Tara J. Young is SoS Democracy Fellow at FairVote. She researches and educates citizens throughout the country about the role and the importance of Secretary of State and other election officials.

Before joining FairVote, Tara worked in a variety of political jobs. From 2002-2004, she served as press secretary for Detroit City Council Member Sharon McPhail. While working for the council member, Tara set-up and supervised a program that allowed the media to get the agenda and calendar in advance. This small procedure changed how city council was covered in the city of Detroit, and media professionals praised Tara’s efforts. After a two-year political hiatus, Tara joined Governor Jennifer Granholm’s re-election campaign communications team. It was a success.

Building on the success, Tara served as Communications Director and Campaign Coordinator for National Action Network’s Decency in Hip Hop Campaign Detroit Launch.

In the summer of 2007, Tara moved to Washington, D.C., and served briefly as staff assistant for Congressman Sander Levin, (D-MI), but she always knew advocacy for voting rights issues was her first love.

Tara is originally from Brooklyn, New York, but moved all over during high school, before settling down in Detroit, Michigan. She attended Wayne State University located Detroit and received a B.A. in Public Relations.

In addition, to her degree she received political training from both left and right leaning ideologies. In 2006, Tara completed organizing training at Midwest Academy, which is one of the leading grassroots programs in the country. A year later, Tara completed a nine-month political fellowship program with Center for Progressive Leadership. On the conservative side, Tara received intensive preparation through eight of its programs at the Leadership Institute, a conservative political school in Arlington, Virginia. She learned how conservatives work, think and organize.

Tara resides in Washington, D.C. She hopes to use all of her training and experience to empower people to get involved in democracy.

You can contact Tara via e-mail at tjyoung(AT)fairvote.org.