Shirley Sagawa

Shirley Sagawa was nominated to the AmeriCorps Board of Directors by President Biden in January 2022 and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in August 2022.

Sagawa is former a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and the author of three books, including “The American Way to Change” and “The Charismatic Organization.”

Sagawa is the former CEO of Service Year Alliance and an architect of national service. Over the last three decades, she has developed innovative social and education policy, authored reports, and advised national organizations and foundations on strategy. As a partner with Sagawa/Jospin, she played strategic roles in creating America Forward, Cities of Service, Service Year Exchange, and the Presidio Institute Fellows Program.

Sagawa served as First Lady Hillary Clinton’s policy assistant, deputy chief of staff, and led the launch of the Corporation for National and Community Service, now AmeriCorps, for President Bill Clinton. Sagawa also served as President George H. W. Bush’s first vice chair of the Commission on National and Community Service, authorized under the National and Community Service Act of 1990. During which time, she drafted and negotiated as a chief counsel for Youth Policy on the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee.

Sagawa earned her BA at the Smith College, JD from Harvard Law School, and MSc from the London School of Economics.