Jack Yao, Founder/Principal |
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Jack Yao is a contributor to The Major Gifts Report and a veteran Democratic fundraiser and strategist. Jack formed Sustainable Change Strategies LLC in 2018 after seeing first-hand the need for individualized political campaign and fundraising support around the country.
SC Strategies specializes in providing best practices in political fundraising and strategy. In the 2019-2020 campaign cycle, SC Strategies worked with our clients to raise over $4.2 million, send out direct mail to over 250,000 households, make over 5 million impressions digitally, and reach nearly a million voters in the field.
Prior to starting SC Strategies, Jack was a Campaign Manager, Finance Director and non-profit Director of Development who helped raise over $20 million in total. In the 2018 cycle, Jack managed then-councilmember Tasha Boerner Horvath's campaign for the California State Assembly in a top-target race. Tasha became the first Democrat elected to that seat in over 40 years, winning by a margin of over 13,000 votes.
Previously, Jack managed and was the senior finance staffer on nationally targeted Congressional campaigns from Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties in California to Lake, Polk, and Hillsborough Counties in Florida.
Jack started his career wearing a variety of hats, co-founding a local media company in his hometown of Claremont, later working as the Team Content Director of Celtics Nation as well as in Hollywood publicity at the longstanding firm Marleah Leslie & Associates. He started his fundraising career at American University and Gallaudet University, later serving as the Director of Development at It Takes Two, Inc., a non-profit focused on providing support for single-parent students and families in the DMV area.
Jack studied Political Studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, CA. He grew up in Claremont and still lives just miles from his childhood home. In his spare time, Jack enjoys watching basketball, coaching youth sports, and sharpening up his skills in the kitchen.
SC Strategies specializes in providing best practices in political fundraising and strategy. In the 2019-2020 campaign cycle, SC Strategies worked with our clients to raise over $4.2 million, send out direct mail to over 250,000 households, make over 5 million impressions digitally, and reach nearly a million voters in the field.
Prior to starting SC Strategies, Jack was a Campaign Manager, Finance Director and non-profit Director of Development who helped raise over $20 million in total. In the 2018 cycle, Jack managed then-councilmember Tasha Boerner Horvath's campaign for the California State Assembly in a top-target race. Tasha became the first Democrat elected to that seat in over 40 years, winning by a margin of over 13,000 votes.
Previously, Jack managed and was the senior finance staffer on nationally targeted Congressional campaigns from Orange, Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties in California to Lake, Polk, and Hillsborough Counties in Florida.
Jack started his career wearing a variety of hats, co-founding a local media company in his hometown of Claremont, later working as the Team Content Director of Celtics Nation as well as in Hollywood publicity at the longstanding firm Marleah Leslie & Associates. He started his fundraising career at American University and Gallaudet University, later serving as the Director of Development at It Takes Two, Inc., a non-profit focused on providing support for single-parent students and families in the DMV area.
Jack studied Political Studies at Pitzer College in Claremont, CA. He grew up in Claremont and still lives just miles from his childhood home. In his spare time, Jack enjoys watching basketball, coaching youth sports, and sharpening up his skills in the kitchen.
Warren Myers, Director of
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Warren joined SC Strategies as the Director of Campaigns in early 2019. Starting in 2009, Warren was directing canvass teams and voter registration drives across California as the Statewide Director of Californians for Voter Turnout, Education, and Registration (CalVoter)- the Senate Democratic Caucus' voter registration and grassroots organizing committee formed by Senate President pro tempore Darrell Steinberg, and later maintained by Senate pro tem Kevin de Leon.
Between 2009 and 2016, CalVoter launched nearly 20 voter registration programs around California, registered over 250,000 Democrats to vote, provided critical voter turnout support in some of the state’s most competitive legislative races, and trained and employed nearly a thousand first-time activists and organizers.
Between election cycles, Warren also worked for the State Senate as a District Representative for then-Senator Ted Lieu, and then in the State Capitol as a communications and policy consultant to the Senate Majority Caucus during the leadership of pro tems Steinberg and De Leon.
Warren got his start in politics and campaigning in 2007 as an entry-level field organizer, walking precincts and registering voters in central Orange County, California. In addition to his duties as the Program Director of CalVOTER, Warren has also worked directly on the campaigns of a number of highly contested special and general elections across the state, from San Diego to the San Joaquin Valley.
In 2016, after a hard-fought campaign, Warren was crowned First Runner-Up in a Sacramento’s Most Eligible Bachelor contest. He credits his placing over nearly 20 conventionally much better-looking opponents to a targeted Social Media/Meme campaign. Warren spends a lot of his free time at the movie theaters.
Between 2009 and 2016, CalVoter launched nearly 20 voter registration programs around California, registered over 250,000 Democrats to vote, provided critical voter turnout support in some of the state’s most competitive legislative races, and trained and employed nearly a thousand first-time activists and organizers.
