FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 2, 2021
Contact: Juan Ramiro Sarmiento
(785) 760-6567 | JuanRamiro.Sarmiento@younginvicibles.org
YI Welcomes New Executive Director
Kristin McGuire: The Ultimate Invincible
(Washington, DC) – Today, Kristin McGuire assumes charge of the largest research and advocacy organization for young people in the country with over 500,000 individuals in our network. The Young Invincibles Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve Kristin McGuire as our next Executive Director.
McGuire – the former West Regional Director for YI, a first-generation college student, and the first Black woman ever elected to the Charter Oak, CA School Board – brings a wealth of experience in strategy, organizing, and policy. At YI, McGuire has built some of the most critical and core programs in the organization — including the first pilot of the Young Advocates Program. She has been instrumental in the passage of multiple laws that today benefit young people in California, including the Hunger-Free College Act and the Student Borrowers Bill of Rights
In response, Kristin McGuire, Executive Director for Young Invincibles issued the following statement:
“It is an honor and a privilege to be entrusted with the responsibility to lead Young Invincibles. I am thrilled and eager to be a part of YI’s next chapter in the fight for a more just and equitable society. Young people are inextricably tied to the future of our nation, and I know how life-changing it is to have access to higher education and to basic human necessities like affordable health care. The actions we take today will dictate the type of world we live in tomorrow. While we face significant challenges – systemic racism, threats to democracy, public health, student loan debt, economic downturn, among others – our mission remains the same: elevate the voices of young adults in the political process and expand economic opportunity.”
As the new Executive Director, McGuire will help expand YI’s footprint into national and regional organizing at a pivotal moment in our nation’s history when American democracy confronts its most serious threat since the Civil War. With McGuire at the helm, YI is ready to mobilize young people to preserve our democracy and bring about radical policy change.
What They’re Saying:
Rachel Fleischer, Former YI Executive Director: “Kristin McGuire’s ascendance to the top leadership role at YI is historic for multiple reasons. Young Invincibles, a formally white-led organization, will now be headed by a Black woman who hails from California, is an elected official, and is a lifelong organizer.
Over my time as Executive Director, I have witnessed Kristin’s proven leadership, passionate advocacy, legislative accomplishments for millions of young Californians, and invaluable insight and partnership to me. Simply put – Kristin is the right person to lead YI. We are tremendously proud to welcome one of our own at YI to the top leadership role.”
Ari Matusiak, YI Board of Directors: “Kristin has a deep understanding of and commitment to our mission and expertise grounded in years of organizing and policy change work. She has a bold vision for YI’s next chapter and has already built an impressive body of work here at YI. She has built an incredible network of young adults who have formed the advocacy foundation of this organization. She leads with passion and honesty and has developed trusting relationships that are grounded in respect. Kristin inspires staff, partners, and funders alike. She embodies what it means to believe in young adult power. With Kristin at the helm, we are more confident than ever in YI’s capacity to lead on the behalf of young people.”
Jesse O’Connell, Lumina Foundation: “As a longtime supporter of Young Invincibles, Lumina Foundation is excited to see Kristin McGuire leading the organization. She’s done impressive work to expand access and build pathways for students in California and now brings that experience to the national stage. Kristin represents what young people across the country can accomplish—even in this time of extraordinary challenges—when their voices and power are supported in pursuit of ensuring economic opportunity.”