Honors
The City & State PA 2025 40 Under 40
Meet the 20- and 30-somethings shaping policy and progress in the Keystone State
Joe Picozzi and Christa Barfield Gene Smirnov
Resilience is a recurring theme among the young professionals on this year’s City & State 40 Under 40 list. Many millennials graduated into the Great Recession of the late aughts, and have found success in fields – from workforce development to farming – far afield from their original plans. Other honorees are rehabilitating neglected real estate, championing health care amid a labor shortage, enacting economic growth through diversity and finding new technological solutions to the commonwealth’s challenges.
Here, a look at the 20- and 30-somethings shaping policy and progress in the Keystone State:
Jon Anzur
When he started out as a Washington, D.C., intern, Jonathan Anzur kept his older bosses up to date on the latest social media trends. At the time, “that was innovative,“ says Anzur, who, at 34, is part of a generational bridge to the digital era. “Now, I’m learning from that generation after me.“
Anzur recently helped launch a TikTok account for the PA Chamber, where he leads public affairs. He also spent a year traveling the commonwealth to gather input from business and municipal leaders – and leverage the star power of partners like Caitlin Clark and Bradley Cooper – to create the Keystone Initiative, a PA Chamber roadmap for making Pennsylvania the country’s most economically competitive state.
Anzur comes from a Mechanicsburg family of health professionals, so his English major and newspaper work at the University of Pittsburgh raised eyebrows at home. Then a Harrisburg internship lured the budding journalist into politics. After graduation, Anzur managed public relations for then-Gov. Tom Corbett and the Pennsylvania GOP, and handled communications for then-U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta.
One of Anzur’s most meaningful roles was as chief of staff to then-U.S. Rep. Fred Keller on Capitol Hill, working around the clock on federal pandemic relief. But he’s thrilled to be back living in and promoting the commonwealth. “It’s one state, but there are so many different local foods, cultures and issues,“ he says. “Advocating for those interests here in Harrisburg is a lot of fun.“
Giuliano Apadula
For Giuliano Apadula, there’s nothing more satisfying than helping transform dilapidated parcels into valuable properties.
“We’re at the point in a lot of major metropolitan areas where it’s like, ’Well, we’ve built on everything except for those landfills,’“ says Apadula. Such properties “are something nobody was ever able to touch before – and we return it to the stream of commerce.“
As a shareholder in the Philadelphia office of Greenberg Traurig, the 36-year-old works with municipalities and brownfield redevelopers to rehabilitate unused land, bringing in businesses that generate tax revenue. Apadula helps stakeholders cut through environmental issues and find solutions – as was the case recently for a Connecticut military base, vacant for 30 years before the attorney managed the site’s acquisition and strategy. Today, he’s proud of its vibrant commercial and life sciences tenants.
Apadula grew up working at his family’s bakery in South Jersey and was encouraged by his father, an immigrant from Italy, to become the first in the family to pursue higher education. He earned a degree from Rutgers-Camden and chose the law for its opportunity, then discovered a talent for real estate mergers and acquisitions.
“I’ve always been a transactional deal lawyer,“ he says. “I was doing more and more deals where the real estate was contaminated, and the environmental issues were an impediment.“
His father’s example inspires him to power through those impediments. “We have the opportunity here where, if you work hard and push yourself, there’s really uncapped potential,“ says Apadula. “It opens up countless doors.“
Jasmine Armstrong
Even as a child, Jasmine Armstrong was an event planner. A born organizer, the Philadelphia native was the one who planned the trips and parties; as a communications major at Drexel University, she worked coordinating weddings and other events.
At Visit Philly, the city’s tourism bureau, goings-on are “now officially my role,“ says Armstrong, who joined the team eight years ago as a hotel coordinator and now directs hospitality and events. Last year, she planned and executed the inaugural Philadelphia Hospitality Symposium, a successful showcase that will be reprised in 2025. She also organizes major events, such as the TED Democracy Initiative, a series of talks themed around the 250th anniversary of America’s founding in Philadelphia.
“Promoting Philly is absolutely special,“ says Armstrong, 32, who can’t imagine living anywhere else. “I love everything about our food scene, our history, our culture. And the country started right here in Philly.“
When she’s not organizing events or liaising with the city’s fabled hospitality community, Armstrong enjoys exploring neighborhoods through the lens of a tourist – and hearing out-of-town guests rave about her hometown.
“When you’re in Philly, you don’t think about how amazing it is that you live down the street from the Liberty Bell, or Independence Hall, or the Rocky statue. These are big deals, and we’re surrounded by them every day,“ she says. “There’s so many special places, but also special people. Being a part of a team that’s telling that story is truly rewarding.“
Megan Barbour
Over the past dozen years, Megan Barbour has helped an aging commonwealth prepare for an ongoing increase in health care demand.
Barbour, now 34, is best known for establishing the state Department of Health’s Long Term Care Transformation Office – and building a 13-strong team to fortify the state’s ability to address skyrocketing needs. Earlier this year, Barbour tackled the issue from a different angle by becoming the director of advocacy and government relations for the Pennsylvania Health Care Association.
An undergraduate biology and business major, she worked in an infectious disease lab and volunteered with a county health department after college. “I saw the effect that preventable diseases had on people,“ she says, “and realized that a lot of prevention lay in policy. Recognizing the need for it, my passion grew from there.“
After earning an MPH from Penn State, Barbour was chosen from among 250 applicants to be a William Penn Fellow in policy for the state Department of Health. She moved on to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, where she worked on health insurance, before returning to DOH as a senior adviser for long-term care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
With priorities including state reimbursement for nursing homes and the health workforce shortage, “I felt advocacy could really make a difference in addressing systemic issues in long-term care,“ she says of her current role. “I’ve only been here for three months, but it’s been one of the most rewarding roles of my career thus far.“
“I love helping people to realize the possibilities within themselves,“ she says. “Helping provide the pathway so they can be part of this equation – the American dream – is transformative.“
Christa Barfield
If it hadn’t been for a 2018 trip to Martinique, Christa Barfield might still be working in health care. But the exuberance of that island’s local agriculture scene – and the farmers she met – inspired the then-30-year-old, who’d quit her job, to take up farming back home in her native Philadelphia.
