Speakers

Adrienne Elrod is a political strategist, government affairs expert and communicator. With over 25 years of experience working on Capitol Hill, the executive branch and advising corporate and political organizations, Elrod has also worked on three presidential campaigns. Most recently serving as Director of External and Government Affairs for CHIPS for America at the Department of Commerce, Elrod launched a program office, overseeing legislative and intergovernmental affairs as well as communications and public engagement for the team tasked with distributing $50 billion to incentivize and catalyze private investment in the domestic semiconductor industry.

Elrod served as Biden for President’s Director of Surrogate Strategy and Operations during the 2020 campaign and later, ran talent and external affairs for President Biden’s Inaugural Committee. On the 2016 presidential campaign, Elrod served as Hillary for America’s Director of Strategic Communications, overseeing the campaign’s vast surrogate operation, and deploying elected officials, entertainers, and other influencers across the nation.

Elrod has also served as Vice President and Communications Director for American Bridge and Correct the Record. She served nearly six years as Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), managing legislative and communications agendas for a senior member of the Armed Services and Homeland Security Committees.

On Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, Elrod served as Regional Press Secretary, Texas Communications Director, and Deputy Director of the Congressional Delegate Selection office.

A native of Arkansas, Elrod began her political career in President Clinton’s Administration, serving in both the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and the Department of Housing and Urban Development. She later returned to her home state to join the Arkansas Democratic Party as its Communications Director, after which she worked at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and several Congressional offices and campaigns.

Elrod is a contributor to NBC and MSNBC news, where her commentary and analysis is informed by her over 25 years of experience serving at the highest llevel of government and campaigns. Elrod received her B.A. in journalism from Texas Christian University.

Valerie Jarrett is Chief Executive Officer and a member of the board of directors of the Barack Obama Foundation. She is also a Senior Distinguished Fellow at The University of Chicago Law School. She is the author of the New York Times bestselling book Finding My Voice: My Journey to the West Wing and the Path Forward, published in April 2019.

She serves as Board Chairman of Civic Nation and Co-Chair of The United State of Women. Jarrett serves on the boards of Walgreens Boot Alliance, Inc., Ralph Lauren Corporation, Lyft, Inc., Sweetgreen, Ariel Investments, The University of Chicago, Sesame Street Workshop and the Economic Club of Chicago. Jarrett also serves on the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women Advisory Board.

Ms. Jarrett was the Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama from 2009-2017, making her the longest serving senior advisor to a president in history. She oversaw the Offices of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs and Chaired the White House Council on Women and Girls.

Ms. Jarrett has a background in both the public and private sectors. She served as the Chief Executive Officer of The Habitat Company in Chicago, the Commissioner of Planning and Development for the city of Chicago, Deputy Chief of Staff for Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and she practiced law for ten years in the private and public sector. She also previously served as the director of numerous corporate and not-for-profit boards including leadership roles as Chairman of the Board of the Chicago Stock Exchange, Chairman of the University of Chicago Medical Center Board of Trustees, Vice Chairman of the University of Chicago Board of Trustees, Director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and Chair of Chicago Transit Board.

Ms. Jarrett has also received numerous awards and honorary degrees, including TIME’s “100 Most Influential People” Award.

Jarrett received her B.A. from Stanford University in 1978 and her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1981.

David Wasserman is the Senior Election Analyst for the non-partisan newsletter, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, and a contributor to NBC News. Founded in 1984, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter provides analyses of U.S. presidential, Senate, House, and gubernatorial races. The New York Times called The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter “a newsletter that both parties regard as authoritative.”

Wasserman analyzes the current political environment in lively and entertaining presentations that he can tailor to his audiences’ specific interests or locales. His data-driven forecasting looks at both national and local trends (if requested, he can even do a district-by-district outlook), the relationship between consumer brand loyalty and voting, and what the future holds for American elections. He is exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau.

Highly Praised Expertise. Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com has written: “Wasserman’s knowledge of the nooks and crannies of political geography can make him seem like a local,” and the Los Angeles Times called Wasserman “whip smart” and a “scrupulously nonpartisan” analyst whose “numbers nerd-dom was foretold at a young age.” Chuck Todd, host of NBC's Meet the Press, recently called David "pretty much the only person you need to follow on Election Night."

In 2016, Wasserman drew wide praise for his accurate pre-election analysis, including his uncanny September piece entitled, “How Trump Could Win the White House While Losing the Popular Vote.” Leading Republican pollster Kristen Soltis Anderson concluded, “Nobody of my generation knows American politics as well as Dave Wasserman.”

