Winnie Stachelberg

Winnie Stachelberg is the Senior Vice President for External Affairs at American Progress. In this role, she oversees American Progress's government affairs efforts and outreach to policy influentials. She has driven the organization to adopt state-of-the-art Constituent Relationship Management and email marketing systems, helping to expand its influence on the Hill, in the administration, and outside the beltway. As a member of American Progress's executive team, Stachelberg helps shape organizational strategy around the full range of progressive issues. She also incubated the organizations immigration policy program, and currently oversees its Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender project and Half in Ten antipoverty campaign. Prior to joining the Center, Stachelberg spent 11 years with the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay civil rights organization. She most recently served as the first Vice President of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. Charged with revamping HRC's Foundation, Stachelberg's early priorities included building a think tank, launching a religion and faith program and rebuilding the National Coming Out Project. Previously, she was HRC's political director, initiating and leading the expansion of HRC's legislative, political and electoral strategies. Stachelberg joined HRC in 1994 as senior health policy advocate and helped to establish the organization as a key advocate in HIV/AIDS, lesbian health and other health care issues affecting the GLBT community. Before joining HRC, Stachelberg worked at the Office of Management and Budget in both the George H.W. Bush and Clinton administrations, formulating and reviewing health care policies and budgets for the Department of Health and Human Services. A native New Yorker, Stachelberg taught at George Washington High School after graduating Georgetown University. She received a Master of Public Administration from George Washington University.