ANGELA CANTERBURY BRINGS PUBLIC INTEREST EXPERIENCE, RECORD OF REFORM TO THE COUNCIL FOR A LIVABLE WORLD, PEACEPAC, AND THE CENTER FOR ARMS CONTROL AND NON-PROLIFERATIONWashington DC – July 9, 2014 – News Release – Veteran public policy advocate Angela Canterbury has been named executive director of Council for a Livable World, the non-profit, non-partisan national security policy group that works to reduce the threat of nuclear and other deadly weapons as well as on other important policy measures.
The Council’s Candidate Fund, and its sister research organization, Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, joined in welcoming the accomplished Washington figure.
Canterbury, most recently the public policy director at the Project On Government Oversight (POGO), brings a wealth of experience in public advocacy and a track record of reform on issues including national security, whistleblower protection, voting rights, consumer rights, and open government.
She is taking over from John Isaacs, the longtime leader of the organizations, who will remain on staff as Senior Fellow.
“Angela Canterbury is the perfect leader for both organizations at a time of great political, international and security challenges,” Isaacs said. “She has the capacity to expand our reach and impact and the vision to cope with the challenges ahead.”
Ira Lechner, chairman of Council for a Livable World, praised Canterbury’s “leadership skills, creativity and relentless passion for progressive political change.”
Army Lt. Gen. (ret.) Robert Gard, chairman of the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, stated, “With over 20 years of experience in public policy, and a proven track record of success, Angela is ideally positioned to lead these organizations in crafting and promoting creative approaches to address the complex security challenges our nation faces today.”
In addition to her work at the Project On Government Oversight, Canterbury has advocated for the public’s interest at Public Citizen and the League of Women Voters. She also spent nearly four years in Ukraine – now an international flashpoint – in the run-up to the Orange Revolution. There, she worked on elections, advocacy, and media relations with local and international nongovernmental organizations.
“If we want a more livable world, it will require innovation and vigorous debate. It requires hard-hitting, fact-based analysis and advocacy. ,” Ms. Canterbury said today.
Canterbury has pledged an active role in the mid-term elections to help elect members of Congress with progressive views on national security. Council for a Livable World has already raised more than $1 million for congressional candidates this election cycle. In the 2011-2012 election cycle, the group raised a total of $2.1 million.
Ms. Canterbury continued, “Our work is more pressing than ever. There are those that argue for engaging in yet another war in Iraq, for undermining negotiations for a nuclear weapons-free Iran, and for launching a new Cold War. These challenges need cooler heads, not neo-conservative arguments. We need reasoned approaches to today’s threats, not a return to the policies of the past. We must re-balance our priorities so we truly become more secure. To do that, we must recognize the trade-offs of military engagement with our national, economic, and environmental security.”
Council for a Livable World launched a new campaign today to ask “What does a more livable world mean to you?” to bring in new perspectives from concerned citizens throughout the country.
Canterbury will be introduced in person to supporters on July 16 when the organizations present the annual Father Robert F. Drinan Peace and Human Rights Award to three members of Congress: House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, and civil rights hero and U.S. Representative John Lewis.
To learn more about Ms. Canterbury, a video and her bio are available here.
###The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation is a Washington, D.C. based non-profit, non-partisan research organization dedicated to enhancing international peace and security in the 21st Century. The Center is organized under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3); gifts are tax-deductible as provided by law.
