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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 PresidentDirector, Center for Democracy Innovation Ibrahim BazyanProgram Manager Anna CorningProgram CoordinatorHealthy Democracy Ecosystem Map Kathie HamiltonDirectorOperations and Finance Mike McGrathDirectorResearch and Publications Christine Lopes MetcalfeDirector, Local Democracy Engagementand Managing Director, Local Policy Lab Mikayla TownsendProgram Manager Rebecca TroutSenior Director, Programs and PartnershipsDirector, All-America City Award Nick VlahosManaging DirectorCenter for Democracy Innovation Laura WoodDirector, Local Democracy Strategyand Vice President for Democracy, Local Policy Lab Jillian YoungbloodDirector, Deliberative Democracyand Executive Director, Civic Genius Carolyn LukensmeyerCo-DirectorHealthy Democracy Ecosystem Map Scott WarrenSenior AdvisorCo-Founder, Local Policy Lab Peter ZahnSenior AdvisorCo-Founder, Local Policy Lab Gretchen Armijo, AICP, LEED APSenior FellowFounder & President, Equity Policy Solutions, 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 Angela LawsonSenior FellowCouncilwoman, Aurora, CO Lindsay M. MillerAssistant Editor, National Civic ReviewSenior Fellow Kimberly L. NelsonSenior FellowProfessor of public administration and government at the School of Government Larry SchoolerSenior FellowMediator, Facilitator, Public Engagement Consultant, and Educator
Diana Romero CampbellChairCouncil Member, Denver District 4 Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr.Vice ChairMayor, City of Edinburg Adam CarlisleTreasurerVice President of Labor Relations, Southwest Airlines Angela MontezBoard MemberSpecial Counsel, Eversheds Sutherland Ray BarayBoard MemberFormer Chief of Staff, ICMA Michelle BarsaBoard MemberPrincipal, Programs and Policy, Omidyar Network Hon. Mary Ann BorgesonBoard MemberNACo Immediate Past President; Commissioner, Douglas County, NE T.C. BroadnaxBoard MemberCity Manager, City of Austin Charlotte CastilloBoard MemberExecutive Director, Poderistas 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 Mayor Malik D. EvansBoard MemberMayor of Rochester, NY Ayeola FortuneBoard MemberVice President, Impact Programs, United Way Worldwide Mayor Patti GarrettBoard Member (Former Chair)Mayor of Decatur, Georgia Sara GiffordBoard MemberCo-founder and COO, ActiVote Michelle GowdyBoard MemberExecutive Director, Virginia Municipal League Rita McNeil Danish, Esq.Board MemberCEO, Signal Ohio Tony PeytonBoard MemberExecutive Vice President & Chief of Staff, National Center for Families Learning Frederick J. RileyBoard MemberExecutive Director of Weave: The Social Fabric Project at the Aspen Institute Monte RoulierBoard MemberPresident & Co-Founder Community Initiatives Inc. Irica SolomonBoard MemberHead of Corporate Citizenship, Government Affairs and Advocacy at Mission Square Mayor Vince WilliamsBoard MemberMayor of Union City, GA Wendy WillisBoard MemberExecutive Director, Deliberative Democracy Consortium

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