Cecile Richards is President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, a visible and forceful advocate for reproductive rights and reproductive health issues. Previously, Cecile served as founder and president of America Votes, a coalition of more than 30 national organizations. America Votes was created to maximize voter registration, education, and mobilization among grassroots organizations. Under her leadership, America Votes organizations collaboratively spent more than $350 million on political activities in 2004, and collectively the coalition members represent more than 20 million Americans. As a labor and political organizer for over twenty years, she spent several years organizing low-wage workers in Texas, California and Louisiana. In 1994, she founded the Texas Freedom Network, a statewide grassroots organization of religious and community leaders supporting public education and religious and civil liberties.