Common Cause Veterans Kathay Feng and Stephen Spaulding Step Into VP Roles

Common Cause is pleased to announce that two Common Cause veterans have stepped into the role of vice president at the government watchdog. Longtime Common Cause leader Kathay Feng will step into the role of Vice President for Programs and Stephen Spaulding is returning to Common Cause from his role as Policy Director of the U.S. Senate Rules Committee and will serve as Vice President for Policy & External Affairs. Together the two will help lead Common Cause’s national efforts to reduce barriers to a more representative democracy. They will also support efforts for the organization’s 30 state operations working to create a 21^st Century democracy that works for everyone.

“We know firsthand the expertise, the leadership qualities, and the work ethic that  Kathay and Steve bring to the table and are thrilled to see them step into these new roles,” said Marilyn Carpinteyro Common Cause co-president. “Each has proven records of success in multiple roles – Kathay both in California and nationally and Steve as a senior staffer on Capitol Hill and the FEC. They assume their new roles at an important juncture for the organization as we navigate the tragic loss of Common Cause president Karen Hobert Flynn and build on the strong momentum and growth brought about through her leadership.”

 

Ms. Feng has served in various capacities at Common Cause over the last 18 years, including National Redistricting and Representation Director and Executive Director of California Common Cause where she led the state’s passage of landmark citizen redistricting commission reforms, transformative super-match public campaign financing reforms, transparency and ethics laws, and inclusive election laws, including automatic, online and same day registration and vote centers Nationally, she has helped build a movement to push back against partisan and racial gerrymandering and lift the voices of underrepresented communities.

In addition to his most recent role on the Senate Rules Committee, chaired by Senator Amy Klobuchar, Mr. Spaulding previously served as Senior Elections Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on House Administration, under then-Chairperson Zoe Lofgren, and earlier as Special Counsel to FEC Commissioner Ann Ravel at the Federal Election Committee. He has also served in other positions at Common Cause, including Chief of Strategy, Legal Director, and Senior Policy Counsel.

“I am excited to take on this new role at this challenging moment for our democracy, at an organization that is near and dear to my heart,” said Kathay Feng, Common Cause vice president for programs. “We have our work cut out for us to transform our government to be a more inclusive democracy in the current atmosphere, but we have a strong team at Common Cause with a deep commitment to our critical work.”

“I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and working together with colleagues new and old to defend our democracy at a time when it is still very much under siege,” said Stephen Spaulding, Common Cause vice president for policy & external affairs. “Common Cause is the gold standard for good government organizations and our commitment to safeguarding a government of, by and for the people is needed as much now as it ever has been.”

Ms. Feng is a graduate of Cornell University and holds a law degree from UCLA School of Law. She serves, or has served, on numerous boards including the California Secretary of State’s Advisory Committee on Voter Participation and Outreach, the LA County Human Relations Commission, and the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council. Mr. Spaulding is a graduate of Haverford College and Boston College Law School and is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and Massachusetts.