12th Annual Leaders Conference Attendance – NewDEAL

Blake Johnson

Andrea Cruz — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 23:22:09 +0000

Blake Johnson

Representative | Indianapolis, IN

Blake Johnson was selected on June 27, 2020 to fill a vacancy in District 100 of the Indiana House of Representatives. He previously served as a member of the Indianapolis City-County Council.

Johnson serves on three House standing committees: as ranking Democrat on the Local Government Committee, and as a member of the Public Policy Committee and the Roads and Transportation Committee.

During his time on the City-County Council, he spearheaded more than $1 billion in capital investment across his district, and was selected by Mayor Joe Hogsett to help lead an education task force that produced the city’s Indy Achieves Scholarship Program. During his tenure, he served as Chairman of the influential Administration and Finance Committee, which oversees the $1 billion City-County Budget on an annual basis.

As a legislator, Johnson has focused on supporting transit, increasing educational attainment and pursuing talent initiatives.

Additionally, Blake owns a small consulting firm focused on communications and talent strategy.

He and his wife, Natalie, live in the Fletcher Place neighborhood near downtown with their dogs, Jack and Jamison.

Colin Parent

Andrea Cruz — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 22:52:43 +0000

Colin Parent

Former City Councilmember | La Mesa, CA

Colin Parent was elected to the La Mesa City Council in November 2016.

Currently, Colin works as the Executive Director and General Counsel at the nonprofit Circulate San Diego. He is responsible for advocating for affordable transit, safe walkable neighborhoods, and effective land use policy.

Colin served on the Jerry Brown for Governor 2010 campaign, and was appointed by Governor Brown as the Director of External Affairs for the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Prior to working for Governor Brown, Colin practiced law for three years as a commercial litigator at the San Diego office of the international law firm of DLA Piper US LLP. During 2013 and 2014, Colin served as the Director of Policy at the San Diego Housing Commission.

Colin is a serial social entrepreneur in San Diego. He co-founded the San Diego Leadership Alliance, an organization that trains young San Diegans to be equipped for civic leadership. As a board member of the League of Conservation Voters San Diego, he chaired the first ever coalition to grade the environmental records of elected officials in the City of San Diego.

Colin grew up in East County San Diego and is a graduate of Valhalla High School, U.C. San Diego, and NYU Law School. He enjoys spending time with his Kindle, and taking pictures of his food.

Josh Becker

Andrea Cruz — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 22:41:57 +0000

Josh Becker

Senator | Menlo Park, CA

Senator Josh Becker is a public policy innovator working at the nexus of community activism, technology and social justice. Elected to the State Senate in November 2020, Senator Becker represents the residents of California’s 13th Senate District, which comprises most of San Mateo County and the northern part of Santa Clara County.

He is the author of several bills focused on accelerating California’s transition to 100% clean energy and net zero emissions, voter access and justice reforms, and leveraging technology to provide greater economic mobility for all Californians.

Josh’s commitment to service crystalized when he traveled to war-torn Guatemala to work with refugees in the early ’90s and later started a basic school for repatriated refugees in El Salvador.

In 2000, Josh created Full Circle, a community leadership and policy innovation organization that funds nonprofits creating positive change in the Bay Area and building civic leaders for the future. He has been the driving force for Full Circle, which has supported policy innovations and community organizations in economic opportunity, education, environmental sustainability and health.

Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown, Josh served seven years on the California State Workforce Development Board, and he served on the Child Care Partnership Council in San Mateo County. Josh also is a founding trustee at the University of California Merced.

Josh has long been a champion in pushing businesses to create social good. After losing his father to brain cancer, Josh helped start a biotech company researching cancer cures. Uniting entrepreneurial expertise with his passion for social change, Josh cofounded New Cycle Capital, a pioneer in building socially responsible businesses. In 2011, Josh joined Lex Machina, which has a mission of bringing openness and transparency to the law. As CEO, he grew the company from a Stanford University public interest project into a nationally recognized platform. Most recently he founded a legal tech accelerator to support entrepreneurs who want to innovate in our legal and public policy system.

Josh earned a JD/MBA from Stanford University in 1999. While a student, Josh cofounded the Stanford Board Fellows program, which trains students to serve on the boards of local nonprofits, engaging them in social progress at the beginning of their careers, rather than the end.

Josh is a 20-year resident of Menlo Park, where he lives with his wife, Jonna, their two children, Leo and Aaron, and the family dog, Percy.

