Our Trainers

Marcia Avner

Last name:

Avner

First name:

Marcia

Position Title:

Board Member/ Senior Trainer

Marcia Avner is Public Policy Director with the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. Her work includes advocacy and civic engagement training and education as well as lobbying on election reform and other issues that are important to nonprofits and the people they serve.

Trainer

Submitted by elana on April 23, 2008 - 3:54pm.

Carmen Berkley

Last name:

Berkley

First name:

Carmen

Position Title:

Trainer

Carmen, Field Director of Choice USA, leads the dynamic field & trainings department, which trains, develops and mobilizes youth reproductive justice leaders.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on February 11, 2011 - 12:51pm.

Siobhan Brewer

Last name:

Brewer

First name:

Siobhan

Position Title:

Trainer

Siobhan is a passionate youth educator currently residing in Minneapolis, MN. With a degree in Social Science Secondary Education from Boston University and a background as a community activist, Siobhan has worked with youth of various ages in academic and non-academic capacities as a mentor, trainer, facilitator, and teacher

Trainer

Submitted by sbmueller on October 28, 2011 - 3:32pm.

Jamarr Brown

Last name:

Brown

First name:

Jamarr

Position Title:

Trainer

Jamarr Brown has over 5 years of political organizing, training, and leadership experience. He recently completed a term as the Third Vice Chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, where he was the youngest elected member of the 103-member State Executive Committee.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on February 11, 2011 - 12:54pm.

Cynthia Campos

Last name:

Campos

First name:

Cynthia

Position Title:

Trainer

Cynthia Campos grew up in a bi-lingual/bi-cultural community on the west side of San Antonio, Texas. Prior to relocating to Minnesota, Cynthia worked in New York City for the Professional Staff Congress (PSC) a public university staff union of 19,000 members.

Trainer

Submitted by elana on March 24, 2009 - 2:50pm.

Seiji Carpenter

Last name:

Carpenter

First name:

Seiji

Position Title:

Trainer

Seiji Carpenter is currently working on strategy and messaging for the Obama White House, a continuation of his work during the Obama For America campaign.

Trainer

Submitted by elana on April 29, 2008 - 4:20pm.

Charlene Carruthers

Last name:

Carruthers

First name:

Charlene

Position Title:

Trainer

Charlene Carruthers is a New York City-based organizer, activist and writer. Charlene currently works with at the Women's Media Center and focuses on advocacy-based campaigns.

Trainer

Submitted by sbmueller on October 28, 2011 - 3:36pm.

Melvin Carter

Last name:

Carter

First name:

Melvin

Position Title:

Trainer

Melvin W. Carter III was elected in 2007 to the St. Paul City Council.

Trainer

Submitted by admin on April 8, 2008 - 8:22pm.

Veronica Castro

Last name:

Castro

First name:

Veronica

Position Title:

Trainer

Veronica Castro was born and raised on the southwest side of Chicago, IL. She is a graduate of Northeastern Illinois University, where she received her bachelor's degree in Political Science and a minor in Criminal Justice.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on February 11, 2011 - 12:56pm.

Juana Rosa Cavero

Last name:

Cavero

First name:

Juana Rosa

Position Title:

Trainer

Juana Rosa Cavero has dedicated her career to ensuring that women and their families have the information, power and access to make informed decisions about their health and lives.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on February 11, 2011 - 1:00pm.

Victoria Cepeida-Mojarro

Last name:

Cepeida-Mojarro

First name:

Victoria

Position Title:

Trainer

Victoria D. Cepeida-Mojarro is currently the USAS (United Students Against Sweatshops) Development Coordinator. She began working for USAS in December of 2006.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on December 8, 2008 - 11:53am.

Anathea Chino

Last name:

Chino

First name:

Anathea

Position Title:

Trainer

Anathea Chino, an enrolled member of Acoma Pueblo, NM, currently serves as the Manger of Partner Services and Investment Advisor at Democracy Alliance based in Washington, DC.

