The League is expanding our capacity to help communities with democracy and civic engagement, with the addition of three familiar faces. Derek Okubo, a former staff and board member of the League, will aid the Center for Democracy Innovation’s civic assistance program. Meanwhile, Civic Genius, a national, nonpartisan organization focused on deliberative democracy, will become a program of the League, bringing along its two main staff members, Jillian Youngblood and Ibrahim Bazyan.
Derek Okubo has a rich history with the League, having served in leadership roles on both our Board of Directors for three terms and staff for over 20 years. During his staff tenure, Derek was instrumental in spearheading over 70 community assistance projects across the country, including two projects more recently, providing strategic planning assistance to Sioux Falls, SD, and assistance with a charter revision process to Brookings, SD. See more on Derek’s background here.
Jillian Youngblood, a long-time colleague of League staff members, is the executive director of Civic Genius, and has nearly 20 years of experience in politics, government, and strategic communications with a focus on deliberative democracy and solutions-oriented public engagement. See more on Jillian’s background here.
Jillian will bring her expertise and current community projects over to the League from Civic Genius, which partners with governments and communities on citizen assemblies and a range of other deliberative processes. At the League, Jillian will continue to develop innovative and fun ways to engage community members in civic dialogue, increasing the League’s capacity for onsite civic assistance.
Also coming from Civic Genius, Ibrahim Bazyan brings deep development and organizing experience, from managing political campaigns to building coalitions – always with an eye toward opening up new perspectives, sparking purpose-driven dialogues, and spurring ongoing action. Ibrahim has worked with Civic Genius for the past year and a half and will bring his talents in community organizing and deliberation to the League. More about Ibrahim here.
