Executive Committee

Learn more about the duties of the Executive Committee positions

 

Caitlin Kawaguchi

President

Caitlin is an impact and communications strategist working with startups, nonprofits, and campaigns to drive change. She believes that politics should be accessible and inclusive, and has loved organizing with Rep Your Block to help everyday Brooklynites run for County Committee. She currently leads marketing and partnerships at Bird + Stone, and has also worked on digital communications for campaigns around youth justice reform and opportunity youth.

Pronouns: she/her

[email protected]

@caitkawaguchi

 

Tony Melone

Chief of Operations

Tony Melone is a musician, Brooklyn resident since 2007, and NKD member since 2016. He helped organize the 44th Assembly District Committee of the Brooklyn Democratic Party in 2019, and produces concerts and online programming for the Stamford Symphony. He also teaches piano lessons and works on a variety of musical and theatrical projects around NYC.
Pronouns: he/him

[email protected]

 

Brandon Smith

VP of Policy

Brandon is an attorney and Downtown Brooklyn resident since 2005.  While he manages the Americas Sanctions program of an international financial institution by day, Brandon loves all things related to politics, Jazz, voting rights, and his local Brooklyn Community.  He is Chair of Community Board 2's Health, Environment, and Social Services Committee, and helps lead several other organizations.  Brandon is excited to bring his experience with policy to NKD's Policy Committee and hopes you will get involved by joining one of the monthly meetings!

Pronouns: he/him

[email protected]

 

Paige Havener

VP of Political Affairs

Paige has a background in Industrial Design and organizing experience on political campaigns ranging from national to local. Born and raised in North Carolina, they have lived in Bed-Stuy for more than seven years. Paige aspires to use their design thinking combined with organizing experience to push for a better government and a better city. Outside of politics and design, they enjoy petting cats, archery, and reading.
Pronouns: they/she

[email protected]

 

Mikael Haxby

VP of Organizing

Mikael is a soccer analytics writer and stay-at-home dad, and he wrote a book about gender and political violence in ancient Christian apocalyptic literature. Those are all things that go together. He lives in Williamsburg and has been an NKD member for seven years, having helped lead the Rep Your Block campaign in North Brooklyn and recently helping to lead the Brooklyn Can't Wait campaign in 2022.

Pronouns: he/him

[email protected]

Vanessa Nutter

Director of Membership

Vanessa is a librarian by both training and by nature and loves to learn. She has lived in Brooklyn since 2005 and has been a member of NKD for three years. She is excited to increase her participation in the club this year in this new role. Vanessa is happiest when she is wandering around New York City.

Pronouns: she/her

[email protected]

 

Jacob Goldfinger

Treasurer

Jacob Goldfinger is a Bay Ridge-based writer and researcher. He is working on a book about civil rights and minor league baseball in Little Rock, AR.
Pronouns: he/him or they/them

[email protected]

Liz Stevenson

Secretary 

Liz moved to Brooklyn in 2004 and has lived all over. She enjoys trivia, knitting, and baking, although she's not very good at any of those things! In addition to her work with NKD, she's also active on the legislation committee for her union, PSC-CUNY.  Liz works as an academic advisor in the ASAP program at City Tech. Prior to that, she worked at several different social services organizations in the city and earned her Master's in Social Work.

Pronouns: she/her

 

Sara Hodges

Data Director

Sara is a cartographer and data scientist.  When she's not making maps she likes to explore the city – usually on bicycle, always looking for delicious food.  She has lived in Brooklyn since 1998 and has been an NKD member since 2016. She's excited to focus her skills on making the Brooklyn Democratic Party a more open and accessible institution.

Pronouns: she/her

 

Nicholas Kemp

Director of Communications

Nick works in marketing and communications at indie film distributor Kino Lorber. He has been a member of NKD since 2018 and a County Committee member in the 44th Assembly District since 2020. Nick lives in Brooklyn with his husband Jesse and their cats Hugo and Gomez.

Pronouns: he/him

[email protected]

@vonlicorice

 

Victor Ng

Digital Director

Victor is a creative director, educator, and community organizer based in Brooklyn. He has led design and brand work for non-profits, news organizations, political campaigns, and technology startups. As of 2022, he is also a County Committee member. Victor lives with his partner and their one-eyed Pekingese in Crown Heights.

Pronouns: he/him

[email protected]

 

Kellan Calder

Director of Social Action

Josh Hyman

Director of Fundraising

Josh is: a dad to a badass nine-year-old named Penelope; a pollyanna; and a longtime NKD admirer-from-afar, before finally getting to help with some fancy spreadsheets for the 2022 Brooklyn Can’t Wait campaign! He cut his teeth organizing by doing student voter registration at Nassau Community College with NYPIRG in 2001. He managed Pat Fahy's highly competitive Primary campaign to become the first woman to represent Albany in the Legislature in 2012, then went on to manage other races in Albany and NYC.

Josh worked on the Obama campaign in 2008 in 10 states, and has lived in 37 different apartments. He is motivated by new people getting involved in politics, biking, and food. (He was into politics and whatever, but, let's be real: he came to his first NYPIRG meeting for the pizza.) Whoever you are, he will probably cook for you at some point.

