Public Knowledge is pleased to announce two additions and one change to our team. First, Public Knowledge welcomes Cedric Watkins, Government Affairs Policy Advocate, and Will McBride, Digital Content Manager, to our team. Both will support the organization’s advocacy efforts across the full breadth of issues Public Knowledge leads on.
Prior to joining Public Knowledge, Mr. Watkins served as a legislative assistant and press secretary on Capitol Hill. Afterwards, he worked as a research analyst for the U.S. Department of Energy. In each position, he conducted policy analysis on federal legislation and maintained a broad range of external oversight while analyzing interagency, nongovernmental, and academia policy. Mr. Watkins received his M.A. in Public Policy from Howard University, M.A. in Liberal Studies from Delta State University, and B.A. in Political Science from Delta State University.
Mr. McBride worked as a Marketing and Media Specialist for media houses, nonprofits, and film production companies. He received his B.A. from Johns Hopkins University in Film and Media Studies.
Additionally, Public Knowledge is pleased to announce the promotion of Meredith Whipple, formerly the organization’s Digital Outreach Director, to Chief of Staff. In this role, Ms. Whipple’s duties will include development, Board of Directors management, as well as managing PKTrains, the organization’s fellowship and internship programs.
Prior to joining Public Knowledge, Ms. Whipple held internet policy positions at the Center for Democracy and Technology, Hewlett-Packard, Consumers Union, the Berkman Center for Internet and Society, and the Federal Communications Commission. She has a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas in Austin, and her Bachelor’s degrees in Communications and Political Science from the Ohio State University in Columbus.
The following may be attributed to Public Knowledge President & CEO Chris Lewis:
“Cedric and Will are both exciting additions to the Public Knowledge team and have brought great skill and experience to the organization right away. Will’s broad talent with a variety of online media tools has already begun to shift Public Knowledge’s reach through online content. We welcome his fresh ideas and teamwork. Cedric’s experience in both constituent services and legislation will bolster our government affairs team’s capabilities. He brings a people-first mentality to thinking about policy, and I look forward to his potential to expand our network of allies.
“Meredith Whipple has been a pillar of the organization for the last 10 years and her promotion to this leadership role is well deserved. Many tech policy experts and followers have not seen her out front speaking or advocating, but she has made a mark behind the scenes and in digital media on many of our successes over the years. Meredith has demonstrated a real talent for organizational leadership and her passion for supporting the young talent of the PKTrains program will help us to take this important initiative to the next level.”
You may view our staff page for more information on all new hires.
Members of the media may contact Communications Director Shiva Stella with inquiries, interview requests, or to join the Public Knowledge press list at shiva@publicknowledge.org or 405-249-9435.