Press release June 4, 2026
Freedom House Welcomes New Board Members Margaret Hoover, David Pressman
WASHINGTON—Freedom House is pleased to announce that journalist Margaret Hoover and former US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman are joining the Freedom House Board.
“On behalf of the entire Freedom House Board, I am thrilled to welcome Margaret Hoover and Ambassador David Pressman as our newest board members. They are recognized leaders in their fields, who bring unique skills, perspectives, and networks in support of this storied organization. As Freedom House celebrates our 85th anniversary, the organization stands at an exciting moment to take major steps to realize our vision of a world where all are free. We look forward to working with Margaret and David to expand Freedom House’s impact in this critical moment,” said Freedom House Board Chair Norman Willox.
“The experience Margaret and David bring to the Freedom House Board reflects careers defined by deep understanding of threats to freedom and steadfast advocacy for the protection of democratic values and fundamental rights. It is an honor to welcome them as members,” said Jamie Fly, CEO of Freedom House. “Freedom in the World has found that global freedom has declined for 20 consecutive years, as authoritarian leaders grow more sophisticated in their efforts to crush dissent and entrench their own rule. Margaret and David will bring their significant expertise to our work to counter growing authoritarianism and reverse global democratic decline.”
Hoover and Pressman join other highly regarded leaders on the Freedom House Board who bring expertise from the academic, corporate, government, and media sectors, and are united by their dedication to Freedom House’s mission of expanding and defending freedom. Freedom House Board members advise on the overall strategy and direction of Freedom House, support its mission, and assist with promotion of the organization.
Margaret Hoover is the host of PBS’s Firing Line with Margaret Hoover, a public affairs, multiplatform program that engages in long-form interviews and a rigorous exchange of ideas with the guiding principle that civil discourse is a civic responsibility. Hoover has served in the White House under President George W. Bush, in the Department of Homeland Security, on Capitol Hill, and on two presidential campaigns. She is the president of American Unity Fund, a political organization focused on achieving full freedom and equality for LGBT Americans. A bestselling author, her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Daily News, The Daily Beast, CNN.com, and FoxNews.com. Hoover serves on the boards of Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, the Hoover Presidential Foundation, the Belgian American Educational Foundation, the Markle Foundation, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
Ambassador David Pressman is an international human rights and national security litigator. He served as US Ambassador to Hungary from 2022–25, and has also served as the US Ambassador to the UN Security Council, as Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security, and as the White House’s Director for War Crimes and Atrocities on the National Security Council. Pressman launched and led the Clooney Foundation for Justice, and cofounded the human rights organization Not On Our Watch. He has been published widely in outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and Time. He served as the Pritzker Fellow at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and as a Senior National Security and International Affairs Fellow at the Center for American Progress, and co-chaired the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Law Committee. Pressman began his government service as an aide to Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright.
In 2026, Freedom House—America’s oldest organization dedicated to expanding and defending freedom—is celebrating 85 years of working toward its nonpartisan vision of a world where all people are free. With strategic guidance from the board, Freedom House informs the world about emerging threats to freedom, mobilizes decision-makers to respond to those threats, and provides support to defenders of democracy who are standing up to authoritarianism around the world.
Freedom House was founded in 1941 by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, a Democrat, and Wendell Willkie, President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Republican opponent in the last presidential election, to promote American resistance to the totalitarian threat posed by Nazi Germany. Together, they put aside partisan differences to marshal Americans to work together toward a world where all people can live freely, and throughout its history Freedom House’s mission has drawn support from across the political spectrum. At our 85th Annual Awards and Anniversary Celebration in May, the Freedom House Board announced the creation of two ex-officio, nonvoting, nonfiduciary board seats to honor the families of the organization’s illustrious co-founders: one for the descendants of Wendell Willkie, and one for the descendants of Eleanor Roosevelt. The foresight and determination of these two leaders serve as a reminder for all of us that freedom is not free and we must remain vigilant.
In honor of our 85th anniversary Freedom House also launched Investing in Freedom’s Future, which aims to raise $85 million over the next five years to strengthen our flagship research, deepen our engagement with policymakers, expand direct assistance to human rights defenders, and invest in new work to push back against authoritarian abuses.
You can find a list of current Freedom House Board members here.
Freedom House is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to create a world where all are free. We inform the world about threats to freedom, mobilize global action, and support democracy’s defenders.