EXECUTIVE BOARD
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Meet your 2023 Denver Young Democrats Board at one of our upcoming meetings.
CJ Keshap, President
she/her/hers
CJ has been a HD6 resident since 2020 and has served on the Denver Young Democrats board since 2022. As Secretary, she helped to elect young democratic candidates to the state legislature, ran a successful GOTV digital ad campaign, and raised $8,500 for DYD–a new record.
Born and raised in Arlington, Virginia, CJ studied environmental policy and public relations at the University of Oregon. CJ works in digital communications and specializes in campaigns. She is the former Digital Communications Director for Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser’s 2022 re-election campaign, and she currently works to promote progressive policy initiatives in Colorado.
She enjoys listening to podcasts, good happy hour deals, and walks around Cheesman Park with her dog, Harriet
Charlotte Pardo, Vice President
she/her/hers
Charlotte is a Denver Native and has been involved with the Denver Young Democrats since 2022. She is excited to serve as DYD Vice President. Her favorite part of DYD is meeting other members and hearing others' diverse perspectives.
Charlotte is a recent graduate of Colorado State University, where she studied Legal Studies and History. She is proud to belong to Denver’s Hispanic, Disability and Female Identifying communities. During the 2022 Election Cycle, she worked on the finance team of Congresswoman Elaine Luria’s Campaign (D. VA-02), where she helped raise over $10 million dollars for the candidate. She currently works as a Patent & Trademark Assistant at a Intellectual property law firm.
In her free time she enjoys spending time with loved ones, playing with her lively pug, Zinnia, and listening to music.
Michael A. Farrington, Secretary
he/him/his
Michael is a freshman board member of DYD and a resident of HD9 with his wife Kassidy. A native of Colorado, Michael was raised in Commerce City before moving to Denver after their wedding. Michael’s background is in union organizing and labor and rights policy where he was a regional multi-state director for policy and activism with AFGE efforts prior to his shifting fields to focus on housing and affordability.
Michael is a recent graduate with a Bachelor’s of Government with a focus on legal studies and intends to continue his education by attending law school this fall. He is proud to work to make Denver a better place for everyone.
In his personal time Michael works with progressive causes canvassing and fundraising, attending sports games, and traveling with his wife and other friends and family.
Ian Coggins, Treasurer
he/him/his
Ian is returning for his second year to the DYD Board as Treasurer. He lives in the Green Valley Ranch neighborhood of HD7 with his wife, Megan, and his two children, Evelynn and Elliott. Alongside the previous board, Ian was proud to have helped DYD accomplish its most successful year of fundraising in its history.
Ian attended the University of Colorado - Denver, where he graduated Summa cum Laude with a Bachelor’s in Political Science as well as a Master’s in Political Science with a focus on Local Governments. He currently serves as President and Owner of Benchmark Consulting, a political campaign management firm in Denver. In his spare time, Ian enjoys spending time with his family and finding new bodies of water across Colorado to fish in.
Wade C. Burkholder, Event Coordinator
he/him/his
Wade is one of many former Midwesterners in Denver who held long-term dreams of moving to Colorado after completing his education. He has been a resident of Denver’s Central Business District for the past two years and has been excited about becoming more active with the local Democratic Party. In addition to his involvement with DYD, he is also the HD5 Vice-Chair.
Wade is an alumnus of The University of Nebraska College of Law and works in contract law for an internet service provider. Although he enjoys living in the densest portion of the state, Wade is equally interested in serving both underserved urban and rural communities, which spurred much of his passion for working in broadband. Before moving to Denver, he worked on telecommunications policy in Washington, D.C. at both a non-profit and the Federal Communications Commission before becoming a Tower Technician in Missoula, Montana for a brief period of time.
Neal K. Walia, Community Liaison
he/him/his
Neal is the new Community Liaison for the Denver Young Democrats. In addition to being on the board of DYD, Neal serves as the Political Director for the Colorado South Asian Democrats (COSAD), an initiative under the Colorado Democratic Party that seeks to increase South Asian involvement in electoral politics. In his professional capacity, Neal is the Deputy Director of the Asian Pacific Development Center (APDC), an organization that supports all immigrant and refugee communities with a whole health, community-based engagement approach through health, education and advocacy.
Prior to joining DYD and working at APDC, Neal ran for U.S. Congress in the 2022 Democratic Primary. Before that, Neal spent a handful of years living in Washington D.C. working for Quorum Analytics and the National Governors Association. Prior to working in our nation’s capital, Neal started his career as a staffer for former Governor and current U.S. Senator to Colorado, John W. Hickenlooper.
Neal holds two master’s degrees from the University of Colorado Denver and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder. He is married to his college sweetheart, Naveen, and lives in Denver’s Virginia Village neighborhood.