FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 21, 2008

Susan Kilbourne Named Vice President and Training Director
of the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest

WASHINGTON (April 21, 2008) – Today, the national nonprofit, Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest (CLPI) announced Susan Kilbourne, Esq. as the organization’s new Vice President and Training Director. Kilbourne will direct and manage the organization’s work in training 501(c)(3) nonprofits to effectively engage in the public policy process. She will also support CLPI’s President in leading the organization and working to protect and expand nonprofit advocacy rights.

“Susan brings a wealth of training and advocacy experience to CLPI, and her experience will be an asset for us and those we serve,” says CLPI President Larry Ottinger. “During this 10^th anniversary year of CLPI promoting, supporting and protecting nonprofit advocacy and lobbying, Susan’s expertise will help us further develop and implement our current and upcoming projects, trainings and resources. She makes a strong addition not only to our staff, but also to our network of Training Fellows and Strategic Partners around the country.”

Prior to accepting the position with CLPI, Kilbourne served as Public Policy Director at the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). Before GLSEN, she worked for seven years at Voices for America’s Children serving as Vice President for Advocacy and Outreach and the Director of State Policy and Advocacy. During her time at Voices, Kilbourne led the organization’s communications work, member services, and advocacy training; including message framing, legislative advocacy, media advocacy, and public education. She has a background in international children’s rights, having served as Assistant Director for Child Rights International Research Institute and in a pro bono capacity with several children’s rights advocacy organizations, including Amnesty International and the American Bar Association Section of Individual Rights and Responsibility and Section of International Law.

“My entire career has been devoted to nonprofit advocacy, so I'm very excited to be at CLPI,” says Kilbourne. “I'm thrilled to be able to use my experience and skills to help more nonprofits use public policy engagement as a means to advance their missions, and I'm looking forward to working with CLPI's network of partners and Training Fellows.”

Kilbourne, a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center, also holds a master’s degree in Political Management from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts.  She is a member of the Maryland Bar Association.

Founded in 1998, the Center for Lobbying in the Public Interest (CLPI) promotes, supports, and protects nonprofit advocacy and lobbying in order to advance our democracy and the missions of charitable organizations.  A national nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., CLPI accomplishes its mission by providing training, developing nonprofit leaders and partnerships, protecting nonprofit advocacy rights, and championing the importance of nonprofit participation in the public policy process. For more information and to register for free as a CLPI Advocate, please visit www.clpi.org.   

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