Seven years later, Barfield presides over FarmerJawn, America’s largest Black woman-owned regenerative organic farm – a 128-acre outfit spanning three sites in Philadelphia, Montgomery and Chester counties. She launched the venture in 2020 with 10 families subscribing to her CSA (community-supported agriculture) and has since fed more than 30,000 people, both through the CSA and a 3,000-square-foot Chester County store.
“It’s beautiful to be able to say that so many people in our community have eaten something we’ve grown,“ says Barfield. “We’re connecting people back to their food.“ By doing so, she’s become part of a generational trend: 30- and 40-somethings are at the forefront of a grassroots, back-to-the-land movement with an organic ethos.
Aside from her two children – ages 17 and 22 – Barfield’s favorite consumers are the children and adults who tour her farms for weekly field trips. “A joy that I have is simply being able to snap peas directly off the plant and open the pods up and enjoy the fresh peas,“ she says. “And I love seeing people’s eyes light up when I show them – and getting their hands in the soil.“
Vinny Cannizzaro
In Scranton, Vinny Cannizzaro helped the city increase its bond rating, improving its financial outlook. In Lancaster City, Cannizzaro’s team at the Pennsylvania Economy League supported work on the Home Rule Commission, allowing locals to regain control of revenue and stabilize the city’s finances.
“I’m wholeheartedly into the local level – where we have the most immediate impact on people’s lives and the well-being of communities,“ explained Cannizzaro, the executive director of the nonpartisan think tank.
Originally from Sarasota, Florida, the 36-year-old studied political science and government at the University of Central Florida, earning a doctorate in public policy. He held several policy posts and previously directed the public policy graduate program at York College of Pennsylvania.
“I always wanted to move away from feelings-based politics to evidence, research-driven work,“ Canizzaro explains. “We need to be able to look at issues objectively and say, ’Yes, this will work’ – or, ’Yes, this will not work, but here’s the best decision.’“
At the Pennsylvania Economy League, his team supports municipalities through the entire spectrum of issues, from technical matters to financial assistance and budgeting. Home rule, where municipalities self-govern, is particularly near and dear to his heart, given the commonwealth’s notable decentralization, with 2,500 municipalities and 500 individual school boards.
Cannizzaro’s favorite audience is his children, ages 2, 4 and 9. “I want them to be engaged – and really understand what’s going on,“ he says.
Megan Carroll
At 32, Megan Carroll is a member of a global generation – and she brings that perspective to her role with the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, a joint initiative of the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University.
A highlight has been spearheading Adapt PA, a program she founded to bring supercomputing access and training to small and two-year colleges that otherwise couldn’t afford such resources. “We’re democratizing access to advanced computing,“ she says of the initiative, which she founded two years ago with a state Department of Education grant. “It’s my pet project – my pride and joy.“
Raised in New Jersey, Carroll studied political science and international affairs at Northeastern University before heading to London for a master’s in international public policy. She stayed abroad for five years, working in consulting and political communications.
One of her U.K. projects was helping redevelop a stadium for the Crystal Palace football club – which ended up being the filming location for the hit Apple TV series “Ted Lasso.“ “I helped them talk about it to the local neighborhood and fans, to design a stadium that everyone was excited about,“ recalls Carroll.
Back near family stateside, Carroll managed communications at Carnegie Mellon – and came to relish the parallels between her walkable, culturally diverse neighborhoods in London and Pittsburgh.
“It’s this perspective of everyone having a different lived experience, and meeting them where they are,“ says Carroll of that urban diversity. “I was lucky to learn that early in my career.“
Chelsea Chopko
Chelsea Chopko’s route to The Wright Centers for Community Health, where she provides administrative support to the CEO, began as a childhood interest in health careers and coalesced in college with what she calls her “conversation starter“ of a major – industrial organizational psychology. “It’s a little bit of HR, a little bit of people management, a little bit of everything,“ she says.
Chopko could be describing her own role at the primary care organization, which operates a half-dozen Northeast Pennsylvania clinics and trains the next generation of rural family physicians. She joined as executive assistant to Wright’s CEO, was soon chosen for a nonprofit management certificate program at the University of Scranton – and now oversees an 11-person team.
“That in six years’ time, I’ve been granted the trust and the position to do that – I take a lot of pride in this,“ affirms the devoted Scranton native. “I’m a mama bear at heart, a nurturer. And I’ll be here as long as they’ll have me.“
Even with two kids, two dogs and a full schedule of field trips and birthday parties, “I still feel like I’m 18 in my mind,“ admits the 36-year-old. “I think the perspective my generation brings is a lot of flexibility. I take things as they are; I truly am a very arms-wide-open person – that’s what I brought into this role.“
Nicole Connell
Nicole Connell entered the field of human services through education. As a Philadelphia elementary school teacher, “I couldn’t not address what I saw playing out in my classroom daily,“ says Connell, recalling students struggling with hunger, family substance abuse and mental health challenges.
For the past decade and a half, Connell, 39, has worked at the intersection of public health, human services and education – including at Merakey, where she directs adult behavioral health services for Southeastern Pennsylvania.
After leaving the classroom, the North Philadelphia native held roles with the city’s departments of Housing and Behavioral Health; at the latter, she expanded community outreach from 32 to more than 200 annual events and built engagement and trauma response teams. “I was able to see how resolving unaddressed behaviors can help people thrive in housing, academics and their finances,“ she says. “It’s identifying where those gaps and needs are, driving transformative policy change, and designing programs that meet people where they are.“
At Merakey, Connell helped launch Philadelphia’s first behavioral urgent-care center for adults, which has served more than 2,000 people with same-day assistance since last fall. “Our society has all of these other conveniences, but when we try to access social supports, we’re not always evolving quickly enough to meet the need,“ she explains. “My goal is to innovate – to take a fresh look at how we provide services.“
Brendan Delaney
Two of the most important people in Brendan Delaney’s life are named Jordan: his wife, whom he calls his “best friend,“ and the chair of the state House Appropriations Committee, Jordan Harris, a close professional colleague.
While the names may be a coincidence, the centrality of relationships to Delaney’s life and political consulting career is not. “What’s most rewarding is not just the work that I get be a part of,“ Delaney said of his role as campaign director for Hurst Management, a Philadelphia-based Democratic consultancy, “but what I get to learn from working with folks who have that that care and that fire in them.“
A third-generation Southwest Philadelphian, Delaney studied sociology and criminal justice at Villanova, but felt aimless until Donald Trump’s election win in 2016 jolted him into action. “Honestly, it seems like we’re still living in the world of before and after that,“ he says. Delaney threw his energy into campaigns, managing successful races for Philadelphia City Councilmembers and state candidates.
