Daniel Burnett Named Press Secretary of American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA)

WASHINGTON, DC—American Council of Trustees and Alumni President Anne D. Neal announced today the hiring of Daniel Burnett as Press Secretary.

“We’re delighted to have Daniel join our team,” said Neal. “As we roll out our What Will They Learn? research, which demonstrates how few colleges require a robust core curriculum, Daniel is just the person to communicate to journalists and the general public the need for common sense reform of higher education.”

Burnett is the former editor-in-chief of the 17,000-circulation University of Georgia independent student newspaper, The Red and Black. There, he served as an editor, reporter and investigative journalist and wrote on a range of subjects including presidential spending at a time of budget cutbacks. He received a B.A. degree in journalism at the University of Georgia. There, he was a McGill Fellow and Grady College Ambassador, and won awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Atlanta Press Club. Most recently, he worked for Patch.com, a local news service.

Burnett will work with ACTA program associate Max Brindle to expand ACTA’s communications, research and outreach. Brindle graduated with a B.A. in government from Hamilton College, where he helped build and strengthen the Alexander Hamilton Institute for the study of Western Civilization. He has worked as an editorial intern for the American Spectator Magazine and Foundation and the National Journalism Center. He will focus on research, ACTA’s blog, Facebook and new media.

“Our new colleagues join a team with a long-standing commitment to helping American higher education fulfill its potential of academic excellence at affordable costs,” said Michael Poliakoff, Vice President for Policy. “Burnett and Brindle have the skill—and passion—to make ACTA the voice of students, parents, trustees, alumni, and taxpayers.”