Rob “Biko” Baker – Executive Director
The Executive Director of the League of Young Voters, Rob “Biko” Baker is a nationally-recognized young leader. In his home community of Milwaukee, he has organized town hall meetings and used the power and agency of art to inform, mobilize, and motivate young people to participate in civic life. Baker has served as the deputy publicity coordinator and young voter organizer for the Brown and Black Presidential Forum. He has appeared on C-SPAN, Fox News and CNN, has interviewed luminaries Cornel West, Russell Simmons, and Howard Dean, and has been on panels with many of the nation’s strongest progressive voices. Baker is a Ph.D. candidate at UCLA, a frequent contributor to The Source, serves on CIRCLE’s research advisory board and is a board member of the New Organizing Institute.
Follow: @bikobaker
Sam Patton – Chief of Staff
Sam Patton graduated from Oberlin College in 2005, and moved to New York City to pursue a career in the film industry. Dissatisfied by its commercialism and looking to make an impact in the world, he started as an intern with the Brooklyn League in 2007 and has not looked back since. Over six years on the national team, he has experienced nearly all facets of League work, from Operations and Accounting, to Communications and Data Management. As Chief of Staff, he oversees all national staff to execute the League’s 2013 online programming and interface with our state-based field staff. He has appeared on Huffington Post Live, Bay Area NPR affiliate KQED, and in numerous print publications.
LaToya Santiago - Executive Assistant
Latoya Santiago was a childcare teacher for three years, and has two beautiful children of her own: Marvin and Marriona, who keep her moving. When she isn’t with her kids, she attends Lakeland College, earning credits toward her bachelors degree in Accounting and Business. In 2004, Latoya worked for the Young Voter Alliance where her drive and ambition caught Biko’s attention. When Biko needed an Executive Assistant, he had his ideal candidate in mind – and luckily for all of us, she took the job. LaToya has grown tremendously and is proud to support the Wisconsin League. She loves doing this work because it helps her grow as a person and a woman who can do whatever she wants- as long as she puts her mind to it-so watch out!
Sarah Stern - Communications Director
Cathy Thomas - Operations Manager
Cathy joined The League after a long, unfulfilling career in the retail industry,and is pleased to be putting the knowledge obtained there to good use. She has lived in New York for almost a decade and is also a musician. Cathy co-composed a musical that was in the Fringe Festival, once accompanied Liza Minnelli singing “New York, New York” (she’d be happy to tell you that story!), and can be spotted playing pianos and singing in microphones all around town. She is so excited to have a front row seat watching The League inspire and encourage the youth of our country.
LaShunda Campbell, Brand Manager
LaShunda was introduced to the League in 2010 as a field organizer and established herself as a rising activist through her Party With A Purpose (PWAP) campaign– an initiative focused on completing voter registrations and pledge cards, disseminating voter guides and mixtapes at night clubs, festivals, and concerts in downtown Atlanta. Shortly after executing the PWAP campaign, she moved to New York to pursue a master’s degree in Public Relations from Syracuse University. After working in consumer and corporate communications at Edelman, she decided to return to her passion: public service. Her primary goals are to implement strategic campaigns to promote awareness of politically-relevant topics, build relationships with key stakeholders and to create positive publicity of programs to enhance democracy and civic engagement. She enjoys spin cycling, writing poetry, traveling and hosting dinner parties in her free time.
Ebony Haynes, Development Manager
Ebony has always enjoyed writing and at the age of 14, she became a staff reporter for Gumbo Teen Magazine and later became the editor-in-chief. She pursued her passion for journalism at Columbia College Chicago and had the opportunity to intern for several publications including RedEye, TheMash and Essence Magazine. Her journalism career took a turn toward development while working as a Membership Marketing Coordinator for the Milwaukee Art Museum. Her primary focus was to build relationships with donors and visitors to help with its sustainability. As an active member of the Wisconsin community, she continuously pursues opportunities that will allow her to grow creatively, personally, and professionally while making a difference in the world. In her spare time, she does freelance public relations and marketing.