Trainer

Submitted by AClairmont on February 19, 2009 - 3:52pm.

Kurston Cook

Last name:

Cook

First name:

Kurston

Position Title:

Trainer

Kurston is the Deputy Director for the Roosevelt Institute Campus Network, a public policy organization.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on February 11, 2011 - 1:04pm.

Andrea Cooper

Last name:

Cooper

First name:

Andrea

Position Title:

Trainer

Andrea Cooper serves as a lobbyist for the Oregon Education Association, a union of 47,000 educators in Oregon's public schools and community colleges.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on December 8, 2008 - 11:48am.

Camille Cyprian

Last name:

Cyprian

First name:

Camille

Position Title:

Trainer

Camille Cyprian is currently the SNAP Outreach Manager at Second Harvest Heartland, where she works with the government and organizations to assist families and individuals gain access to food.

Trainer

Submitted by admin on April 8, 2008 - 2:44pm.

Jamie Ebert

Last name:

Ebert

First name:

Jamie

Position Title:

Trainer

Jamie Ebert has spent the last five years determined to engage and develop the next generation of voters.

Trainer

Submitted by sbmueller on October 31, 2011 - 10:06am.

Howard Franklin

Last name:

Franklin

First name:

Howard

Position Title:

Trainer

Howard has made a career of helping young people understand and embrace politics.

Trainer

Submitted by admin on April 8, 2008 - 7:43pm.

Anna Galland

Last name:

Galland

First name:

Anna

Position Title:

Trainer

Anna Galland's organizing and electoral work began at Brown University in Providence, RI.

Trainer

Submitted by admin on April 8, 2008 - 7:02pm.

John Gilbert

Last name:

Gilbert

First name:

John

Position Title:

Trainer

John Gilbert has spent the last 4 years working as an organizer on political campaigns in Nevada.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on November 5, 2009 - 1:14pm.

Dustina Gill

Last name:

Gill

First name:

Dustina

Position Title:

Trainer

Dustina Gill hails from the Wahpekute band and is an enrolled member of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate. Prior to her years of being a tribal employee Dustina has always been involved in community organization, particularly with the youth.

Trainer

Submitted by Jhaut on December 7, 2010 - 3:38pm.

George Goggleye

Last name:

Goggleye

First name:

George

Position Title:

Trainer

Wahwahtay Benais grew up on the Leech Lake reservation, raised by his mother and deeply influenced by the traditional teachings given to him by his grandparents and other spiritual leaders in the community. He currently works with the "Tobacco Prevention" program located in Cass Lake, MN which aims to preserve Native culture and educate youth about the effects of commercial tobacco.

Trainer

Submitted by Jhaut on December 7, 2010 - 4:11pm.

Emma Greenman

Last name:

Greenman

First name:

Emma

Position Title:

Trainer

Emma Greenman is an accomplished political manager with extensive political and community organizing experience.

Trainer

Submitted by ross on February 18, 2009 - 1:13pm.

Ryan Greenwood

Last name:

Greenwood

First name:

Ryan

Position Title:

Senior Trainer

Ryan Greenwood has eleven years of community, political and union organizing experience.

Trainer

Submitted by elana on April 23, 2008 - 4:48pm.

Pakou Hang

Last name:

Hang

First name:

Pakou

Position Title:

Trainer

Pakou Hang is the Principal in an immigrant- and women-owned consulting firm that works with community and grassroots organizations to access power and resources. The firm focuses on strategic and logistical planning, civic and voter engagement, and legislative advocacy.

Trainer

Submitted by Louis on March 5, 2009 - 8:49am.

Amy Hang

Last name:

Hang

First name:

Amy

Position Title:

Trainer

Amy currently serves as a Consultant with WGH Holdings, a strategic consulting firm serving new Americans and people-of-color communities nationwide.

Trainer

Submitted by sbmueller on October 31, 2011 - 10:08am.

Margarita Hernandez

Last name:

Hernandez

First name:

Margarita

Position Title:

Trainer

Margarita Hernandez is the Organizing Director for the Grassroots Institute of New Jersey and the New Jersey Working Families Alliance.

