Kelly White can say “mission accomplished” without having to eat her words. The executive director of Annie’s List is leaving her post after breathing new life into the group in less than a year’s time. White, the former E.D. of SafePlace, took over the reins of Annie’s List in early 2006, replacing former director Sherry Boyles, who left the organization under a cloud of controversy. White and her staff rebuilt Annie’s List from the ground up through fundraising, training, and recruiting pro-choice Democratic women to run for legislative seats. This year, the group focused its resources on five competitive House races and won all five, including Travis Co.’s HD 47 seat won by Democrat Valinda Bolton. In a special election earlier this year, the group helped Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, win a special election in HD 47 to replace former GOP Rep. Todd Baxter. White, who narrowly lost to Baxter in 2004, says she will enjoy some down time with her family before deciding her next mission.
This article appears in November 17 • 2006.
