About the YEO Network Staff
City Commissioner Andrew D. Gillum
YEO Network Executive Director
YEO Network Founder
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 Co-Founder
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.
Dawn Huckelbridge
YEO Network Team: Policy
Dawn Huckelbridge has both professional and academic expertise in progressive public policy, as well as broad experience recruiting, training, and supporting candidates and elected officials. Most recently she served as Senior Policy Consultant to the Center for Women Policy Studies in Washington, DC, providing policy support and technical assistance to a network of elected officials at both the state and international levels. She graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2010 with her Master's in Gender and Social Policy. Prior to that she served as Deputy Director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation and Political Office, supporting women’s political leadership through research, training, education, and civic engagement projects. She also has worked in political communications at GMMB in Washington, and has consulted on a number of international political and public interest projects. She has served on the board of Emerge Massachusetts, an organization training and supporting progressive women candidates. She earned her Bachelor’s from Northwestern University, where she studied Communications and Political Science.
Contact Dawn at dhuckelbridge@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
Contact Linda at linge@pfaw.org.
Adam LaRose
YEO Network Team: Membership
Adam LaRose is the Membership Services Associate for the Young Elected Officials Network. During the summer of 2012, he served as a Legislative Affairs and Federal Budget Intern with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, D.C. In that capacity LaRose worked to advocate for policies which either negatively or positively affected low to moderate income citizens through Hill meetings, substantive policy analysis, and large-scale coalition building. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Florida State University with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science, and a minor in International Relations. He is a member of many honor societies, but is most proud to be a Garnet & Gold Scholar—excelling in academic, research, volunteer, and service. While in school he interned with U.S. Senator Bill Nelson and later with Tallahassee City Commissioner, Andrew Gillum--working on both of their prospective re-election campaigns. Adam’s main career aspiration is to become an elected official by the age of thirty, hoping to become a member of the organization he currently works for.
Contact Adam at alarose@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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