2019 Andrew Goodman National Civic Leadership Training Summit

Stacey Abrams is the founder of Fair Fight Action, a nonprofit that advocates for election reform and engages in voter education in the state of Georgia. Abrams made history in 2018 when she earned the Democratic nomination for governor of Georgia. Previously, she served as the Minority Leader for the Georgia General Assembly and State Representative for the 89th House District. She was the first woman to lead either party in the Georgia General Assembly and the first African American to lead in the House of Representatives. Abrams received degrees from Spelman College, the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas and Yale Law School. Dedicated to civic engagement, she founded the New Georgia Project, which submitted more than 200,000 registrations from voters of color between 2014 and 2016.

Jacqueline is a senior within Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, studying International Politics with a concentration in International Security, and pursuing a certificate in Religion, Ethics, and World Affairs. She has been a member of GU Votes since 2016, and is thrilled to now be Co-President of GU Votes, continuing to increase civic engagement and a voting culture on campus. Jacqueline is so grateful to be working with the Andrew Goodman Foundation and is excited to jump into her role as Campus Ambassador.

Yark Beyan is a Sophomore at Stony Brook University studying Political Science with a concentration in International Relations. Yark has always had a passion for helping those around her and has held several Student Government positions throughout her academic career. She hopes to pursue a career working for the United Nations Development Program. For now, Yark is excited to be an Ambassador for the Vote Everywhere program where she hopes to help promote civic engagement amongst her peers on campus.

Grace is a senior at Louisiana State University majoring in Political Communication with a minor in English. She is currently a Governor’s Fellow, immersing herself in her state’s culture and politics. She served as the Event Coordinator for Geaux Vote LSU during the 2018 midterm cycle and is thrilled to be an Andrew Goodman Foundation Ambassador for the 2019-2020 school year. Grace is grateful to her mom for always dragging her to the polls as a young girl and drilling in her the importance of being an engaged member of her community. She is a firm believer that progress starts at the polls and is excited to show Louisiana how impactful young voices can be.

Yael is a constitutional rights attorney with fifteen years of experience in community organizing, advocacy, and campaigns. Formerly, she served as a supervising attorney and teaching fellow at Georgetown University Law Center’s Civil Rights Clinic and Voting Rights Institute, where she received an L.L.M. in Advocacy with distinction. She previously worked in the Washington, D.C. headquarters of Common Cause, and clerked for the late Honorable Dickinson R. Debevoise in the U.S. 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, an Ella Baker Fellow with the Center for Constitutional Rights, and received upon graduation the Eli Jarmel Memorial Award for greatest interest and proficiency in public interest law. In 2015, she received 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. Yael is presently outside counsel to The Andrew Goodman Foundation and is Principal of Bromberg Law LLC.

Erika Burnett is a Regional Program Manager at The Andrew Goodman Foundation. Based in Nashville, TN, Erika has many years of experience in volunteer management and civic engagement, youth development, team building, leadership exploration, and generational differences. Erika received her B.A. in English Education from Tennessee State University and her M.Ed. in Community Development Action from Vanderbilt University. She is a proud AmeriCorps, Nashville Emerging Leader, New Leaders Council & Leadership Donelson Hermitage Alum who has been committed to Nashville’s nonprofit community for over 14 years. She enjoys teaching various genres of dance with underserved populations and whispering to the plants in her garden.

Rep. Park Cannon is the youngest member of the Georgia House of Representatives, representing the 58th District, including Midtown, Downtown, and Southwest Atlanta. She is a vocal advocate for reproductive justice and the LGBTQ community. Rep. Cannon 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.

Harrison Carter is a student at Bowling Green State University majoring in Political Science in the College of Arts & Sciences. He serves as a Senator for the university's Undergraduate Student Government and also spends time helping with the student organization Feed My Starving Children. He is passionate about service to the community and active citizenship and is honored to serve as an Ambassador for The Andrew Goodman Foundation.

Monica Clarke is the Freshman Academy Service Learning Coordinator and an adjunct English faculty member.

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.