A particular highlight was helping elect state Rep. Tim Brennan, a Bucks County Democrat whose 2023 election flipped a red seat to blue – and inspired Delaney to concentrate on maintaining the Democratic state House majority. The same year, Delaney was recruited by Hurst’s founder, T.J. Hurst, to further that goal.
Now four years sober, Delaney relishes a role that emphasizes relationships beyond a single election cycle: “You realize that we can make things happen if it’s a lot of people working together.“
Jack Eckhardt
Banking is Jack Eckhardt’s job, but his larger mission is making numbers relevant to people’s lives. He does that by day as TruMark Financial Credit Union’s head of government banking – and, in his spare time, as the founder of a nonprofit that dismantles financial barriers to youth athletics.
“Numbers tell the story,“ reflects Eckhardt, 37, who studied accounting and finance at LaSalle University. He hears those stories from the local municipalities that are clients at TruMark, where “I get to see what true good our actual tax dollars are doing,“ he adds. “It’s the ’why’ behind everything that opens people’s eyes.“
A father of two, Eckhardt loves bringing those insights to local schools, where he talks about the costs and calculations of youth sports participation. “Let’s say it costs $225“ for a season, he explains. “I ask them: ’How many Happy Meals can this buy?’ If we get the younger generations to start thinking this way, that’s even better.“
Earlier this year, unable to find a charity accepting his daughters’ gently used soccer and baseball gear, Eckhardt started the Pass The Play Foundation. Drawing on his professional connections to local schools, he sounds out athletic directors about the need for donations that can keep low-income families involved with youth sports.
Eckhardt, who plays in a men’s basketball league, also raises money through the foundation to subsidize that need. “Really, it’s been easy to get people on board,“ he says, “because it’s two things people care about – sports and kids.“
Matt Fine
If Matt Fine needs to justify his escapes to the golf course, he has a rationale: The links are responsible for his career.
“I was working at a golf course and met a partner (from Buchanan Ingersoll Rooney), and that turned into an internship, which turned into a job,“ he recalls of the trajectory that ultimately led him to One+ Strategies, where he is a government relations specialist.
Fine, 34, was recruited to One+ by a group of his former colleagues at Buchanan, where he worked in government relations (he is an attorney as well as a lobbyist). Helping build a new company, he says, has been a thrill on par with the wins he’s racked up for his clients.
These include getting school-bus safety legislation passed and securing funding for nonprofits like Valley Youth House. “One day, I could be doing zoning or education, another day, transportation and another day, health care,“ he says.
The Harrisburg native was drawn to politics through his grandmother’s influence. She always had CNN on and inspired her grandson with activism around issues like the Three Mile Island nuclear plant. “I wanted to help people, but by doing behind-the-scenes stuff and the legal route,“ he says.
Fine also thinks his relative youth is an asset in Harrisburg, where, as a new parent, he has a direct stake in many of the issues: “As the legislators and the people on staff are getting younger,“ he says, “it helps to have that perspective.“
Jimmy Gastner
In his own words, Jimmy Gastner loves “sitting at that intersection of public policy, social impact and business.“ His current perch is at TD Bank, where he is a vice president managing community development – which means he partners with regional stakeholders to advance economic equity, especially around housing.
The Delaware County native, 31, grew up thinking he’d turn his knack for numbers into an accounting career. But the liberal arts education he received at Swarthmore College enamored him of public policy – and an internship with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities cemented a passion for “using data and research to inform policymaking that ensures that all residents have access to economic opportunity,“ he says.
At the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., Gastner saw those ideas in action with the Detroit Neighborhood Housing Compact, which united public, private and nonprofit sectors to address housing barriers. Back in Pennsylvania, Gastner earned an MBA at Villanova and worked on monetary policy at the Federal Reserve Bank in Philadelphia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At TD Bank, Gastner draws on those experiences with his current project, Convergence Philadelphia, a collaborative effort to find financial solutions to Philadelphia’s persistent racial home-ownership disparities. “It’s such a sweet spot,“ notes Gastner, “where you’re able to work with different sectors – and leverage the strengths of each to make meaningful change.“
Nathan Gerace
While running an errand at Tamaqua Borough Hall in 2017, Nathan Gerace heard a local councilmember mention that the mayor was retiring.
Some people would have moved on with their day. Not Gerace, a recent high school graduate who was already thinking about public service. “I asked myself, What does it take to be mayor? Would I be good at it?“
The evidence would suggest he is. Having trounced several primary competitors, Gerace took office at age 19, in 2018, and is finishing his second term by celebrating a 42% decrease in violent crime over the past decade – along with Tamaqua’s designation as one of Business View Magazine’s “Best Small Towns in Pennsylvania.“
Concurrently, Gerace has also served as U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser’s district director. Holding multiple jobs was no stretch for the energetic young pol: Gerace first went to work at age 10, picking up bowling pins at the local alley. Before graduating from high school, he’d also been a paper delivery boy, a cook, a server, a bartender, a busboy and a grocery store clerk.
As he winds down his mayoralty, Gerace is excited about his newest role – as Northeast director for U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, working with his home region’s colleges, local chambers of commerce and businesses large and small. “He’s got this steady leadership and this vast knowledge of how government works and what it takes to be successful,“ says Gerace of McCormick. “So I feel lucky to be part of the team.“
Karl Graham
Whether it was his uncle fixing the church roof, his grandmother baking for the community or aunts distributing backyard vegetables to neighbors, Karl Graham grew up steeped in the altruism of his extended South Carolina family.
Today, he brings that same ethos to his community in Philadelphia, where he is a financial center manager for Penn Community Bank.
“What I love is teaching about financial literacy, because there are so many people who do not know anything past cashing the check and spending all their money,“ says Graham, 31. “It’s about reaching people that may not come into the bank – letting them know, ’You can still go and build your credit up.’“
The Pennsylvania native might buttonhole neighbors at the barbershop, at restaurants or at the Baptist church where he is the third generation to help out with ministry.
