Tishaura Jones: Upcoming Meeting with Education Secretary Arne Duncan, National Leaders

Will join over 200 Young, Progressive Elected Officials at Policy Summit in Washington

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Rep. Tishaura Jones will meet with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and other national political leaders next week in Washington, DC at the sixth annual convening of People For the American Way Foundation’s Young Elected Officials Network. At the convening, Rep. Jones will have the opportunity to discuss innovative local and state policy initiatives with national leaders and with over 200 progressive elected officials from around the country.

“This is an exciting opportunity and I’m looking forward to reconnecting with like-minded progressive elected officials,” said Jones. “The YEO Convening never fails to deliver on its ability to energize me for the rest of the year!”

Rep. Jones, 39, was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2008. At the convening, she will share with other elected officials her experiences working for protecting a woman’s reproductive rights in a presentation with NARAL titled, Talking About Choice.

The Young Elected Officials (YEO) Network, a project of People For the American Way Foundation, consists of over 600 young, progressive city, county, state and federal officials from all 50 states. At the network’s convening, elected officials will discuss innovative policy solutions for issues including economic development, education, environmental policy, tax reform, immigration, equality, national security and more.

“These elected officials make a difference every day in their home communities,” said Andrew Gillum, Tallahassee City Commissioner and executive director of the YEO Network. “This conference is an opportunity for young, progressive elected officials to exchange ideas with fellow office holders and with national policy leaders. State and local elected officials lay the foundation for progressive change around the country. The Young Elected Officials Network gives leaders an opportunity to share ideas and come back to their communities with new strategies and solutions.”

The Young Elected Officials Network is a program of People For the American Way Foundation. The program provides a network of support for young elected leaders to share ideas and discuss issues that affect their common interests and constituencies.