2019 National Civic Leadership Training Summit

Yael Bromberg is a civil rights and voting rights attorney with fifteen years of experience in community organizing, advocacy, and campaigns. Yael previously served as a supervising attorney and teaching fellow at Georgetown University Law Center’s Civil Rights Clinic and Voting Rights Institute. She has also worked in the national headquarters of Common Cause, a good-government organization, and clerked in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. Yael is a graduate of Rutgers Law, where she was a Kinoy/Stavis Fellow in the Rutgers Constitutional Litigation Clinic and was the 2015 recipient of the Eric Neisser Public Service Alumni Award in recognition of her work in democracy law. Yael is barred in New York, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia, and is presently counsel to The Andrew Goodman Foundation.

Park Cannon is the youngest member of the Georgia House of Representatives, representing the 58th District, including Midtown, Downtown, and Southwest Atlanta. She is one of only four openly queer members of the state legislature and is a vocal advocate for LGBTQ issues. Park graduated from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill with two majors – Hispanic Linguistics and Linguistics – and a minor in women’s and gender studies. Prior to her election, she worked at The Feminist Health Center in the heart of Atlanta, with a focus in Black Women’s health promotion.

Debra Cleaver has been working at the intersection of technology and democracy since 2004. She currently serves as the Founder and CEO of Vote.org, a nonpartisan nonprofit digital voting organization that aims to use digital technology to remove barriers to voting and increase voter turnout. Under Debra’s leadership, Vote.org won the prestigious Knight News Challenge in 2015, and was accepted into Y Combinator’s 2016 Summer Cohort. Her work has been featured in Forbes, Mic, The Huffington Post, and Bustle.

Karena Cronin is the Program Director of Vote Everywhere, The Andrew Goodman Foundation’s flagship youth and democracy initiative. In her role, she works closely with a national network of colleges and universities to amplify young voices in our democracy. Karena has extensive civic engagement experience, having worked domestically and internationally to enable diverse forms of engagement through research, convening, and program development. She spent the last 10 years in South Africa, working with local and international non-profit organizations such as CIVICUS and Charities Aid Foundation Southern Africa to strengthen youth civic service, corporate employee volunteering, and international volunteering in support of development and social change. Prior to her work in South Africa, Karena was a Council of Women World Leaders Fellow and the Associate Director of the Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. She holds a B.A. cum laude (Political Science and Sociology) from Union College and a Master of International Affairs (Economic and Political Development) from Columbia University.

Emily Curran is the Communications and Development Manager of The Andrew Goodman Foundation. Emily holds a Ph.D. in History and Culture from Drew University, where she focused on twentieth-century American cultural history, culminating in a dissertation entitled, “Natural and Technological Wonders: Embracing Modernity at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.” She received her Bachelor’s degree in History and American Studies from Ramapo College, where she now teaches as an adjunct professor. Prior to joining AGF, she worked as the Visitor Services Coordinator at the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms, and she remains an active volunteer with the museum.

Taryn Dwyer is a Vote Everywhere Program Manager at The Andrew Goodman Foundation. She graduated with her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Siena College, in the Capital Region of New York. With multiple organizing, lobbying and advocacy opportunities in Albany, Taryn’s professional interest for student leadership and social justice flourished. She went on to complete her Master of Science in Social Work at Columbia University, where she currently co-lectures on topics of power, race, oppression, and privilege. Taryn has additional experience in clinical therapeutic practice, student leadership, and academic research, and has a strong passion for civic engagement and activism, particularly among students.

David Goodman is the brother of Andrew Goodman, the President of The Andrew Goodman Foundation, and member of its Board of Directors. Professionally, David is a civil engineer and holds an MBA from Stanford University. He is presently a Principal of North Arrows LLC, which specializes in power and energy investments. David is a member of the Global Leadership Council of the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), member of US Green Building Council, member of American Solar Energy Society, member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, on the Advisory Board of the Natural History Museum of The Adirondacks, and a Trustee Emeritus of the Antioch College Board of Trustees. He brings extensive experience in developing and expanding organizations.

