Michael Somers Email and Phone Number

I work on implementing the Voter's Choice Act. This all mail ballot model replaces traditional polling places with vote centers and lets people vote when and where is most convenient for them. Additionally, I oversee the language access program to ensure that voters have access to materials and assistance in their prefered language.

Managing, evaluating, and assisting community organizing staff in efforts to run local and statewide campaigns.Fundraising through a variety of channels including grant-seeking, meetings with individual donors, direct mail, and grassroots telephone campaigns. Utilizing social media and online organizing efforts to ensure effective support for campaigns and programs.Coordinating the entire hiring and training process for new and current staff. Assisting with additional interviews, college recruitment fairs, and information sessions for prospective staff for multiple partner organizations.Developing and maintaining organizational contact list using customized database software.Creating relationships with press and garnering media attention through hosting press conferences, conducting interviews with reporters, and writing press materials such as press releases.Participating in the steering committee of a large statewide coalition. Writing grant reports and biannual reports on the state of the organization for the board of directors.Crafting and managing an annual budget of $150,000 to $200,000Developing new policy programs and leading advocacy efforts at all levels of government.Responding to requests for support from community groups. Providing training and education to these community leaders to help them craft effective social change campaigns.Research on pesticides, their applications, and public health impacts.

Managing grassroots fundraising campaigns for twenty-four environmental and public interest non-profit organizations. Hiring, training, and managing a staff of two full-time assistant directors and a staff of twenty to thirty paid part-time staff. Meeting or exceeding annual fundraising goals. Managed projects that totaled over six million dollars in fundraising. Leading efforts to recruit new full-time staff, including coordinating outreach at job fairs, interviewee follow-up, conducting in-depth interviews, and making hiring recommendations.Submitting timely weekly reports and updates to organizations as well as the national management staff. Administration of project including inventory management, payroll, deposits, and budget management.Providing technical support and maintenance of the 60 line auto-dialing system and office intranet. Creating administration and management processes that were efficient, and easy for others to understand and use. These processes have remained in place even after leaving the position.Developing innovative strategies to assist non-profits to build political power, including recruiting and training campaign volunteers for petitioning, letter writing campaigns, press conferences, and advocacy efforts. Held site visits to other projects and programs in order to train and support leadership staff at other sites.Leading and organizing annual trainings for full-time organizers including sections on staff management, maintaining professional standards, and writing exercises.