Medford Reps Meet with National Leaders

Reps Garballey, Sciortino Met with White House Staff, Members of Congress in Washington

Joined 200 young, progressive elected officials to discuss policy and leadership

Massachusetts Delegation of Young Elected Officials: Cambridge City Councilor Leland Cheung, State Rep Sean Garballey, Boston City Council President Mike Ross, Somerville Alderwoman Rebekah Gewirtz, State Rep Carl Sciortino, and State Senator Jamie Eldridge. Courtesy photo.

State Representatives Carl Sciortino (D-Medford, Somerville) and Sean Garballey (D-Arlington, Medford) met with White House officials and members of Congress, and shared ideas with over 200 other young, progressive elected officials at last week’s convening of the national Young Elected Officials Network in Washington, DC.

Sciortino, Garballey, and fellow Young Elected Officials (YEO) Network members were briefed on national issues by White House staff members including Michael Strautmanis, Chief of Staff to Obama’s advisor Valerie Jarrett; Brian Deese, Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, Celia Muñoz, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Economic Affairs; and Brian Bond, Deputy Director of the Office of Public Engagement; and by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr.

They also shared policy ideas, leadership strategies, and best practices with each other, and participated in three days of issues workshops ranging from discussions about health care implementation in the states to forums on re-thinking the public education system.

“Meeting with other elected officials from across the country helped to put the work we are doing in the Commonwealth in a national context,” said Sciortino, who also serves as a state director in the YEO Network. “Issues we have been grappling with in the legislature, like budget shortfalls and rising health care costs, are echoed in cities, towns, and states across the country. We can learn from each other’s successes and challenges to strategize best practices for our communities.”

Sciortino, currently serving his third term in the Massachusetts House and first elected at the age of 26, received the Progressive Movement Leadership Award during the conference.

“The YEO Conference creates the opportunity for young elected officials from across the country to come together, collaborate on public policy matters, and prepare for the challenges of the future,” said Garballey. “Being a member has helped me develop a broader understanding of the issues my colleagues in other states are facing so I can apply that to the work I am involved in at the State House.”

“It was truly inspiring to meet with all of these motivated and innovative elected officials and to take our ideas and concerns as young, progressive leaders to the White House,” said Andrew Gillum, Tallahassee City Commissioner and executive director of the YEO Network, “Each of us works every day to make our communities safer, fairer, and more prosperous. By gathering to share ideas, we can empower each other to excel in our careers in public service and to bring positive change to communities across the country.”

The YEO Network was founded by People For the American Way Foundation in 2006 to unite and support young progressive leaders dedicated to building communities that reflect values of freedom, fairness and opportunity, with the goal of producing an enduring pipeline of well-prepared national and world class leaders. The network now includes over 550 progressive local, state and federal officials from all 50 states. Most are at the start of their political careers; 89 percent are interested in running for higher office in the future.

– Submitted by State Representative Carl Sciortino’s office.