Usjid Hameed works as the Public Affairs Coordinator for the Council on American-Islamic Relations Columbus, Ohio Chapter (CAIR-Columbus) where he is tasked with advocating for American-Muslims, monitoring legislation, conducting outreach, organizing civic engagement activities with the Central Ohio American-Muslim community, and much more. Usjid was born in York, Pennsylvania and raised in Baltimore County, Maryland. His passion for service was kindled at a young age thanks to his parents, Pakistani immigrants, frequently drawing attention to his many privileges, such as growing up in a two-parent home in America. Usjid credits the public school system in Baltimore County for providing him with a profound interest in history and government. Usjid attended Towson University for his undergraduate studies where he served as a Vote Everywhere Ambassador for The Andrew Goodman Foundation and as an editor for the Towson University Journal of International Affairs. In addition, Usjid was the field director for a state delegate campaign during the 2014 election cycle and interned in Congressman John Delaney’s (MD-06) D.C. office. In his junior year, Usjid was awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for his Summer 2016 study abroad experience in Jordan. He graduated from Towson University with honors in May 2017 after earning a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and was the Spring 2017 Undergraduate Commencement Speaker for the College of Liberal Arts. Upon graduating, Usjid moved to Columbus in June 2017 to begin work with CAIR.

Project Summary:

Expanding the Ballot: Providing Election Assistance to Non-Native English Speakers

Central Ohio is an incredibly diverse region. The city of Columbus alone is home to the country’s largest Bhutanese population, 2nd largest Somali population and 8th largest Arab population. Given this diversity, it is necessary that voters of these populations be given the necessary support to participate fully in the democratic process. Unfortunately, the Franklin County Board of Elections currently has no formal mechanisms in place to assist these non-native speakers on election day.

Expanding the Ballot utilizes on-site and off-site interpreters to ensure that voters who are not proficient in English have the resources necessary to cast their ballot. Through this multi-pronged approach, thousands of voters will more easily be able to be active citizens and have their voice heard.

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Kevin Hurtado is the Communications and Development Associate at Andrew Goodman Foundation. He graduated from Ramapo College of New Jersey with a Bachelor's in International Studies and a minor in Human Rights and Genocide. During his time at Ramapo, Kevin worked at the college's Women's Center as a Program Coordinator, where he grew a passion for social justice. He was also selected to participate in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Summer Program, where he was placed in the Office of Congressman Charles Rangel. Previously, Kevin worked as an Executive Assistant and Officer Manager at Newark Charter School Fund, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting educational equity in the city of Newark.

Clarence B. Jones was a counsel and speechwriter for Martin Luther King, Jr. During his residency at the King Institute, Jones has worked on his memoirs and has published two books: What Would Martin Say? (2008) and Behind the Dream: The Making of the Speech that Transformed a Nation (2012). He has received numerous state and national awards as well as an honorary doctorate in recognition of his significant contributions to American society. In addition to his accomplishments in the civil rights movement, Jones was the first African-American partner in a Wall Street investment banking member firm of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and was selected twice by Fortune Magazine’s as “A Business Man of the Month.”

Justyna Krygowska is the Communications Director of The Andrew Goodman Foundation. In her role, she manages a variety of projects to ensure the Foundation’s brand and programs are reinforced with quality communications. Prior to joining AGF, Justyna worked at Rising Tide Capital where she helped revitalize underserved communities in New Jersey through microenterprise development. In her spare time, Justyna runs her own business, Ladybug Design Studios, serves on the board of directors for the Passaic County SPCA, and is a mentor for The Pesce Family Mentoring Institute at William Paterson University. Justyna holds a Bachelor’s degree in Integrated Design with a concentration in Communication Design and Design & Management from Parsons the New School for Design. She is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Arts and Letters from Drew University.

Maydee Martinez is a graduate of Miami Dade College in Florida, where she studied Political Science. During her time at MDC, Maydee served as a Vote Everywhere Ambassador for The Andrew Goodman Foundation. In 2015, Maydee founded Democracy YOUnited, an educational program that focuses on voter registration, education, and engagement. She also helped found Engage Miami, a non-profit organization with the goal of changing the culture of politics in her hometown of Miami, Florida. Maydee is a 2016 Newman Civic Fellow and recipient of The Andrew Goodman Foundation's 2016 Hidden Hero award for her outstanding achievement as a Vote Everywhere Ambassador. Maydee is currently a junior at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., majoring in Sociology with a minor in Government.

