Progressive Leadership Award

An Award presented for outstanding contributions to the progressive community. 

2011 Progressive Leadership recipients are:

Rep. Keith Ellison and Teresa Vilmain

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 Teresa Vilmain

Teresa Vilmain is one of the nation’s top political organizers and consultants. Throughout her extensive career, she has directed election campaigns and transition efforts for public officials all levels, implemented strategic planning for numerous non-profit organizations, and has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to strengthening the political voice of women and other progressive constituencies. 

Currently, Vilmain is consulting with the organization Women's Voices. Women Vote and the Rockefeller Family Fund on their Paid Sick Days campaign. In May of 2009 through May of 2010 Vilmain served as the General Consultant to the Iowa re-election campaign for Governor Chet Culver and Lt. Governor Patty Judge.  In 2008-2009 she consulted with Be The Change Inc. and its first national grassroots effort ServiceNation, working with a coalition of 114 organizations to mobilize a grassroots movement that inspired America’s political leaders to expand voluntary community and national service opportunities.

In 2007, she was the Senior Consultant to the Vilsack for President national campaign and then was the Iowa State Director for Hillary Clinton for President. In the 2004 presidential cycle she served as the General Election Strategist for the Democratic National Committee. A native Iowan, Vilmain has extensive experience working on Iowa campaigns. She was the General Consultant to the Vilsack for Governor campaign in 1998, helping elect the first democrat to that office in 30 years, and served in the same capacity in his successful re-election effort in 2002. She was the Iowa Director for Gary Hart in the 1988 presidential campaign, and, following Hart’s departure from the race, served as the Iowa State Director for Michael Dukakis. In 1984, she worked as Deputy Campaign Manager for Tom Harkin’s successful U.S. Senate campaign. She got her start in politics working on Senator Edward Kennedy’s Presidential Campaign in Iowa in 1980. In her new home state of Wisconsin, Vilmain was a consultant to both Jim Doyle’s successful Governor’s race in 2002 and Herb Kohl’s successful U.S. Senate races in 1988 and 1994. She served as the Wisconsin State Director for the “Clinton/Gore ‘96” and “Gore/Lieberman 2000” fall presidential campaigns. 

Vilmain also has a longtime commitment to the progressive community, working as the National Political Director for “The White House Project”, an organization working to create a new political climate where women can successfully campaign for the U.S. presidency and other key national leadership positions. She was also the General Consultant to the Human Rights Campaign’s “Out Vote ‘96” project, the organization’s first national political convention to focus on teaching constituency and campaign organizing skills. In 1995, Vilmain was employed by Price-Waterhouse to work on the HUD Empowerment Zone Project, and in 1993 was the Political Director for Emily’s List. Additionally, Vilmain has served as Campaign Consultant for Fernando Henrique Cardoso’s presidential campaign in Brazil, Campaign Manager in the Primary Election for the Kathleen Brown for Governor campaign in California, and Campaign Manager for the Ferraro for U.S. Senate campaign in New York.  From 1989 to 1990, Vilmain was Director of Training for the Democratic National Committee, during which time she also assisted U.S. Senate races in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Oregon as a member of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s Strategic Task Force Team.

Rep. Keith Ellison

Keith Ellison has represented the Fifth Congressional District of Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives since taking office on January 4, 2007. The Fifth Congressional District is the most vibrant and ethnically diverse district in Minnesota with a rich history and traditions. The Fifth District includes the City of Minneapolis and the surrounding suburbs.

Keith's philosophy is one of "generosity and inclusiveness." His roots as a community activist and his message of inclusivity through democratic participation resonates throughout the Fifth District. His priorities in Congress are: promoting peace, prosperity for working families, environmental sustainability, and civil and human rights.

Keith is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL). He previously served two terms representing Legislative District 58B in the Minnesota State House of Representatives, from 2003 to 2007.

Keith has authored legislation, now law, that protect consumers from the unfair lending practice known as "Universal Default" and gives protections to tenants facing eviction from homes they rent that are being foreclosed.

Keith was elected as co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for the 112th Congress. Working together with other members of the Caucus, Keith helped shape historic Health Care Reform and Wall Street Reform, raise the federal minimum wage, start the process to end the War in Iraq, strengthen veterans’ benefits, combat hate crimes, and create guarantees of pay equality for women.

Keith currently serves on the Financial Services <!--and Foreign Affairs -->Committee and the House Democratic Steering & Policy Committee. The Financial Services Committee provides oversight for the nation's housing and financial services sector. The Democratic Steering & Policy Committee decides committee assignments for Democratic Members and sets the Democratic Caucus' policy agenda. Keith previously served on the House Judiciary Committee in the 110th Congress (2007-2008) and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in the 111th Congress (2009-2010).

Keith, now 47 years old, was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. He moved to Minnesota in 1987 to attend the University of Minnesota Law School, where he earned his law degree in 1990. Keith is the proud father of four children.

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