About the YEO Network Staff

City Commissioner Andrew D. Gillum
YEO Network Executive Director

Andrew Gillum, Director of the YEO Network, is an alumnus of Florida A&M University (FAMU), former president of the Student Government Association, and FAMU’s first student member of the Board of Trustees. He became the youngest person ever elected to the four-member Tallahassee City Commission in February 2003. Commissioner Gillum has held prominent leadership roles such as Mayor Pro Tem, Chairman–Capital Region Transportation Planning Agency and lead commissioner for the Long Range Community Based Target Issue Committee. In keeping with his mantra to uplift and build the collective community, Andrew has championed several community initiatives including the Nims Middle School Digital Harmony Pilot Program, the Landlord Tenant Mediation Program; the Code Enforcement Amnesty Program; and the creation of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Park. Gillum served as Field Organizer and statewide Director of the “Arrive With 5” program with People For the American Way Foundation (PFAWF). He organized the largest “Arrive With 5” get-out-the-vote campaign in Florida’s history. He also worked as Political Director with the Florida Democratic Party. Currently, he is the National Director of the Young Elected Officials Network with PFAWF, spearheading a program that unites elected officials age 35 and under in a network which supports them with leadership and personal development training and public policy support. (For Commissioner Gillum’s full bio, click here.)

Contact Andrew at agillum@pfaw.org.

State Representative Alisha Thomas Morgan
YEO Network Team: Membership

A graduate of Spelman College with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Drama, Alisha Thomas Morgan has been with PFAW since 2005. In November 2002, she became the first African American to serve Cobb County in the Georgia House of Representatives. During her first session, she was selected as Freshman Legislator of the Year by Georgia Legislative Black Caucus. Now serving in her third term in the Georgia General Assembly, she is representing her constituents through her membership service on the Children & Youth, Education and Governmental Affairs Committees. Alisha is married to David Morgan and is a proud new mommy to their daughter, Lailah Camille, born April of 2007. (For Representative Morgan’s full bio, click here.)

Contact Alisha at amorgan@pfaw.org.

Dustin Daniels
YEO Network Team: Policy

Dustin Daniels comes to the YEO Network from The Florida State University (FSU) where he served as 2010 Student Body President and University Trustee, leading a community of more than 40,000 students. While at FSU, Dustin lobbied state legislators on collegiate and statewide issues, proposed changes to the university’s anti-discrimination policy and co-founded Florida’s first student-run fundraising and philanthropic institution, the FSU Student Foundation. In 2009, Dustin helped create and manage The Spire Institute for the Advancement of Public Policy, a student-run think tank focused on policy research and advocacy in four areas: Human Rights, Education, Economic Development, and Immigration. In addition to his passion for domestic policy, Dustin also served as a project director with The Global Peace Exchange, a nongovernmental organization that works on development projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2008, Dustin founded a community education hub called the Monsignor William Kerr Resource Center at the Catholic University of Kabgayi in Gitarama, Rwanda.

Contact Dustin at ddaniels@pfaw.org.

Conor Hurley
YEO Network Team: Policy

As the North Florida Political Director for Kendrick Meek's 2010 U.S. Senate race, Conor managed the Congressman's endorsements, local contacts and events for over a third of Florida's counties. During Meek’s historic petition drive, Conor managed the North Florida field team, which collected over 25,000 petition signatures from across the Florida Panhandle. Prior to Florida, he served as the Director of Veterans for Martin for the 2008 Georgia Senate runoff, as a field organizer for Congressman Mark Schauer's successful 2008 campaign, and as Director of Veterans and Field Organizer for Adam Cote's primary race in Maine's first congressional district.

Contact Conor at churley@pfaw.org.

Ryan Hurst
YEO Network Team: Membership

Ryan Hurst is the Membership Services Coordinator for the Young Elected Officials Network. Ryan is a graduate of the Florida State University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree for a double major in Political Science and Interdisciplinary Social Science. Originally from Plantation, Florida, Ryan has worked on local, state, and federal campaigns, and helped lead the Obama Campaign to victory in Florida as a Field Organizer for three of North Florida’s largest counties. Before joining as staff, Ryan served as an intern, assisting with both the 2008 and 2009 National Convenings. Ryan is also an alumni of the Front Line Leaders Academy, a program which he now co-manages.

Contact Ryan at rhurst@pfaw.org.

Linda Inge
YEO Network Team: Administration

Linda began with People For the American Way Foundation in 2000 as a volunteer, but quickly turned her passion for civil rights into a career. Born and raised in North Florida, Linda’s background is in accounting. She worked as an accountant for Hopping, Boyd, Green and Sams Law Firm in Tallahassee, Florida and for the Florida Association of Counties. Since joining People For the American Way Foundation and People For the American Way, Linda has worked on several important campaigns, such as the Florida Class Size Reduction Amendment, the U.S. Supreme Court issues in 2005 and 2006, and and the Foundation’s Election Protection (EP) for two election cycles, most recently as field coordinator for EP in Jacksonville, Florida in 2006. Linda also runs a community shared-cost food program in Gadsden County called “Neighborhood Improvement for a Better Living.” In its inaugural year, it had already been able to consistently help 75 families per month.

Contact Linda at linge@pfaw.org.

Raquel E. Simon-Petley
YEO Network Team: Programs

Raquel began her work at People For the American Way Foundation in 2005 as the Program Coordinator for the Tallahassee Office, managing the Supreme Court campaign in Florida for a fair judiciary and running statewide events for several 2006 Florida legislative issues, including voting rights, felon rights restoration, reduced class sizes and gay adoption for People For the American Way. Her work in politics began as communications staff at the Florida Democratic Party and continued as a Public Relations Representative in Tallahassee, working with legislators in session, statewide media campaigns and national coalitions. Raquel’s current work with the Young Elected Officials Network has allowed her to combine several of her passions, including event planning, graphic design, web management and progressive politics, into the programmatic work of the Network. Raquel received her Bachelor of Arts from Florida State University, having studied Public Relations, Theatre and Spanish. She leads a yearly walk team for the March of Dimes and serves on the Leadership Development Committee of Boys and Girls Town of North Florida.

Contact Raquel at rsimon@pfaw.org.

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