Project Summary:

Democracy YOUnited: Revamping Civic Education

Currently, many civic education curriculums around the country do not include class lectures on how local government is structured, and why local representation is important. This leaves the next generations of voters without access to knowledge that would help them understand how their localities and states function- from who is making decisions on their school boards to who represents their interests at the state level. Without this knowledge, many students face barriers to becoming informed, active citizens.

The Democracy YOUnited project will collaborate with students, teachers, parents, and school board members to create a curriculum that is interesting, informative, and inclusive. The goal of Democracy YOUnited is to help students of all ages understand that the power of local government is within their reach.

Megan Newsome obtained a B.S. in Astrophysics from the University of Florida in 2017, where she also spent three years as The Andrew Goodman Foundation's Vote Everywhere Team Leader. Her Vote Everywhere team's accomplishments included registering over 2,000 students to vote, providing shuttles to early voting locations, and publicizing voting accessibility issues via local media. Her goal as a Puffin Democracy Fellow is to see Florida lead the South in taking down voting barriers by advocating for college campuses to serve as early voting locations, improving transportation networks to and from polling sites, and strengthening comprehensive civics education. Her work aims to prioritize science and evidence in policy-making. On a clear night, though, don't be surprised if Megan can't be reached - sometimes she just needs a little space. (Get it?)

Project Summary:

STEMocracy: Bridging Civics and Science

Data shows that college students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields vote at lower rates than their peers. At the same time, phrases like “evidence-based” have become controversial in political circles, and legislators, like Governor Rick Scott of Florida, have refused to discuss the gravity of scientifically-backed issues, such as climate change.

This is why we are launching STEMocracy- to ensure science is accounted for in legislation by bringing the ballot to tomorrow’s scientists. By thoroughly researching STEM students’ low voting rate, we will develop and implement the most effective methods that will transform these students into civic leaders. STEMocracy aims to make facts a priority so that policies are made in the best interest of all Americans.

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Mariel Pagan has served as the Director of the Center for Student Involvement since September of 2017. The Center for Student Involvement houses the Office of Civic and Voter Engagement at Montclair State University. Mariel holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership, Management and Policy from Seton Hall University, an M.A. in Counseling Services from Rider University and a B.S. in Diplomacy & International Relations from Seton Hall University.

Myrna Perez is Deputy Director of the Brennan Center’s Democracy Program and leader of the Center’s Voting Rights and Elections project. An expert on voting rights and election administration, she is the author of several nationally recognized reports and articles, and her work has been featured in media outlets across the country, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and MSNBC. Myrna has testified before several state legislatures on a variety of voting rights related issues. She is a lecturer-in-law at Columbia Law School and has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Clinical Law at NYU School of Law.

Tarso Luís Ramos has been investigating and challenging threats to U.S. democracy for 25 years. Under his leadership, PRA has launched major initiatives on Islamophobia, antisemitism, misogyny, authoritarianism, White nationalism and the Alt-Right, and other emerging threats to democracy. He collaborates closely with immigrant and racial justice groups, social justice feminists, LGBTQ advocates, and worker organizations to provide analysis and strategic advice. Tarso is a sought-after public speaker and the author of numerous articles and reports. Before joining PRA in 2006, Tarso served as founding director of Western States Center’s racial justice program, which resists racist public policy initiatives and supports the base-building work of progressive people of color-led organizations.

Valencia Richardson is a first-year law student at Georgetown University and the co-chair of The Andrew Goodman Foundation's Alumni Association. She is also a certified Distinguished Communicator, recipient of Upper Division Honors from the LSU Honors College, and a Fulbright Scholar. Valencia graduated magna cum laude from Louisiana State University in 2016, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication, with a concentration in Political Communication with a minor in Spanish. In 2014, Valencia became an LSU Vote Everywhere Ambassador for The Andrew Goodman Foundation. She also co-founded Geaux Vote LSU, an on-campus student organization aimed at assisting LSU students with registering to vote, voting, and staying up-to-date on upcoming elections. Under her leadership as a Vote Everywhere Team Leader and Geaux Vote LSU President, her team was instrumental in registering hundreds of students to vote, advocating for higher education funding, as well as increasing voter accessibility for college students by leading the charge to change Louisiana’s state law to allow student IDs to become eligible voter IDs. She will continue to expand voter accessibility in Louisiana as a Puffin Democracy Fellow.

Project Summary:

A New Southern Strategy for College Voter Engagement

Access to the polls for young people (18-34) is particularly suppressed in the Southeastern United States. We know that voter suppression, through efforts to prevent access to registration and
voting, depresses overall turnout. Studies show that among other barriers, stricter voter ID laws can depress registration and turnout.