Janelle Bynum

Andrea Cruz — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 16:48:29 +0000

Janelle Bynum

U.S. Representative | OR-05

A courageous trailblazer, State Representative Janelle Bynum serves as the Oregon State Representative for House District 51 (East Portland and Happy Valley). In the Legislature, she is the immediate past Chairwoman of the House Judiciary Committee, current Chair of the Interim House Committee on Small Business and Economic Development and serves as a member of the House Business and Labor and Joint Ways and Means committees. She is also a founding member of the BIPOC Caucus giving voice to Oregon’s Black, Indigenous, and People of Color constituents, advocates, and businesses.

During her tenure in the Legislature, Rep. Bynum has spearheaded bipartisan initiatives encompassing Voter Engagement and Turnout; Investment in K-12 and Higher Education; Juvenile and Criminal Justice Reform; Police Accountability, and targeted support for small businesses. In the 2021 legislative session, Janelle passed an ambitious agenda with over 23 pieces of landmark legislation on Public Safety, over $70M to help grow the number of mental health providers, and the CROWN Act that protects both workers and student-athletes.

Concurrent with her leadership in public service, Janelle and her husband Mark are parents to four children and own multiple McDonald’s Restaurants. She has served on the Board of Trustees for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oregon, Business Oregon, the Center for Women’s Leadership, and the Oregon Commission on Black Affairs. She earned her undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from Florida A&M University, and her MBA from the University of Michigan—Ross Business School. She is also a member of African American women’s associations Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Janelle is a champion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and is an avid consumer of American football, basketball, barbeque, and artisan cheeses.

Jazz Lewis

Andrea Cruz — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 23:49:48 +0000

Jazz Lewis

Delegate | Annapolis, MD

Jazz Lewis is a tireless fighter for his community in Prince George’s County, MD. Jazz started organizing as an activist at the University of Maryland, College Park and began his career as a community organizer in Baltimore. Over his career he has helped to elect progressive leaders, managed programs to increase the undergraduate retention and graduation rate of Black and Latino males, as well as serving as a Senior Advisor to U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on issues of housing, small business, and transportation.

Jazz currently serves in Maryland’s House of Delegates, where he has represented the 24th Legislative District since 2017, and also serves as the Chairman of the Maryland House Democratic Caucus. During his time in the General Assembly, he has championed issues ranging from criminal justice reform, healthcare access, and economic equity. Known, for his passion for justice and equity, Jazz has passed legislation to review our criminal justice from a racial equity lens, passed legislation to require a sentence review for juvenile offenders, supported tax credits for grocery stores in disadvantaged neighborhoods, banned solitary confinement for pregnant mothers and children, subsidized health clinics located in communities with the highest health needs, and much more.

Brandon Lofton

Andrea Cruz — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 23:47:43 +0000

Brandon Lofton

Representative | Charlotte, NC

Brandon Lofton represents House District 104 in the North Carolina General Assembly, where he serves on the Finance, Commerce, Judiciary, Local Government and Agriculture committees. He has sponsored and championed several bipartisan bills to help encourage innovation and job growth in North Carolina, provide more flexibility and support for our public schools and honor North Carolina’s contributions to the civil rights movement. Brandon has also worked to help more families afford childcare, provide support for families with children who have learning differences and restore North Carolina’s child tax credit.

Brandon is a partner with the law firm Robinson Bradshaw, where he focuses his practice in the area of public finance. He helps local governments, universities and nonprofits finance capital improvements that help strengthen our communities. He began his legal career practicing with the civil rights law firm Ferguson Stein Chambers.

Prior to serving in the General Assembly, Brandon chaired the board for the Council for Children’s Rights, chaired the city of Charlotte’s Disparity Study Advisory Committee and helped revise the city’s small business program. Brandon is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and New York University School of Law. He and his wife, Kellie, are the proud parents of Caleb (14) and Brandon II (16).

Ashley Vanorny

Andrea Cruz — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 23:41:05 +0000

Ashley Vanorny

Councilmember | Cedar Rapids, IA

Councilmember Ashley Vanorny became the second youngest Councilmember to serve Iowa’s second largest city, Cedar Rapids in 2017. Currently is serving in her second term and serves on the Development Committee, Public Safety and Youth Services Committee, Safe, Equitable, and Thriving (S.E.T.) Grant Committee, Area Ambulance Board of Directors, and is a Corridor Municipal Policy Organization member. She is very active in the Iowa League of Cities, having completed the Municipal Leadership Academy and received her Certified Elected Municipal Official designation in 2020. In 2022, Councilmember Vanorny was elected as the first woman from Cedar Rapids, first woman in 12 years and one of the youngest ever to become President-elect for the Iowa League of Cities Executive Board.

