Christopher T. Gates is an American philanthropist and political activist. He is the former[2] president of the Sunlight Foundation. He is the past Executive Director of Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE).[3] PACE is an affinity group of the Council on Foundations and works as a learning collaborative of funders who are working in the fields of civic engagement and democratic renewal. Gates served as President of the National Civic League until June 15, 2006. He was named President in 1995, previously serving as vice-president of the NCL.[4]

Christopher E. Gates
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Colorado
Harvard University
OccupationNonprofit executive
Political partyDemocratic[1]

Gates earned a master's degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.[5] At Harvard, he studied the interaction between the public and private sectors. Gates also earned an honors degree in economics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He also spent time as a student at the University of East Anglia in England, where he studied political economics.

In 2003, he was elected as the Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party. During his term as Party Chair, the Democrats saw success in Colorado, winning a U.S. Senate seat, an additional seat in the U.S. Congress and winning control of both of the houses of the state legislature.

Gates founded the Colorado Institute for Leadership Training, a statewide progressive leadership training program, in 1991 and continues to serve as its board chair.

On May 20, 2006, Gates received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Elizabethtown College, Pennsylvania.[6]

References

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  1. ^ Greene, Susan (September 9, 2014). "Chris Gates to head national watchdog group". Colorado Independent. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  2. ^ Warren, James (January 5, 2016). "What goes around…". Poynter. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
  3. ^ Lippman, Daniel (September 8, 2014). "Sunlight Foundation picks new chief". Politico. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  4. ^ "National Civic League biography". National Civic League. Archived from the original on September 29, 2006. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
  5. ^ "Saguaro Seminar biography". John F. Kennedy School of Government. Retrieved 2008-06-22. [dead link]
  6. ^ "Honorary Degree Recipients". Elizabethtown College. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
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Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by
President of the National Civic League
1995 – June 15, 2006
Succeeded by
Derek Okubo (interim)
Preceded by
Chair of the Colorado Democratic Party
2004–2006
Succeeded by
First Executive Director of Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement
2006 –
Incumbent