Graham began his career at a Home Depot garden center. He loved the plants, but when his mother pointed out that he needed a job with benefits, he interviewed at PNC Bank – and found his calling.
For Graham, banking isn’t just about money; it’s also about relationships, and the trust that allows customers to let Graham guide them beyond cash and checking into CDs and the stock market.
“A lot of people are afraid, and they want to do it the old-school way,“ he notes. “I give them options – and that way, they know their money is safe.“
Thaddeus Hill
Thaddeus Hill was a junior in high school when the 2016 presidential election ignited his civic awareness – as it did for so many young voters. “I saw how politics and advocacy really can affect people,“ said the Chester County native, now 25 and a government affairs associate at Pursuit Advocacy. “Politics was really my calling.“
That conviction solidified during a series of undergraduate internships at Temple University, where he earned a degree in political science. After college, Hill put his advocacy skills to work at Greenlee Partners in Harrisburg. Next, with state House Speaker Joanna McClinton, he had a crash course in the people and issues that make the state tick.
At Pursuit, Hill says he is “lucky to be able to learn and grow“ under the firm’s CEO, veteran lobbyist Laura Kuller. Passionate about education and environmental issues, he represents clients like Philadelphia Charters for Excellence and Amplify, securing funding and advancing evidence-based literacy initiatives.
On weekends, the avid athlete can often be found hunting in Central Pennsylvania forests or playing baseball or football with colleagues from Harrisburg Young Professionals. Racing toward goals with fellow government professionals, he says, unites Hill’s motivations: “In sports, you need to work together to get the job done,“ he explains. “And in politics and lobbying, we can’t get things done for our clients if we’re not working together, using our different skill sets to accomplish a goal.“
Lauren Holubec
When Lauren Holubec took over the helm of the Pennsylvania Workforce Development Association earlier this year, she brought nearly two decades of industry savvy to a fraught economic moment.
“Our boards are reliant on federal funds,“ explains Holubec of the commonwealth’s 22 workforce development boards. “There’s a lot of uncertainty right now. We’re working to help them manage that transition.“
Persevering through economic headwinds is what set Holubec on her own professional course. Raised in Berks County, she graduated from Kutztown University during the 2008 recession – and, like a lot of millennials, she was forced to rethink her ambitions.
In Holubec’s case, that meant putting her PR plans aside in favor of jobs in career and technical education. She sees the irony in her own professional pivot yielding a career in helping others find their workforce niche.
And it all worked out: “I love what I do,“ says Holubec, who holds a master’s in workforce education. In 2022, she completed an education doctorate with a focus on community college leadership (Holubec logged seven years at HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College).
Last year, she also launched her own consultancy, advising a national clientele on strategic leadership and state agencies. Holubec’s own state-level policy experience includes helping build Pennsylvania’s workforce development plan during then-Gov. Tom Corbett’s administration and, more recently, working on legislation to help industry entities share data more freely.
“My guiding force is, basically, ’I don’t have all the answers – so let’s go find them,’“ she says.
Jonathan Humma
Jonathan Humma was always on something of a fast track. By age 13, the Lancaster County native was already an Eagle Scout – a rank most don’t achieve until years later. And by high school, Humma already knew he wanted to study political theory in Washington, D.C., choosing American University “to be in the middle of the action,“ recalls the lobbyist, who now heads regional external affairs for UnitedHealth in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Delaware. “I would intern in Congress and think tanks during the day, and take my classes at night – and my professors were chiefs of staff on the Hill.“
By 21, Humma ran for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He didn’t win, but the exposure led to a years-long role with the state Republican Committee. Next, at the Pennsylvania Senate, Humma got the opportunity to work on the health issues that have defined his career – from groundbreaking legislation reforming prior authorization and expanding breast cancer screenings to a measure standardizing newborn rare-disease screening across commonwealth hospitals.
The son, nephew and cousin of nurses, Humma applies what he’s learned about health policy to improving UnitedHealth clients’ patient experience. He has also visited 30 countries in recent years, which he credits with broadening his perspective. Travel “makes you more tolerant, understanding and compassionate,“ he says, “and shows you that the world is so much bigger than just what we’re doing every day.“
Sara Innamorato
Elected at age 37 in 2024, Sara Innamorato isn’t just the youngest-ever Allegheny County executive; she’s also the first woman to hold the position, bringing a fresh perspective to the august office.
“Especially in Southwestern PA, the power structure just 10 years ago looked very different than it looks now,“ says the county native. “People were sitting in seats for 20, 30, 40 years. But young people are the largest voting bloc. It’s about having a representative democracy: We should have a say in the halls of power.“
The young progressive made that her focus early. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Innamorato worked in nonprofits and founded an organization championing women in politics. In 2018, she won election to the state House of Representatives, part of a wave of Pennsylvania Democratic women assuming power.
As county executive, Innamorato is especially proud of partnering with state Sen. Nikil Saval on Pennsylvania’s Whole Home Repairs legislation, which finances upgrades to the commonwealth’s aging homes. Housing remains a priority via Innamorato’s “500 in 500“ initiative, a commitment to create 500 new housing units in 500 days – the initiative is currently past the halfway point – in response to a rise in homelessness.
“I always joke that it’s my goal to make county government sexy – something for people to pay attention to,“ says Innamorato. “Whether you care about housing or public health or the environment or labor or small business, county government is the place to be.“ where the rubber meets the road.“
Hannah Jeffrey
Hannah Jeffrey is not your typical political consultant: She grew up Quaker, majored in theater and fell into politics somewhat by chance. Fittingly, “over the years, I’ve been really lucky to work with a lot of candidates who didn’t fit the mold,” says Jeffrey, now a vice president at Highpoint Campaigns, a direct-mail outfit that works with Democrats. “They were scientists running on a platform of their professional background, working class candidates, women who were pregnant during their campaign – not your conventional candidates.”
They include the congressional candidate Ashley Ehasz, a former military helicopter pilot, and U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, whose 2018 campaign for lieutenant governor is one of her career highlights. The latter convinced her that candidates who “bring themselves authentically to voters and have a compelling reason for why they want to make people’s lives better” appeal to voters – “regardless of whether they’re wearing a hoodie.”
Jeffrey herself grew up feeling different from many in rural Virginia, where neither Democrats nor Quakers were common. However, they are abundant in Philadelphia, where she now lives – and where she is enjoying the creativity of print campaigns, “thinking outside of the typical political mailer box,“ Jeffrey says.
