Abrams is a New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur and political leader. She served as minority leader in the Georgia House of Representatives and was the first Black woman to become gubernatorial nominee for a major party in United States history.
Democracy protection, voting rights and effective public policy have been pivotal subjects within her career. She has also co-founded successful companies, including a financial services firm, an energy and infrastructure consulting firm, and a media company, Sage Works Productions Inc.
French is a columnist for The New York Times. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he was previously a senior editor at The Dispatch and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. He is a former constitutional litigator and past president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.
He is also a New York Times bestselling author, and his most recent book is “Divided We Fall: America’s Secession Threat and How to Restore Our Nation.” A former major in the United States Army Reserve, French is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was awarded the Bronze Star.
“Our newest fellows are not only distinguished leaders in their fields, but also trustworthy and courageous voices in defense of democracy,” said Kettering Foundation President and CEO Sharon L. Davies, in a press statement. “We at the Kettering Foundation look forward to their contributions as we work to advance inclusive democracy and combat the forces that seek to divide us.”
Abrams and French join other prominent appointees chosen for their leadership and defense of democracy, including broadcast journalist Judy Woodruff, the Katherine W. Fanning Fellow in Journalism and Democracy; former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services and Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius, the inaugural David Mathews Democracy Fellow; former Poet Laureate of the United States Joy Harjo, the Ruth Yellowhawk Fellow; and 10 other senior fellows: William J. Barber II, Johnnetta Betsch Cole, James Comey, Neal Katyal, María Teresa Kumar, Steven Levitsky, Sarah Longwell, J. Michael Luttig, Maureen O’Connor and Alexander Vindman.
As senior fellows, Abrams and French will be invited to contribute to Kettering’s blog series, “From Many, We,” engage in the podcast, “The Context,” participate in the video series, “The Stakes,” and contribute to Kettering’s public conversations as panelists, keynotes or moderators.
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