justice program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ....
for nearly a decade. CCHD, a national Catholic anti-poverty initiative, is one of the largest private funders of community organizing and economic development projects led by low-income people; funds are raised by Catholic parishes annually. During her tenure at CCHD, Kelley co-edited Living the Catholic Social Tradition: Cases and Commentary with Dr. Kathleen Maas Weigert of Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
. The book profiles community organizing projects across the country that had received support from CCHD, and it explores the principles of the Catholic social tradition that undergird support and participation in such projects.
Following her tenure at CCHD, Kelley worked for three years at Environmental Resources Trust (ERT), a business unit of the non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
Winrock International dedicated to promoting renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
development and climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
mitigation. There she worked on renewable energy policy and development projects, including a partnership between ERT and Verdant Power
Verdant Power
Verdant Power is a maker and installer of tidal power and hydroelectric systems. Their primary device is an underwater turbine, similar to a three-bladed wind turbine, that is designed to capture energy from tidal currents and river currents...
.
In the fall of 2004, she took a leave from ERT from to serve as religious outreach director for the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
on the John Kerry campaign
John Kerry presidential campaign, 2004
The Presidential Campaign of John Kerry, U.S. Senator from Massachusetts and the nominee of the Democratic Party challenged Republican incumbent President George W. Bush in the U.S. presidential election on November 2, 2004. Ultimately, Kerry conceded defeat in the race in a telephone call to Bush...
. She assisted in outreach to faith communities for the Kerry campaign. In 2005, she co-founded Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, a faith-based
Faith-based
The term faith-based is a neologism , mostly current in US English, to describe any organization or government idea or plan based on religious beliefs, specifically Christian beliefs....
organization that works to promote the Catholic social justice tradition and Catholic support for social justice issues such as health care reform
Health care reform in the United States
Health care reform in the United States has a long history, of which the most recent results were two federal statutes enacted in 2010: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , signed March 23, 2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 , which amended the PPACA and...
, economic justice, peace
Peace
Peace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
, and labor rights
Labor rights
Labor rights or workers' rights are a group of legal rights and claimed human rights having to do with labor relations between workers and their employers, usually obtained under labor and employment law. In general, these rights' debates have to do with negotiating workers' pay, benefits, and safe...
. Catholics in Alliance helped to restore a social justice lens to Catholics in public life, to Catholic voter outreach, and to the media understanding of the Catholic vote. In addition to restoring a primary focus on social justice vis-a-vis faith and politics, Catholics in Alliance pioneered a common-ground approach to the abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
issue which focused on prevention, education, and support for vulnerable pregnant women.
Kelley co-authored A Nation for All: How the Catholic Vision of the Common Good Can Save America from the Politics of Division with Catholics United
Catholics United
Catholics United is a U.S.-based non-profit 501 political organization made up of Roman Catholics "dedicated to promoting the message of justice and the common good found at the heart of the Catholic Social Tradition." The group claims a total membership of 42,000...
director Chris Korzen
Chris Korzen
Chris Korzen is an American progressive political activist and author. He is co-founder and director of the influential liberal organization Catholics United. Korzen lives in Portland, Maine.-Education and career:...
. The book, published in July 2008, reintroduced the concept of the common good into the national dialogue on faith and politics, as both a uniquely Catholic and American principle. A Nation for All helped to shape the national values and politics discussion during the 2008 election.
Issues
Kelley has said, "We are also poised to make real progress on preventing and reducing abortion. We are committed to finding common ground on this critical issue." She also expressed support for the suspension of the Mexico City PolicyMexico City Policy
The Mexico City Policy, also known by critics as the Mexico City Gag Rule and the Global Gag Rule, was an intermittent United States government policy that required all non-governmental organizations that receive federal funding to refrain from performing or promoting abortion services, as a...
. With Chris Korzen, Kelley launched Catholics for Sebelius, a Catholics United project to support Kathleen Sebelius
Kathleen Sebelius
Kathleen Sebelius is an American politician currently serving as the 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services. She was the second female Governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009, the Democratic respondent to the 2008 State of the Union address, and chair-emerita of the Democratic Governors...
' nomination and subsequent confirmation as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.
External links
- Chris Korzen and Alexia Kelley: A Nation for All: How the Catholic Vision of the Common Good Can Save America from the Politics of Division
- Catholics United: Catholics for Sebelius
- Center for American Progress: Alexia Kelley
- Google Books: Living the Catholic Social Tradition: Cases and Commentary (co-edited by Dr. Kathleen Maas Weigert and Kelley)
- Beliefnet: Progressive Revival: Alexia Kelley: November 2008 Archives (archives also available for October 2008, August 2008 and July 2008)
- The Washington Post: whorunsGOV: Alexia Kelley
- Salon Media Group: SALON: Obama's poor choice for faith leader
- Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good: Vote the Common Good: photo (Kelley with Rev. Charles Currie (president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and UniversitiesAssociation of Jesuit Colleges and UniversitiesThe Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities is a consortium of the 28 Jesuit colleges and universities and two theological centers in the United States committed to advancing academic excellence by promoting and coordinating collaborative activities, sharing resources, and advocating and...
) and Chris Korzen)