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Mikayla Townsend
Program Manager

Mikayla Townsend joins the National Civic League as Project Manager for the Community Foundations for Civic Health project, bringing more than five years of experience in community engagement, equity-focused facilitation, and democratic innovation research. She has led multi-stakeholder projects that strengthen civic participation, designed and evaluated public engagement initiatives in partnership with local governments, schools, and nonprofits, and authored widely used case studies and resource guides on participatory democracy practices from around the world.

Mikayla also serves as Program Coordinator for New Hampshire Listens at the University of New Hampshire’s Carsey School of Public Policy, where she facilitates community dialogues, co-leads equity-focused workshops, and provides technical assistance to organizations seeking to integrate inclusive engagement strategies.

She previously held public engagement roles at Public Agenda, contributing to projects on civic health, health equity, and community-led research. A former McCourtney Institute for Democracy Nevins Fellow, Mikayla earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations with a minor in political science from Penn State University and is completing her Master of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire.

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Doug LinkhartPresident Matt LeighningerVice President, National Civic LeagueDirector, Center for Democracy Innovation Ibrahim BazyanProgram Manager Anna CorningProgram Associate Kathie HamiltonDirectorOperations and Finance Mike McGrathDirectorResearch and Publications Derek OkuboDirectorCivic Assistance Mikayla TownsendProgram Manager Rebecca TroutDirectorWashington DC Office and All-America City Award Program Nick VlahosDeputy DirectorCenter for Democracy Innovation Jillian YoungbloodDirector, Deliberative Democracyand Executive Director, Civic Genius Carolyn LukensmeyerCo-DirectorHealthy Democracy Ecosystem Map Gretchen Armijo, AICP, LEED APSenior FellowFounder & President, Equity Policy Solutions, LLC Jan BrennanSenior FellowCEO, Forward LLC Rick GarciaSenior FellowRetired Government and Public Policy Expert Joseph Hoereth, PhDSenior FellowDirector of the Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement (IPCE) at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Mike HugginsSenior FellowRetired City Manager Benoy JacobSenior FellowDirector, Community Development Institute, University of Wisconsin - Madison Dante J. James, Esq.Senior FellowCo-Founder & Managing Partner, The Gemini Group, LLC. Angela LawsonSenior FellowCouncilwoman, Aurora, CO Lindsay M. MillerSenior FellowFounding Principal at Beyond Growth Strategies, LLC Kimberly L. NelsonSenior FellowProfessor of public administration and government at the School of Government Larry SchoolerSenior FellowMediator, Facilitator, Public Engagement Consultant, and Educator
Mayor G.T. BynumChairFormer Mayor of Tulsa, OK Diana Romero CampbellVice ChairCouncil Member, Denver District 4 Adam CarlisleTreasurerVice President of Labor Relations, Southwest Airlines Anthony SantiagoSecretaryPrincipal, Outside N Strategies Mayor Malik D. EvansPast ChairMayor of Rochester, NY Ray BarayBoard MemberFormer Chief of Staff, ICMA Hon. Mary Ann BorgesonBoard MemberNACo Immediate Past President; Commissioner, Douglas County, NE T.C. BroadnaxBoard MemberCity Manager, City of Austin Maia ComeauBoard MemberPresident Comeau & Company Todd ConnorBoard MemberCEO, Veterans for All Voters Mayor John DaileyBoard MemberMayor John Dailey, City of Tallahassee, FL Johnny DuPreeBoard MemberFormer Mayor, Hattiesburg, MS Ayeola FortuneBoard MemberVice President, Impact Programs, United Way Worldwide Dr. Joshua FranzelBoard MemberSenior Executive and Director of Research & Data Analysis at National League of Cities Mayor Patti GarrettBoard Member (Former Chair)Mayor of Decatur, Georgia Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr.Board MemberMayor, City of Edinburg Heather A. JohnstonBoard MemberChief Operating Officer, Winthrop & Weinstine Rita McNeil Danish, Esq.Board MemberCEO, Signal Ohio Angela MontezBoard MemberSpecial Counsel, Eversheds Sutherland Tony PeytonBoard MemberExecutive Vice President & Chief of Staff, National Center for Families Learning Monte RoulierBoard MemberPresident & Co-Founder Community Initiatives Inc. Mayor Vince WilliamsBoard MemberMayor of Union City, GA Wendy WillisBoard MemberExecutive Director, Deliberative Democracy Consortium

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