About Jeanine Abrams McLean

Career Background and Transition

Dr. Jeanine Abrams McLean built a distinguished career as an evolutionary biologist before transitioning to community organizing and becoming President of Fair Count, a nonprofit ensuring every person is counted for fair representation.[13][22] This shift reflects her commitment to applying scientific rigor to civic challenges.[8][18]

Census Accuracy and Civic Participation

Central to her work is ensuring accurate U.S. Census counts, particularly in historically undercounted communities, to enable fair resource allocation and representation. She advocates reframing 'hard-to-count' to 'historically undercounted' to shift blame from people to systems.[1][6][11] Fair Count builds pathways from census participation to broader civic engagement.[2][16][23]

Joy, Play, and Resilience in Activism

McLean promotes bringing joy, play, and positivity to serious work like democracy-building to combat burnout and foster resilience. She discusses playfulness with podcast hosts, emphasizing its role in social impact.[4][9][10][12]

Broadband Access and Digital Equity

She views broadband as essential for democracy, enabling civic participation in underserved areas, and shares this perspective as a Connect Humanity board member.[8][17][19][22]

AI and Technology for Elections

McLean explores AI to analyze canvassing conversations, improve campaigning, and promote free, fair elections, collaborating on case studies and lectures.[14][15][16][20][21]

Southeast U.S. Civic Infrastructure

She highlights the Southeast's crucial role in shaping American civic life, including faith as a civic counterweight.[7]

Democracy, Elections, and Sensemaking

Her talks address election systems, restoring trust, and sensemaking on race and democracy, stressing community-led change.[3][5][6]

Community Organizing and Asset-Based Approaches

From scientist to organizer, she champions asset-based storytelling over deficits, empowering communities through lived experiences and systems change.[8][11][12][13]