JeffreY DeShawn Richardson

In addition to his cross-sector non-profit and government work, Jeffrey has spent the last 15 years as a political advisor and organizer. Elected to the District of Columbia Democratic State Committee in 2004 in a city-wide election receiving over 18K votes, Jeffrey went on to be elected by his Democratic State Committee colleagues to serve as Vice Chair of the DC Democratic Party and one of DC’s Democratic National Committee representatives in 2006. Jeffrey was a member of the DNC Youth Leadership Council, an active member of the DNC Black Caucus and the only openly gay African American member of the DNC LGBT Caucus from 2006 to 2009. As an active member of the Association of State Democratic Chairs, Jeffrey has participated in and led state party trainings, GOTV operations, state, local and national campaigns.

As President of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club, one of the nation’s oldest LGBT Democratic organizations, Jeffrey served on the board of the National Stonewall Democrats and helped lead a national initiative to increase LGBT representation within State Parties and increase the number of LGBT delegates attending the Democratic National Convention. Jeffrey was an active and public leader of the District of Columbia Marriage Equality campaign in 2009, having served on the board of the Foundation for All DC Families and having led a city-wide interfaith initiative coaching African American faith leaders on how to not be opponents of Marriage Equality legislation.

During his role as National Program Director of The Center for Progressive Leadership, Jeffrey lead a leadership development program providing training, coaching and mentoring to the next generation of diverse political and progressive movement leaders. Through this work, Jeffrey has partnered with and maintains access to and relationships with many of the country’s most dynamic social sector and progressive movement leaders. This network has facilitated the opportunity for Jeffrey to advise on numerous campaigns, rally’s, marches and initiatives.