On reflection, her political career doesn’t seem so unlikely. “Creating positive social change has always been important to me,” says Jeffrey, 39. “I’m super passionate about helping people. That’s really why I got into politics.”
Greer Johnson
As a member of the first generation to grow up with digital tech, Greer Johnson is ideally suited to promoting an online university spanning multiple time zones.
“My generation has seen how technology can help grow your brands, your business, everything that you want to do,“ she says. “It’s positioned us as thought leaders.“
Based in Philadelphia, Johnson is currently applying that perspective to the Northeastern U.S. expansion of Western Governors University, a Utah-based online school that caters to working professionals. As regional public relations and communications manager, Johnson grows the university’s brand awareness across the Mid-Atlantic and New England.
As an undergraduate at Florida A&M University, Johnson considered journalism, but switched her major to public relations to take advantage of her diverse skill set. “PR suits me because I am a Jill of all trades,“ says the Atlanta native. “I’m a generalist. You can tell me any situation, and I’ll figure it out.“
That capability was put to the test when Johnson led communications for Georgia’s Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers – and handled crisis relations surrounding the founder’s passing. Johnson, who holds a master’s in marketing and communications, has also taught English in France and managed branding and PR for clients ranging from Coca-Cola and Toyota to the National Council of Negro Women and a former secretary of labor.
“Being in those spaces and working with those high-profile people set my trajectory to where I am today,“ says Johnson.
Amanda Brothman Jumper
Shaped by watching the major events of her millennial childhood on TV – from the Columbine school shooting to 9/11 – Amanda Brothman Jumper always dreamed of being a broadcast journalist. “I wanted to be Katie Couric and just tell people stories,“ says the York native.
Jumper achieved her dream, studying communications at LaSalle University and working for over a decade as a TV producer. She covered the Freddie Gray manslaughter trial in Baltimore and the Jerry Sandusky and clergy sex abuse investigations in Pennsylvania, and she relished the adrenaline of election nights.
But moving into her parenting years, Jumper was ready for a less stressful, more nurturing role – and she found it as communications director for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.
“I’m still doing that storytelling,“ explains Jumper, now 38 and a mother of two, “and having an impact if the information that I’m sending out tells even one person, ’Hey, if you feel discriminated against, there’s this organization that can help you.’“
Her career shift came during a moment of profound transition, in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic, a presidential election year and Jumper’s pregnancy all felt “like a lot,“ she recalls. She first tried politics, working as a media specialist for the state House Democratic Caucus.
As it turns out, the commission offered a “fulfilling and mission-driven“ middle ground between journalism and advocacy. “Achieving a leadership role at a state agency has been a big accomplishment for me,“ reflects Jumper. “It’s something I don’t take for granted.“
Emily Kendall-Brown
When Emily Kendall-Brown was elected as a GOP committeewoman in her native Fulton County, she was in familiar company: Both her mother, the county auditor, and her aunt, the county prothonotary, have long been involved in local politics.
But Kendall-Brown, 28, has carved out her own political identity as a lobbyist. She currently manages housing and data analytics for LeadingAge PA, the state branch of a national senior-care advocacy organization, where she concentrates on senior affordable housing.
“Once you see the need out there, you can’t unsee it,“ explains Kendall-Brown of Pennsylvania’s growing elderly population. “Advocating for those who don’t have a voice – that is really why I got into politics.“
The Fulton County native studied political science and earned an MPA from Shippensburg University, in the town where she still lives. She honed her policy skills working at the state House of Representatives, including as a legislative research fellow for then-Majority Leader Bryan Cutler.
More recently, Kendall-Brown was thrilled to promote LeadingAge PA’s agenda during the Harrisburg roundtable on senior affordable housing convened by Gov. Josh Shapiro. Her priority right now is securing greater state funding for on-site advocates within senior housing communities.
“My grandparents, growing up, were my everything,“ Kendall-Brown notes. “Every older adult has a story to tell; they have so much wisdom. Ultimately, we want to see them live their best lives.“
Sarah Kinter
Sarah Kinter’s career path was inspired by hearing about the “Kids For Cash“ scandal during her childhood in Luzerne County; she was outraged to learn about judges receiving kickbacks for funneling youths into prisons. Inspired to read more local news, “I became very aware of the decisions and the personalities in government that make the engines run,“ Kinter recalls. “I thought, ’I want to be a part of making these things better.’“
Today, the 37-year-old is improving government through digital solutions. As head of operations and procurements for the commonwealth’s Office of Digital Experience, known as CODE PA, she oversees a team of project managers and Scrum Masters who facilitate digital ways for Pennsylvanians to get benefits, permits and other state services.
Kinter, who holds an MPA from the University of Pittsburgh, already had a track record of similar work. As director of that city’s permits and licensing department, she led overhauls that made it easier for contractors and tradespeople to obtain and renew licenses, and raised continuing-education standards to keep professional quality high.
In Harrisburg, Kinter has guided the launch of a digital tool to facilitate small-scale procurements for digital-service vendors, such as website designers, who work with the commonwealth.
Kinter’s work is personal. “I’m a lifelong Pennsylvanian,“ she explains. “I’ve lived across the state. Grew up in Northeastern PA, spent a decade in Western PA, now I’m living in the middle of the state – and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.“
Kristen Molloy
Like her father, Kristen Molloy is a lobbyist. But at 39, Molloy brings a millennial perspective to her work directing government and community relations for Penn Medicine.
“The pace of change, socially and politically, is far more rapid than in earlier generations,“ explains Molloy. “It’s a different world of political influence and communication than it was when everyone read the newspaper – and it’s more important than ever to meet people where they are.“
Molloy grew up in Swarthmore, her interest in politics fueled by a steady diet of “The West Wing.“ After Northwestern University, she zeroed in on health policy working for then-U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, who, as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, was deeply involved with Medicare. “I realized that health care touches every life,“ Molloy reflects. “Policymaking that impacts lives was what brought me to government in the first place.“
Molloy felt that impact while working on successful efforts to defeat attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act alongside U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine. At Penn Medicine, she makes the case for a $12 billion enterprise that ranks among the nation’s most important health institutions.
