The State Gender Policy Collective Fellowship is an 18-month program that brings together state policymakers and advocates from across the country to advance gender justice at the state level. 

The Fellowship was launched in July 2025 at a critical moment, as attacks on the rights and well-being of women, girls, and LGBTQ+ people continue to escalate nationwide. The Fellowship, like the State Gender Policy Collective of which it is a part, seeks to harness the collective power of state policymakers and leaders to advance gender justice across all states and across key gender justice issues. 

The Fellowship is unique in bringing together those who hold different roles in the gender justice movement—state policy makers, advocates, organizers—and who hold different areas of issue expertise, including child care; reproductive rights, health, and justice; worker justice; tax and budget policy; LGBTQI+ rights; domestic violence and sexual assault; and criminal justice. 

Through in-person retreats, virtual sessions, independent study, and team coaching, the fellows will learn from and workshop with their peers around urgent gender justice issues in a supportive, cross-state community of practice. Specifically, the fellows will focus on personal and collective leadership sustainability and growth, co-governance between elected officials, communities, and advocates, and organizing across gender justice issues and impacted communities.  

Meet the Inaugural Fellowship Cohort

Representative Elizabeth Velasco, Colorado

Representative Elizabeth Velasco is the first Mexican-born immigrant in the Colorado legislature and the first Latina to represent the Western Slope. She grew up in the Vail Valley, working in the service industry to support her family and put herself through school, and she brings that lived experience to her leadership today.  

She understands first-hand the struggles and dynamics of the rural resort working class.  Before getting elected, she ran an interpretation and translation agency for almost 10 years and became a wildland firefighter and public information officer. The lack of action from previous representatives to solve the ongoing challenges in her community led her to run for office. She now represents her community in House District 57 serving on 3 committees and as House Majority Co-Whip, and co-chairs the Colorado Democratic Latino Caucus and the Wildfire Matters interim committee championing working families, climate resilience, and protecting our constitutional rights. In her first and second term she passed groundbreaking legislation to protect residents of mobile home parks, expand immigrant protections and language access in emergency response and government services, improve wildfire resilience in the state, and hold big polluters accountable.

Jasmine Bowles is the Executive State Director of 9to5 Georgia, a member-led, non-profit organization dedicated to building a powerful, statewide movement of women and non-binary people of color and their families. As a justice-driven leader, Georgia-rooted advocate, and lifelong learner, Jasmine is passionately committed to transforming living and working conditions  for Black people in the South by achieving economic, educational, climate, and workplace justice, driven by principles of care, equity, imagination, and love for all. 

In her home state of Georgia, Jasmine is at the forefront of critical economic and worker justice advocacy by fighting for the “Well Working Woman.” Alongside the Georgia Coalition for Paid Leave, Jasmine and 9to5 GA spearhead the statewide efforts to secure comprehensive, universal paid leave for all working Georgians and advocate relentlessly to eliminate harassment and discrimination in the workplace, fostering dignified and safe workplaces for women across the state. She also champions systemic changes to ensure equitable access to affordable, high-quality childcare and fair wages for care providers, foundational components of a family’s economic well-being. Her advocacy further extends to supporting Medicaid expansion, reproductive rights and fighting for safe and affordable housing. In Southwest Georgia, Jasmine and the 9to5 team lead efforts in climate justice, empowering communities impacted by environmental racism to advocate for affordable energy, weatherized homes and clean air while integrating civic engagement to amplify the voices and voting power of Georgia’s most marginalized communities across the state. 

Jasmine approaches her work with deep intention, blending visionary leadership with practical solutions, and ritualizing reflection as a key leadership trait. She moves fluidly between policy, grassroots organizing, and personal practices of healing. She believes in rest as resistance and curiosity as a tool for liberation, and embodies this through her practices as a certified yoga instructor, doula and elected school board member. 

Fun Fact: Jasmine is not only the youngest person ever elected to serve on the Clayton County Board of Education, but she is also the only alumni member of the school district to hold that position. Beyond her public service, she hosts free monthly yoga classes for teachers and parents in Clayton County, reflecting her holistic commitment to care and well-being for women, educators, and families.

Delegate Emily Shetty, Maryland

First elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2018, Delegate Emily Shetty has been the Chair of the Appropriations subcommittee on Health and Social Services (HSS) since 2023. In her role as HSS Chair, she oversees 40% of Maryland’s budget. Key issues in recent sessions included addressing pediatric hospital overstays, investigating Maryland’s child neglect and abuse deaths, maintaining Medicaid funding, and securing funds for the intellectual and/or developmental disabilities community. In addition to her role as Chair of the HSS subcommittee, Delegate Shetty also serves as the House Democratic Caucus Chair and is a member of the Rules and Nominations Committee.

Delegate Shetty is also deeply committed to fighting for vulnerable Marylanders. Across her time in Annapolis, Delegate Shetty successfully led efforts to codify consent in Maryland’s criminal code, protect access to preventive health services, and pass one of the nation’s first laws to ensure 100% of child support payments go directly to families receiving TANF assistance. In her free time, she enjoys painting with different mediums. 

Representative Natalie Price comes from a long line of strong women who taught her that grit, compassion, and community are the foundation for change. Rep. Price’s grandmother, Marie, stepped into the role of caregiver at just 14, raising her siblings after her mother’s death. Rep. Price’s mom went back to school after her divorce to become a social worker, always fighting for the most vulnerable. Their examples shaped Rep. Price as she built her own family in Berkley with her husband and two young kids. What started as a search for connection—teaching a parent-tot class when no one else would—grew into organizing projects like the Backyard Playroom and leading service initiatives that showed her how much we can accomplish when we work together.

