New York, New York, United States
I've spent over two decades turning grassroots organizing into governing power, from city halls and statehouses to Capitol Hill. My foundation: the discipline and tactical clarity I developed as a U.S. Army ammunition specialist and Iraq combat veteran. My work is grounded in one conviction: that building grassroots governing power is how communities move from being shut out to shaping the decisions that affect their lives. I have operated across government, nonprofit, and political institutions with a track record of turning strategy into execution. My work spans from grassroots organizing in Georgia to shaping federal policy on Capitol Hill to directing strategy and operations for New York City's largest political caucus. I have led multi-issue campaigns and coalitions that have resulted in major legislative and funding wins, including billions in public investment and statewide policy change. Having worked inside every level of the system, local, state, federal, legislative, executive, inside and outside, I see the whole board, not just the next move. I have directed national programs, managed teams and cross-sector partnerships to move resources, pass policy, and deliver results. I also invest in the next generation, designing and leading trainings that give advocates and emerging leaders the tools to navigate political systems and win. I work with nonprofit executives, coalition leaders, and public officials to drive strategy and execution, helping mission-driven organizations build the community power they need to advance their work. These commitments reflect the long-term investments I've made. As a co-founding member of New York's BIPOC Democracy Table, I have worked to center racial equity in democracy reform and strengthen collective political power across communities of color. I am also a founding member of Emerge New York and the Founders Circle of Higher Heights for America, and a national trainer with Vote Run Lead, investing in women's leadership and changing who holds power in politics. Through the PowHER Coalition, I have supported gender equity and salary transparency campaigns for women in New York. I am a regular political commentator and speaker, featured on NY1, PBS, ABC, NBC, CBS, and Bloomberg, and in the Washington Post, Politico, Forbes, and Teen Vogue. My writing has also appeared in the New York Daily News and City Limits. Across all of it, I offer sharp, accessible analysis on political strategy, campaigns, and the intersections of race, gender, and power in American politics.
Lead strategy and execution for campaigns, policy initiatives, and coalition efforts across local, state, and national contexts. Brought in by nonprofits, coalitions, and public leaders to lead work from strategy through implementation, aligning organizing, institutions, and leadership to deliver measurable outcomes. Available for select consulting engagements and advisory partnerships. โข ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ป & ๐ฃ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Directed and executed multi-issue campaigns advancing systemic reform, including grassroots leadership role in the #LetNYVote coalition that secured early voting in New York. Served as Campaign Director and Chief Strategist for the #JustPay and Youth Justice Project campaigns, leading strategy, operations, and day-to-day execution through to policy and funding outcomes. โข ๐๐ผ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ & ๐๐ป๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ: Built and led coalition infrastructure to drive coordinated advocacy and policy change, including reestablishing the New York chapter of the National Womenโs Political Caucus and shaping and advancing coalition strategy for the PowHER Coalition advancing womenโs economic security and salary transparency legislation. โข ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐บ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ป & ๐๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด: Designed and led grassroots training programs that prepare people to operate inside political and civic systems, not just understand them. Built organizing and advocacy pipelines that equip individuals to run campaigns, influence policy, and move local decision-making, including co-developing an incubator pilot with Amplify Her Foundation. Extended this work nationally through training programs, including with Vote Run Lead, preparing women across the country to run for office and win. โข ๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ด๐ป ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ: Held senior roles across 15+ city, state, and federal campaigns, delivering an 80% win rate across electoral efforts. Experience spans from field operations through strategy, focused on winning.
Served on the senior leadership team, directing advocacy and organizing strategy for New Yorkโs nonprofit human services sector and positioning HSC as a leading voice on worker equity and government contracting reform. Designed and implemented new advocacy infrastructure, expanded the coalitionโs presence in Albany, and built deep legislative alliances to drive systemic change. ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐: โข ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด-๐ข๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐: Won over $1.8B in city and state investments for nonprofit human services workers including $741M in cost-of-living adjustments, more than $1B in state wage increases, and $147M in restored nonprofit funding. โข ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ-๐ช๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ป๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ: Designed and launched the Organizing Academy to establish the organizing and advocacy infrastructure for New Yorkโs human services sector, shifting coalition strategy from executive-led advocacy to centering directly impacted workers and empowering them with skills to advocate and lead. โข ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐บ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ & ๐๐พ๐๐ถ๐๐: Spearheaded the #JustPay campaign, mobilizing more than 6,000 human service workers and securing wage gains that ultimately improved pay equity for 120,000 workers statewide.
Executed a national pilot program, providing strategic direction and operational leadership across all 50 states to equip legislators and caucus leaders with the tools, resources, and networks to advance reforms. Managed a staff team and oversaw multi-million-dollar resources, positioning the organization as a national leader in state-level democracy reform. ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐: โข ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ & ๐๐ป๐๐๐ถ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐: Delivered a two-year strategic agenda in just seven months and transformed the first democracy pilot into a core national program, embedding it as a permanent part of the portfolio. โข ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฎ ๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ: Personally recruited 263 legislators across all 50 states, equipping them with resources, relationships, and networks to advance reforms and strengthen state-level democracy. โข ๐๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ & ๐๐ฑ๐๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต: Broadened the definition of democracy beyond voting reform to encompass civic participation, policy influence, and racial justice, while building 15 grassroots partnerships and securing 10 national/state media placements to elevate advocacy.
Educated union members on municipal government and public policy by co-instructing courses alongside thenโNYC Public Advocate Letitia James. ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐: โข ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐๐ฏ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐น๐๐บ: Designed and taught courses linking civic engagement to policymaking, budgets, and government accountability. โข ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐: Equipped union members with knowledge and tools to become active change agents in their communities and influence government decision-making.
Directed policy and advocacy strategy for a caucus of 26 Council Members across all five boroughs. Unified legislative priorities, built political alliances, and advanced an agenda centered on equity and community needs. ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐๐ต๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐: โข ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ & ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฃ๐ผ๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ป๐ณ๐น๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ: Unified 26 caucus members around a shared agenda in just two months and advanced policy goals ahead of schedule by leveraging strategic advocacy and legislative alignment. โข ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐ ๐๐น๐น๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐: Built coalitions with legislators, grassroots organizations, and business leaders while traveling across districts to ensure community priorities directly shaped policy and budget advocacy.