CFR | Kahlil Byrd has dedicated his career to international media development and U.S. domestic politics. Currently, he is the chief executive officer of Americans Elect, an effort to organize an Internet-based convention to select a presidential ticket for 2012 that will bridge the vital center of American public opinion. By fulfilling its mission, Americans Elect will nominate candidates for president and vice president who will be a competitive alternative to the candidates put forth by the Democratic and Republican parties.
Just out of graduate school, Kahlil co-founded and was named executive director of the African Public Broadcasting Foundation (APBF), an NGO that encourages the privatization and strengthening of public service television throughout sub-Sahara Africa. Since its founding in 2004, and under Kahlil's guidance, the Harvard University-based APBF has managed a 2008 communications/donor conference at the Gates Foundation in Seattle; advised a $100 million development communications initiative led by the BBC World Service Trust and media professionals from the African continent; sent a series of U.S. students and media practitioners to spend significant time working in African television stations; organized the entire terrestrial broadcast television community into a viable and sustainable industry organization called the African Union of Broadcasters (AUB); and worked with the AUB to win rights to broadcast the 2010 World Cup throughout the African continent.
Kahlil has also worked extensively in politics, running communications and strategy for statewide governor and Senate races. Kahlil got his start in politics as one of the earliest staffers to join Deval Patrick's historic 2006 governor's race in Massachusetts. During the primary, Kahlil was named communications director and a senior strategist – working with the senior team to develop and execute the overall campaign plan; lead the communications group; and act as primary campaign spokesman. Kahlil became Governor Patrick's director of gubernatorial appointments on Inauguration Day 2007, helping to shape the Governor's team throughout the new administration. He has since run or advised both Democratic, Independent, and Republican campaigns all over the country.
Kahlil was a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and in 2006-2007 served as an international affairs fellow. On his fellowship, he acted as strategic advisor to the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (thepresidency.org), a Washington-based think tank. Kahlil is currently a senior associate with the center.
He earned his B.A. in political science from Morehouse College and his master's degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Just out of graduate school, Kahlil co-founded and was named executive director of the African Public Broadcasting Foundation (APBF), an NGO that encourages the privatization and strengthening of public service television throughout sub-Sahara Africa. Since its founding in 2004, and under Kahlil's guidance, the Harvard University-based APBF has managed a 2008 communications/donor conference at the Gates Foundation in Seattle; advised a $100 million development communications initiative led by the BBC World Service Trust and media professionals from the African continent; sent a series of U.S. students and media practitioners to spend significant time working in African television stations; organized the entire terrestrial broadcast television community into a viable and sustainable industry organization called the African Union of Broadcasters (AUB); and worked with the AUB to win rights to broadcast the 2010 World Cup throughout the African continent.
Kahlil has also worked extensively in politics, running communications and strategy for statewide governor and Senate races. Kahlil got his start in politics as one of the earliest staffers to join Deval Patrick's historic 2006 governor's race in Massachusetts. During the primary, Kahlil was named communications director and a senior strategist – working with the senior team to develop and execute the overall campaign plan; lead the communications group; and act as primary campaign spokesman. Kahlil became Governor Patrick's director of gubernatorial appointments on Inauguration Day 2007, helping to shape the Governor's team throughout the new administration. He has since run or advised both Democratic, Independent, and Republican campaigns all over the country.
Kahlil was a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and in 2006-2007 served as an international affairs fellow. On his fellowship, he acted as strategic advisor to the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress (thepresidency.org), a Washington-based think tank. Kahlil is currently a senior associate with the center.
He earned his B.A. in political science from Morehouse College and his master's degree in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School.
