Burns Strider
Burns Strider, a native of Grenada County, Mississippi, is a founding partner of the Eleison Group, the nation's leading consulting firm committed to creating common ground between the political, business and non-profit worlds and America's diverse faith, religious and values-based communities.
Strider has served in an array of positions including Senior Advisor and Director of Faith Based Outreach to U. S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and her campaign for President, Director of Policy for the U. S. House Democratic Caucus, Senior Advisor to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) , Director of the U. S. House Democratic Faith Working Group and Rural Working Group, regional Communications Director for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Chief of Staff to U. S. Congressman Ronnie Shows (D-MS).
In 2007 Strider was named as one of the 12 most influential Democrats in the nation on faith and values politics and issues by Religion News Service.
In the mid-90's Burns spent two years in Hong Kong as a Missionary with the Southern Baptist Convention serving as youth minister at International Baptist Church and teaching English.
Strider has also worked on more than 30 campaigns. He has developed communications plans that have been used in over 35 congressional and statewide races as well as a teaching tool for the National Democratic Institute in their work with progressive political parties in foreign countries. He has been a commentator for National Public Radio and has taught and lectured at various political workshops and Universities around the nation including Princeton University, the Pew Forum and Camp Wellstone. Burns is a published essayist and is a featured blogger on BeliefNet and FaithfulDemocrats.