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Advocacy and Elected Officials

Advocacy and Elected Officials

Friday, July 23rd 2:00 PM - 3:15 PM
Training, Miranda 7
Friday, July 23rd, 2:00pm - 3:15pm
Miranda 7

Learn tips for effective advocacy from the perspective of elected official staff members and successful grassroots organizers. The focus of this session will be on Congressional offices with organizers who will share tips about meeting with staff members at local District offices and staff members working on Capitol Hill. Participants will learn from a successful team of leaders on how to effectively advocate their position and how to build a successful symbiotic relationship with any elected official.

Nicole Rivera

Nicole is proud to be working for Speaker Nancy Pelosi in her district office. As Congresswoman Pelosi’s Field Representative, Nicole represents Congresswoman Pelosi and works with constituents on key San Francisco issues such as housing, labor, education and veterans. During the 2008 Primary Election, Nicole was the youngest woman and the only Latina running for the ultra competitive San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee in the 13th AD. In the 2006 California election cycle she served as Campaign Manager for the Contra Costa United Democratic Campaign and as Steering Committee member of both Phil Angelides’ and John Garamendi’s Bay Area youth outreach teams. Nicole’s work with the California Young Democrats and the Young Democrats of America led her to help found the Action Caucus: Mobilizing Democratic Youth. The Action Caucus organized the CYD membership around a plan to mobilize Young Democrats in the fight for Congressional District 11 to defeat Representative Richard Pombo and win State Senate District 34. Both of these highly contested races resulted in victories for Democrats.

Nicole is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and is a founder of Good Ol' Girls, a Bay Area membership organization where progressive women on the rise get connected and open doors professionally and socially for each other. She serves on the boards of Netroots Nation, Good Ol' Girls and just completed her time as an appointed member of San Francisco Mayor Newsom's Citizen's Committee of Community Development.

OTHER SESSIONS: Latino Caucus
Eddy Morales

Eddy Morales is currently a consultant to candidates and non-profit organizations across the country working to advance the interest of underrepresented communities. Through his consulting, he has provided the National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, support to engage local NCLR affiliates who are assisting immigrants in their application for citizenship, as well as coordinating affiliates in key states to organize locally for Comprehensive Immigration Reform. Eddy is also providing assistance to We Are America Alliance (WAAA), a national table of 12 groups working to engage immigrants and allies towards Comprehensive Immigration Reform. In 2010, WAAA partners contacted over 200,000 traditionally under-counted communities in 24 states to encourage them to participate in the Census. He is currently supporting the partners to coordinate their efforts to register, educate and turn out voters in 14 states in 2010. Finally, Eddy has been working on the Colleen Hanabusa for Congress campaign, in Hawaii's special congressional election and will continue on this campaign through the general. He also provides support to youth organizations such as Generational Alliance, a network of national youth groups rooted in low-income communities of color.

Eddy previously worked as the Electoral Field Manager at the Center for Community Change where he managed national, multimillion-dollar, voter-engagement programs targeted at low-income communities. Prior to joining the Center, Eddy served as the elected President of the U.S. Student Association, the nation's oldest, largest, and most inclusive student organization representing millions of students in Washington. During his tenure, Eddy led successful campaigns to defeat cuts to education spending and key programs, successfully raised over 1.5 million dollars, and significantly expanded the organization's field capacity.

Eddy is an alumnus of the University of Oregon and serves on the boards of the Service Employees International Union, National Stonewall Democrats, and United States Student Association Foundation.

Yuri Beckleman

A San Francisco native, Yuri grew up in a labor family and spent much of his childhood standing on hotel picket lines with his organizer father who worked for the Hotel & Restaurant Employees union, Local 2. He is currently a Legislative Assistant in the office of Congressman Anthony D. Weiner of New York, assisting the Congressman with his work on the Energy and Commerce committee. Yuri also currently serves as the Chair of the Congressional Jewish Staff Association, a bi-partisan cultural and educational group of staff members. Prior to working for Congressman Weiner, Yuri worked in the office of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and as the Field Director for Congressman Frank Kratovil – one of the most competitive races in the country during the ’08 cycle.

Yuri graduated from CSU Monterey Bay with a degree in Global Studies. During his time at CSUMB he served as the student body President and as an officer with the California State Students Association.

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