BigTent was thrilled to welcome New Politics Founder and Executive Director Emily Cherniak and AZ State House District 5 Candidate Aaron Márquez under the tent. Emily is on a mission to train and recruit “servant leaders” that will adopt the “we mindset.” See her recent article here.
New Politics revitalizes American democracy by recruiting, developing, and electing servant leaders who put community and country over self. They support outstanding military veterans and national service leaders, alumni of programs like AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, to step up and serve our country again, this time through politics. They understand that to achieve their mission to revitalize democracy they must break down barriers to entry, support servant leaders who reflect the diversity of our nation, and center the voices of those most impacted by OUR politics.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Emily Cherniack is founder and executive director of New Politics, which she founded in 2013 to recruit and support military and national service programs alumni to run for political office, and New Politics Leadership Academy. Previously, she served on the campaign staff of Alan Khazei, a US Senate candidate from Massachusetts who was her boss at City Year Boston. Cherniack also spent four years at Be the Change, as chief of staff and, before that, organizing director. At City Year Boston, she was service director and a program manager. In 2018, Emily was named to the Politico 50 as one of the 50 “thinkers, doers, and dreamers driving politics.”
Emily graduated from George Washington University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology and a Masters Degree in Education Policy.
Aaron Márquez is a veteran of multiple political campaigns and the United States Army – grew up in Arizona, served his country through two deployments to Afghanistan, and has fought for progressive change in Arizona across the country. Most recently, Aaron cofounded VetsForward.us, a group of progressive military veterans in Arizona that work to defend democratic values at home by winning the hearts and minds of American voters.
Raised in Arizona, Aaron proudly attended public elementary, middle, and high schools in Mesa, Chandler, Tempe, and Gilbert. In 2020, Aaron was elected to the at-large seat of the Phoenix Union High School District Governing Board, where he has been fighting for progressive change to improve local public schools for our students and their families. As a school board member, he has advocated for more robust public health policies, bringing in national service programs to provide increased wraparound services, and restorative justice practices.
Aaron lives in Phoenix with his wife – an elementary school principal – seven-year-old daughter Sarah, and seventeen-year-old stepson James. He is running as a state candidate for Arizona State House District 5.
And then Go…
BigTent Podcast: Emily Cherniack | New Politics Founder