The Young Democrats of Washington is led by the President, with five Vice Presidents who each lead a Department. They all serve on the Executive Board, along with our National committee man and woman and WSDCC Representative.
LaKecia Farmer, President
LaKecia Farmer hails from Spokane, Washington and attended Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. LaKecia started out in politics as an intern for Rich Cowan for Congress in the 5th congressional district. Since then she has been very active in Eastern Washington politics by chairing the Washington State University Young Democrats, working on various campaigns in Spokane and Pullman, and even running for Pullman City Council at the age of 20. However, LaKecia’s interests expands beyond regional politics; she is greatly passionate about social, restorative, racial and economic justice. LaKecia currently resides in Seattle where she works as the Data and Campaign Manager for Win/Win.
You can reach LaKecia at LaKecia[dot]Farmer[at]YDWA[dot]org.
Sarah Kohout, Vice President of Party Affairs
Sarah Kohout is a recent graduate from Western Washington University, when she was there she studied Political Science and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. Since graduation, Sarah has been the Campaign Manager for City Councilor Anders Ibsen’s reelection campaign to the Tacoma City Council and has been the Washington State Labor Council Legislative Intern for the 2016 legislative session. This is her fourth year on the YDWA board and her favorite part of the experience so far is meeting young democrats from across the state and working with the wonderful YDWA Party Affairs Department. In her spare time, Sarah registers people to vote, watches Netflix (currently watching The Office for the 4th time), pets her adorable rabbit, and reads political feminist books.
Melissa Boles, Vice President of Operations
Melissa Boles was born and raised in Vancouver, WA, and is proud to be a resident of Southwest Washington and the Pacific Northwest. Melissa received her Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from WSU-Vancouver in 2011, and a Master of Education in College Stu dent Personnel from Western Carolina University in 2014, after which she returned to Southwest Washington to take on a position as an Academic Advisor at a community college. Melissa is currently the Secretary for the Young Democrats of Clark County; the Editor of “The Democrat,” the Clark County Democratic Party’s monthly newsletter; and is the Secretary for the Clark County Democratic Central Committee. When she’s not politicking, Melissa can be found reading, writing both fiction and non-fiction, and scrolling through Twitter (@_mboles).
Josh Cole, Vice President of Membership Engagement
Josh is a lifelong resident of Washington State. Raised in Olympia, he went to Capital High School where he excelled at the Speech part of Speech and Debate and once captained the B-Team for Knowledge Bowl. He received his B.A. in Politics and Government from the University of Puget Sound and his MPA from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. Previously, he has worked on and volunteered for a variety of campaigns and non-profits.
When he is not studying or working, Josh enjoys old episodes of the Simpsons, glaring at his cat, and obsessively reading the most recent issue of the New Yorker.
Josh Maalberg, Vice President of Government Affairs
Josh is from the Southern California city of Murrieta, an inland city in-between LA and San Diego. He chose to come to Washington State University for a change of scenery and adventure, along with its distinguished ROTC program and academic programs. First taking an interest in Politics and Government during High School, Josh founded and acted as President of his school’s Model United Nations team. He ran track in school and is an Eagle Scout. At WSU, Josh joined the Young Democrats of Washington State University (YDWSU) after realizing an inner drive and passion towards impactful, progressive legislative reform; and became the chapter’s Vice-President in late 2015. He also serves on the ASWSU Executive Council, an executive branch of the associated students’ body at WSU. Hobbies include running, Reddit, graphic design, writing, hiking, etc. Note: The –ua is silent.
Taehlor Crim, Vice President of Communications
Taehlor Crim is currently a social media assistant at Washington State University (WSU) Conference Management in Pullman, Wash. Taehlor is also a campus representative for Apple at WSU. She is very organized and enthusiastic when it comes to her work and takes great pride in her accomplishments. Taehlor is currently the president for the Young Democrats of Washington – Washington State University chapter. Within the Young Democrats of Washington, she serves as a VP of Communications. She is studying journalism with an emphasis in multimedia reporting and minoring in business administration, concentrating on marketing courses. She anticipates on graduating in December 2016. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree, Taehlor would like to pursue law school.