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- 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.- Heather Box - Deputy Director
Heather Box came to the League in 2004, disillusioned in politics after a stint in Washington. Soon she saw how Leaguers across the country were working to shift power and win on issues most important to young people. Her education in journalism and social economics laid the groundwork for her work in social justice and as a political organizer. She has worked in youth movements in Spain and Argentina organizing around issues of human rights, immigration and reparations for torture survivors. Her work has ranged from organizing events, lobbying, campus work, grant writing, grassroots fundraising and donor organizing. Heather believes passionately that young people should own their own movement and organizations and has helped to launch successful innovative grassroots fundraising campaigns, including a series of events that have raised more than $300,000, and engaged thousands of young people in social change. Heather is also a contributing writer to Huffington Post.- Charlotte Chinana - National Field and Campaigns Director
Charlotte Chinana had humble ambitions before getting roped into the League in 2004 - to be a mild mannered scientist. Her love of chemistry led into Botany and before she knew it, she was up in arms over poorly regulated industrialization. Charlotte bounced back, taking her new role of being the (self-proclaimed) “arch-nemesis” of anyone who puts profit and personal gain, over the well-being of people, our survival as a species, and basically the planet altogether-in stride. She’s hard to impress and her biggest addiction consists of being as funny, cavalier, and tongue in cheek as possible. She feels strongly in the opportunities we currently have to remake the world, and knows they cannot be squandered or taken lightly. Over the years she has seen what the League is able to accomplish through ambition, determination and a willingness to work towards its overall aim. Charlotte's the one wearing the laminated badge with “National Field and Campaigns Director” blazoned across its surface. She’s a thrill seeking, gamer junkie, who is artistically inclined in more ways than one.- David Dix - Green Director
- David Dix has been involved in politics since his teens and brings a wealth of leadership and political experience, as well as a national network of politicos from both sides of the aisle. Even before graduating from Indiana University of PA in 2003, David had worked for two PA gubernatorial campaigns, the RNC, and for the Governor’s Office of Labor-Management Cooperation. Upon graduation, David joined the firm Rushmore Group LLC where he held various positions on a number of campaigns as a Senior Consultant. In 2006, David served as the PA Political Director for the League of Young Voters, where he developed the organization's statewide strategy, headed up alliance building efforts and developing fundraising activities. In 2007, he made a partisan change by supporting Sen. Barack Obama's candidacy for President. Most recently, he's begun work to coordinate a national environmental agenda serving as National Green Director for The League of Young Voters Education Fund, PA Organizer for 1Sky and Green for All Fellow. David holds a BA in Political Science, Government and Public Policy Major and a BS in Marketing. He currently lives in the birthplace of American democracy: Philadelphia, PA.
- 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
Samuel Patton began his life as a goat herder in the wilds of Mississippi. After meeting an elderly man named Obama Wan Kenobi, Sam started down his path to become a tech Jedi. He enjoys lacrosse, ice fishing and teaming up with Ewoks to bring about an American progressive majority.- Rachel Bishop - Operations Associate / Brooklyn Organizer
Rachel Bishop first came into politics in 2004, after an ambitious trip from New York, New York to Portland Oregon, replete with a wild passion for politics 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, later that summer, 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 simply because it feels right and because it the only thing that makes sense for her to do.- Steve Romain - Online/Systems Asst. / Brooklyn Organizer
Steve Romain is an online and technical assistant at The League of Young Voters hailing from New York, NY. Since starting one year ago at The League with an internship in the Operations office, where he took pride in his ability to book travel, make copies and sound official on phone calls all in a single bound, he has become an engaged organizer with the Brooklyn League of Young Voters. He led the successful 'Fight The MTA Fare Hike' campaign, registered voters around Brooklyn utilizing his awkward charm and his energetic personality and helped to engage hundreds of New Yorkers in the PowerVote campaign. Moreover, he has developed into an active journalistic voice on TheLeague.com and 99Problems.org. He is studying at New York University in the Bachelor's/Master's program for Sociology. Steve is an avid student of the effects of mainstream and underground media and an occasional stand-up comic, screenwriter, actor, director, amateur photographer and graphic artist. He loves Sour Patch Kids, New York City, rubber ducks and pints of Guinness (on their own, of course).- Carey Jenkins - WI State Director / 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’ WI State Director and 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.- Harris Parnell - ME State Director
Originally from North Carolina, Harris Parnell is the Maine Director for The League of Young Voters. Harris graduated from James Madison University where she majored in English and minored in environmental engineering and women’s studies. Before joining The League, Harris worked for US PIRG’s campus program empowering college students to address issues ranging from environmental to students’ rights to hunger and homelessness issues. Most recently, Harris worked with Toxics Action Center where she empowered citizens to fight toxic threats in their communities. While there, she helped to prevent a new dirty coal plant from being built in Wiscasset, Maine.- Katie "Megaphone" Diamond - ME Communications Director
Katie Diamond is a radical queer comic artist and graphic designer. She strongly believes in the direct cross-over of art and politics. You can currently find Katie at the Maine League of Young Voters, as the Communications Director. At the League, Katie uses her graphic design skills and traditional media outlets to educate the public and publicize the League's actions and events. When she's not at the League, Katie is organizing events around Portland. She's the organizing force behind the Portland Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School, and has been a co-producer of the Portland Femme Show for the past two years. Katie graduated from the Maine College of Art with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration. At MECA, she obtained the nickname of "Megaphone" because of her involvement in the school and Greater Portland. Katie has organized Voter Education and Registration Drives; put into action a huge Sex Education collaborative project; taught art classes to disadvantaged youth; painted a mural with elementary and high school students at their school; and designed posters and pamphlets for local non-profits.- Jenna Vendil - ME Field Director
Born in San Francisco, Jenna's interest in politics grew from understanding that power concedes nothing without demand. She saw that firsthand growing up and learned how critical a social net was for getting people back on their feet. Jenna moved to Maine and graduated from Bates College in 2006. She has been involved with the League for three years and is proud of The League's commitment to ensure young people become a part of the decision making process that has traditionally neglected young people. In 2004, she received a grant to interview Filipino artists, poets, and writers on the role of arts in activism and community in the Bay Area. Jenna gained a tangible sense of poverty in Third World Countries when she visited Nicaragua in 2005 to do a study of free trade's impact in both Maine and Nicaragua. She barista’d in between organizing and can steam foam to perfection. Her favorite unexpected class in high school was woodshop. Until she has her own garden she’s content to work in other people’s. In her spare time you can find her crafting top ten lists and conducting mix-cd trades.- 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.- LaNisha Martin - CAV Field Manager
LaNisha Martin joined the league almost three years ago after two of her friend were killed. She spoke at the funerals of both friends and CAV who was there came up to her and told her they were inspired by what they saw. They asked if she would volunteer for the organization and she agreed. Her volunteer work was so great The League of Young Voters eventually hired her full time as its Field Manager. She attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA.
