Alex Desormiers, who serves as the Operations Director in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional district, has spent his career organizing for progressive causes and candidates. He has served on several high profile campaigns, including for Senators Kay Hagan and Claire McCaskill, and worked in an array of diverse communities ranging from rural North Caroline and Missouri, to Houston, Texas. He is passionate about electing progressive candidates to local, state, and federal offices through community organizing, and is also passionate about pugs, Thai food, and crazy socks.

Aryana Derakhshan manages PTP’s field staff in the 2019 special election in North Carolina’s 9th Congressional District. From South Carolina, Aryana has worked with the South Carolina Democratic party as a Regional Field Director in 2018 and an intern on Vincent Sheheen’s gubernatorial campaign in 2014. She served in the Peace Corps in Timor-Leste, working with a local nongovernmental organization in community and economic development. Aryana received her B.S. in Political Science and her B.A. in Economics from Clemson University.

Brian Koppe has spent his career campaigning for Democrats and promoting progressive causes to ensure government represents the needs of all citizens. With a decade of political experience, he has worked within state government, held leadership roles in federal, state, and local campaigns, and established a record of success managing highly competitive campaigns for progressive and union-backed candidates in the Midwest. He received his B.A. in Political Science from DePaul University.

Chris Gentry serves as Progressive Turnout Project’s Training Director. Chris began organizing in Maine in 2012 and has since then worked on Kay Hagan’s Senate race in 2014 and numerous down-ballot races in North Carolina. He coordinated training of country Democratic parties all across Western North Carolina. He joined PTP in 2018, flipping KS-03 and sending Sharice Davids to Congress. He is passionate about building a strong progressive movement with the skills to win elections. He earned his B.S. in Political Science from Appalachian State University.

Daniela Nyiri is responsible for the planning and execution of PTP’s Fellows program. Daniela’s journey in activism began by organizing field in Congressional races where she took pride in generating the next wave of activists and organizers. She is passionate about creating tangible change in her community by expanding education opportunities, which will create a more equitable society for everyone. Daniela earned her B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from Michigan State University.

Emily Rice manages PTP’s fundraising programs and uses innovative, data-driven techniques to grow our grassroots supporter base and fund our campaigns nationwide. She started her political career registering voters in Chicago and has since worked as a field organizer, a fundraiser for Illinois Democrats up and down the ballot, and a member of PTP’s Data and Analytics team. Emily received her B.A. in Political Theory from Michigan State University.

George Miller manages Progressive Turnout Project’s social media, keeping supporters up to date on our advocacy and field work. He worked to turn out millennial voters in Virginia’s 2017 elections and in Illinois’s most competitive Congressional races in 2018. He’s passionate about reaching progressive voters and telling PTP’s story, whether that’s with a well-timed tweet, an explainer blog post, or an animated gif. George earned his B.A. from Brown University.

Jaclyn Murphy manages all operational and administrative tasks necessary to maintaining a growing business and supporting PTP’s staff and programs around the country. After working in campaigns across the country, she joined PTP in 2018 to work on the ground as District Director in IL-06, the district she was born in. Flipping that district reinforced the impact a strong ground game can have, and Jaclyn is eager to support PTP’s continued success from the administrative side. Jaclyn earned her B.A. from Michigan State University and her M.P.P. from Brown University.

Leigh’s activism began in Washington D.C., canvassing for Greenpeace USA. It was during this time that she learned how closely tied environmental, social justice, and political issues are in our country. She believes that it is everyone’s responsibility to be politically engaged and that is why she is excited to be a part of the PTP team. She is an alum of Michigan State and Grand Valley State Universities.

Shannon Faulise drafts and sends press releases, builds and maintains press lists, and pitches stories to reporters. Shannon got their start as a campaign intern on a U.S. Senate race during the 2014 midterms and has been active in politics ever since. Previously, they worked with the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party and the Office of Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. Shannon holds a B.A. in Political Science and American Studies from DePaul University.