Alex Dennis is the Assistant Director for Curricular Programs in the Center for Leadership and Civic Engagement at East Carolina University. He currently oversees leadership and civic engagement programs with curricular components at ECU, including Citizen U (student version of a citizens academy), the Williams Leadership Award Program, democratic and voter engagement efforts on campus, and the planning of our four national days of service. Prior to his time working in student affairs, Alex worked as an academic advisor for the College of Arts and Sciences at ECU and prior to that he worked as a high school social studies teacher. He received his MS in Counselor Education from East Carolina University and his BS in Social Science Education from Appalachian State University.

Rebecca Diaz is a Cuban-American student at the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus Honors College. She is the upcoming 2018-2019 Secretary for Student Government Association and Campus Ambassador for The Andrew Goodman Foundation's Vote Everywhere program. When she isn’t writing a new poem or practicing another speech, she spends time learning coding and baking. She is currently working on advocating for immigrant rights through a non-profit.

Taryn Dwyer is a Program and Fellowship 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.

Amaya is a student at the University of San Francisco where she is studying Political Science. She hopes to one day work for a nonprofit organization or the education department so that she can work on reforming the public education system and unequal funding practices at a state level. She is originally from Tacoma, Washington where she volunteered for a nonprofit writing center whose focus was to provide educational enrichment and opportunities to students in under-resourced public elementary and middle schools. Amaya also served as a senator on the ASUSF Senate and is a part of USF's Title IX Task Force.

Kathy Gaweda is a student at Bard College, where she is studying Global and International Studies. She began interning with the Vote Everywhere team at Bard in February of 2018 and officially became an Ambassador in September 2018. Besides her work with AGF, Kathy works at Bard's Center for Civic Engagement. Kathy is so grateful to be working with AGF and is looking forward to making a positive change on Bard's campus.

Sophia Geringswald is a student studying Political Science, with a concentration in Global and International Affairs, on track to pursue a master's degree in Public Administration. She has experience campaigning, fundraising, working with local governments, and participating in issue advocacy. These experiences have inspired a passion to change the world, and she believes political engagement is the key. She is thrilled to be an Andrew Goodman Ambassador because, since transferring to Binghamton in Fall of 2018, she has had the opportunity to learn more about and participate in AGF's mission of increasing voting accessibility.

Sylvia Golbin Goodman is the President of The Andrew Goodman Foundation and a member of its Board of Directors. She oversees the Foundation’s long-term planning and strategic direction and originated the Hidden Heroes Awards and the Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere program. Sylvia served as the Executive Director of AGF from 2007 to 2020 during which time she oversaw the growth of the organization from a small, family foundation to a public, non-profit charity. Under her guidance, AGF developed its current mission and vision as well as becoming a leader in youth voting rights. Before joining AGF, Sylvia was the Director of Corporate Communications for United American Energy Corp. from 1989 to 2001. She is an experienced educator who served for 13 years as a tenured English teacher, guidance counselor and dean for the NYC Board of Education as well as two years as an Adjunct Professor of English at Bergen Community College. In addition, Sylvia is a trained Life Coach and Earth Wisdom Teacher. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the Business Council for Peace. Sylvia earned a B.A. (English) from Connecticut College in 1967, an M.A. (Education) from Syracuse University in 1968 and an M.S. (Counseling) from Fordham University in 1972.

David Goodman is the brother of Andrew Goodman and the Vice Chairman of The Andrew Goodman Foundation’s Board of Directors. Professionally, David is a civil engineer and holds an MBA from Stanford University. He was the founder and CEO of United American Energy Corp., an electric generation and power company operating in 8 states throughout the U.S. 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, operating, and expanding organizations.

Kamari Guthrie has dedicated more than a decade to the development and growth of corporate consumer and tech brands as a communications strategist and media relations expert. After representing several Fortune 100 brands and establishing market dominant positions for several mission-based startups, she joined Vote.org in 2018 with an unwavering commitment to expanding public awareness and access to the democratic process. Her fervent belief in the equity of all citizens and personal dedication to furthering social justice drives her day-to-day work for the organization. She currently is based in Washington, D.C. and enjoys vacationing in her family home in St. George’s, Grenada.

