Today marks my last day as Director of Civic Information at the CTCL, and I wanted to take this opportunity to say how proud and honored I have been to be a part of this organization from its founding to today. 

For the last seven years, building our team and organization from a scrappy upstart based primarily in a shared Chicago apartment into one of the most impactful and respected civic institutions in the country has been one of the most fulfilling and amazing experiences of my life. We’ve helped hundreds of millions of voters find information that helped them confidently participate in elections and engage with their local government. We’ve worked on research that has become foundational in the way we understand how communities are reflected by their leaders from the halls of Congress to their local courthouse. And in a time where the democratic process itself has come under threat, we’ve been able to step up to support the thousands of local officials across the country who have made sure that our elections have functioned smoothly, safely, and securely in an environment that has seen our democratic process itself come under threat. 

I’m so, so proud of all of the work that I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of and the ways that it has made a difference. But more than that, I’m proud of the ways that we’ve continued to live out our values even as we’ve grown as an organization. As our work, team, and national profile has grown, we’ve become a more frequent target of everything from bad faith political attacks to frivolous, time-wasting lawsuits, and even physical threats to our safety. But, inspired by the leadership of elected officials across the country, we remain dedicated to ensuring that all Americans can be confident in our democratic process. Distractions and threats of intimidation from those who would rather destroy that process than face the prospect of losing power within it have only made us more determined. 

While those who stand against democracy are invested in fear mongering, we choose to move forward rooted in curiosity of what our country can be when it lives up to its ideals. While they seek to exclude and divide us, we choose to work in collaboration with so many others that share our passion to include more voices, because we know we can make better decisions when those voices are heard. 

The needs of voters and election officials will continue to evolve, and so will we. It’s through a deeply reflective approach that we can identify those needs and be ready to meet the next challenges when it arrives just as we’ve met them over the better part of the last decade. My departure is a part of that evolution, and I could not be more excited for my team to enter its next phase under not just Sarah’s leadership, with so many talented and passionate leaders whose growth I’ve had the privilege of seeing first hand. 

To all of those who I’ve had a chance to work with during my time at CTCL, both on our team and in partnership, I cannot put into words how grateful I am to have shared this space with and learned from you. And to my co-founders, Tiana and Whitney, I could not think of anyone I would have rather spent the last decade scheming with. Thank you for the passion, dedication, and grace you bring to all you do and for being the best friends, co-workers, and former roommates that I could ever ask for. 

I used to think that, as a founder doing something that I was deeply passionate about, it was impossible to separate who I was from the work that I did. Now, though I know better. I still feel the same passion for our mission, the work that I’ve done, and the work that I will continue to do. But I know it was never the work itself but the people that I’ve had the privilege to do it alongside who have made me the person that I am today. I hope that I’ve given back a fraction of the joy and hope that I am taking away with me as I continue my own journey.