Ms. Vanorny graduated from Kirkwood Community College (2012) with an A.S., having studied Criminal Justice. From the University of Iowa she earned a B.S. in Psychology (2014) with an emphasis on Neuroscience and a B.A. in Political Science (2014) with an emphasis in International Relations and American Institutions. She completed her Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration (MHA) from Des Moines University in 2021 and currently serves professionally in Healthcare Administration.

Councilmember Vanorny is a very active volunteer and currently serves on the Linn County Foster Care Review Board, the Linn County League of Women Voters Board, and as an Education Vice President Advisor to Rho Chapter of Gamma Phi Beta. Councilmember Vanorny is a 2018 cohort of the New Leaders Council-Des Moines Chapter, is in the Young Elected Officials Network serving as a Regional Director, and is an alum of the American Council of Young Political Leaders (North Macedonia, 2022). Councilmember Vanorny serves on the Community and Economic Development Committee and as a Race, Equity, and Leadership (R.E.A.L) Council Member with the National League of Cities. In 2020 she was recognized as 35 Under 35 by the Young Elected Officials Network, and was recognized by the Corridor Business Journal as Forty Under 40.

Kate Farrar

Andrea Cruz — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 23:36:30 +0000

Kate Farrar

Representative | West Hartford, CT

State Representative Kate Farrar was elected in November 2020 to represent the 20th District in Connecticut. She serves on the Finance, Revenue & Bonding; Higher Education & Employment Advancement; and Insurance & Real Estate Committees and is Deputy Caucus Chair. In her first term, Kate successfully championed tax cuts that create a fairer tax system, created training programs that advance women and people of color in high-wage careers, and passed a new law to expand green transportation options with rebates for electric bikes. She also secured an additional $1 million in funding to close the “welcome gap” for refugees to start a new life in Connecticut with stable housing and employment.

Kate brings over 20 years’ experience as a non-profit advocate and community volunteer to her legislative role. Prior to her election, she led the passage of CT’s landmark Paid Family and Medical Leave Act and pay equity legislation as Executive Director of the Connecticut Women’s Education and Legal Fund (CWEALF). She now works for the statewide foodbank Connecticut Foodshare to address food insecurity. Kate earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Connecticut and a master’s in public administration from Syracuse University. She lives in West Hartford with her husband Chan and their dog Lizzie.

Timothy Ragland

actualize — Mon, 10 Oct 2022 18:29:57 +0000

Timothy Ragland

Former Mayor | Talladega, AL

Timothy L. Ragland, J.D., became mayor of the City of Talladega in a history-making runoff election on November 4, 2019. Mayor Ragland defeated the incumbent mayor by a margin of just 23 votes, making him the city’s first African – American and youngest mayor in the last century.

A native of Talladega, Alabama, Mayor Ragland has successfully led Talladega during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. Despite these unique trials, Mayor Ragland advances a community-centered plan that addresses the city’s most urgent issues and puts Talladega on course to reach its fullest potential. Mayor Ragland directs the effort to create a workforce development program that trains, educates, and provides social services to working-age individuals, following a “people-first approach” to enable them to succeed in the labor force and meet employers’ demand for quality talent. This effort includes Talladega’s unique demographic makeup by incorporating individuals from the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind and Talladega College.

He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Mayor Ragland and his wife, Chelsea Ragland, Esq. are the proud parents of one daughter.

Winnie Brinks

join.us — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 21:25:41 +0000

Winnie Brinks

Senator | Grand Rapids, MI

Sen. Winnie Brinks is the first woman to represent Grand Rapids in the Michigan Senate since Eva McCall Hamilton was elected in 1920. She has worked tirelessly to protect our drinking water from toxic PFAS contamination, create jobs, ensure every child has access to a world-class education and honor our state’s debt to our veterans. She also championed and passed legislation to repeal the “tampon tax” in Michigan and has successfully advocated for improvements in maternal health policy through both legislation and the appropriations process.

Senator Brinks remains focused on real solutions to problems Michiganders face, and in particular, looks to promote policy initiatives that would benefit the ALICE population, and support our educators and students. She and her husband Steve, a Spanish teacher, live in Grand Rapids and are the parents of three incredible daughters, Olivia, Annalise, and Emma.