Pronouns: he/him

 

Christina Sulpizio

Director of Voter Education

Christina is an artist currently working as a graphic designer. In addition to working with fashion and consumer brands, she has designed for campaigns locally and nationally. She believes in political transparency, which led her to run for County Committee in 2020. Using design as a platform to inform voters, she’s excited to help promote civic engagement and empower BK voters. She loves libraries, enjoys sourcing vintage goods, and is learning techniques to mend clothes.

Pronouns: she/her

 

Matt Nisenoff

Director of Party Building

Matt has a longstanding involvement in politics and government that spans a number of different states. He also has a podcast that keeps him busy: SoundCloud.com/PolitiPod. Matt looks forward to interacting with County Committee members and District Leaders to expand democracy in Brooklyn.

Pronouns: he/him

 

Rebecca An

Events Manager

Rebecca is an auntie, giant nerd, amateur chef, and recovering hipster who has called North Brooklyn home since 2007. As a multilingual daughter of immigrants, she is a fierce advocate of language access and organizing in communities with limited English proficiency. Rebecca has been an NKD member since 2017 and looks forward to producing inclusive and engaging events around the borough.

Pronouns: she/her

 

Carlos Calzadilla-Palacio

Campaign Manager

Bio coming soon.

 

 


2021

President: Mariana Alexander
Chief of Operations: Caitlin Kawaguchi
VP of Policy: Genevieve Vaida
VP of Political Affairs: Jessica Thurston
VP of Organizing: Akel Williams
Director of Membership: Morenike Lambert
Director of Communications: Tony Melone
Treasurer: Jacob Goldfinger
Secretary: Vanessa Nutter
Data Director: Mikael Haxby

2020

President: Mariana Alexander
Chief of Operations: Emily Hoffman
VP of Policy: Richard Semegram
VP of Political Affairs: Jessica Thurston
VP of Organizing: Sage Rockermann
Director of Membership: Morenike Lambert
Director of Communications: Caitlin Kawaguchi
Treasurer: Courtney Adrian
Secretary: Vanessa Nutter
Data Director: Mikael Haxby

2019

President: Brandon West
Chief of Operations: Jessica Baker Vodoor/Maria Barva
VP of Policy: Mariana Alexander
VP of Political Affairs: Emily Hoffman
VP of Organizing: Sage Rockermann
Director of Membership: Becky Steinberg
Director of Communications: Jessica Thurston
Treasurer: Fred LaPolla
Secretary: Maria Barva

2018

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President: Brandon West
Chief of Operations: Jesse Pierce
VP of Policy: Mariana Alexander
VP of Political Affairs: Emily Hoffman
VP of Organizing: Angela LaScala-Gruenewald
Director of Membership: Becky Steinberg
Director of Communications: Jessica Thurston
Treasurer: Fred LaPolla
Secretary: Maria Barva

2017

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President: Anusha Venkataraman (until November 2017)
Chief of Operations: Sara Shoener
VP of Policy: Brandon West
VP of Political Affairs: Matt Stern
VP of Organizing: Yaneth Lombana
Director of Membership: Jasmine Fernandez
Director of Communications: Ryan Shanley
Treasurer: Essence Franklin, Anna Scaife
Secretary: Cindy Tran

2016

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President: Anusha Venkataraman
Chief of Operations: Sara Shoener
VP of Political Affairs & Policy: Brandon West
VP of Organizing: Theo Moore
Secretary: Rodrigo Camarena
Digital Director: Ryan Shanley

2015

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President: Andrew Sloat
VP of Political Affairs & Policy: Anusha Venkataraman
VP of Organizing: Theo Moore
Secretary: Sara Shoener
Digital Director: Ryan Shanley

2014

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President: Andrew Sloat
VP of Political Affairs & Policy: Esteban Duran
VP of Organizing: Theo Moore
Treasurer: Rachel Lauter
Secretary: Lacey Tauber
Digital Director: Annie Werner

2013

President: Alex Low
VP of Political Affairs: Esteban Duran
VP of Organizing: Theo Moore
Treasurer: Catherine Butler
Secretary: Andrew Sloat
Director of Communications: Greg Wasserstrom

2012

President: Alex Low
VP of Political Affairs: Morgan Pehme (partial term), Chris Barron (partial term)
VP of Organizing: Theo Moore
Treasurer: Catherine Butler
Secretary: Antonio Reynoso
Director of Communications: Andrew Sloat

2011

President: Matt Cowherd
VP of Political Affairs: Sarah Baker
VP of Organizing: Theo Moore
Treasurer: Alex Low
Corresponding Secretary: Connie Rourke
Recording Secretary: Maisha Morales

2009–10

President: Matt Cowherd
Vice President: Lincoln Restler
Corresponding Secretary: Chris Henderson
Recording Secretary: Will Florentino
Treasurer: Alex Low
Parliamentarian: Sarah Baker

2008–09

Co-Chair: Matt Cowherd
Co-Chair: Rachel Lauter
Treasurer: Andrew Stengel
Secretary: Laura Stein
Communications: Morgan Pehme


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