Ilir Zherka is currently supporting DC Vote as a consultant and serving as its Interim Executive Director (ED). He previously served as the ED between 2002 and 2012. During his tenure, DC Vote was successful in advancing a DC representation bill in Congress for the first time in 30 years. Working with the Board, he significantly expanded the DC Voting Rights Coalition and increased the organization’s size and reach. He was recognized for his work with a resolution pronouncing “Ilir Zherka Day” in the District of Columbia. Ilir has led three other organizations, worked in the U.S. Congress, on presidential campaigns, and as a political appointee. He is the author of Winning the Inside Game: The Handbook of Advocacy Strategies. He is the Founder and CEO of Civica, a consulting firm.
Advocacy is her artistry. Kelsye has been an organizer since 2016 during her tenure in college. She first started as a finance intern through VCU at the Democratic Party of Virginia, later becoming Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s The Way Ahead PAC Finance Director. In 2019, she joined the very cultured organization Long Live GoGo as Executive Director here in Washington, DC and helps curate its Moechella platform utilizing gogo music as the intersection of politics and culture. Kelsye also serves on the U ST Neighborhood Association and is a board member for The Live Movement National/Howard chapter. Kelsye completed the Nonprofit Management Certificate Program at Georgetown University in 2021. Kelsye was brought on as a team member of DC Vote in January of 2022 as DC Vote’s Program Director. Kelsye plans to continue the utilization of the culture to create innovative pragmatic programming both locally and nationally to amplify the need for DC Statehood. She believes the time is NOW for DC to become the 51st state of the United States.