Building Bridges: Cristin Brawner to Lead National Issues Forums Institute as Executive Director

​Cristin Brawner has been named the new Executive Director of the NCDD Member Organization, National Issues Forums Institute, bringing years of experience in civic engagement, collaborative leadership, and a deep commitment to deliberative democracy. Her career has been marked by inclusive practices, statewide impact, and a strong vision for strengthening public dialogue. Read more in the blog post below.

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Cristin Brawner has been named Executive Director of the National Issues Forums Institute (NIFI), bringing with her a deep commitment to deliberative democracy and a wealth of experience in civic engagement. Her journey began as a college intern at the David Mathews Center for Civic Life, where she participated in a National Issues Forum on immigration. That single forum was, in her words, “trajectory-altering”—a vivid example of how structured, respectful dialogue could bring together people with differing perspectives to find common ground. It was a moment that shaped her professional calling and set her on a path to strengthen democratic practice across the country.

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Proven Leadership and a Deep Civic Commitment

​At the Mathews Center, Brawner’s career reflected steady growth and impactful leadership. Starting as an intern in 2009, she became Executive Director in 2011 and led the organization for nearly a decade. During her tenure, the Center expanded its programs to all 67 counties in Alabama, launched innovative youth-focused civic education efforts, and introduced the Civic Institute to strengthen local capacity for dialogue. She also co-authored the Alabama Civic Health Index, helping communities and policymakers better understand the health of civic life through data and reflection. Under her guidance, the organization grew its staff, budget, and statewide influence while maintaining a collaborative, mission-centered culture.
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In addition to her institutional leadership, Brawner has played a key role in fostering regional and national networks of civic practitioners. She founded the Southern Deliberative Democracy Network to connect dialogue leaders across the South, and worked as an Associate with the Kettering Foundation and Project Coordinator for the Equitable Neighborhoods Initiative. These roles reflect her ability to collaborate across organizational boundaries and to bridge local experiences with broader civic systems. Her hands-on experience facilitating hundreds of NIFI public forums gives her a deep familiarity with the organization’s mission and tools—insight that will be invaluable in her new role.

A Vision for Inclusive and Sustainable Civic Growth

Brawner is known not only for her strategic vision but also for her emphasis on inclusivity. She has consistently worked to broaden participation in civic life by engaging youth, rural communities, and populations often overlooked by traditional public processes. Her leadership has shown that effective civic engagement must meet people where they are—geographically, culturally, and emotionally. Through her consulting work from 2021 to 2025, she brought this inclusive approach to a wider range of organizations, further sharpening her skills in designing and sustaining participatory initiatives.
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As she steps into her role at NIFI, Brawner is well-positioned to guide the organization through a time of both challenge and opportunity. With public trust in institutions under strain and polarization on the rise, the need for civil, solutions-oriented dialogue is more urgent than ever. Brawner’s combination of grassroots experience, network-building, and executive leadership equips her to expand NIFI’s reach while preserving the core values that have defined the organization’s impact for decades. Her collaborative leadership style—grounded in empathy, clarity, and purpose—resonates deeply with the principles at the heart of deliberative democracy.

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Join us in sending our warmest congratulations to Cristin Brawner as she begins this exciting new chapter with the National Issues Forums Institute. Her leadership promises to carry forward a legacy of thoughtful, inclusive engagement while meeting the demands of our evolving civic landscape. Connect with her on LinkedIn to follow her journey and support the work of deliberative democracy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristin-brawner/