SERVING
National Advisory Board
The National Advisory Board brings together experienced advocates, educators, policymakers, and civic leaders who share a commitment to building a more inclusive democracy.
With expertise spanning youth engagement, voting rights, education, and public policy, the board provides strategic guidance to strengthen Vote16USA’s mission and amplify the movement nationwide.
Gregg Amore
Secretary of State of Rhode Island
Senior National Advisor to Vote16USA
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Secretary of State Gregg Amore is a Townie, and a Rhode Islander, through and through. He is a proud lifelong resident of East Providence where he has been a teacher, coach, and community volunteer for over thirty years. He married his high school sweetheart Lee (Smith) and together they have two (now adult) daughters, Tess and Megan. Born on October 28, 1966, Amore graduated from East Providence High School in 1984 before continuing his education at Providence College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 1988. In 2010, he earned a master’s degree in public policy from New England College.
Gregg taught Advanced Placement United States History and United States Civics and Government courses at East Providence High School for twenty-seven years, and in 2008 was recognized as the Rhode Island History Teacher of the Year by the Daughters of the American Revolution. He served as East Providence High School’s Close-Up and United States Senate Youth Program advisor for fifteen years. He was instrumental in the process to build and finance the new East Providence High School, which opened its doors in September of 2021.
In 2017, Gregg took over as the East Providence School District Athletic Administrator and is credited with significantly expanding East Providence’s Unified Sports/Special Olympics programs during his tenure. Gregg has enjoyed a rewarding high school and college coaching career in both hockey and baseball, including serving as head baseball coach at La Salle Academy, East Providence High School, and the United States Naval Academy Prep School in Newport. He led the Townies to a hockey championship in 2005 and was an assistant baseball coach at Providence College where he also played as a member of the Friars team in the 1980s.
Committed to public service, Gregg ran for State Representative in 2012 and served the residents of East Providence with distinction for ten years. During his time in office, he served as a Deputy Majority Leader, chairman of the House Committee on Small Business, chairman of the House Finance Subcommittee on Education, and second vice chair of the House Committee on Education. He has also served as a member of the House Committee on Finance, House Committee on Municipal Government, and the House Committee on Innovation, Internet and Technology. He is widely credited with advancing the House of Representatives’ education agenda, which has included key education reform legislation related to curriculum and site based management. He has championed efforts to significantly increase English Language Learner categorical funding, school construction initiatives, the retention and recruitment of teachers of color, and making college more affordable for Rhode Islanders. In 2021, he was honored by the Rhode Island School Superintendents’ Association with the Paul Crowley Award for his commitment to public education.
In 2021, Representative Amore cosponsored the law which requires students to demonstrate proficiency in civics education before high school graduation, earning him recognition from the League of Women Voters, who awarded him their Civic Engagement Award. In 2021 and 2022, Gregg called for the passage of and cosponsored the Let RI Vote Act – a bill (became law in 2022) that significantly expanded access to the ballot. Additionally, Gregg has been twice selected as the Mothers Against Drunk Driving – RI Legislator of the Year for his legislative efforts around curbing drunk driving. Representative Amore earned a place in the American Cancer Society’s “Cancer Caucus” for his sponsorship and advocacy on behalf of legislation passed in 2013 that required health insurance providers to cover oral chemotherapy. In 2022, Representative Amore was the recipient of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence Legislative Champion Award for his sponsorship of an expansive address confidentiality law that is now being administered through the Rhode Island Department of State.
Gregg announced his campaign to run for Secretary of State in September of 2021. He went on to win election in November of 2022. He was sworn into office on January 3, 2023 as the thirtieth Rhode Island Secretary of State.
Josh Douglas
Acting Associate Dean for Research University of Kentucky
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Joshua A. Douglas is the Acting Associate Dean for Research, the Ashland, Inc.-Spears Distinguished Research Professor of Law, and a University Research Professor at the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law (that is a long title!). He teaches and researches election law and voting rights, civil procedure, constitutional law, and judicial decision making. He is the author of Vote for US: How to Take Back our Elections and Change the Future of Voting (Prometheus Books 2019), a popular press book that provides hope and inspiration for a positive path forward on voting rights. His latest book is The Court v. The Voters: The Troubling Story of How the Supreme Court Has Undermined Voting Rights (Beacon Press 2024).
His most recent legal scholarship focuses on the constitutional right to vote, with an emphasis on state constitutions, as well as the various laws, rules, and judicial decisions impacting election administration. He has also written extensively on election law procedure.
Professor Douglas has published in top journals, including the Georgetown Law Journal, Penn Law Review Online, Vanderbilt Law Review, Washington University Law Review, George Washington Law Review, William & Mary Law Review, Indiana Law Journal, and the Election Law Journal, among others. His article Procedural Fairness in Election Contests was a winner of the 2011-12 SEALS Call for Papers, and his scholarship has been cited by several courts and in major law review articles and books. In 2024, he was listed as one of the top 10 most cited U.S. scholars on Election Law.