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.

Project Page

Kevin Hurtado is the Development Manager at The 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.

Katherine is a junior at the University of Dayton, double majoring in communications and political science. Outside of Vote Everywhere, Katherine is also involved in Dayton Civic Scholars, through the Fitz Center, and is the Secretary of PRSSA. Katherine is enthusiastic to bring this new program to campus and make University of Dayton a more politically conscious campus. As a Vote Everywhere ambassador, Katherine’s focus is to erase the stigma that college students are not politically aware and make voting more accessible to students.

Evan Malbrough is a student at Georgia State University where he majors in Public Policy with a focus in Governance and a minor in Cello Performance. Evan started his work in government as an intern for the Cobb County District Attorney's Office during the summer of 2015. In the summer of 2016, he interned for the Smyrna Office of David Scott where he did constituent services. In Spring 2017 he interned under Jim Stokes at the Public Defender's Council and did public research. In the summer of 2017, Evan became a Research Fellow for the Department of Defense under the Assistant Secretary of Defense for readiness. He plans to return to the Pentagon to continue his legislative affairs research. Evan was the 2017-2018 President of the Young Democrats of Georgia State University. He also works as a professional Cellist in the Atlanta area.

Ariana Robert Martinez is a Psychology major, double minoring in Natural Science and Public Service and Community Engagement at the University of San Francisco. She was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, where she lived most of her life and where her interest in community organizing and civic engagement was sparked. She's passionate about her roots, culture, and more importantly about speaking out against political and social injustices in Puerto Rico. At USF, she's working on developing her leadership skills, getting more hands-on experience in community organizing, and as a first-generation college student, working on setting an example for her younger siblings. She truly believes that voter registration and education are the fastest ways to reform and create a society that is fair for all people.

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.

Ava Mazzye is a student at Bard College where she studies Political Studies and concentrates in Latin American and Iberian Studies. She serves as a member of the Fiscal Committee in student government and in the leadership of Bard Democrats. Ava became interested in the politics of voting after working on the Zephyr Teachout for Congress Campaign and serving as a Poll Worker during the 2016 elections.

Sara Mears (she/her/hers) is a senior majoring in Political Science, Business Law, and International Studies at Western Carolina University. Sara has been involved with Western Carolina University's Student Democracy Coalition since the beginning of 2018, has completed a fellowship with Campus Vote Project and currently serves on their Student Advisory Board for the 2018-2019 year, and has been an Andrew Goodman Ambassador since the beginning of 2019. Further, Sara has completed an organizing internship with Democracy North Carolina and has completed an administrative internship with the Jackson County Board of Elections. Sara is passionate about increasing civic engagement for all and is proud to be an Andrew Goodman Ambassador.

Makenzie is a junior Political Science and Social Justice Studies double major from Cincinnati, Ohio. On campus, she serves as the Vice President of Programming of Amicus Curiae Pre-Law Society and a member of the Janus Forum, a bipartisan club that promotes political discourse. After undergrad, she plans to attend law school and either practice criminal law or work in politics. Makenzie is ecstatic to be a Vote Everywhere Ambassador and looks forward to sharing her passion for civic engagement and social justice with others.

Megan Miller is the Assistant Director of Civic Engagement and Communications at the Morgridge Center for Public Service on the University of Wisconsin – Madison campus. Megan directs Morgridge Center’s co-curricular programs and events including Public Service Fairs, Be the Change Bash, Outreach, Peer Advising and Walk the Walk. She also oversees communications and voter engagement efforts. Megan became involved with the Morgridge Center as a student and later served as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with the Center, supporting local youth through the Urban League and Badger Volunteers. She received her B.S. in Community and Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Wisconsin and has worked at the Morgridge Center for over eight years.

Keshia Morris is the Census and Mass Incarceration Project Manager at Common Cause. Keshia leads Common Cause’s 2020 Census Campaign and the organization’s efforts to end mass criminalization. Through Common Cause’s core program areas Keshia guides the Census and Mass Incarceration programs by uplifting issues of money in politics, voting rights, and economic opportunity. Before joining Common Cause in January 2016, Keshia worked with disabled adults as a success coach. Keshia has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Florida Gulf Coast University and a Master’s degree in Political Science from American University.

