President

Dominique Gelin
University of Central Florida
Class of 2012
president@flcollegedems.com

Originally from Miami, Florida, Dominique now lives in Orlando where she studies at the University of Central Florida. It was there that she first got involved in her local chapter, jumping on board the Obama campaign in the fall semester of 2008. The subsequent year, Dominique managed the internship team for Kendrick Meek’s Orlando Field Team before serving as the Director of Political Activism for her chapter. This past year, Dominique also had the pleasure of serving as the FCD’s Women’s Caucus Chair, and hopes to propel our organization forward in the coming year.

Vice President

Erin Murphy
University of Florida
Class of 2012
vicepresident@flcollegedems.com

Erin is a senior at the University of Florida studying environmental policy. She first got involved with College Democrats by volunteering for the Obama campaign in 2008, and has continued to promote democratic ideals on campus ever since. Erin also proudly serves as the President of the UF College Democrats. The issues she is most passionate about include environmental conservation, women's equality in society and the workplace, and ensuring fair voting access for everyone.

Chief Financial Officer

Jad Khazem
Florida Atlantic University
Class of 2012
finance@flcollegedems.com

Jad Khazem is currently a rising senior at Florida Atlantic University, where he has had the opportunity to study Political Science and Spanish. Inspired by the vision of the Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign, he began his involvement in politics on the streets, as a humble, volunteer sign-waver. Since then, he has worked as a canvasser for the Florida Democratic Party and interned briefly with State Senator Maria Sachs.

On campus, Jad’s dedication to the progressive cause is unyielding. His passion for spreading awareness about the issues being debated in Tallahassee and DC, especially those pertaining to education, earned him an early position on the Executive Board at the FAU College Democrats. He now serves there as Vice President, where he works to ensure that college students remained actively engaged in the current political discourse.

Director of Communications

David Mariutto
University of Central Florida
Class of 2012
communications@flcollegedems.com

Bio to come.

Director of Membership

Kelly Kibbey
Florida State University
Class of 2012
membership@flcollegedems.com

Kelly was born and raised in Fort Myers, Florida. Her Gulf Coast lifestyle led to a deep appreciation of nature, particularly marine environments. Kelly began her studies at FSU, just after the 2008 campaign cycle. She interned in U.S. Senator Bill Nelson’s office throughout the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and later served as a legislative intern for Representative Mark Pafford in the Florida Capitol. After graduation, she aspires to influence water policy and work to conserve Florida’s abundant resources for future generations. Kelly is committed to working with students across the state to build chapters and strengthen the College Democrats.

Director of Political Affairs

Zachary Zermay
Florida State University
Class of 2014
politicalaffairs@flcollegedems.com

Born in Kingston, Pennsylvania, in 1992, and raised on Sanibel Island Florida, Zermay attended Fort Myers High School graduated from the International Baccalaureate Program. While in high school he was active in many clubs and organizations on campus such as Teen Court, Mock Trial, American Legion Boy’s State, Youth in Government and the Political Science Club. He served as President of the Political Science Club, Director of Insurance Regulation in Youth in Government, Senator from Boy’s State and a prosecutor in Teen Court. After heading off to Florida State University to study Political Science, Zermay became active in the College Democrats and was elected Director of Events. Zermay is currently serving as the Director of Political Affairs for the Florida College Democrats and the Florida State University College Democrats.

Secretary

Matty Budesa
Florida State University
Class of 2013
secretary@flcollegedems.com

Hey guys, I’m Matty. I’m a junior at Florida State University and the President of the College Democrats chapter here on campus, as well as the Secretary for the Florida College Democrats. I’m originally from Cape Canaveral, where Kennedy Space Center and Ron Jons are, and I guess you could say I’m a “beach girl.” I keep myself pretty busy in Tallahassee without the beach though, as I work in the FSU Social Science Dean’s Office, and last semester I also interned in Senator Bill Nelson’s Tallahassee office. I hope to go to Law School after I graduate and I’m double majoring in Political Science and Media and Communication Studies.