In 2016, Louisiana passed an ID law that will help thousands of college students in Louisiana be able to use their student IDs to vote. Now it is time to look ahead into other states to see how legislation can be created to increase accessibility to college students across the South. Beginning in Fall 2018, we will build a movement around increasing accessibility on college campuses. The first step will be voter ID, where we will aim to promote and promulgate a policy that allows students to use their student ID as voter ID, starting with schools already partnering with AGF in the Southeast.

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Mariah Ross is the Digital Marketing Manager at the Andrew Goodman Foundation. She earned a Bachelor of Science magna cum laude in Diplomacy and International Relations from Seton Hall University, with minors in Economics and French. Prior to joining our team, Mariah worked at Charity Navigator as a Program Analyst, where she was responsible for the evaluation of America's largest nonprofits, and as Sector Communications Coordinator, where she conceptualized and executed various communications campaigns. Mariah is passionate about utilizing data to inform marketing strategy and impact measurement.

Margaret Sasser is Vote Everywhere's Program Development and Evaluation Manager. Prior to joining The Andrew Goodman Foundation, she worked at Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center that supports equitable school experiences for all students. As a Research Associate, she developed social justice professional development and curricular resources for K-12 educators. She is a two-time graduate of the University of Alabama, where she obtained a Master's degree in American Studies, focusing on American popular music, and a Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, concentrating on gender and race theory. Margaret is passionate about civil rights issues and helping students to become active and engaged members of their communities.

Bernice Sims is the author of Detour Before Midnight, a re-telling of Ms. Sim’s life growing up in the Jim Crow South and the events that beaconed to her to join the Freedom Summer movement. Bernice joined the NAACP as a youth and spent many hours in the home of Medgar Evers before his assassination. She has been a resident of Long Island, NY since 1972, and in 1989, became Long Island’s first African-American Female Trustee for the Village of Hempstead, NY. Bernice also served as an advisory board member for Mario Cuomo, the former Governor of New York, among other leadership honors. She earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work at Adelphi University in 1982 and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Dana Sweeney grew up reading books, telling stories, and dreaming of the world beyond the salt marshes of southeastern Georgia, where he was raised. With the aid of several generous scholarships, he was eventually able to pack his bags and attend school 423 miles away at The University of Alabama. While there, he studied English and continuously pondered how storytelling and language shape the world we live in (and how they might be used to build the world we'd like to live in, too). Today, Dana works as the statewide organizer for the Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, where he continues to spend most of his time listening to peoples' stories and thinking up ways to connect and empower those storytellers as change agents. After serving as The Andrew Goodman Foundation's first Vote Everywhere Ambassador at The University of Alabama, Dana is so excited to continue growing with The AGF as a Puffin Democracy Fellow, and he cannot wait to bring new training, resources, and insights to his work in the Deep South.

Project Summary:

The Rural Restoration Project

More than 286,000 Alabamians have had their voting rights stripped away through felony disenfranchisement—a figure that includes nearly 8% of Alabama's total voting-age population and over 15% of all black men in the state. A law passed in 2017 effectively restored the right to register to vote for many of these citizens, but the state of Alabama has refused to mount any substantial efforts to notify impacted voters that they may now reclaim their voting rights.

The Rural Restoration Project is building grassroots capacity to reach and register these impacted voters. We are focusing on rural communities that may be overlooked by other voting rights restoration efforts to build public understanding of the new law, as well as providing step-by-step training and resources that empower local residents to lead voting rights restoration work in their own communities.

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Maxim Thorne is the Managing Director of The Andrew Goodman Foundation. Formerly, Maxim was the Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer of the NAACP, the Chief Operating Officer of the Human Rights Campaign, and the Executive Director of NJ Head Start Association. In his spare time he manages a social justice crowdfunding website, JusticeInvestor. Maxim earned a B.A. cum laude (Econs and PolSci) from Yale College and a J.D. from Yale Law School. Mr. Thorne has taught at Yale University and Rutgers University. He has served on the board of directors of many organizations, including the Board of Governors of the Yale University, Executive Committee of The Yale Law School, Yale Black Alumni Association, The North Star Fund, Amistad Research Center, Barnert Hospital Foundation and Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan New Jersey.