200 progressive elected officials under age 35 will gather to discuss policies, leadership

Abel J. Guillén, President of the Peralta Community College Board of Trustees, will join more than 200 other young, progressive elected officials in Washington, DC this week at the fifth annual convening of the national Young Elected Officials Network.

The participants, progressive elected officials from across the country, are all under the age of 35. The young leaders will meet with a number of national leaders in Washington and share with each other their policy ideas, leadership strategies, and best practices.

“I look forward to learning from my colleagues from throughout the United States, best practices around education and access issues to implement them here in the East Bay”, said Guillén in a statement.

Guillén, 34, was elected to the Peralta Community College District in 2006. At the convening, he will share with other elected officials best practices around “Green Jobs” and educational access issues.

The Young Elected Officials (YEO) Network, organized by the People For the American Way foundation, consists of over 550 young, progressive city, county, state and federal officials from all 50 states. Most are at the start of their political careers; 89 percent are interested in running for higher office in the future.

“These young elected officials play a critical role in our local, state, and national governments,” said Andrew Gillum, Tallahassee City Commissioner and executive director of the YEO Network. “They are leaders in policy debates around the country, and manage billions of dollars in public funds. They are passionate, innovative, and committed to helping their communities be places of freedom, fairness, and opportunity. The YEO Network National Convening is a great way for them to work together to share ideas and empower each other as they continue their careers in public service.”