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Speaker Information

Carolyn Bourdeaux is the Executive Director of Concord Coalition and Concord Coalition Action Fund, where she is building a grassroots movement to advocate for fiscal responsibility, including working to balance the federal budget and cut the $36 trillion national debt.

Bourdeaux served as a Democratic Member of Congress from Georgia from 2021-2022 after winning one of the most competitive races in the country. During her time in Congress, Dr. Bourdeaux worked with the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and served as Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Coalition Task Force on Fiscal Responsibility and Government Reform. She led bipartisan efforts to advance solutions to our nation’s fiscal challenges through responsible budgeting reform and requiring Congress to pay for programs. She also led policy work on health care, small business and infrastructure. Dr. Bourdeaux is a contributing columnist to the Atlanta Journal Constitution and a Senior Visiting Scholar at the University of Georgia.

Bourdeaux is an expert in national, state and local public finance. Prior to entering politics, she was a professor at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. Among her many accomplishments, she served as Director of Georgia’s Senate Budget and Evaluation Office during the Great Recession, where she received recognition by the Senate for significant service to the State of Georgia (S.Res. 1598).

Phil Smith is the National Field Director for The Concord Coalition. Founded in 1992, the coalition’s nonpartisan mission is to encourage fiscal responsibility and help educate the public about the federal budget and the need to protect our children and future generations from excessive government debt. It was founded by former US Senators Paul Tongas (D-MA) and Warren Rudman (R-NH).

With more than two decades of experience at The Concord Coalition, Phil has helped conduct countless seminars, congressional and presidential town hall meetings, and public policy initiatives. He has traveled to all 50 states and often delivers speeches to a range of political and civic organizations, colleges, universities, and financial planning groups. He works extensively with the media including appearances on most major television and radio networks such as CNN, FOX, PBS, NPR, CNBC, C-span, the BBC, and CTV (Canadian Television).

In addition to his career at the Concord Coalition, Phil served as the Chief Operating Officer for two state government agencies in Georgia: The Department of Community Affairs and the Technical College System of Georgia. He also served on the Washington staff of the late US Representative Doug Barnard, and the state capitol staff of several state representatives and senators in Atlanta.

Phil received gubernatorial appointments to the boards of directors of the Georgia Humanities Council and the Georgia Children and Youth Coordinating Council. He is a 2011 graduate of Leadership Atlanta where he currently serves as an officer on the board of trustees. He is a 2006 graduate of Leadership Georgia where he also served on their board of trustees.

In 2005, Phil was chosen as one of the top “40 Under 40” by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. He is the Past President of the downtown Atlanta Kiwanis Club, one of the oldest and largest civic clubs in the country.

Phil was raised primarily in Athens, Georgia, home of the University of Georgia where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. He also studied Mexican Politics and Spanish at the University of the Americas near Puebla, Mexico, and was awarded a visiting fellowship to Ming Chaun University in Taipei, Taiwan.