Kiley Murray is a Masters of Public Administration student at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In May of 2018, Kiley graduated with her Bachelor's degree in Political Science. She currently serves as the Graduate Assistant for the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity in the Dean of Students office. She has previously served as the Vice President for the Roosevelt Institute for Public Policy at UNCC spearheading a nonpartisan initiative on campus and worked as an Administrative Assistant to the Director of the New Hanover County Board of Elections (NC) during the 2016 election.

After 30 years of being a political operative and strategist, Sharon has taken her knowledge and experience base to create CREW to empower Undeserved and Underrepresented Constituency groups to seek real-time opportunities for inclusion and intersectionality. She is a certified Democratic National Committee Finance Director.

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.

Project Page

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.

Dr. Karen L. Pennington was appointed Vice President for Student Development and Campus Life in 1998. She came to Montclair State University from the State University of New York at Geneseo, where she served in the same role. She has held various positions in student affairs at six institutions in four states, including Director of College Activities, Director of Residence Life, Associate Dean and Dean of Students and Vice President. Dr. Pennington received a B.A. and M.A. in history from the University of Scranton, an M.Ed. in education counseling from Gannon University, and a Ph.D. in educational administration from the State University of New York at Albany. Dr. Pennington has served in various board positions, including the Board of Directors of NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

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.

Brad came to political organizing relatively late in life, following a fifteen-year career as a theater director and arts educator. He has worked as a team leader for the New York City chapter of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal initiative, as Regional Organizer (Staten Island) on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's 2017 reelection campaign, Petition Director for Erin Collier for Congress in New York's 19th District in 2018, and as Deputy Field Director for NJ Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill's 2018 campaign. Brad is currently the campaign manager for John Birkner Jr. and Gerald Falotico's campaign for State Assembly in NJ's 39th Legislative District.

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 third-year law student at Georgetown University. 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 and a minor in Spanish. In 2014, Valencia became an Andrew Goodman Vote Everywhere Ambassador at LSU. 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.

Valencia continues her research to expand voter accessibility in the South as a Puffin Democracy Fellow. She is also the author of Young and Disaffected, publishing December 2019 by New Degree Press.

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.

Project Page

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.

Christina Sanders is a Regional Program Manager at The Andrew Goodman Foundation. A Texas native, her practical expertise is engaging and training young people to be involved in elections, build issue campaigns and organize their peers to vote. She is passionate about women's right and spends her free time teaching Texas women to understand public policy. Christina is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Mater's in Public Administration (Public Policy) from the Barbara Jordan - Mickey LeLand School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University.

Magdalen joined Vote.org in fall of 2018 with almost a decade of experience in nonprofit programs, fundraising, and operations. Most recently, Magdalen ran business development at a data science consultancy focused on serving mission-driven organizations, and was responsible for leading a team to raise revenue, develop strategic partnerships, and design and implement new programs. To this day, Magdalen draws inspiration from the people she met as a Field Organizer in North Carolina in 2012 who taught her the power of quiet persistence. Magdalen is happiest swimming in the ocean, reading on the subway, and strolling around her Brooklyn neighborhood.

Margaret Sasser is the Senior Communications Manager at The Andrew Goodman Foundation. In her role, Margaret works to support the work of AGF's programs with strategic communications and marketing. Prior to joining AGF, 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, anti-bias 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. Born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama, Margaret is passionate about civil rights issues, storytelling, and helping students to become active members of their communities.