Between election cycles, Warren also worked for the State Senate as a District Representative for then-Senator Ted Lieu, and then in the State Capitol as a communications and policy consultant to the Senate Majority Caucus during the leadership of pro tems Steinberg and De Leon.
Warren got his start in politics and campaigning in 2007 as an entry-level field organizer, walking precincts and registering voters in central Orange County, California. In addition to his duties as the Program Director of CalVOTER, Warren has also worked directly on the campaigns of a number of highly contested special and general elections across the state, from San Diego to the San Joaquin Valley.
In 2016, after a hard-fought campaign, Warren was crowned First Runner-Up in a Sacramento’s Most Eligible Bachelor contest. He credits his placing over nearly 20 conventionally much better-looking opponents to a targeted Social Media/Meme campaign. Warren spends a lot of his free time at the movie theaters.
Richard Ahne, Associate Consultant |
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Richard joined SC Strategies in the summer of 2019, where he helps the team's clients maximize their fundraising potential and reach their operational goals.
Richard has worked on campaigns in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Iowa, and his native Southern California. Most recently, he served as finance director for the first congressional campaign of former CO State Representative Diane Mitsch Bush, an EMILY's List endorsed candidate who raised $1.08 million in the final stretch of the campaign, outraising an incumbent Republican by twofold. Previously, Richard was the finance director for NM State Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez's congressional campaign, which raised $1.06 million as the top fundraiser in a seven-way primary.
Outside of politics, Richard's proudest accomplishments include Grammy Award-winning jazz singer Norah Jones shouting him out on stage for his "cute tie", narrowly avoiding being mauled by a sleepy cheetah in eastern South Africa, and "ordering like a pro" at In-N-Out Burger, according to the cashier.
When he's not helping Democrats obtain the resources they need to win, Richard can be seen hiding out at movie theaters or indie bookstores, playing the guitar badly, and studying for law school, much to the enormous relief of his Korean immigrant family. He is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College.
Richard has worked on campaigns in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Iowa, and his native Southern California. Most recently, he served as finance director for the first congressional campaign of former CO State Representative Diane Mitsch Bush, an EMILY's List endorsed candidate who raised $1.08 million in the final stretch of the campaign, outraising an incumbent Republican by twofold. Previously, Richard was the finance director for NM State Senator Antoinette Sedillo Lopez's congressional campaign, which raised $1.06 million as the top fundraiser in a seven-way primary.
Outside of politics, Richard's proudest accomplishments include Grammy Award-winning jazz singer Norah Jones shouting him out on stage for his "cute tie", narrowly avoiding being mauled by a sleepy cheetah in eastern South Africa, and "ordering like a pro" at In-N-Out Burger, according to the cashier.
When he's not helping Democrats obtain the resources they need to win, Richard can be seen hiding out at movie theaters or indie bookstores, playing the guitar badly, and studying for law school, much to the enormous relief of his Korean immigrant family. He is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College.
Here is a partial list of campaigns and organizations our team has worked on, either as a senior-level staffer or in a consulting capacity:
Organizations
California Democratic Party, California; National Democratic Training Committee, Washington D.C.; Senate Democratic Caucus, California; CALVoter, California; California Young Democrats, California; Democratic Party of Orange County, California; Midwest Victory PAC, Iowa; Contemporary Policy Institute, California; OCCORD 501(c)(4), California; Flip the West, California; California Teachers Association, California; Association of Placentia-Linda Educators, California; Gallaudet University, Washington D.C.
Federal Campaigns
Andy Thorburn for Congress, California; Andrew Learned for Congress, Florida; Bobby Bliatout for Congress, California; Diane Mitsch Bush for Congress, Colorado; Dr. Raul Ruiz for Congress, California; Antoinette Sedillo Lopez for Congress, New Mexico; Tracy Van Houten for Congress, California; Dr. Gary Wegman for Congress, Pennsylvania
State, County and Local Campaigns
Ted Lieu for State Senate, California; Cathleen Galgiani for State Senate, California; Michael Rubio of State Senate, California; Lou Correa for State Senate, California; Leticia Perez for State Senate, California; Luis Chavez for State Senate, California; Tasha Boerner Horvath for Assembly, California; Andrew Learned for State House, Florida; Drew Phelps for Assembly, California; Christina Fugazi for Assembly, California; Sarah Davis for Assembly, California; Lourdes Everett for Assembly, California; Los Angeles Unified School Board Member Monica Garcia, California; Lori Frugoli for Marin County DA, California; Olga Diaz for San Diego County Supervisor, California; Andy Thorburn for Orange County Board of Education, California; Adrienne Gladson for Orange Mayor, California; Lincoln Councilmember James Michel Bowers, Nebraska; Chris Ricci for Modesto Council, California; Stephanie Oddo for Laguna Niguel City Council, California; Tiger Cosmos for Orange Unified School Board, California; Kevin Hayakawa for Walnut Valley Water Board, California; and many more