RelatedNetwork Staff
Joel Barkin, Executive Director
jbarkin@progressivestates.orgJoel is the Executive Director of the Progressive States Network, where he works with state and national organizations on key progressive policy issues by providing guidance on strategy and message to key legislative campaigns. Under his leadership, the Progressive States Network has become one of the key meeting spaces for progressive legislators, activists, and citizens interested in state policy. Barkin also served as Communications Director and Special Advisor to Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and in the Communications Department for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). He’s worked on a number of campaigns and progressive initiatives at the state and national level.
Georges Bergès, Development Director
gberges@progressivestates.orgGeorges is a seasoned development director who has both a marketing/communications and development background. Prior to joining Progressive States Network he was the Associate Director of Planning and Development for the New York Association for New Americans (NYANA), the largest local refugee resettlement organization in the country, and was a development & communications consultant for the United Nations Institute for Research and Training (UNITAR). He is also currently a Research Fellow at the Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW). Georges received a Master of Arts in Diplomacy & International Relations from the John C. Whitehead School of Diplomacy & International Relations and a Master of Public Administration from Seton Hall University.
Nathan Newman, Policy Director
nnewman@progressivestates.orgNathan, a lawyer and Ph.D., has an extensive history of supporting local policy campaigns, from coalition organizing work to drafting legislation. Previous to coming to Progressive States, he was Associate Counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice, Program Director of NetAction's Consumer Choice Campaign, co-director of the UC-Berkeley Center for Community Economic Research, and a labor and employment lawyer. He received his J.D. from Yale Law School and his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley and has written extensively about public policy and the legal system in a range of academic and popular journals.
J. Mijin Cha, Policy Specialist
mcha@progressivestates.orgMijin focuses on assisting legislators and organizations in promoting Smart Growth and Clean Jobs. She recently completed her PhD in law from the Univ. of London, School of Oriental and African Studies studying access to justice and environmental justice movements in India and the U.S. Prior to joining Progressive States, she worked in Nepal on a project increasing access to environmental justice in rural areas of South Asia. She has worked with grassroots groups in several countries and is a member of the California Bar.
Julie Schwartz, Policy Specialist
jschwartz@progressivestates.orgJulie assists state legislators and organizations in promoting progressive broadband, media reform, and economic development policies. She is a recent graduate from Georgetown University Law Center and is a member of the Pennsylvania bar. Prior to joining the Progressive States Network, Julie worked as a legal fellow for Free Press. Julie's experience includes drafting comments in response to FCC proposed rules, participating in litigation regarding broadcast and broadband issues, and analyzing constitutional issues pertaining to state legislation.
Christian Smith-Socaris, Policy Specialist
csmith-socaris@progressivestates.orgBefore coming to Progressive States Christian spent many years supporting the New York Civil Liberties Union's legislative efforts. Serving as an advocate, lobbyist and policy analyst, he focused on a broad range of issues including voting rights, criminal justice reform, civil rights protections as well as privacy rights. Christian was a key participant in the campaign to establish pro-voter implementation of the Help America Vote Act in New York State. Beyond his professional work, Christian is a visual artist.
Adam Thompson, Policy Specialist
athompson@progressivestates.orgAdam has several years' experience working for major health care reform at the state level and on political campaigns. Before joining Progressive States, he worked on Maine Governor John Baldacci's Office of Health Policy and Finance on the enactment and implementation of Dirigo Health Reform.
Adam previously served as the Executive Director of the Maine Democratic Party.
John Bacino, Operations Manager
jbacino@progressivestates.orgJohn Bacino is a graduate of Grinnell College and a native of Montana. Before joining Progressive States he was a field co-director, fundraising manager, and advance staffer for John Tester’s 2006 Senate campaign. Previously he served as a policy aide for the Governor Schweitzer in Montana, where he supported the staff and Governor with research related to energy policy.
Austin Guest, Communications Associate
aguest@progressivestates.orgAustin manages PSN's media content production and outreach. Prior to joining PSN, Austin was a student at Harvard University, where he was an active contributor to several branches of the University's student activist community. As the Media Coordinator for Harvard's Student Labor Action Movement, Austin worked in close coordination with SEIU Local 615 to organize outsourced campus security guards. He also was an officer with the anti-war group, Harvard Initiative for Peace and Justice, and a founding member of the Harvard chapter of the new Students for a Democratic Society.
Marisol Thomer, Outreach Coordinator
mthomer@progressivestates.orgMarisol is an experienced activist and organizer with a focus on labor rights and economic justice. Recently she has worked for a New York local of UNITE HERE organizing food service workers for fair contract fights. She has been involved in several activist organizations such as Financial Aid & Class Equality, an organization she co-founded to represent the voices of low-income and working class college students, and has served as a congressional intern for Delegate Donna M. Christensen (VI) through the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. She has studied in Mexico and Cuba.
