Dear ACLU Family, Friends and Allies,
The American Civil Liberties Union of Montana is thrilled to announce that Caitlin Borgmann has been selected as the organization’s new Executive Director. Borgmann, who graduated from Missoula’s Hellgate High School, went on to receive her B.A. in philosophy from Yale University. She began her relationship with ACLU in 1990 as a Legal Intern with the Reproductive Freedom Project (RFP) while pursuing her law degree from New York University Law School.
Borgmann was employed by ACLU as the RFP’s State Strategies Coordinator from 1997-2002. Most recently she’s been a Professor at City University of New York School of Law and Director of Faculty Research- teaching constitutional law, legislative process and advocacy, and reproductive rights. Concurrent with her decade plus at CUNY, she’s served in a volunteer capacity as a member of the Board of Trustees of the ACLU of New Jersey. Borgmann also served in a number of roles on the ACLU’s national board of directors since 2008.
“I have experienced the ACLU from multiple perspectives: as a national staff member, an affiliate board member and a national board member. I am a Montanan, growing up in Montana and spending every summer and winter vacation of my life in the state. I am eager to learn more about the history of civil rights advocacy in Montana and the ACLU-MT’s past and ongoing work. It is an honor and a privilege to join the ACLU-MT’s board and staff in the vital task of protecting civil rights and civil liberties in my home state.”
Judy Hart, ACLU-MT’s president of the board, offered praise for Borgmann. “Caitlin has strong crossover skills as a litigator, as an advocate, as an educator. She helped pioneer integrative advocacy when she worked directly with ACLU affiliates across the country. She is a committed team player and we excited to have her take the reins of our Montana organization.”
Scott Crichton, ACLU-MT’s executive director of 27 years, said “This decision is the result of a deliberate and dedicated process. I laud the search committee’s work in sifting through a talented pool of candidates. My second year into being executive director I had occasion to work with Caitlin when she was a law school intern with the Reproductive Freedom Project. I was gratified then that a Montana woman was on the RFP team at the National ACLU office. Who’d have guessed 25 year later I’d be handing over the reins to her? I'm looking forward to ACLU-MT's next chapter with Caitlin at the helm."
Borgmann will officially be on the job at the end of August and will be based in Helena. A more formal public announcement will be forthcoming later in June.