Political Intelligence. Wasserman has served as an analyst for the NBC News Election Night Decision Desk since 2008 and has also appeared on Fox News, CNN, and NPR. His commentary has been cited in numerous publications including the Wall Street Journal, the Economist, POLITICO, and the Washington Post. In 2018, his groundbreaking interactive collaboration with FiveThirtyEight, the "Atlas of Redistricting," took top prize for News Data App of the Year.

An enthusiast for data and maps, Wasserman serves as a contributing writer to the Almanac of American Politics. A frequent speaker and guest lecturer, he has shared insights into the latest political trends with audiences at Harvard's Institute of Politics, the Dole Institute of Politics, and the University of Chicago Institute of Politics – where he was named a resident Pritzker Fellow in 2019.

Prior to joining the The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter in 2007, Wasserman served for three years as House editor of Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a widely respected political analysis newsletter and website founded by renowned University of Virginia professor Larry Sabato. A native of New Jersey, Wasserman is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he was awarded the 2006 Emmerich-Wright Outstanding Thesis prize.

Kevin Sears (AHWD, C2EX), a REALTOR® from Springfield, Mass., is 2024 president of the National Association of REALTORS®. He is Broker/Partner of Sears Real Estate, specializing in single-family brokerage and property management. He has served NAR in numerous capacities, including as a President’s Liaison in 2019 and as NAR Vice President of Government Affairs in 2017.

Kevin has been recognized as an RPAC Major Investor since 2004 and has been a “Golden R” investor and member of the President’s Circle since 2007. He has twice been inducted into NAR’s RPAC Hall of Fame. He also served as the long-time Federal Political Coordinator to Bay State Congressman Richard Neal (D-Springfield).

Kevin chaired an RPAC Disbursements Presidential Advisory Group in 2021. In addition, he served as Chair of the NAR RPAC Trustees in 2011 and 2015 and Chair of the REALTOR® Party Trustees for State and Local Campaign Services Committee in 2013. In 2016, he chaired the REALTOR® Party of the Future Strategic Planning Work Group. Also in 2016, he was NAR’s Vice President for Region 1, comprised of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

The Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® elected Kevin President in 2010. In addition to serving in leadership, Kevin has been a member or an alternate of the MAR Board of Directors since 2000. In 2006, MAR named him REALTOR® of the Year and in 2015 he received the Milton H. Shaw Distinguished Service Award.

The REALTOR® Association of Pioneer Valley (Mass.) elected Kevin their president in 2005. He has chaired a number of the association’s committees and in 2006, the association named him their REALTOR® of the Year.

Kevin is also a champion for his community. In 2011, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick appointed him as Chairman of the Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons (the state’s real estate commission), a position he was reappointed to in 2016 by Gov. Charlie Baker.

In his hometown of Springfield, Kevin has been involved with the Rental Housing Association of Greater Springfield, the Forest Park Civic Association, the Springfield Rotary Club, the Cathedral High School Board of Trustees, the Chamber of Commerce, and was a Trustee of the Mason Wright Retirement Community.

Kevin received a B.A. in History from Providence College and earned his MBA from Western New England University.

Brenda C. Small (AHWD, GRI, RENE), a REALTOR® from Washington, D.C., is 2024 REALTOR® Party Director. Since 2004, she has served in many leadership roles at all three levels of the REALTOR® organization. These include serving on the Board of Directors for the National Association of REALTORS®, District of Columbia Association of REALTORS® , and the Greater Capital Area Association of REALTORS®, as well as testifying before national, state, and local legislatures.

Other significant leadership roles include 2020 NAR Public Policy Coordinating Committee Chair; 2017 NAR Federal and Public Issues Committee Liaison; 2015 NAR Regional Vice President for Region 3 (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia), 2010 DCAR President, and 2007 GCAAR President. In each role, she was influential in promoting legislation and public policies that effectively advance REALTOR® interests.

Brenda is a consistent financial supporter of RPAC.

She is an associate broker with Keller Williams Capital Properties in D.C., and has 30 years’ experience in residential real estate sales and management. Over just a dozen years, she took her career from Rookie of the Year at Prudential Carruthers REALTORS® to D.C. REALTOR® of the Year at DCAR.

As a leader, Brenda is passionate about member outreach and equipping and empowering entrepreneurs for business success. She authored Powered With Potential: Ignite Your Inner Dynamic, a personal development primer for individuals and teams.

Although she resides in Washington, D.C., she’s proud to call the New Jersey Shore home. Brenda loves to travel, having been the spouse of a soldier serving with the U.S. Armed Forces in Germany for 10 years. She has two daughters, Angela and Tiffany; a son-in-law, Erroll; and three grandchildren, Aaron, Gabrielle, and Micah.