new staff

Raised in central Ohio, Sagal Handulle graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.A. in Political Science. She got her start in politics as a Progressive Pipeline fellow with the PA Working Families Party and was shortly promoted to digital organizer. In her role, she developed digital strategies for campaigns and candidates—and found comfort in an organizing space that valued the need for a diverse point of view. Inspired by her own experience, she returned to Progressive Pipeline as the Fellowship Director, managing the flagship fellowship program and placing 400+ fellows with over 80 different employer partners.

Sagal completed re:power’s WOC leadership track this summer and felt a sense of safety, community, and kinship for the first time in her professional life. She joins the re:power team, ready to build on the momentum and deliver programming that taps into the unique experiences, challenges, and concerns faced by our alumni community. When she’s not working, you’ll find her at the gym, baking late at night, or writing short stories.

Lee Anderson is a digital and cultural strategist, a storyteller, and an artist. Lee made a name for himself over the last 16 years running electoral and political campaigns for national organizations like the AFL-CIO, CREDO SuperPAC, and the Center for Popular Democracy. Lee has also managed international digital advocacy strategy, and led communications functions in the philanthropic sector. Even with those achievements, Lee thinks of himself as an artist first.

A classically trained vocalist and music producer, Lee has been able to apply his love for the arts to his passion for social justice and activism and has helped plan and execute creative actions, performances, art installations, and touchpoints that use culture to mobilize communities into action. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Lee spent way too much time in Washington, DC, and now lives in Seattle, Washington with his wife and their mini Labradoodle, King T’Challa.

Ali is a New York native who has worked in finance and operations at local and global nonprofits since 2008. She has worked with staff to build comprehensive budgets and to strengthen and maintain the operational health of the organization. Her goal is always to create anti-oppressive practices and policies that center staff and that make finances accessible to all. Ali is so excited to be joining re:power in the role of Managing Director, Finance & Operations as we embark on our strategic plan and continue to uplift and support BIPOC leaders.

Ali currently lives in Fairfield, CT with her partner and two kids. When she’s not working, she enjoys a healthy dose of reality tv, along with cooking and being outdoors.

We’re excited to welcome our new Leadership Giving Manager, Mia S. Willis (they/them)! 

Mia is a fundraiser, popular educator, and artist based on unceded Muscogee Creek territory (so-called Atlanta, Georgia). They are a lifelong Southerner whose family lineage includes laborers, union stewards, teachers, and civil servants.

Mia was a graduate student in Classics at The Florida State University when they left academia to design the youth volunteer curriculum at the Atlanta History Center and embark on their first North American poetry tour. They have received fellowships from Cave Canem, La Maison Baldwin, and Lambda Literary for poetry featured in The Slowdown, Palette Poetry, and others.

By the summer of 2020, Mia was eager to support movement organizations with the skills they acquired as a self-employed performance artist and workshop facilitator. They have since served in development and popular education roles at Reading In Motion, Highlander Research and Education Center, and Southern Movement Assembly.

When Mia isn’t fundraising for change or writing toward tomorrow, they enjoy collecting vinyl records and producing sample-based music.

In September, re:power welcomed Isabella Guinigundo (she/her) as our first-ever Program Operations Intern! Isabella is a Filipina organizer from occupied Myaamia lands (so-called Cincinnati, OH). She got her start in organizing early on when she led Cincinnati’s Young Activists Coalition at 17 years old. In 2019, Isabella helped develop the national youth climate movement as a member of the U.S. Youth Climate Strike’s Logistics team. And during the 2020 election, she led AAPI voter engagement efforts with Ohio Progressive Asian Women’s Leadership. Isabella is a co-founder of Ohio Youth for Climate Justice, a youth-led, anti-capitalist movement fighting to address the climate crisis with the focus and urgency that it deserves. 

When she’s not causing trouble for people in power, Isabella enjoys baking, reading, and long walks in the park. Presently, she is a third-year student at The Ohio State University studying Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies and Science & Environmental Communications. 

Our newest staff member, Victor Suarez (he/him) joined our team in September as our Director, Strategic Communications & Marketing! Victor is based in Pasadena, CA and for the past 7 years, has worked at the intersection of electoral campaigns, narrative strategy, and digital organizing. Before joining the re:power team, Victor was the Strategic Communications Director at California Calls, a progressive statewide alliance of community-based organizations. There he led communications campaigns in support of statewide ballot initiatives, public education campaigns, and year-round power building.

Victor began his career in communications working in the political tech space. He served as an Account Executive at NationBuilder where he worked with political campaigns and non-profits in the U.S and Latin America. And he is an alumnus of re:power’s Digital Organizing School! Victor is a proud Angeleno and the son of immigrants from Mexico. He is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. He lives in Pasadena with his incredible partner and their two cats, Simba and Mochi.