Trainer

Submitted by ccampos on October 12, 2010 - 12:39pm.

Carlos Jimenez

Last name:

Jimenez

First name:

Carlos

Position Title:

Trainer

Raised in a working-class immigrant family in Los Angeles, Carlos first became politically active in high school when he joined M.E.Ch.A.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on December 8, 2008 - 11:49am.

Anne Johnson

Last name:

Johnson

First name:

Anne

Position Title:

Trainer

Anne Johnson is a Senior Fundraiser for the National Education Association in Washington, D.C. Anne served as the first director of Campus Camp Wellstone and also helped organize Wellstone Action's national members around progressive issues.

Trainer

Submitted by admin on April 8, 2008 - 7:07pm.

Kevin Killer

Last name:

Killer

First name:

Kevin

Position Title:

Trainer

Kevin is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe and a student at Oglala Lakota College. He is president of student senate and a member of the board of trustees for his college.

Trainer

Submitted by elana on April 29, 2008 - 4:14pm.

Suzanne Koepplinger

Last name:

Koepplinger

First name:

Suzanne

Position Title:

Trainer

Suzanne is the Executive Director of the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center. She has a background in international project development and management, communications, domestic violence advocacy, and fundraising.

Trainer

Submitted by elana on April 24, 2008 - 2:17pm.

Jen Kottler

Last name:

Kottler

First name:

Jen

Position Title:

Trainer

Reverend Jennifer Kottler is the Associate Pastor at Park Avenue Christian Church in Manhattan, NY.

Trainer

Submitted by elana on May 13, 2008 - 1:34pm.

Donna LaDuke

Last name:

LaDuke

First name:

Donna

Position Title:

Trainer

The injustice Steve and Donna faced in the justice system inspired Donna to
make a commitment to others who may find themselves adrift in a system that
protects the rights of the convicted, rather then the innocent or deceased.

Trainer

Submitted by elana on April 28, 2008 - 6:02pm.

Nevada Littlewolf

Last name:

Littlewolf

First name:

Nevada

Position Title:

Trainer

Nevada has been an advocate for youth, American Indian people, and her community for years. She serves on the Virginia, MN City Council.

Trainer

Submitted by elana on March 6, 2009 - 4:11pm.

Bill Lofy

Last name:

Lofy

First name:

Bill

Position Title:

Trainer

Bill Lofy is a communications strategist and trainer based in northern Vermont currently serving as deputy political director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Trainer

Submitted by elana on April 23, 2008 - 10:27am.

Karen Lopez

Last name:

Lopez

First name:

Karen

Position Title:

Trainer

Karen Lopez is a 24 year-old Latina immigrant from Colombia who grew up in the Bay Area and now lives and organizes in NYC. Karen has been organizing immigrant workers, womyn of color, urban youth of color, low-income families and young voters for over 6 years.

Trainer

Submitted by admin on April 8, 2008 - 7:57pm.

Rudy Lopez

Last name:

Lopez

First name:

Rudy

Position Title:

Board Member / Senior Trainer

Rudy is the Deputy Director of Politics for the Center for Community Change.

Trainer

Submitted by Louis on March 5, 2009 - 8:39am.

Bill Mendoza

Last name:

Mendoza

First name:

Bill

Position Title:

Trainer

William (Bill) Mendoza, an Oglala-Sicangu Lakota grew up on the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Sioux reservations. He is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

Trainer

Submitted by AClairmont on March 10, 2009 - 12:08pm.

Steven Montoya

Last name:

Montoya

First name:

Steven

Position Title:

Trainer

Steven Montoya is currently working on the transition from campaign to elected office for Julian Castro, the newly-elected mayor of San Antonio, TX on whose campaign he served as the Field Director.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on November 5, 2009 - 1:17pm.

