Victoria
A. Budson is the founding Executive Director of the Women and Public Policy
Program (WAPPP) at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of
Government. WAPPP analyzes cutting-edge issues as they impact women’s
roles and lives. WAPPP conducts research, develops curriculum, and publishes
materials
focused on women and public policy. While at the Kennedy School of Government,
Budson was founding Executive Director of the Council of Women World Leaders,
a group of current and former presidents and prime ministers. From 1999-2004,
Budson served as a Kennedy School Ombudsperson. She was a resource for the
Kennedy School and the broader Harvard University community by providing a
safe and unbiased
setting for students, faculty and staff to seek assistance in dealing with
an array of professional and personal situations.
Budson serves
on the Board of Directors for the National Council for Research on Women
(NCRW). The
mission of NCRW
is to harnesses the resources of its network
to ensure fully informed debate, policies and practices to build a more
inclusive and equitable world for women and girls. Budson has been a member
of numerous
other Boards of Directors including: the National Women’s Political Caucus,
the Massachusetts National Abortion Rights Action League, the Massachusetts
Women’s Political Caucus, Women’s Legislative Network and Alliance,
Massachusetts Coalition of Democratic Women, and the Wellesley College Hillel
Alumnae Board. Budson has served on the Steering Committee for the Massachusetts
State Treasury’s Women and Money conference.
Budson speaks
on various topics such as the future of feminism, gender and public policy,
electoral
politics and political action at institutions including
Carnegie Mellon, Harvard University, Tufts University, Wellesley College,
the Eleanor Roosevelt Center at Val- Kill, and the Center for Women’s Policy
Studies. In 2002, she served as an advisor for the development of the United
Nations’ University for Peace Masters degree program in International
Peace Studies with specialization in Gender and Peace Building. Most recently,
Budson presented at the United Nations Beijing and Beyond International Women’s
Conference. She is a frequent commentator for news publications, television,
and radio programs. Appearances include: Fox News Live, the Boston Globe,
WGBH Boston, WSBK Boston, and Talk of the Nation and The Connection on National
Public Radio. She reviewed and edited the childbirth chapter for the 2005
edition
of Our Bodies, Ourselves.
Before coming
to Harvard, Budson was the Political and Community Affairs Director for
Steve Grossman, President
of the American
Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC). Budson has also worked extensively in Massachusetts’ politics,
both as an activist and an elected official on the state and local levels.
As the elected Chair of the Massachusetts Coalition for a Democratic Future,
the official statewide organization of young political activists affiliated
with the Democratic Party, Budson grew the organization to over 2,000 members.
She has held a seat on the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee, which
is the governing body for the state Democratic Party. She served as Chair
of the Wellesley Democratic Town Committee and as a member of the Wellesley
Town
Meeting.
In addition
to her grassroots and electoral work, Budson is an active political consultant.
As Finance
Director for Massachusetts State Senator
Cheryl Jacques,
she established one of the largest campaign accounts in the Massachusetts
State Senate. She also served as Finance Director for Massachusetts State
Representative
Rachel Kaprielian, and has served as the Northeast Regional Development Director
for EMILY’s List, an organization that raises money for pro-choice,
democratic candidates.
Awards Budson
has received include: the “Rising Star” award for
her outstanding work to advance the political education of women from the Network
for Women in Politics and Government at UMASS Boston, the Carol Moseley Braun
Award from Mass Choice, and the Dean’s Award for Excellence at the Kennedy
School. Budson graduated Magna Cum Laude and with Departmental Honors from
Wellesley College with a joint degree in Sociology and Women’s Studies.
As a graduate of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Mid-Career Masters
in Public Administration Program, she received the Lucius N. Littauer Fellow
award for her distinction in academics at the Kennedy School, her contribution
to the Kennedy School and the greater Harvard community, and her potential
for continuing leadership excellence.