She met her husband, who works in political communications, on Capitol Hill, ensuring another generation of dinnertime political chatter. That suits Molloy, who loves translating health innovations “into language that legislators understand – so they realize the importance it has.“
Samuel Morris
After years of solving constituent problems at state Rep. Craig Staat’s Bucks County district office, Sam Morris now seeks policy solutions for clients at Saxton & Stump in Malvern, where he is a legislative and policy analyst with the Regulatory and Government Affairs Group. “Instead of helping the public directly, you’re helping businesses succeed – so it’s a lot of the same aspects,“ he says.
One thing that is very different: Morris’ public-sector stint spanned the COVID-19 pandemic. That unique challenge, he says, prepared him to nimbly handle the unexpected.
For every role he’s held, the 30-year-old draws on his passion for history and the critical-thinking skills he honed earning two degrees in the subject, both from Shippensburg University. “Looking at today’s society, I can see how history impacted today,“ Morris explains.
And studying history, “you really learn how to research,“ adds the Montgomery County native. “Now I have to research bills on different issues, across different industries. Sometimes I have to go back five or 10 years to figure out what the legislature in Harrisburg did to solve an issue.“
In his spare time, Morris encourages friends, family and anyone who will listen to educate themselves on issues and vote. “I think people need to pay more attention to politics, whether at the federal, state or local level,“ he says. “I’m always trying to foster civic engagement – and a better understanding of how our past shapes the future.“
Katie Park
Like many who find their niche in policy and communications, Katie Park got her start in journalism. “There were lots of things to cover in rural Appalachia – like an in-depth look at intergenerational coal mining,“ recalls Park of her early TV news career in West Virginia.
That work on social issues ultimately propelled Park back to her native Pennsylvania and its state House of Representatives – where, as communications chief, she got a front-row view of budgets and redistricting. Since 2023, Park has managed communications for the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a bipartisan, bicameral research agency.
There, the York native has worked on policy related to the center’s 25-year state population projection, which spurred creation of the Rural Population Revitalization Commission. It may seem ironic that a 26-year-old is so involved in efforts to manage policy around a rapidly aging demographic – “but what I find most rewarding is being a voice for those who aren’t heard,“ says Park. “There’s a lot of rural communities that don’t get the same attention that a bigger city would around lack of health care, lack of workforce.“
That sense of purpose, she adds, is what drives her generation’s civic engagement. “I am very about empowering other young women, and younger people in general, especially in rural areas,“ Park says. “Because there’s not enough young people staying and wanting to make an impact in their community. That’s the message I hope to spread.“
Joe Picozzi
A few months after winning a longshot race to become Pennsylvania’s youngest state senator and turning 30 – in that order – state Sen. Joe Picozzi was back home in Philly, throwing out the first pitch for the Somerton Spartans youth baseball team’s Opening Day. “I was overshadowed by the Phanatic, who’s more of a celebrity,“ he laughs.
Maybe not for long. Part of a national wave of young, digitally savvy politicians, Picozzi is leading his generation’s charge in the commonwealth against an erosion of “the American Dream that we grew up believing we’re going to have,“ he says, citing the affordability crisis. “But there’s hope for political change – and leadership to set us up for that future.“
Picozzi resolved early to be part of that leadership, inspired by parents who modeled public service: his father was a firefighter and his mother worked in special education. After serving on the Philadelphia Youth Commission as a teenager, Picozzi studied politics at Georgetown University, where he gained insights on Capitol Hill, and at the Manhattan Institute. He then became the first Republican in a generation to hold his Northeast Philadelphia Senate seat last November.
Championing public safety, transit and civic engagement, Picozzi brings next-door friendliness to both Harrisburg, where he praises the generosity of his senior colleagues, and to his youngest constituents, who enthusiastically follow him on Snapchat when they’re not high-fiving at the park. “Something about our campaign really connected with the kids,“ he says. “It means a lot to me. You want to be a role model.“
Alex Prough
Alex Prough watched his grandmother suffer from cancer before dying at 61. He also witnessed his uncle’s struggles with cardiomyopathy and muscular dystrophy – first-hand challenges that, Prough says, drew him into the medical services industry. He is currently the chief commercial officer for Medical Guardian, a company that partners with government and health insurance outfits to provide remote patient monitoring and telehealth.
“It’s a passionate area for me,“ says the 37-year-old, who grew up in Michigan and now lives in Philadelphia. His entire 15-year career has been devoted to organizations that help deliver care at home, “which is where everybody wants to be,“ Prough says. “Particularly for folks that might not have access normally to these types of technologies and solutions, we want to help them age in place and in the community.“
At Medical Guardian, he strategized partnerships with Medicare and Medicaid; nearly 1 in 6, or 90,000, of the company’s members live in Pennsylvania, and many are enrolled through Medicaid’s long-term care programs.
Prough is also an acknowledged expert in finding new pathways to reimbursement, making technology-enabled services more financially accessible. He is proud of Medical Guardian’s recent rollout of a member engagement initiative that has yielded 95% member-satisfaction scores and a 50% reduction in hospital re-admissions.
“What gives me the most satisfaction is expanding access to technology that might not otherwise be available to the individuals we serve,“ he says. “I definitely feel we make a difference.“
Lana Rendón
For Lana Rendón, community, diversity and the promise of knowledge have always been central.
Her father, a Colombian immigrant, met her mother at Temple University, where Rendón herself earned degrees in communications and Spanish. She grew up going to the Puerto Rican Day parade, Fourth of July celebrations and other communal events in her native Philadelphia.
So promoting the city’s burgeoning life sciences sector and its cross-cultural efforts, as she does for the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, “really brought those worlds together,“ says Rendón, who coordinates the PHL Life Sciences and PHL Diversity initiatives. “Being Latina and from Philadelphia, along with my strategic communications background and my passion for hospitality and welcoming,“ makes her a natural for the role, says Rendón, whose CV also includes restaurants.
Her enthusiasm and local pride have yielded benefits for the bureau, where she directs the only life sciences division within a U.S. destination marketing organization. The model is evidently working: Approximately 40% of meetings organized through PCVB are now life sciences-related. Rendón’s division has also won awards for its innovation, including one from the Coalition of Black Meeting Professionals.
