Nancy Ratzan joins Common Cause National Governing Board

Nancy Ratzan, a veteran lawyer and progressive activist and immediate past president of the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW), has joined Common Cause’s National Governing Board.

Ms. Ratzan served as NCJW’s president from 2008 until last year. NCJW is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who strive for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms.

Before taking over as president, Ms. Ratzan served as an NCJW vice president for six years and chaired “BenchMark: NCJW’s Judicial Nominations Campaign.” She also was founding chair of “The Open Tent,” an innovative program to expand and strengthen the Jewish community.

“Nancy Ratzan is a skilled and experienced practitioner of the citizen activism Common Cause has championed since its founding,” said Bob Edgar, president and CEO of the nonpartisan government watchdog group. “We’re delighted to have her, and the passion for reform she brings, on our board.”

Ms. Ratzan was a partner in the Miami law firm of Steel, Hector & Davis, where she specialized in appellate, First Amendment, and higher education law. President Obama appointed her to the White House Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in 2009.