Des Moines, Iowa (March 10, 2022) - The Founding Board of Vote Smart is pleased to announce the appointment of Kyle D. Dell as the next President of the national nonpartisan research organization. Dell previously served the organization as the Vice President of the Founding Board, which he joined in 2010. He also served on Vote Smart’s staff during the 1996 presidential election. He will succeed the founder and President Richard Kimball, who will continue his 30-year affiliation with Vote Smart as President emeritus.
“This is an important transition for Vote Smart and the Board is enthusiastic about the opportunity for reflection and growth as we transition from the founding president to his successor, Kyle Dell,” said Founding Board chair, Jessica Arrigoni. “As an organization we continuously seek ways to engage with a larger audience and broaden our accessibility as guided by Vote Smart’s core mission of providing free, factual, unbiased information on candidates and elected officials to all Americans.” She added, “Kyle has the foundational knowledge for a seamless transition and the fresh perspective to grow our organization.”
“It is an honor and an exciting opportunity to serve Vote Smart members across the country and all voters as the next president of this unique organization,” reflected Kyle Dell. “Given the trying times we are moving through as a democracy, the light cast by the work of our staff and interns at Vote Smart shines forward and provides millions of Americans with the best source of political information ever available in the history of our nation. I look forward to doing everything I can to make that light shine brighter in the years ahead.”
Vote Smart, founded by national leaders such as Presidents Carter and Ford, provides free, factual, information on more than 40,000 candidates and elected officials, including their voting records, issue positions, public statements, campaign finance data, special interests’ ratings, and biographical backgrounds.The organization has always been funded entirely by donations from thousands of members across the country and by foundations such as The Ford Foundation, The Carnegie Corporation of New York, Pew Charitable Trusts, The MacArthur Foundation, and the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation. Vote Smart’s services are used by millions of American voters each election cycle as well as partners such as Google, Microsoft, National Journal, CBS News, CNN and others. By every measure, the impact of Vote Smart has grown throughout 17 national elections including nine presidential elections since the start of the project in 1988. Vote Smart is located on the campus of Drake University and is a partner together in providing a hub for democratic discourse.
Prior to his appointment as President, Dell was an accomplished dean and professor of political science at Guilford College since 2003. Throughout his career, his work has focused on expanding access to higher education and promoting inclusive excellence in the areas of experiential education and innovative curricula. In his time at Guilford, Dell chaired multiple departments and programs as well as numerous strategic initiatives including a general education review and revision team following a fellowship with the American Council on Education at North Carolina State University in 2013-14.
For further information contact Senior Advisor, Adelaide Kimball, at adelaide@votesmart.org or call 515-989-6363.