Roosevelt Institute Welcomes Allison Zelman as Chief Strategy Officer

New York, NY—The Roosevelt Institute today announced that Allison Zelman has joined the organization as chief strategy officer, a newly created executive role. In this position, Zelman will lead strategy development, oversee the 501(c)(4) partner organization Roosevelt Forward, and direct the Institute’s government affairs, partner engagement, and communications efforts. She will play a central role in advancing Roosevelt’s mission to redefine the role of government in managing the economy for the public good.

For more than a decade, the Roosevelt Institute and Roosevelt Forward have championed a new vision for the economy. Through innovative policy development and leadership cultivation, the organizations have created impact at the highest levels of government and shaped key policy conversations. With the addition of Zelman, Roosevelt is expanding its leadership bench to help the progressive movement challenge concentrated economic and political power and chart a future rooted in the lives of working people.

“Allison is a strategic and deeply thoughtful leader who knows how to turn big ideas into actionable change,” said Elizabeth Wilkins, president and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute. “She understands what it takes to make government deliver for people—and how to bring others along in that mission. Her leadership will be invaluable as Roosevelt continues to champion an economic vision of shared power and prosperity.”

Zelman brings decades of experience in leadership roles across government, advocacy, and political organizations, with a focus on labor rights, economic mobility, and improving the lives of working people. Most recently, she served as chief of staff at the US Department of Labor, where she helped implement an agenda designed to empower and protect workers in a thriving economy.

“We’re at a critical moment for our economy and our democracy—people are demanding real results in their lives,” said Zelman. “The Roosevelt Institute is uniquely positioned to meet this moment, and I’m honored to join a team that’s leading the way to reshape the economy to better serve working people.”