As she works to connect conference visitors with local venues and talent, Rendón prioritizes inclusion. “I try to bridge the gap – between life sciences and diversity, and between the generations as well,“ she says, “highlighting our similarities rather than our differences.“
Jordan Rogers
If Jordan Rogers were a member of an older generation, he probably wouldn’t use his personal experience managing his bipolar symptoms with cannabis as a policy talking point. But Rogers, a director at Archer Public Affairs, is a “prime millennial,“ he affirms – which means he brings his whole self to work.
It seems to be paying off. The 33-year-old concentrates his advocacy on health care organizations and, in particular, cannabis legalization – the topic of his Drexel University public health master’s thesis. “I love using my connections to advance policy that helps out nonprofits and getting legislation passed that really helps people,“ he says.
Rogers grew up in a civically engaged Philadelphia family and credits his early interest in health to his mother’s nursing profession and his own lifelong passion for lacrosse. After beginning his career with Philadelphia’s Public Health Management Corporation, he headed community relations for then-state Rep. Brian Sims and worked at the Fairmount Community Development Corporation, “which was very rewarding, because the area they serve is where I live – my own community,“ he notes.
Rogers also served as Southeastern Pennsylvania political director for John Fetterman’s U.S. Senate campaign, where he headed its cannabis legalization coalition. “We’re the most educated generation that’s ever lived,“ he says of his fellow millennials. “I think we bring passion to government – and I’m excited to see what that looks like in the next couple of years.“
Jamison S. Rogers
After an illustrious career with the Chester Police, Jamison Rogers was thrilled to become the City of Philadelphia’s first-ever investigations director – and now, chief of staff at the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office.
So while he’s still just 39 years old, Rogers has plenty of wisdom to share with the next generation – and he does so gladly. “Any person that has an interest in law enforcement, I really try to mentor them,“ he says.
Under Sheriff Rochelle Bilal, Rogers is proud to be part of an office that has introduced digital inventory technology and become a role model for autism awareness in law enforcement.
“We were the first and only law enforcement agency in the commonwealth to be certified in autism,“ notes Rogers. “We’ll hopefully set the example for other agencies to follow our lead, making sure their officers are trained for when they’re interacting with people on the spectrum.“
No stranger to innovation, Rogers previously inaugurated the role of Philadelphia director of investigations, where he prioritized transparency between law enforcement and the community. He began his career as a patrol officer and retired from the Chester Police as a corporal detective in major crimes and homicide investigations.
In Philadelphia, Rogers employs his experience in the service of public safety.
“Whether a person in custody, a witness or a victim of a crime, you need to go into that courthouse and feel safe,“ Rogers says. “I’m humbled to be in a position to lead and instruct.“
Andrew M. Salerno
As a child in Harrisburg, Andrew Salerno was out to dinner with his parents when he spotted then-Gov. Ed Rendell eating barbecue. “There was an energy surrounding him. Everyone around him seemed to want to be around him, talk to him,“ recalls Salerno, now 30.
Then and there, Salerno decided he’d someday be part of that political orbit. A few years later, after the Rendell encounter, Salerno started cold-calling the office of Philadelphia state Sen. Vincent Hughes, the chamber’s longtime appropriations chair. “On the fourth time, his chief of staff answered: ’You obviously care, so we’re gonna let you intern,’“ he recalled.
That internship gave Salerno his first taste of working on health care legislation – an area that is counted among his specialties at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, where he is now a lobbyist in his hometown. Salerno went on to work for another governor, Tom Wolf, and worked for the state Department of Health and Human Services.
As a lobbyist with the Rooney Novak Isenhour Group, Salerno helped secure state funding for a veterans’ organization that cares for people with brain injuries. More recently, he has facilitated hundreds of millions of funding dollars for school safety and mental-health services and worked with Equifax on government software. “I’m very proud of my work in winning procurements,“ says Salerno, “helping people secure line items for worthy causes.
“I’m super passionate about helping people who need help,“ he adds. “That’s really why I got into politics.“
Olivia Scanlon
Olivia Scanlon is leading a $60 million campaign to launch the first American museum dedicated to the history of antisemitism: the Tree of Life.
Scanlon, 33, is the chief advancement officer for the exhibition, worship and educational center replacing Pittsburgh’s original Tree of Life synagogue – which, in 2018, was the site of a major antisemitic massacre. The effort is typical of her project-based work: “I love campaigns – they have a beginning, middle and end – and nonprofit projects that have a very clear goal,“ says Scanlon, who has also led advancement for the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and is a Democratic committeeperson.
Scanlon grew up in a politically involved Albany family – she remembers presidential candidate Howard Dean visiting the house during his 2004 run – and studied the politics of social change at New York University. She worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential run before settling in Philly – which she calls her “forever city“ – to work on then-Gov. Tom Wolf’s reelection campaign (she commutes as needed to Pittsburgh).
Fundraising has been central to her work, most notably the PHL COVID-19 Fund, which raised nearly $18 million in four months. “It was long hours,“ recalls Scanlon, who worked at the mayor’s office. “But I was just so grateful to feel like I was contributing to a solution during a scary time. I’ve been drawn to projects that I see as opportunities for different people to really work together to tackle problems we’re facing, whatever the scope.“
John Scott
Some young policy professionals move from job to job. Not John Scott: He has devoted his decade-long career to a single company – Reworld, formerly known as Covanta – where he heads government relations.
Reworld is a sustainable materials management company that helps businesses and municipalities meet sustainability goals. “Being able to walk into communities and help change them in a meaningful way – that’s what makes it rewarding,“ explains Scott.
Now 35, he grew up in Maryland with a political bent. Scott served on the Prince George’s County Youth Commission and the Maryland Youth Council and was a page at the Maryland Senate. After graduating from Lincoln University, he earned a master’s in management from Fordham.
Scott is proud of having helped grow Reworld and its team of professionals. He began his career in sales for Covanta’s electronic waste recycling division, later transitioning into local government relations, where he eventually covered the mid-Atlantic region. He now works with local and state lawmakers on a variety of environmental issues; most recently, Scott lobbied to get permits passed to expand Reworld’s Environmental Services business unit.
Leading community and stakeholder engagement is also a crucial aspect of his job: He serves on the boards of the Delaware County Riverfront Alliance, the Pennsylvania Resources Council and the Go Green Initiative; he also regularly meets with neighborhood associations and environmental justice advocates. “We talk about – and achieve things – that are in the best interests of our communities,“ he says.
