The Man

Eli Segal loved to get things done. His unique combination of optimism, vision and practicality resulted in ambitious and creative programs that have made a real difference in our country. Eli’s passion for citizen engagement has been brought to life in communities across the country every day in the youthful energy and talent of more than 500,000 young people who have served in AmeriCorps, America’s national service program. Millions of lives were transformed through the Welfare to Work Partnership, which Eli founded, to engage businesses in investing in the long-term economic self-sufficiency of welfare recipients. Through his service to the McGovern Commission, Eli changed forever the way in which elections were conducted so that power was put in the hands of ordinary citizens rather than the political party machines. He was also a brilliant political strategist, an astute businessman and, most importantly, an extraordinary friend and mentor to so many people, from all walks of life.

The Mission

Through the Eli J. Segal program, we hope to inspire and support a new generation of leaders to commit to a lifetime of contributing to the common good, and to elevate and highlight service and citizen leadership as central strategies that are critical to the health and well-being of our democracy. The goals of the program are: to encourage emerging leaders to engage in a lifetime of citizen service; to serve as a platform to promote service and citizen leadership; and to commemorate and honor the extraordinary contributions of Eli J. Segal.