Shabd Simon-Alexander is the co-founder and Organizing Director of Let NY Vote, a coalition of over 175 established organizations and grassroots groups working to make registering and voting more accessible and equitable for every New Yorker. In 2019, after a 2-year organizing and public education campaign, Let NY Vote celebrated the passage of the first set of voting rights laws to pass in New York State since Women’s Suffrage over 100 years ago — including early voting and other progressive reforms. Shabd was a Distributed Organizing Program Manager for Second Chances Florida, the campaign that successfully worked to pass the Voter Restoration Amendment in Florida in 2018, restoring the right to vote to 1.4 million Floridians with previous felony convictions. Working with distributed organizing and strategic partnerships, the team of 6 made over 8 million voter contacts. In her role as the Director of Creative & Digital Strategies at Women’s March National, she helped build out a lasting and impactful organization, harnessing the power of the initial march by creating local and national trainings, campaigns, events, and programs to make long term cultural and political change. A lifelong activist and creative entrepreneur, she has a background in art, design, education and community building that informs her approach to community organizing and political momentum building.

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.

Andrew is a sophomore undergrad at Georgetown studying Government, Italian, and Sociology. Always politically-obsessed, he was proud to join the GU Votes team during his first semester on campus to assist over 1,600 Hoyas in the voter registration and absentee ballot request process ahead of the 2016 election. He became Co-President of GU Votes in early 2017 and continues its mission of enhancing the voter culture on campus year-round. A proud Michigander, Andrew could not be more excited about working with the Andrew Goodman Foundation to help transform the role of young voters at Georgetown and beyond.

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.

Project Page

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.

Alison Handy Twang is the assistant director at the Center for Civic Engagement. In this role, she is broadly responsible for promoting, developing and expanding community engagement opportunities for students. Alison oversees a number of community engagement initiatives, including the Bridging the Digital Divide Project, campus political engagement efforts and CCE's partnership with Promise Zone Community Schools. Before joining CCE, she worked in the nonprofit sector, focusing on philanthropy and student and young adult civic engagement. She received her bachelor's degree in political science and master's degree in public administration from Binghamton University and is currently pursuing her PhD in community and public affairs. She serves as president of the board of directors for the YWCA of Binghamton/Broome County and as a member of the advisory committee for the Rural Health Service Corps/AmeriCorps program. She currently resides in Binghamton with her husband, Dylan, and their chocolate lab, Keene.

Paul Valdez is a 2004 graduate of Bowling Green State University, with a Bachelor of Science in Geology. He graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington in 2007 with a Master of Science in Higher Education and Student Affairs and is currently writing his dissertation for the Higher Education Administration Doctoral Program at BGSU.

Awarded one of the first doctorates in the country for work in women’s studies (UC Santa Cruz) and a founder of one of the first college-level women’s studies programs in the United States (CSU Sacramento), Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner currently serves as an adjunct faculty member in The Renée Crown University Honors Program, Syracuse University and the St. John Fisher Executive Leadership Program.

Dr. Wagner was selected as one of “21 Leaders for the 21st Century” by Women’s E-News in 2015. Founder and Executive Director of the Matilda Joslyn Gage Center for Social Justice Dialogue in Fayetteville, New York, and author of articles on historic house museums, she received the Katherine Coffey Award for outstanding service to museology from the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums in 2012.

Patricia D. Williamson is the New Jersey Counts Project Director at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. Patricia will be leading the Institute’s work to ensure that is a complete and accurate count of New Jersey’s urban communities in the 2020 Census.

Patricia is a Diamond Life Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, where she is currently the New Jersey Coordinator for the Eastern Region Social Action Committee. As the State Social Action Coordinator, Patricia leads the advocacy arm of the New Jersey-based sorority chapters.

Patricia is a lifelong resident of Central New Jersey. She earned a BA in Mathematics from Hampton University, an MS in Computer Science from Howard University, and an MA in Education and Human Development in the Educational Technology Leadership Program at George Washington University.

Zoë Williamson graduated from Louisiana State University(LSU), where she majored in Political Communication with a minor in Political Science. During her time at LSU, she served as a Governor’s Fellow in Louisiana Government and worked in the governor’s communication office. In addition, Zoey served as LSU Student Government’s Director of Communications. As an Andrew Goodman Student Ambassador, Williamson helped lead Geaux Vote in expanding the organization’s structure, social media presence, and volunteer program. During her tenure, Geaux Vote registered 2,500 students to vote and successfully created one centralized polling place on LSU’s campus to make casting a ballot more accessible for all of LSU’s students.