Justin Severe
That slimmest of Democratic majorities in Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives is a challenge that Justin Severe eyes with relish. Political director since 2023 for the state House Republican Campaign Committee, Severe, 30, notes that that 102-101 majority came down to just 500 votes and a single seat last November. “I learned a lot, and I’m looking to build on that this cycle,“ he says.
A decade or so ago, Severe was a pre-med student at the University of Scranton in his hometown. But politics had caught his attention during the 2012 presidential election – and a few government classes later, he switched his major to political science and interned with the GOP. Hired as a field staffer for the 2016 Trump campaign, he ended up as a deputy state director for the party, rallying conservative voters in the traditionally Democratic stronghold of Lackawanna County.
“You could see on the ground that Trump was doing way better than a Republican has ever done, just from yard signs and going door to door,“ recalls Severe of his home territory.
With continued effort, Severe is confident his neighbors in Scranton and across the commonwealth will see what drew him to the GOP: lower taxes, abundant energy and optimism for the future. “When I got involved in Republican politics, it was because I believe our policies work,“ he says. “I’m doing the best I can to make that generation after me better off.“
Raymond Smeriglio
After starting his career in fundraising and communications, Raymond Smeriglio took a turn toward social action during the pandemic – and never looked back.
Now 32, he is in his second high-impact role bettering his adopted hometown of Philadelphia (Smeriglio is originally from Harrisburg). He raised over $30 million for parks, recreation centers and libraries as chief of staff for the city’s Rebuild initiative. Now, as he puts it, he’s “brought that community mindset“ to Comcast’s Lift Zones team, opening 1,250 community centers (and counting) nationwide, each equipped with free WiFi and digital skills training.
“It’s been exciting to see the impact in places like Oakland or Houston or Georgia, but also here at home in Philadelphia,“ says Smeriglio, a communications graduate of Temple University who returned to teach the subject. “When large organizations like Comcast or the City of Philadelphia make big investments, it really opens up unlimited opportunities for folks.“
Having found opportunities of his own in the higher education, public and private sectors, Smeriglio gives back by serving on Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Commission for LGBTQ Affairs, as well as the board of directors of the Community College of Philadelphia Foundation, “raising critical funds so that more Philadelphians can pursue their educational dreams,“ he notes. “Those are two things that I really enjoy doing – and am blessed to do.“
Now newly engaged, “I’m really looking to now grow where I’m planted,“ he adds, “using those skills and trying to make a little bit of a difference every day.“
Tiffany Smith
Tiffany Smith understands the importance of having a fulfilling career. After all, that kind of sums up her job: As director of workforce development for the City of Philadelphia’s capital programs office and its Rebuild initiative, Smith shepherds Philadelphians into skilled trade programs that lead to stable careers.
“In workforce development, you’re working for the people you know,“ she says. “I serve at the pleasure of Philadelphia communities – for the economic growth of the city and the empowerment of our people, and allowing them to have family-sustaining wages that enable them to contribute to society.“
Smith holds a bachelor’s in accounting from Georgia State University. She followed up with an MPA concentrating in finance and nonprofit administration, “because I’ve always just seen myself helping people,“ she explains.
Smith came to Rebuild from Montgomery County, where she spearheaded youth training programs. In her current role, she has transformed pre-apprenticeship programs, achieving a 70% placement rate and cultivating relationships with the Philadelphia Building Trades Council, unions and area employers.
In her spare time, Smith volunteers as a reading captain with Read by 4th, an early-literacy organization, and as a counselor with the Breastfeeding Resource Center. “I speak on behalf of diverse communities in Philadelphia – and people who are trying to get into an industry (skilled trades) that traditionally has not been for people of color and women,“ says Smith. “I don’t ever want to get too high up on the food chain to be relatable.“
Curtis Voelker
Curtis Voelker likes to joke that he went to Central Penn College – and never left.
The first in his family to attain higher education, Voelker almost didn’t get there at all – and he has stayed to ensure that other disadvantaged Pennsylvania students get a similar opportunity to realize their promise. “There are plenty of other stories like mine on our campus,“ says Voelker, who originally planned to follow his military relatives into the Air Force.
Today, as the director of college relations, he cultivates the local partnerships that make CPC such a special place. They include a program allowing 100 GIANT Company employees thus far to graduate with management certificates, as well as the CPC Gives Back program, which has raised $20,000 in three years for local nonprofits.
Voelker also helps area youth to imagine bigger, more fulfilling lives. That was a challenge for the Adams County native, who – at the suggestion of his football coach – applied two months shy of high school graduation to the only campus he knew, thanks to his participation in annual Future Business Leaders of America competitions at CPC. “I had gotten to meet the faculty, so I already had that sense of home and family I was looking for,“ he recalls.
Small classes grew Voelker’s sense that he mattered – and set him on a trajectory that has led to a master’s degree and a popular TEDx talk. “Now I have the opportunity to give back,“ he says, “and make a brighter future for other students like me.“
Alain Xiong-Calmes
For Alain Xiong-Calmes, “the through line is how I can effect positive change for other people,“ he says.
His policy career – most recently, he joined Airbnb as its public policy manager – has enabled Xiong-Calmes to do just that. A highlight was helping manage the state’s COVID-19 pandemic response while working for then-Gov. Tom Wolf: “It taught me about the need to step up in a crisis – how it’s a real test of how a team functions,“ says Xiong-Calmes, 29. “Also, figuring out how to push through uncertainty.“
Xiong-Calmes’s social consciousness was shaped early by his parents, both union musicians; his mother was also an immigrant from communist China. The family struggled to afford broadband internet, which led to Xiong-Calmes’ lifelong fascination with technology. He grew up an accomplished cellist, as well as a Type 1 diabetic – and President Barack Obama’s efforts to pass the Affordable Care Act galvanized him to political action.
“I realized that politics is the way to make a positive change,“ reflects Xiong-Calmes. “And that we all do better when we all do better.“
After studying political science at American University, Xiong-Calmes was thrilled to meet his childhood idol as an intern with the Obama Foundation. He also held regional leadership positions with Chamber of Progress, a tech policy organization, and Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign.
In every role, he draws on his natural positivity. “It sounds a little corny,“ Xiong-Calmes says, “but that’s what allows me to have hope “and persistence.“