TED HALSTEAD

1968 - 2020
Ted Halstead It is with shock and deep sadness that the family of Ted Halstead announces his passing on September 2, 2020, following a tragic hiking accident near his home in Mallorca, Spain. He was 52. His beloved wife Véronique and daughter Naya, as well as his family, friends and colleagues are devastated by his loss. Born in the US in 1968, Ted spent his formative years in Brussels. Following in the footsteps of four generations of entrepreneurs and innovators, Ted forged a highly original path of his own. His world view was shaped by growing up as an American overseas, and later as a philosophy major at Dartmouth College. Determined to think deeply and to "live out his questions," Ted added two years to his college tenure to study, work and travel in Central America, Japan and Europe. Ted built a uniquely visionary and influential career as a public policy innovator, advocate, author and organization-builder. He founded and was the CEO of three major US-based think tanks and policy institutes, Redefining Progress, the New America Foundation, and the Climate Leadership Council. His philosophy was to think big as in big ideas, be willing to move beyond old and outdated political labels, and to build a wide and deep center capable of providing real solutions. Ted's ideaof the center was not to split the difference between left and right but to find bold, sensible solutions to the central problems of our time-whether they be healthcare, economic fairness, or climate change. He combined thought with action and worked tirelessly to galvanize people to the value of these ideas. In keeping with this philosophy, Ted was the author with Michael Lind of The Radical Center: The Future of American Politics (2001), which became the working agenda for the New America Foundation and its pioneering work on outlining a new social contract for the emerging digital age. He was among the earliest voices to publicly moot the idea of market-based solutions toenvironmental problems, an approach that later led him to embrace a revenue-neutral carbon tax. Following the birth of his beloved daughter Naya in 2015, Ted became deeply committed to working on climate change, as the issue that would most affect the world, she would grow up in. Beginning in 2017, he poured all of his energies into launching the Climate Leadership Council and building the largest coalition of business, environmental, and thought leaders around a bipartisan climate solution called carbon dividends. He recruited James A. Baker and George Shultz, former US Secretaries of State and Treasury, to co-author with him a four-pillar carbon dividends plan that serves as the basis for bi-partisan climate legislation in the coming year. Throughout his career, he worked in close collaboration with many outstanding colleagues and mentors, some for a decade or more. Ted's legacy puts him among the top thinkers and activists of his generation. He will be remembered for his ability to inspire, engage, and connect people ranging from prominent political, academic and corporate leaders to passionate young people working towards a better future. Personally, Ted embraced life with boundless joy, love, and imagination. Shortly after his marriage to Véronique, herself an adventurer, the couple took four years to circumnavigate the globe in a 50-foot catamaran. Undeterred by not knowing how to captain a boat at the beginning, they lived out their newlywed love story on the seas. Both were grateful for the modern assistance of GPS, radar, and Ted's indefatigable mother Kate who dispatched spare boat parts and supplies to them. Ted and Véronique also shared a passion for kite boarding and ski-trekking, enjoying the high intensity and grace of gliding over water and snow. Ted was a loving son to his mother Kate, his father Roy and Roy's wife Gabriele, and to his sister Libby and her partner Lorri. Never missing a weekly phone call, he was part of a close-knit and devoted family with whom he shared annual trips and adventures. One was a sailboat crossing of the Pacific Ocean as a duo with Roy, a lifelong sailor. As Ted's older sibling, Libby was his subtle rudder, helpful critic and faithful ally. To his close and lifelong friends Ted was a fiercely loyal comrade who took every opportunity to debate, reflect, and create joyful moments. At his core, Ted was a good and loving man who knew how to make the most of life. The family is grateful for the expressions of love and support in this difficult time. A website celebrating Ted's life, and a public memorial service will be organized soon. In lieu of flowers please consider making a gift to support Ted's legacy to the Climate Leadership Council at https://clcouncil.org/donate/