
Our Fellows
The Opportunity Agenda’s Communications Institute Fellows are media-ready experts on some of the country’s most urgent challenges, coming largely from communities most affected by those challenges. For journalists seeking voices with a grassroots perspective that links economic opportunity, criminal justice, immigrant opportunity, and racial justice issues to the lived experiences of Americans, Communications Fellows are ideal spokespeople.
Michelle Fei
Co-Director, Immigrant Defense ProjectMichelle Fei, Co-Director of the Immigrant Defense Project, focuses her substantive work on community education and policy initiatives, including by designing and implementing educational programs about criminal-immigration issues, providing accessible analyses of legislative proposals, and challenging deportation programs. She successfully co-led the campaign to end “Secure Communities” in New York....
Get To know MichelleAnthony Francisco, Jr.
Elected Representative, Tohono O’odham Legislative BranchMy name is Anthony Francisco Jr. I keep the junior portion to remind me of my father. I am Tohono O'odham (desert person) from southern Arizona where I raise my kids, run, work, and serve my community wherever I can. Currently, I sit as an elected representative for our tribe’s...
Get To know AnthonyMelissa Franqui
Communications and Marketing Manager, Drug Policy AllianceMelissa Franqui is the Manager of Communications and Marketing for the Drug Policy Alliance. She manages the execution of campaigns with visual components, as well as the promotion of publications and merchandise. Melissa also directs branding and multi-media assets for DPA’s events. She is passionate about social justice and is...
Get To know MelissaKassandra Frederique
Policy Manager, Drug Policy AllianceKassandra Frederique is the New York Policy Manager at the Drug Policy Alliance. She works to build powerful coalitions in communities devastated by drug misuse and the war on drugs. Kassandra currently manages the Fairness and Equity campaign, which is working throughout New York state to end racially biased marijuana...
Get To know KassandraEduardo Garcia
Field Manager, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human RightsEduardo Garcia is a field manager at the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights in Washington, DC. In this role he facilitates multicultural coalition efforts to advance federal campaigns in a key set of states. Prior to joining The Leadership Conference, Eduardo worked at Campus Progress, the youth organizing...
Get To know EduardoAna Garcia-Ashley
Executive Director, Gamaliel FoundationBorn in the Dominican Republic, Garcia-Ashley was just four years old when she began canvassing in a rural village as part of a public safety campaign headed by her grandmother, a neighborhood activist. After the assassination of Rafael Trujillo, she and her family fled the political violence in the Dominican...
Get To know AnaMichele Garnett McKenzie
Director of Advocacy, Advocates for Human RightsMichele Garnett McKenzie is Advocacy Director at The Advocates for Human Rights. She directs policy advocacy and community and coalition engagement around The Advocates’ priority issues, including immigration and human trafficking. Michele also leads the Discover Human Rights training initiative, the One Voice Minnesota monitoring project documenting the climate of...
Get To know MicheleSharron Garrison
Communications Director, Mississippi Center for JusticeSharon Garrison is the Communications Director for the Mississippi Center for Justice. Previously, Garrison served as press secretary for a 2007 gubernatorial campaign in Mississippi and served as Communications Director of The Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, a statewide nonprofit that received national acclaim for campaigns to reduce tobacco use....
Get To know SharronVicki Gaubeca
Director, ACLU-New Mexico Regional Center for Border RightsIn 2009, Vicki Gaubeca became the director of the ACLU-New Mexico (ACLU-NM) Regional Center for Border Rights, based in Las Cruces, where she has helped develop and implement its mission of addressing civil and human rights violations that stem from border-specific immigration policy and enforcement. The Center stands with border...
Get To know VickiAndi Gentile
Youth Justice Policy Strategist, Impact Justice’s Center on Youth Registration ReformAndi is the Youth Justice Policy Strategist for the Center on Youth Registration Reform (CYRR) at Impact Justice in Oakland, CA. Before joining the CYRR, Andi was a community organizer in worker-justice and queer and trans youth organizations in New York City and Austin. She also worked with the Texas...
Get To know Andi