Van Nguyen

Last name:

Nguyen

First name:

Van

Position Title:

Trainer

Van is a lead organizer for the Committee of Interns and Residents/SEIU, the oldest and largest housestaff union that represents over 13,000 interns and residents nationally.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on February 11, 2011 - 1:06pm.

Maralyn O'Brien

Last name:

O'Brien

First name:

Maralyn

Position Title:

Labor Program Trainer

Maralyn got her start in politics at the grassroots level, through volunteering on a local campaign in 2002 and has stayed politically engaged since. She joined Wellstone Action's Labor Program in 2009 after a tenure in Washington D.C. working at SEIU International where she was vital in developing two programs for members to run for office and lobby Capitol Hill.

Trainer

Submitted by Jhaut on December 16, 2010 - 10:21am.

Jessica Pierce

Last name:

Pierce

First name:

Jessica

Position Title:

Trainer

This Bay Area native's passion for student organizing started at the University of California Santa Cruz, where she was elected as Student Union Assembly President for two consecutive terms.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on December 8, 2008 - 11:59am.

Laura Ross

Last name:

Ross

First name:

Laura

Position Title:

Trainer

Laura Ross continues to split her wild side between Minnesota and South Dakota and is utterly jazzed to be helping out on some exciting new project work at the Native American Women's Health Education Resource Center.

Trainer

Submitted by Jhaut on December 7, 2010 - 3:51pm.

Courtney Ruark-Thompson

Last name:

Ruark-Thompson

First name:

Courtney

Position Title:

Trainer

Courtney Ruark-Thompson is a member of the Cherokee Nation and has a wide-range of nonprofit, political, and policy experience. She has worked on a Presidential campaign, worked as a consultant, and worked with party organizations.

Trainer

Submitted by Jhaut on December 7, 2010 - 4:05pm.

Susan Savage

Last name:

Savage

First name:

Susan

Position Title:

Trainer

Susan Savage currently works as a Regional Political Organizer for the California Teachers Association, responsible for working with local associations on school board, school bond, and local legislative races in California's Central Valley from Yreka to Bakersfield.

Trainer

Submitted by elana on April 29, 2008 - 1:40pm.

Meredith Schonfeld Hicks

Last name:

Schonfeld Hicks

First name:

Meredith

Position Title:

Trainer

Meredith S. Hicks is a passionate advocate for adolescent sexual health and rights. While working at Advocates for Youth in Washington, D.C. she led a youth organizing initiative for sex education policy change at the state and local level.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on February 11, 2011 - 1:08pm.

Elizabeth Scott

Last name:

Scott

First name:

Elizabeth

Position Title:

Trainer

As the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe's governmental affairs local community coordinator, Elizabeth Scott travels around Minnesota encouraging civic engagement among the state's American Indians.

Trainer

Submitted by Jhaut on December 9, 2010 - 10:22am.

Sam Seidel

Last name:

Seidel

First name:

Sam

Position Title:

Trainer

Sam Seidel is the author of Hip Hop Genius: Remixing High School Education. He has taught in a variety of settings, from first grade to community college, and directed arts programs for young people affected by incarceration.

Trainer

Submitted by sbmueller on October 31, 2011 - 11:20am.

Prairie Rose Seminole

Last name:

Seminole

First name:

Prairie Rose

Position Title:

Trainer

Prairie Rose Seminole is a enrolled tribal member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of ND, descendent of the Sahnish/Arikara, Northern Cheyenne, Mandan and Lakota Nations. She is the Coordinator for the Native American Center Project in Fargo, North Dakota.

Trainer

Submitted by Jhaut on December 9, 2010 - 10:29am.

Theresa Sheldon

Last name:

Sheldon

First name:

Theresa

Position Title:

Trainer

Theresa Sheldon is a citizen of the Tulalip Tribes. She is currently the Co-Chair for both Native Vote Washington and Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) Native Vote Committee.

Trainer

Submitted by Jhaut on December 9, 2010 - 10:38am.

William Shiebler

Last name:

Shiebler

First name:

William

Position Title:

Trainer

While a student at the University of California-Santa Barbara, Bill was involved in student organizing on both the campus and statewide levels around higher education access, economic justice, and voting.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on December 8, 2008 - 12:01pm.

