Rob "Biko" Baker - Executive Director

The Executive Director of the League of Young Voters, Rob "Biko" Baker is a nationally recognized young leader. In his home community of Milwaukee, he has organized town hall meetings and used the power and agency of art to inform, mobilize, and motivate young people to participate in civic life. Baker has served as the deputy publicity coordinator and young voter organizer for the Brown and Black Presidential Forum. He has appeared on C-SPAN, Fox News and CNN, has interviewed luminaries Cornell West, Russell Simmons, and Howard Dean, and has been on panels with many of the nation's strongest progressive voices. Baker is a Ph.D. candidate at UCLA, a frequent contributor to The Source, serves on CIRCLE's research advisory board and is a board member of the New Organizing Institute.

 

LaToya Santiago - Executive Assistant

Latoya Santiago was a childcare teacher for 3 years, and has two beautiful children of her own: Marvin and Marriona, who keep her moving. When she isn’t with her kids, she attends Lakeland College, earning credits toward her bachelors degree in Accounting and Business. In 2004, Latoya worked for the Young Voter Alliance where her drive and ambition caught Biko's attention. When Biko needed an Executive Assistant, he had his ideal candidate in mind - and luckily for all of us, she took the job. In her short seven months of employment, LaToya has grown tremendously and is proud to support the Wisconsin League. She loves doing this work because it helps her grow as a person and a woman who can do whatever she wants- as long as she puts her mind to it-so watch out!

Moni'ca Brown - Development Associate

Moni'ca Brown grew up listening to underground Hip Hop in Seattle, Wa, which makes her a hip hop snob. Nonetheless, this enriching youth experience prepared her for the pursuit of her greatest passion: using the arts to engage and educate underprivileged teens who have been left out of the running for the opportunities she was given. Everything that makes her who she is came from those who saw potential in her. When she applied to the League in the summer of 2009, she wanted to impact the lives of all the young smart people she saw left out of the major debates deciding their future. Endlessly inspired by the power and magic of non profits everywhere, the League in particular has become synonymous with sharing her most personal dreams. She is currently pursuing her undergraduate degree in Creative Writing at the New School.

Sean Gardner - Operations Director

Sean Gardner hails from Santa Fe, NM. He attended University of New Mexico, as a Theatre major where he wrote and produced plays, short films and comedy sketches, and actively protested. In addition to being a supremely talented problem solver in the League's Operations office, he’s also a writer, director, actor, producer and editor of a few short films. His films have played at The Santa Fe Film Festival and South By Southwest. Recently, he moved to Brooklyn with his girlfriend and while on the job search, contemplated the range of skills he picked up from a variety of jobs that taught him everything from summarizing lawsuits to crafting the perfect grilled cheese. Wanting to find a position where he could employ much of that skill-set on a daily basis, he came to the League in early 2009. He’s proud of his affiliation with The League because it allows him to be part of a group of passionate, driven young people working for and achieving change. He obsesses over: films, comedy, music, food. He writes funny things sometimes. And his record collection might be better than yours.

 
Sam Patton - Online/Systems Director

Sam graduated from Oberlin College in 2005 with degrees in Film Production and English; moved to New York City immately after college but rapidly lost interest in the overt commercialism of the entertainment industry.  Through a home town (Oxford, Mississippi) connection, started as an intern at the League in early 2007 and has not looked back since. His commitment to social justice comes from the examples of his friends and family; the education he received in school and the education he receives every day, seeing the dignity of the working class and our undeniable opportunity for progress provided we treat each other as a real community. Sam identifies strongly as a Mississippian and feels a certain responsibility, as a Southern white man, to be an example for all the progressive kids in the South who feel that our cultural legacy must be to reinforce the positive ideals of our history - bravery in the face of challenge, the quest for redemption - while redefining progressive politics in the red states.

Rachel Bishop - Program Manager

Rachel Bishop first came into politics in 2004, after an ambitious trip from New York, New York to Portland Oregon, to volunteer with the League of Conservation Voters. It was on this trip that she discovered canvassing rain or shine was freakishly enjoyable. She found herself in the midst of the America Coming Together Convention, shook hands with Obama and was sunk. In 2007, as an NYU junior, she applied for and got an internship in the Brooklyn League. She’s been here ever since after working 30+ hours through her senior year and somehow still managing to get her BA in Politics. Rachel is awesome at paddleball and sings and plays guitar in an indie rock band. In her precious and spare free time, she tries to recall what it’s like to have spare time and before she knows it the spare time is gone. She does this work because it feels right and because it the only thing that makes sense for her to do.

Carey Jenkins - National Training Director

Carey Jenkins attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA. He wore many hats during his stint at Running Rebels Community Organization - Youth Advocate, Crisis Mentor, Safe & Sound Program Director, Going Home Project Crisis Provider, and Tutor - and also an Educational Assistant for Milwaukee Public Schools. Currently he is the League of Young Voters’ National Training Director. Inspired by his son DeShawn T. Jenkins, in his four and a half years he has come to feel a sense of pride in The League's mission. Some of his accomplishments include winning an anti gun commercial contest from which his song was featured on Milwaukee public transit and local television. He used to rap and opened for major acts such as Common. He has been a ball boy for the Milwaukee Bucks, coached basketball and soccer, and can generally play just about any sport. His passion is writing, his goal is to be a professor, he hopes to make violence a National Issue, and then maybe when he has some of those accomplished he’ll go ahead and settle down and get married.

Will Everitt - ME State Director

Will Everitt is the Maine State Director for the League. Since graduating from Rutgers College, Will has been a dedicated community organizer, working with environmental and social justice groups from Alaska to Maine. He moved to Maine in 1999, opening Toxics Action Center’s office in the state, helping residents protect their families from pollution and toxic pesticides. Prior to joining the League, he was Friends of Casco Bay’s Development Director, raising more than $500,000 a year to improve and protect the environmental health of Casco Bay. When Will isn’t building the progressive movement, you’ll find him in one of two places: curled up with a book and a cup of coffee at home or hiking somewhere in the wilds of Baxter State Park. He lives in Portland with his wife, daughter, and two cats.

Hilary Frenkel - ME Community Organizer

Before joining The League, Hilary Frenkel got her undergrad at George Washington University, majoring in Environmental Studies. She also attended Antioch University New England's Advocacy and Organizing program, graduating in 2007. When she saw the League's job opening for Community Organizer it was a natural fit. She’s been a staffer at the League since September of 2008. Prior to the League, she was a Canvass Director for Clean Water Action and Working America for six years; helping to open offices around the country and training people to organize around environmental issues, workers’ rights, and election work. She sporadically paints and enjoys it despite having no idea what she’s doing. Recently, her biggest accomplishment is getting the Maine Alliance for Sustainable Transportation (MaST) off the ground running. She is also known to be the most organized person most people have met. She’ll beat you in dominoes and listens to music instead of playing it. In her spare time, she loves to snowboard, hike, rock climb, swim, bike, paddle and camp.