Why Did the Congressman Cross the Aisle? How to Build Coalitions in Partisan Environments

Rebecca W. Rimel
President & CEO
The Pew Charitable Trusts

Rebecca W. Rimel is president and chief executive officer of The Pew Charitable Trusts, a public charity driven by the power of knowledge to solve some of today's most challenging problems.She joined Pew in 1983 as health program manager, became executive director five years later and accepted her current position in 1994. During her tenure, Pew has evolved from a grant-making organization to become one of the nation¿s most innovative and influential public charities. Pew has maintained its deep roots in Philadelphia, working on urban issues, the arts and other activities, and has a Washington, DC, base of operations that focuses on the environment, state policy, public health and national economic issues. The Pew Research Center, an internationally known public opinion research center, is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Prior to joining Pew, Ms. Rimel built an exemplary career in health care. She was the first nurse to hold a faculty position at the University of Virginia's (UVA) medical school, serving as an assistant professor in the Department of Neurosurgery. She was head nurse of the emergency department at the University of Virginia Hospital and has authored numerous scientific articles on head injury.

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