Wes Moore
Westley Watende Omari Moore (born October 15, 1978) is an American author, entrepreneur, television producer, and United States Army veteran. From 2017 to 2021 Moore served as the CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation. On June 7, 2021, Moore launched his campaign to become the Democratic candidate for Maryland governor. Moore is the author of "The Other Wes Moore" and "The Work", both of which are New York Times Bestsellers. He was also the host for "Beyond Belief" on the Oprah Winfrey Network, as well as the executive producer and a writer for "Coming Back with Wes Moore  on PBS. Moore was the subject of a CNN article in which he was accused of embellishing his childhood and where he actually grew up. He was later criticized for failing to correct television interviewers who incorrectly said he was awarded a Bronze Star. Moore is the founder and CEO of BridgeEdU, a social enterprise dedicated to reinventing the freshman year and creating a smoother transition to higher education for students entering their freshman year of college. Early life and education. Moore was born in Takoma Park, Maryland on October 15, 1978, to father William Westley Moore Jr., a 1971 	Wes Moore
22267614	Bard College graduate and highly respected black American broadcast news journalist, and mother Joy Thomas Moore, a daughter of immigrants from Lowe River, Jamaica and a media professional. When Moore was nearly four years old, his father died on April 16, 1982, from acute epiglottitis. In the summer of 1984, Moore's mother took him and his two sisters to live in the Bronx, New York, with their grandparents. His grandmother, Winell Thomas, a Cuban immigrant, was a retired school teacher. His grandfather, Rev. Dr. James Thomas, a Jamaican immigrant, was the first black minister in the history of the 	Wes Moore
22267615	Dutch Reformed Church. Moore attended Riverdale Country School. At Riverdale, he encountered academic and disciplinary struggles. When Moore's grades declined and he became involved in petty crime, his mother enrolled him in Valley Forge Military Academy. After high school, Moore graduated Phi Theta Kappa from Valley Forge Military College, a junior college in Pennsylvania. He went on to attend Johns Hopkins University where he studied International Relations and Economics and graduated Omicron Delta Kappa and Phi Beta Kappa in 2001. Immediately after, he attended the Wolfson College, Oxford as a Rhodes scholar where he earned a master's degree 	Wes Moore
22267616	in International Relations. Career. Section::::The Other Wes Moore". "The Other Wes Moore" is the story of two young Baltimore boys that share the same name and race, but largely different familial histories and they travel down very different paths. While both grew up without the consistent presence of their biological father and got into trouble as youth, one, who was raised by his grandmother and grandfather and was born to two parents with college degrees, became a Rhodes scholar and leader, and the other, who was raised by a single mother who dropped out of college, was convicted of murder  and is currently serving a life sentence. Wes Moore sets out to answer what made the difference through telling the story of young men trying to find their way in a seemingly broken world. "The Other Wes Moore" has been on both "The New York Times" and "Wall Street Journal" bestseller list. Section::::"Discovering Wes Moore". "Discovering Wes Moore" is the Young Adult adaption to "The Other Wes Moore". This book acts as a cautionary tale that is more accessible to a younger audience while maintaining the powerful message and story that was set out in "The Other Wes Moore". Section::::"The  Work". "The Work" provides a tale of finding purpose and passion through the work a person does. This book retraces Moore's experiences around the globe that have led him to find his passion. Additionally, he tells the stories of a dozen other "change makers" and how they found their paths to purpose. Section::::"This Way Home". "This Way Home" is a Young Adult novel about a high school star basketball player. Elijah faces a struggle that emerges from a standoff with a local gang after they attempt to recruit him to their basketball team. Elijah refuses to play for them  and is faced with the consequences. Taking place in a pivotal time of a young adult's journey, this story is about discovering what truly matters in life. Section::::"Future City". "Future City" is a series on Baltimore's WYPR station. In this interview based talk show, Wes Moore examines systemic issues in Baltimore. In each episode, Wes looks at bright ideas that are working in other cities.  And he asks the question: Can those ideas work for Baltimore? Section::::"Coming Back with Wes Moore". "Coming Back with Wes Moore", a series executive produced by author and former Army combat veteran Wes  Moore, aired in three parts on consecutive Tuesdays beginning May 13, 2014, on PBS. The three-episode series tells the story of Wes Moore's search for answers to some of the most difficult questions related to returning home from war. The show follows the personal lives of different soldiers as they attempt to reintegrate back into society, establish new identities, and find new missions. Each episode focuses on a different stage of coming home: "Coming Back", "Fitting In" and "Moving Forward". Media. Moore is a news contributor to various publications including "The Wall Street Journal", "The Huffington Post", "The  Baltimore Sun", "The New York Times" and many other publications. Moore regularly appears on various MSNBC programs including "Hardball with Chris Matthews", "Now with Alex Wagner", "The Rachel Maddow Show", "PoliticsNation", "Meet The Press" and "Morning Joe" He has also made appearances on various notable programs including: "Face the Nation", "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart", "The Colbert Report", and "Real Time with Bill Maher" Veterans activism. Moore is a vocal advocate for serving those who served in the military overseas. He has worked with various veterans groups, including Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America and Things We Read, and is  a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). Moore has also presented a TED talk at TEDSalon NY2014 titled How to Talk to Veterans About the War. Robin Hood Foundation. In April 2017, it was announced Moore would be appointed CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, a charitable organization which attempts to alleviate problems caused by poverty in New York City. Founded in 1988, Robin Hood was conceived by hedge fund manager Paul Tudor Jones and co-founded with Peter Borish and Glenn Dubin. The foundation combines investment principles and philanthropy to assist programs that target poverty in New  York City. This is accomplished mainly by funding schools, food pantries and shelters, however they also administer a relief fund for disasters. Beginning the position in June 2017, he is the organization's first chief executive officer in its 30-year history. Guidestar reports he earns over $800,000 per year in this role. He stepped down from the position in May 2021 after announcing his intention to do so in February 2021. 2022 Maryland gubernatorial election campaign. In February 2021, Moore announced he was "seriously considering" a run for Governor of Maryland in the 2022 election. He launched his  gubernatorial campaign on June 7, 2021. His running mate is Aruna Miller, a former state delegate who represented Maryland's 15th district from 2010 to 2019. During the primary, Moore received endorsements from Prince George's County executive Angela Alsobrooks and former Governor Parris Glendening He also received backing from the Maryland State Education Association and VoteVets.org. Honors and awards. On May 27, 2020, Moore was invited to and gave special remarks at his alma mater Johns Hopkins University's 2020 Commencement ceremony. Other notable guest speakers during the virtual ceremony included Reddit co-founder and Commencement speaker Alexis Ohanian ; philanthropist and former New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg; Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leading member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force; and senior class president Pavan Patel.