John Bridgeland  
President & CEO, Civic Enterprises

John Bridgeland is President & CEO of Civic Enterprises. He also was a Teaching Fellow in the fall at the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he offered a class on Presidential Decision Making. Most recently, Bridgeland served as Assistant to the President of the United States and the first Director of the USA Freedom Corps. In that role, he coordinated more than $1 billion in domestic and international service initiatives and worked with non-profits, corporations and schools to foster a culture of service in the aftermath of September 11, 2001. Results included: a 4 million person increase from 59 million to 63 million in the number of Americans who regularly engage in volunteer service; creation of the most comprehensive online clearinghouse connecting citizens with service opportunities; a new Citizen Corps that engages citizens in more than 1,500 communities in homeland security; the largest funding levels in history for Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and Senior Corps; creation of a new Volunteers for Prosperity that is deploying thousands of American professionals to volunteer abroad; and more than 800 CEOs who now enlist their employees in regular volunteer service. He also led the Administration’s effort to strengthen American history and civics education and co-chaired the White House Task Force for Disadvantaged Youth.

Prior to that, Bridgeland served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House, where he coordinated policy on drug abuse, crime, election reform, Americans with disabilities, tropical forest conservation, faith-based initiatives, public housing, and dozens of other domestic issues. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, he co-chaired the federal effort on the economic revitalization of New York and created America’s Fund for Afghan Children. In addition, Bridgeland co-directed the policy transition for the Bush-Cheney Presidential Transition team and was Deputy Policy Director for the Bush-Cheney 2000 Presidential campaign. Bridgeland began his professional career by practicing law in the New York and Paris, France offices of Davis Polk & Wardwell. He also served as Chief of Staff and Counsel to U.S. Congressman Rob Portman.

Bridgeland graduated with honors in government from Harvard University, studied at the College of Europe and the Universite Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium as a Rotary International Fellow, and received his J.D. at the University of Virginia School of Law. He currently serves on the following boards or advisory boards: the American Presidents Foundation (Chairman); AmericaSpeaks National Advisory Board; Center for National Policy; Coalition for a Drug Free Greater Cincinnati; Earth Conservation Corps; Earth University; Hands On Network Advisory Council; Aspen Institute, Rodel Fellows Program; National Civic Literacy Board; National Conference on Citizenship Advisory Board; Partnership for Public Service; Trustees of the America’s Promise Alliance; Youth Service America; and We the People National Advisory Committee Center for Civic Education. He lives with his wife, Maureen, and their three children, Caily, Fallon and Regis, in McLean, Virginia.

Articles by John Bridgeland: (2)