PRESS RELEASE
-For Immediate Release-
September 10, 2008

Contact: Brian Gumm, (202) 683-4812, bgumm@ombwatch.org

Jotaka L. Eaddy Wins Award for Outstanding Public Interest Work

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2008—OMB Watch is pleased to announce that Jotaka L. Eaddy, formerly Field Manager at USAction, has won a Public Interest Rising Star Award for her outstanding public interest work in the Washington, DC, area and throughout the country. Jotaka is originally from Johnsonville, SC.

The Public Interest Rising Star Awards are part of OMB Watch's year-long 25th Anniversary celebration. They honor the outstanding, dedicated work of younger people and encourage their continued pursuit of government accountability, citizen participation, or social justice. Public Interest Rising Star Award winners will be recognized at OMB Watch's 25th Anniversary event in Washington, DC, the evening of Sept. 17.

Eaddy was nominated for this award because her colleagues view her as the "absolute embodiment of a Rising Star." Only 29 years of age, Eaddy developed an incredible network on Capitol Hill and on the streets. She successfully engages with people in power, many of whom often disagree with her positions, and she consistently displays creativity in the coalitions and alliances she forms. Her work on such diverse issues such as ending the war in Iraq, securing quality and affordable health care for all Americans, and working to reduce student loan interest rates just scratches the surface of the progressive causes that Eaddy has fought for. Since being nominated for this award, she left USAction to work full-time on getting young people to vote in the fall election.

Upon learning of the award, Eaddy said, "I can't believe this! I really don't know what to say other than my goal in life is to leave this world a little better place than when I was here."

Gary D. Bass, Executive Director at OMB Watch, offered his congratulations. "Jotaka is a fierce young warrior with a calm and pleasant spirit who knows how to get things done. Pushing for sensible progressive causes that will benefit all Americans is her bread-and-butter, and she's very good at it. Despite all of her success at such a young age, Jotaka also displays a humility and humanity that is far too rare these days. Perhaps most importantly, she takes the work she did inside the Beltway and makes it relevant and meaningful to every citizen in our nation. We are proud to present Jotaka with one of five Public Interest Rising Star Awards."

The full list of award winners is available at /files/25th. There were roughly 100 nominees considered for the award. For more information about OMB Watch, see http://www.ombwatch.org/article/archive/250.

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Jotaka Eaddy Bio

Jotaka Eaddy has ten years professional experience in human rights and grassroots advocacy, with extensive experience in legislative strategy development, coalition building, campaign management, and organizing within youth communities and communities of color. She has put her skills and experience to work with organizations including USAction, the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, International Possibilities Unlimited, and Iraq Summer.

Her strong experience in grassroots advocacy and lobbying on human rights policies was gained within various international forums, including the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, International Youth Summit, European Commission, Africa Union, and Organization of American States.

Eaddy has also traveled widely, both nationally and internationally, as a speaker on human rights advocacy, grassroots advocacy, and youth leadership. She has addressed audiences at the United Nations, Yale University, Washington College of Law, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard Law School, and Howard University, among others. Overall, she has conducted advocacy efforts in over 45 states and 26 countries.

Eaddy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of South Carolina.

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OMB Watch is a nonprofit government watchdog organization dedicated to promoting government accountability, citizen participation in public policy decisions, and the use of fiscal and regulatory policy to serve the public interest