Webmaster

Michael Lucas
Florida State University
Class of 2012
webmaster@flcollegedems.com

Currently a masters student studying Applied American Politics and Policy at Florida State, Michael just graduated from FSU with degrees in information technology and political science. Michael's first involvement in politics came through interning with Organizing for America during spring 2010 as the deputy field organizer for north Florida. He then worked as a summer organizer and intern leader at OFA through the midterm elections. This same time he also got involved with the College Democrats at FSU, working as their webmaster before taking over the position for the Florida College Democrats along with the new 2011-2012 executive board. Besides webmastering, Michael dabbles in graphic design for OFA and the College Democrats as well as canvassing and recruitment.

Black Caucus Chair

Paige Brice
University of Central Florida
Class of 2013
blackcaucus@flcollegedems.com

My name is Paige Brice; I am a junior at the University of Central Florida, majoring in Political Science with a minor in German. I’ve spent the majority of my life in Lakeland Florida just east of Tampa. I enjoy traveling, interacting with new people, studying history and being involved in my community. Being an active member in College Democrats as well as other progressive organizations has really made a great impact in my life. This is my first year as Black Caucus chair for FCD and I’m really excited to create and strong and active caucus across college campuses in Florida.

This is the Black Caucuses second year being active and we have big goals! Although small at the moment, we have terrific representatives on a couple of campuses and I am proud that they are part of the black caucus and I can’t wait to see the good work they will do. This year we plan to expand our role on a number of campuses throughout the state, network with other black organizations, and have a positive impact in our communities!

Environmental Caucus Chair

Jessica McCarron
University of Tampa
environmentalcaucus@flcollegedems.com

Jessica McCarron is a Government and World Affairs major at The University of Tampa, and the chapter president of the College Democrats on campus. Jessica has been a dedicated environmentalist for years, participating in beach clean-ups, recycling summits and sustainability efforts throughout the community. She is dedicated to wildlife preservation and the clean energy movement.
 
 

Hispanic Caucus Chair

Luis Silva
University of South Florida
Class of 2012
hispaniccaucus@flcollegedems.com

Luis Silva is a senior at the University of South Florida; he became a naturalized citizen on July 4th 2007 and knows firsthand the struggles that immigrants face when they arrive in the United States. Luis is a community activist and is working to empower Hispanics in the state. He understands that Hispanics care about a multitude of issues; among these are immigration, healthcare, and education. Over the course of the next year Luis will lead the Florida College Democrats in strengthening their relationship with the Hispanic community.

LGBT Caucus Chair

Josh Jarrett
University of Central Florida
Class of 2012
lgbtcaucus@flcollegedems.com

Josh is a student at the University of Central Florida where he first became involved in College Democrats and became very involved in LGBT activism. Josh was the LGBT caucus representative at the College Democrats at UCF and is very excited to be involved as the state chair for the Florida College Democrats.
 

Women's Caucus Chair

Anna Eskamani
University of Central Florida
Class of 2012
womenscaucus@flcollegedems.com

Before Anna served as Women’s Caucus Chairwoman, she was the Women’s Caucus Representative at College Democrats at UCF for the 2010-2011 academic year. An Orlando native, Anna is a firm believer of the personal always being political. She is currently pursuing a double major in Political Science and Women’s Studies, and intends on graduating in Spring 2012. Anna is an activist in everything she does, and her most recent passions include advocating for women’s rights at a social and policy level, preserving public broadcasting, and thinking globally while acting locally.

Constitutional Committee interim chair: Shane Furman, shane@flcollegedems.com

Campaign Committee chair: Gil Wildridge, campaigns@flcollegedems.com

Finance Committee chair: Jad Khazem, finance@flcollegedems.com

Additional committee chairs coming soon. Interested in becoming a committee chair? Send inquiries to vicepresident@flcollegedems.com