Shirley Sagawa

Shirley Sagawa is the former CEO of Service Year Alliance and an architect of AmeriCorps. Over the last three decades, she has developed innovative social and education policy, authored groundbreaking reports, and advised national organizations and foundations on strategy. As a partner with sagawa/jospin, she played strategic roles in the creation of America Forward, Cities of Service, Service Year Exchange, and the Presidio Institute Fellows Program. She is a fellow at the Center for American Progress, and co-author of The Charismatic Organization (2008) and Common Interest, Common Good (2000). She is also the co-founder of sagawa/jospin, which provides strategic counseling to nonprofits. In 1991, President Bush appointed her to the Commission on National and Community Service. She later served as Deputy Chief of Staff to First Lady Hillary Clinton and Special Assistant to President Clinton for Domestic Policy, where she drafted legislation creating the Corporation for National Service. She was the Corporation’s first managing director, and led the development of AmeriCorps. She holds degrees from Harvard Law School, London School of Economics, and Smith College.