Repairing America’s Broken Democracy: Bridge Alliance Members Take Action – Keith Allred, Executive Director at National Institute for Civil Discourse

Keith Allred is the Executive Director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse, an organization that works to build our nation’s capacity to engage differences constructively. His work has been featured in the Washington Post, USA Today, The Hill, and Congressional Quarterly. He was recruited to lead NICD because he had recently launched CommonSense American, a new organization that brings Republicans, Democrats, and Independents together from across the country to find and champion solutions with broad grassroots support. CommonSense American’s more than 35,000 members played a meaningful role in passing bipartisan federal legislation to end surprise medical billing in 2020 and to invest in America’s infrastructure in 2021. In 2022, they are working on bipartisan federal elections legislation.

Keith piloted CommonSense American at the state level in Idaho from 2005 – 2009. Its major legislative achievements led the Idaho Democratic Party to make the unusual move of asking him, as an independent, to be their nominee for Governor in 2010. Prior to returning home to pilot the citizens’ group, Keith became the first professor of negotiation and conflict resolution at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He started his academic career as a professor at Columbia. Keith earned a PhD in Organizational Behavior from UCLA and BA in US History from Stanford.

The National Institute for Civil Discourse (NICD) is dedicated to building the nation’s capacity to engage its differences constructively. Founded by the University of Arizona and former presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, the NICD board is the most impressive group of bipartisan leaders in the country working to bridge our political divisions. Tom Daschle and Christie Todd Whitman co-chair the board today that includes Katie Couric, Alan Simpson, Dan Glickman, Olympia Snowe, Ken Duberstein, and Lee Hamilton. CommonSense American is NICD’s flagship program. The more than 35,000 members come from across the country and political spectrum. They work to identify and champion solutions wise enough to attract support across our divides.

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn

The Bridge Alliance is a coalition of over 90 organizations dedicated to rejuvenating America. With each organization focusing on a different sector of the movement, our members represent a combined three million supporters in the burgeoning field of civic reform and civil discourse. In addition, more than one billion dollars has been invested towards improving government effectiveness nationwide.

The Bridge Alliance acts as a hub of information and connectivity for over 90 civic action organizations.

We provide the infrastructure for our members to expand individually, collaborate on shared goals, and inform others that are invested in democracy revitalization. This generates a collective impact for greater than any one group could make alone.

David Nevins is president & CEO of Nevins & Associates, a highly regarded strategic communications company and proactive public relations partner. The firm’s regional and national client base is a unique mix of organizations across a variety of industries including: healthcare, professional service firms, finance, not-for-profits, distributors, state agencies, national media companies, technology, political and grassroots campaigns, real estate development, sporting events, and more.

With more than 30 years of experience in marketing, public relations, and community and government relations, David is a talented and seasoned executive. Prior to founding Nevins & Associates in 1983, David served as the Director of Marketing for both Towson University and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. In 2001, he was tapped by the CEO of Comcast to employ his marketing expertise as President of the company’s regional sports network, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. David is a Past President of the Board of Governors for the Center Club and is a former Chairman of the Board of Regents for the University System of Maryland, a position to which he was appointed by the Governor of Maryland. David has chaired the Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission and the Maryland Higher Education Loan Corporation, served as President of both the Jewish National Fund and the Towson Business Association and was a member of the PNC Bank board.

David is highly involved in the business, civic, and political communities, and his many years of active leadership in numerous organizations have built a network of contacts that he regularly puts to use for the firm’s clients. For more information, visit www.nevinspr.com.