Anthony's Expertise

Anthony has been the Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the nation’s premier defender of civil liberties, since 2001. He took the helm of the organization just seven days before the September 11th attacks, and has presided over the most prodigious growth in the ACLU’s history, dramatically increasing its membership, national and affiliate staff, and budget. Earlier in his career, Anthony served as Director of Human Rights and International Cooperation at the Ford Foundation; and Senior Program Advisor and Weaver Fellow of the Rockefeller Foundation. He currently serves on the Board of Physicians for Human Rights; the Advisory Council of the Global Forum for Freedom and Justice; the Racial Justice Task Force of the Robin Hood Foundation; and is a member of the New York State Bar. Born in New York City to parents who hailed from Puerto Rico, Romero was the first in his family to graduate from high school. He is a graduate of Stanford University Law School and The Princeton School of Public Policy and International Affairs. In 2005, he was named one of Time Magazine’s 25 most influential Hispanics in America; and in 2020, he was awarded Princeton University’s highest honor, previously named the Woodrow Wilson Award, presented annually to a graduate whose career embodies a commitment to national service.