Daniel Silva-Alvarez

Last name:

Silva-Alvarez

First name:

Daniel

Position Title:

Trainer

Daniel Silva-Alvarez was born and raised on the Southwest Side of Chicago in the community of Little Village. Growing up in a family deeply involved in grassroots organizing and local politics, he learned to work for social change as soon as he could walk and talk.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on December 8, 2008 - 11:44am.

Matt Smriga

Last name:

Smriga

First name:

Matt

Position Title:

Trainer

Matt Smriga has a degree in psychology from the University of Minnesota and a law degree from the Hamline University School of Law. He has spent most of his life in Minnesota, and considers himself a proud Minnesotan, but was actually born in the jewel of the north, Canada.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on February 11, 2011 - 1:14pm.

Maya Torralba

Last name:

Torralba

First name:

Maya

Position Title:

Trainer

Maya Torralba is Kiowa, Comanche, and Wichita. She lives in Anadarko, Oklahoma with her husband Brian Daffron and their three children, Chado, Matthias, and Kateri. She founded the Anadarko Community Esteem Project (ACEP) as her Young People For Fellowship project in 2008 and has since continued as its director.

Trainer

Submitted by Jhaut on December 9, 2010 - 10:16am.

Cristina Uribe

Last name:

Uribe

First name:

Cristina

Position Title:

Trainer

Cristina Uribe is a veteran political strategist, manager and organizer. She is the founder and principal of Next Rung Strategies

Trainer

Submitted by elana on May 13, 2008 - 1:38pm.

Yusufi Vali

Last name:

Vali

First name:

Yusufi

Position Title:

Trainer

Yusufi Vali is an organizer for the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, an affiliate of the Industrial Areas Foundation.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on November 9, 2009 - 2:51pm.

CoCo Villaluz

Last name:

Villaluz

First name:

CoCo

Position Title:

Trainer

Nicole (CoCo) Toves Villaluz is a Community Development Manager for ClearWay Minnesota. She is an enrolled Hidatsa from the Three Affiliated Tribes, but also has heritage from the Assiniboine Tribe and Chamorro people. She has over 15 years of experience in all phases of community development, capacity and mobilizing.

Trainer

Submitted by Jhaut on December 9, 2010 - 10:34am.

Jennifer Waltman

Last name:

Waltman

First name:

Jennifer

Position Title:

Trainer

As a strategic consultant, Jennifer has been advising businesses and non-profit organizations for over a decade. Her consulting work has ranged from small start up businesses to Fortune 100 companies like Intel, Medtronic, Preferred One, Nike, Goldman Sachs, PetSmart, and P.F. Changs.

Trainer

Submitted by Jhaut on December 7, 2010 - 4:16pm.

Calvin Williams

Last name:

Williams

First name:

Calvin

Position Title:

Trainer

Calvin Williams is the Fellowship Coordinator at Young People For (People For the American Way Foundation). Calvin holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from LaGrange College, where he was a student government programming board member, Hilltop News contributor, and campus panel organizer.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on December 8, 2008 - 12:03pm.

Causten Wollerman

Last name:

Wollerman

First name:

Causten

Position Title:

Trainer

Most of Causten’s work and activist experiences have been in broadly in the social, racial, and reproductive justice movements.

Trainer

Submitted by Ccyprian on February 11, 2011 - 1:17pm.

Daniel Yang

Last name:

Yang

First name:

Daniel

Position Title:

Trainer

Daniel Yang is a Community Organizer with the Native American Community Development Institute in Minneapolis, MN. He grew up on the East Side of St. Paul and the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, reflecting his multi-cultural heritage of both Hmong and Anishinabe (Ojibwe) ancestry.

Trainer

Submitted by Jhaut on December 7, 2010 - 4:14pm.

Check out our national network of trainers drawing expertise from campaign, non-profit, and grassroots organizing leadership.

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