Damian is the son of a newspaper publisher and former Knight Foundation executive who has a deep passion and commitment to journalism. Damian has held leadership positions in all three branches of government, higher education and the nonprofit sector. He was director of the White House Social Innovation Fund during the Obama administration and was a congressional aide for the U.S House Education and Labor Committee where he drafted landmark early education legislation. As a former prosecutor, he led efforts to strengthen and innovate to increase the collection of child support and expand programs that kept fathers engaged in their children’s lives. As the Chief Innovation Officer for the nation’s largest college, he developed innovative programs to provide new pathways to higher education for low-income students. Damian also serves on the Metro State University Community Advisory Board.