As a state representative, Rep. Price carries those lessons into her work every day. She has prioritized education, equity, and the environment—securing historic school funding, co-sponsoring the Michigan Clean Energy and Jobs Act, and championing tax policies that put people first. Her commitment to gender justice runs through all of it: fighting for reproductive freedom, paid family leave, maternal health equity, and affordable child care. Inspired by Mothering Justice’s Mamas’ Agenda, Rep. Price is focused on building a Michigan where every mom, every child, and every family can thrive.

Anne Kuhnen, Michigan League for Public Policy

Anne Kuhnen is the Kids Count policy director at the Michigan League for Public Policy, where her work focuses on early childhood, family economic security and youth voice. Prior to joining the Kids Count team, she served as the League’s tax policy analyst where her research focused on policies to make Michigan’s tax code more equitable for workers, families and communities. She works on advancing more family-friendly policies in Michigan, including improved access to high-quality and affordable child care, paid family and medical leave and a state child tax credit. 

Anne began her career in education, teaching high school math and computer science at a Title I School in Eastern Kentucky and supporting a bilingual vocational program in the Netherlands. She also previously worked for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas, a Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins, and a Master of Public Affairs from Princeton, where she concentrated in economics and public policy.

In her spare time, Anne likes to visit museums and historical sites, explore Detroit by bicycle and attempt the New York Times’ daily crossword puzzle. As of this writing, she has a 27-day crossword streak.

Assemblymember Cecilia Gonzalez, Nevada

Assemblymember Cecelia Gonzalez is a state legislator representing Assembly District 16 in the heart of Las Vegas and is the Chair of the Nevada Latino Legislative Caucus, a K-12 teacher, and a first-time mom. Her legislative work has focused on criminal justice reform, education, and supporting new moms, including championing a groundbreaking law to expand preventative care for incarcerated individuals. As a teacher and advocate, she has worked to create inclusive classrooms and policies that ensure all students feel seen, supported, and valued.

Cecelia is a PhD student in Multicultural Education at UNLV and a proud daughter of immigrants. She is biracial, with Thai and Mexican heritage, and draws on her lived experiences as a mother, educator, and community advocate to guide her work. Her passion is building a world where every person feels safe, represented, and empowered, particularly those whose voices are too often overlooked.

Outside of her professional and legislative work, Cecelia loves hiking, traveling, and exploring the outdoors with her family.

Jagada Chambers, Mass Liberation Project Nevada

Senator Sophia Chitlik, North Carolina

Senator Sophia Chitlik has spent her career building cross-sector companies that scale opportunities for women, young people, and families. After unseating a six-term incumbent, Sophia is currently in her first term representing Durham in the North Carolina State Senate, where she is the only member with a toddler at home. Relatedly, she is one of the body’s leading advocates for early childhood education. She serves on the Education, Education Appropriations, Regulatory Reform, and Judiciary Committees.

Sophia’s career began as an organizer on the Obama Campaign. She later went on to serve in the White House and in the Department of Labor as one of the youngest political appointees in the Obama Administration. After leaving Washington, Sophia worked for nonprofits as a Chief of Staff, rising to become a Chief Operating Officer of an eight-figure education innovation organization. Sophia has spent the past eight years as strategic planning consultant, philanthropist and investor, partnering with CEOs around the world to organizations anchored in network theory. 

Sophia graduated magna cum laude from New York University, where she made her own major in Political Community Building in America. When not putting her degree to work, Sophia can be found doing a lot of hosting, running after her son on his balance bike, and reading. 

Tracy Wright, North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault

Tracy D. Wright is the National Projects Director with the North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault (NCCASA). In this role, she oversees NCCASA’s national projects portfolio, which encompasses providing technical assistance (TA) to 56 state and territorial anti-sexual assault coalitions, serving as the Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) Administrator TA provider, and coordinating TA to 29 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges. Through this work, Tracy partners with national entities to strengthen a coordinated response to ending sexual violence, while addressing emerging issues and developing initiatives that uplift and support communities of color coalition staff within the anti-sexual violence movement.

Tracy’s academic background reflects her commitment to leadership and storytelling. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Shaw University and a Master of Science in Print Journalism from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Currently, she is a third-year doctoral student in the Organizational Leadership program at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where her research and professional practice intersect around leadership, equity, and advocacy.

Beyond her professional and academic endeavors, Tracy serves as the project lead for the Young Advocates Institute, a service-learning initiative that convenes 200 youth, ages 13–17, for an intensive weekend of prevention education and leadership development. This program is designed to empower young people with the tools to lead in their schools and communities while promoting healthier, safer environments.

A fun fact about Tracy: she is a proud middle-aged sneaker connoisseur. Whether attending national meetings or youth programming, she often pairs her leadership presence with a fresh pair of sneakers, blending style with substance and reminding others that leadership can be authentic, approachable, and uniquely personal.

Tausha Bonner-Johnson, New Voices for Reproductive Justice

Tausha Bonner-Johnson is the Policy and Advocacy Manager for New Voices for Reproductive Justice. Tausha plays a critical role in advancing Reproductive Justice-informed policy and legislation in support of Black women, Black queer folks, and Black marginalized people throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio, as well as to the broader national Reproductive Justice movement. She is a goal-oriented and passionate leader committed to helping strengthen, inform, and educate her community on a local, state, and federal level through policy advocacy and leadership development. Prior to her start with NewVoices for Reproductive Justice, Tausha worked closely with the Pittsburgh public school system, children and youth service, and Juvenile Probation as an intervention specialist and a direct care worker for young mothers.  Tausha was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, and enjoys arts and crafts, playing kickball, and spending quality time with her family.

Senator Tameika Isaac Devine, South Carolina

Ashely Lidow, South Carolina WREN