Staff - DC Vote

Amy Vruno

Executive Director

Stasha Rhodes

Senior Director of Public Affairs

Lindsey Michaud

Associate of Public Affairs

Amy Vruno

Executive Director

Amy Vruno is a nationally respected organizer, coalition builder and executive leader with more than 20 years of experience building powerful coalitions, leading winning policy campaigns and advancing strategies that strengthen communities and our democracy. She brings the strategic leadership, fundraising strength and deep DC experience needed to advance the fight for DC statehood at a pivotal moment for American democracy.

As Executive Director of the Washington Interfaith Network, and Supervising Organizer with Metro Industrial Areas Foundation, Amy led large-scale campaigns across housing, climate, transit, utilities and economic justice. Her leadership helped secure $500 million annually in dedicated public transit funding; defend good union jobs across the DC, MD and VA region; advance the development of more than 3,000 affordable homes; move 1,700 residents from homelessness into permanent housing; and pass the Healthy Homes Act to electrify 30,000 low- and moderate-income homes. Her work consistently bridged race, faith, labor and community institutions to build durable civic power capable of moving decision-makers.

Amy has operated at both the grassroots and national levels. Across work in labor, climate, community and philanthropy she has built on-the-ground capacity in nearly every state in the nation. As a Supervising Organizer with the Industrial Areas Foundation, she trained thousands of leaders and organizers. Most recently, as a Program Officer with Invest in Our Future, she managed a $41+ million national grantmaking portfolio supporting community power-building and clean energy implementation across many states.

A trained organizer and attorney, Amy believes democracy must deliver tangible results for working people. As Executive Director, she is focused on building the durable civic and political power necessary to secure full representation and self-determination for the 700,000+ residents of Washington, DC.

Stasha Rhodes

Senior Director of Public Affairs

Stasha M. Rhodes is a veteran movement strategist, organizer, the Founder and President of Antaeus, and the Founder of United for Democracy. With over 20 years of experience leading state and national campaigns, Stasha has shaped pivotal conversations around issues such as rebuilding democracy, gun violence prevention, and Supreme Court reform. As the Managing Director of Democracy Campaigns at The Hub Project and the leader of 51 for 51, Stasha helped redefine the conversation around D.C. statehood, driving national awareness and mobilizing action to promote statehood as central to strengthening American democracy. Stasha is a trained organizer through the Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) and a recognized leader. Her insights were featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vox, Elle, and more. She is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress and an adjunct professor at Smith College and a proud graduate of Southern University and Southern University Law Center.

Lindsey Michaud

Associate of Public Affairs

Lindsey Michaud serves as a Program Fellow at DC Vote, where she supports public education, advocacy, and other programs advancing DC statehood. She brings significant experience in policy research and advocacy from her work as a Program Assistant at Civica Consultants and her congressional internship with Congresswoman Dina Titus. She recently completed her MSc in International Relations at the London School of Economics, where her research focused on transnational feminist movements, and holds a BA in Political Science with a minor in Legal Studies from the University of Rochester. Lindsey is committed to expanding and protecting democracy, with a particular focus on human rights and voting rights. Her background includes coalition management, legislative research, and policy communications for civic engagement initiatives. She has demonstrated leadership through her role as Justice on the All-Campus Judicial Council and as a team captain of UR Mock Trial.