NextGen Climate Launches Youth Vote Council

Council Will Advise on the Most Innovative Tactics to Mobilize Millennials

Today NextGen Climate launched the Youth Vote Council—a team of some of the Millennial generation’s brightest political minds that will help guide NextGen Climate’s national youth vote program. The Youth Vote Council will offer their expertise to ensure NextGen Climate is using the most cutting edge tactics to turn out Millennials to vote for climate champions in November.

“The Youth Vote Council brings together a group of organizing all stars with deep experience mobilizing Millennials to take action and fight for justice,” said NextGen Climate Deputy Political Director and Youth Vote Council member Ben Wessel. “The Council will be critical in making sure NextGen Climate is using the most innovative tactics to give young people the tools they need to vote and make a difference this year.”

From the Dreamer movement to presidential campaigns, the Council members are at the forefront of efforts to organize young Americans to create change. The Youth Vote Council will use their years of experience to ensure that NextGen Climate is deploying the latest technology and most innovative strategies to engage, register and turn out young voters.

The launch of the Youth Vote Council is part of NextGen Climate’s comprehensive youth vote program to mobilize young voters in seven states to join the fight for climate justice and bring their demands for climate action to the ballot box.

 

The NextGen Climate Youth Council includes:

 

Alexandra Acker-Lyons

Electing Women Silicon Valley, Political Director

AL Advising, President & Founder

Alexandra Acker-Lyons has worked in electoral politics and the non-profit sector for over 15 years, with an emphasis on youth organizing. Alexandra is the Founder and President of AL Advising, a philanthropic and non-profit consulting firm. She previously served as Director of the  Youth Engagement Fund at the Democracy Alliance, as well as Executive Director of the Young  Democrats of America during the historic 2008 elections. She is the author of the book, The Political Ladder: Insider Tips on Getting a Job in Politics, and is a recognized political analyst on cable news.

Austin Belali

Director of the Youth Engagement Fund at the Democracy Alliance

Austin Belali is the Director of the Youth Engagement Fund at the Democracy Alliance. Austin comes to philanthropy from student and labor organizing and he led the development of a major youth program at one of America’s largest service sector unions. He has taught comparative democracy to high school students in Dakar, Senegal and Delhi, India and is passionate about expanding the electorate through movements.

Cristina Jimenez

Director of United We Dream

Cristina Jiménez is co-founder and Director of the United We Dream Network. The largest immigrant youth-led network in the country. Originally from Ecuador, Cristina came to the U.S. with her family at the age of 13, attending high school and college as an undocumented student. She was part of United We Dream’s campaign team that led to the historic victory of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012 that protects over one million young immigrants from deportation and the recent administrative changes (DAPA) that protect up to 5 million people from deportation.

Cristina is one of Forbes’s 2014 “30 under 30 in Law and Policy;” was named one of “40 under 40 Young Leaders Who are Solving Problems of Today and Tomorrow” by the Chronicle of Philanthropy; and one of “50 Fearless Women” by Cosmopolitan. She has more than 10 years of experience organizing and advocating for immigrant communities at the local and national levels.  

She co-founded the New York State Youth Leadership Council, the Dream Mentorship Program at Queens College, was an immigration policy analyst for the Drum Major Institute for Public Policy and an immigrant rights organizer at Make the Road New York. Cristina holds a Masters degree in Public Administration & Public Policy from the School of Public of Affairs at Baruch College, CUNY and graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in Political Science and Business from Queens College, CUNY.

Kelcie Kraft

Sophomore, University of Iowa

Kelcie Kraft is a sophomore at the University of Iowa double majoring in environmental science and environmental policy. She served as a fellow for NextGen Climate Iowa beginning last spring and lasting through the Iowa caucus. As part of her work as a fellow, Kelcie acted as a political organizer, aiding in the effort to get over 7,500 registered Climate Action Voters in Iowa City leading up the Iowa caucus. Along with her work as a fellow, Kelcie has also served as the president of the NextGen UIowa student team for the past year, and continues her work as a volunteer for the Iowa City office. Kelcie is also involved in youth outreach through her work as Vice President of the University of Iowa Habitat for Humanity Chapter, where she helps to advocate and raise money in order to provide families in need with safe, affordable, and energy efficient homes.

Sarah Audelo

Political and Field Director, Rock the Vote

Sarah Audelo is Rock the Vote’s Political and Field Director where she leads the organization’s voting rights portfolio, Democracy Class and non-profit and political partnerships. Before joining Rock the Vote, she worked on policy and issue-based advocacy focused on the Millennial generation at Generation Progress and Advocates for Youth. Her previous areas of work include: economic justice, higher education, civil and human rights, reproductive justice and LGBTQ rights. Sarah is a proud Chicana and native of Bakersfield, California.

Kelley Robinson

Deputy National Organizing Director, Planned Parenthood Action Fund

Kelley Robinson serves as the Deputy National Organizing Director at Planned Parenthood Action Fund (PPAF), where she drives the strategy around movement building and leadership development for the organization. Previous to this role, Kelley was proud to serve as the Assistant Director for Youth Organizing at PPAF where she led the national youth and campus organizing program. She spends her days amplifying community voices in the movement for sexual and reproductive health, access, and rights. Kelley is originally from Chicago and received her bachelors degree in Sociology and Women’s & Gender Studies from the University of Missouri. She has had the opportunity to organize and pursue social justice initiatives throughout her career, with special attention to protecting the rights of young people and communities of color. Kelley has gained myriad political and grassroots organizing experience through President Obama’s 2008 Campaign, as a researcher in the area of disaster studies, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland, and most recently as a reproductive justice advocate and national organizer for Choice USA. Kelley also serves as the Board Chair of SisterSong, the largest national women of color reproductive justice collective; as well as the board of the Bus Federation Action Fund.

Ben Wessel

Deputy Political Director, NextGen Climate

Ben Wessel is the Deputy Political Director at NextGen Climate, based in San Francisco. In this role, Ben works to elect candidates who support strong clean energy and climate policies, with a focus on mobilizing the voters who care most the issue: young people. Before joining NextGen Climate in 2014, Ben worked for Cory Booker’s campaign for US Senate in New Jersey, as the Political Campaigns Manager for 350.org Action, and as the Youth Vote Director for President Obama’s reelection campaign in New Hampshire. A native of the District of Columbia, when he’s not working you can find him rooting for the Washington football team.