He is also a co-author of an Election Law case book (Aspen Publishers 2014, 2021) and a co-editor of Election Law Stories (Foundation Press 2016). In addition, his media commentaries have appeared in the New York Times, CNN, Washington Post, LA Times, USA Today, Reuters, Politico, Atlantic, Washington Monthly, Huffington Post, and Slate, among others, and he has been quoted in major newspapers throughout the country. He appeared live on CNN on Election Day 2016.
Professor Douglas was the recipient of the 2019 Duncan Teaching Award at the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law. Further, he was the founder and initial Chair of the AALS Section on Election Law. He also served as a Fulbright Specialist at LUISS University in Rome, Italy and has engaged in several other international collaborations.
In 2024, Professor Douglas created a radio series and podcast through NPR affiliate WEKU called Democracy Optimist. The program delves deep into the heart of democratic processes, elections, and voting rights to ask a simple but vital question: how do we sustain our democracy?
Prior to joining UK, Professor Douglas clerked for the Honorable Edward C. Prado of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and practiced litigation at the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld. Professor Douglas earned his J.D. from George Washington University Law School, where he was an articles editor on the GW Law Review.
Professor Douglas enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids, watching baseball (go Nationals!), playing guitar, training for marathons (he has run 5!), eating tacos, listening to the music from the musical Hamilton, and traveling the country and the world.
Kimiya Factory
Senior National Coordinator for the Election Protection for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
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Kimiya Factory (She/her) identifies as a Queer, Indigenous Afro-Latina activist, author and national organizer based in the State of Texas. Currently, Factory serves as the Senior National Coordinator for Election Protection for the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Factory is currently spearheading a National Voting Rights Campaign, Ojo Ase: Black Women Answering the Call - a campaign aimed at giving Black Women their flowers for their invaluable contribution to democracy. Factory assists national and statewide coalition partners in Election Protection to assist voters with instances of Voter Intimidation, Voter Education and resources via Lawyer's Committee's national hotline - 866-OUR-VOTE via New Mexico, Arizona and, Texas.
Factory's board-membership experience include: The Vice Chairwoman of FREED Texas, board member for the Community Advisory Board for the University of Texas Mays Cancer Center, as well as a member of the Women's Bar Association of the District of Columbia.
Anya Klienman
Co-Founder of Vote16MD
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Anya is a student and organizer from Gaithersburg, Maryland. She is incredibly passionate about the effort to enfranchise 16- and 17-year-olds in local elections, and serves as the Co-Director of Vote16MD. In her role as Vote16MD's Co-Director, she manages a team of more than 25 youth advocates across 6 counties and has co-authored statewide legislation. She also serves as the Maryland State Director for the Strategic Training Initiative for the Prevention of Eating Disorders. Through this role, she has partnered with state legislators to introduce legislation banning the sale of diet pills to minors. Anya is incredibly excited to join the National Advisory Board and support Vote16USA in its critical advocacy.
Anjali Krishnamurti
Co-Founder of Vote16NJ
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Anjali Krishnamurti is a sophomore undergraduate at Harvard University studying government. She has been involved in Vote16 since her freshman year of high school, co-founding Vote16NJ and leading the effort to lower the voting age to sixteen in New Jersey local elections. Alongside her co-founder, Yenjay Hu, Anjali helped lead the passage of the ordinance that lowered the voting age to sixteen in Newark School Board elections in January 2024. Anjali and Yenjay were also mentioned in Governor Phil Murphy's 2024 State of the State Address, where the Governor called for statewide legislation to lower the voting age to sixteen in all school board elections in New Jersey. Outside of Vote16NJ, Anjali largely works on a range of political and public policy initiatives, leading a team of undergraduate policy analysts at Harvard, conducting research for organizations such as the Bloomberg Center for Cities, and planning popular speaker events that spark fruitful discussion at Harvard's Institute of Politics. Anjali looks forward to helping grow the movement nationwide and engaging in productive collaborations with other young people across the country who are spearheading other Vote16 initiatives!
Laura Wray-Lake
Professor of Social Welfare at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
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Laura Wray-Lake received a PhD in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State University, and she is a Professor of Social Welfare in the Luskin School of Public Affairs at University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Wray-Lake’s research focuses on civic engagement during adolescence and young adulthood. She has studied how voting policies affect young people and documented evidence in favor of lowering the voting age. She has written and contributed to nearly 100 articles and chapters on various topics including young people’s community service, political action and activism, identity, decision-making, school and community experiences, and anti-racism. She has a new book entitled Young Black Changemakers and the Road to Racial Justice with Cambridge Press.
Sam Novey
Chief Strategist for the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement
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Sam Novey is Chief Strategist at the University of Maryland Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement. He is a co-founder of the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition, Vote 16 Research Network Maryland Civic Education Coalition, and Baltimore Votes Coalition among other civic initiatives. He also serves as a Secretary of the Baltimore City Board of Elections and is a member of the Baltimore City Fair Election Fund Commission.
