Nancy Bocskor
DEMOCRACY COACH
Nancy Bocskor redefines political leadership by creating a path to public service and unlocking the secrets of relationship fundraising.
The German newspaper, Die Welt calls her a “Democracy Coach” when reporting on her work to train emerging female political leaders in the Middle East. She was Chief of Staff in Washington, D.C. by the time she was in her early 30s but soon left to start her own business which has taken her to all 50 states and over 28 countries.
She’s a collaborative, results-driven leader who excels at building partnerships and fostering a global network of those who focus on civic engagement, public service, and the development of democracy. She specializes in building long-term relationships and creating compelling stories to engage donors and collaborators.
As the inaugural director of the Center for Women in Politics & Public Policy at Texas Woman’s University, she created the vision to honor pioneering women in Texas politics and policy, commemorate the passage of the 19th Amendment, and launched programs to increase women’s political participation. Most notably, she initiated a half million-dollar partnership between Texas Woman’s University and iCivics, a non-profit founded by retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, to develop a virtual game to educate students about how to solve community problems through their local government called Counties Work: Texas.
She’s the author of “Go Fish: How to Catch (and Keep) Contributors: A Practical Guide to Fundraising”, based on her experience as a fundraising strategist and practitioner for political campaigns, non-profits, and associations.
Bocskor is a frequent political analyst for media outlets, writes op-eds reimagining politics and public service for national publications such as The Hill, and is regularly invited to give keynote presentations and moderate panels focusing on democracy, redefining political leadership, the role of women in activism, as well as the rise of authoritarianism at leading organizations such as The Texas Lyceum at the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M and the Open World Program sponsored by the U.S. Congress, as well as on behalf of the U.S. State Department, U.S. Embassies, universities and NGOs on six continents.
Bocskor currently serves on the board for Running Start, an organization that encourages young women to run for office; as an advisor for Veteran's Campaign, a program that encourages Veterans to enter public service; and serves on the board of the LBJ Women’s Campaign School at the University of Texas. She’s previously served as a board member at The Campaign School at Yale and chaired the school’s Curriculum Committee.
In her personal time, Bocskor is a featured author in Gina Barreca's book, “Fast Fierce Women: 75 Essays of Flash Nonfiction” where she wrote about her 96-year-old mother’s remarkable journey from rural Ohio to world traveler to COVID lockdown and dementia in a chapter entitled, A Life of Living Cautiously After a Life of Living Large. She also ensures every homeless cat and dog she meets has a nutritious meal, clean water, and a kind word. Bocskor has made it her personal quest to support female artisans no matter where she travels, making her home resemble an art museum.
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