Howard Dean

Howard Dean, a former six-term Governor of Vermont and physician, currently works as a consultant focusing on health care, early childhood development, alternative energy, and the expansion of grassroots politics around the world. In addition to his consultancy role, Dean is also an active contributor to CNBC and MSNBC and a founder of Democracy for America, a progressive political action committee launched in 2004.

Dean's career in public service began in 1982, when he shifted from being a full-time practicing physician to an elected representative in Vermont. Dean's tenure as Governor of Vermont lasted for 12 years, making him the second-longest serving governor in the state. Before his governorship, Dean served as a member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1983 to 1986 and as Lieutenant Governor of Vermont from 1987 to 1991.

Respected across party lines, Dean held the chairmanship of the National Governors' Association, the Democratic Governors' Association, and the New England Governors' Conference during his term as Governor of Vermont. In 2003, Dean left office in Vermont to run for President, during which he introduced innovative fundraising strategies such as the use of the Internet.

When Dean became the chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2005 to 2009, he devised and executed the “50 State Strategy”. This approach played an instrumental role in enabling Democratic victories in the 2006 and 2008 elections. During his DNC leadership, he dedicated significant resources to revitalizing the Party by building and fortifying the organizational tools, technological capabilities, and infrastructure required to win, forming the groundwork for a long-term Democratic majority. Dean was named chairman emeritus of the DNC upon his retirement in January 2009.

After leaving office, Dean endorsed Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election. As of 2015, Dean was working for global law firm Dentons in their public policy and regulation practice. He later joined the advisory board of Tilray, one of the world's largest cannabis companies, in December 2018. Dean also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Yale Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and a visiting professor at Williams College.

Dean's academic credentials include a B.A. in political science from Yale University, which he completed in 1971, and a medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, which he completed in 1978. After finishing his residency at the Medical Center Hospital of Vermont, he went on to practice internal medicine in Shelburne, Vermont. Dean is married to Dr. Judy Steinberg, and they are proud parents of two children, Anne and Paul.