June Rose
Chief of Staff for the Providence City Council
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June Rose is Chief of Staff for the Providence City Council. A Providence native, Rose got their start in politics as an organizer for Mayor Angel Taveras. Since graduating cum laude from Tulane University with a degree in Gender & Sexuality Studies and Political Science, Rose has worked in organizing, communications, and management on campaigns across the country at the local, state, and federal levels.
In 2022, Rose came home to serve as director of the Rhode Island Democratic Coordinated Campaign. In this capacity, Rose led the get out the vote operation for Rep. Seth Magaziner, Gov. Dan McKee, and Democrats up and down the ballot, winning a toss-up congressional and helping deliver the largest margin of victory in the governor's race in 30 years. In 2023, Rose served as an Earned Media Specialist for the Virginia House Democratic Caucus, providing direct communications support to the toss-up House races, helping to flip the House of Delegates from red to blue. Rose is one of just two trans people in the country to have managed a statewide electoral campaign, and is the highest ranking transgender government staffer in Rhode Island history.
In 2024, Rose served as Rhode Island’s ‘uncommitted’ delegate to the DNC—representing the movement to end the war in Gaza—and as a lead spokesperson for the Uncommitted National Movement. Rose grew up a pro-Israel Orthodox Jew, even having lived in Israel for a year. After witnessing the brutal occupation first-hand, Rose’s views on the conflict changed, and they became a longtime advocate for freedom for Palestinians. As the war in Gaza has unfolded, Rose has taken nonviolent direct action—or “good trouble”—to declare their views, even getting arrested four times advocating for a ceasefire and an arms embargo. Rose believes that their anti-war work is a direct reflection of their Jewish and Democratic values.
Chetan Soni
Founder and Executive Director of the Washington Youth Alliance/Action Fund
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Chetan helps facilitate and champion youth-led strategies that push boundaries, build power for young people, and center youth self-determination. Rooted in the belief that collaboration fuels lasting impact, Chetan continues to expand the reach of WYA drive statewide influence. At WYA, he supervises strategic priorities, advises board members, and oversees fundraising so that emerging leaders have the freedom, resources, and confidence to effectively carry out their work. Through this model of mentorship and community-driven leadership, he ensures that the organization remains responsive to the needs of BIPOC communities and that youth voices sit at the forefront of shaping policies and priorities.
Andrew Wilkes
Chief Policy and Advocacy Officer Generation Citizen
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Andrew Wilkes serves as Generation Citizen’s Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer, where he leads GC’s thought leadership, coalition building, and policy initiatives as a part of the national leadership team. Andrew holds over fifteen years of experience in public policy, advocacy, and community organizing, particularly among congregations and community-based organizations. Prior to joining GC in 2017, he served as the executive director of the Drum Major Institute, a social change organization founded by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In that capacity, he executed public affairs events in Dallas, TX and Washington D.C. to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act; established the Beloved Community Initiative, a national resource on spirituality and social justice for faith communities; and relaunched the nationally renowned Marketplace of Ideas Forum – a forum for bringing policy ideas to an audience of changemakers, policy professionals, and nonprofit leaders.
As a Senior Grants Manager at The American Red Cross of Greater New York, he worked with elected officials, public agencies, and community stakeholders to administer a $45 million budget for Superstorm Sandy recovery in New York state and Connecticut. Before that, he worked at Habitat for Humanity – New York City, where he mobilized 140 faith communities across the city to serve, donate, and advocate for affordable housing.
Andrew is a graduate of Hampton University, Princeton Theological Seminary, the CORO public affairs fellowship, and holds a PhD political science from the Graduate Center, City University of New York. He also serves on the board of directors for the Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State and Habitat for Humanity – New York State.
DJ Yearwood
Director of Vote16MO
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DJ Yearwood is an 18-year-old youth advocate and strategist who launched Vote16MO at age 15 to lower the voting age in local elections. With a strong background in policy, organizing, and legislative advocacy, DJ has led critical campaigns, trained hundreds of young leaders, and helped secure millions in funding for youth initiatives.
Blake Emmanuel
Director of Advocacy and Policy at The Fund for Women and Girls
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Blake Emmanuel serves as the Director of Advocacy and Policy at The Fund for Women and Girls, where she leads strategic initiatives and to advance gender equity through policy change, coalition building, and community engagement. With a master's degree in public policy and administration, Blake brings a deep understanding of public systems and a strong commitment to social justice.
Blake’s career spans nearly two decades of experience in the nonprofit sector, including direct service roles that grounded her in the real-life challenges faced by women, girls, and families. Having spent over a decade working with families with children with disabilities, she if very familiar with navigating public systems and the need for informed advocacy. Her time as Board President for her local school board helped her hone her ability to manage complex and challenging situations while staying community focused.
At the intersection of advocacy, public service, and community care, Blake remains dedicated to creating sustainable systems that uplift marginalized voices and foster long-term, systemic impact.
