Progress Michigan Staff Bios
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David Holtz, Executive Director
David Holtz has been a leading communicator for nearly three decades. David was Clean Water Action’s first National Communications Director, establishing the organization’s Washington, DC press operation and overseeing the complete rebranding of its Web site, logo and national publications. Prior to that David was the Clean Water Action Michigan Director for four years, during which time he built the state environmental community’s largest online community of more than 80,000 members.
For four years, David served as environmental media coordinator for 12 Michigan groups, including Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, Michigan Environmental Council and the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. In that role, David pioneered the environmental news service, Echo, which is now operated by Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. He is a former newspaper reporter, congressional aide and served with the U.S. Marine Corps.
Leigh Fifelski, Communications Director
Leigh Fifelski is an accomplished organizer with strong communication skills and a tenacious spirit. Before working with Progress Michigan, Leigh worked with the Sierra Club building an incredibly strong environmental community and taking volunteerism to new levels.
Leigh graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism but soon realized that her passion was protecting people and the communities in which they reside.
When not at work, you can find Leigh volunteering in the community, running, or on the soccer field.
Chad Cyrowski, New Media Coordinator
Chad Cyrowski is a recent graduate of Michigan State University. While completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the Honors College, Chad worked as a Campaign Manager for Patirck Lindemann’s Ingham County Drain Commissioner re-election bid. In what turned out to be a mandate from the public, we garnered 63% of the vote.
Shortly thereafter, Chad became the Director of New Media for Ken Cockrel; managing, designing, and implementing liveblogs, internet townhalls, the website, and social networking operations throughout the campaign. His work was even mentioned in the Michigan Messenger, stating his New Media effort won “hands down.”
Chad is passionate about progressive issues and the myriad ways New Media can affect real change.
Angela Vasquez-Giroux, Communications Specialist
Angela Vasquez-Giroux studied English at Michigan State University, winning many prestigious awards for her poetry and academic writing before becoming a community organizer with Clean Water Action. Later, Angela worked as an organizer for the Graduate Employees Union at Michigan State University before joining the staff at the MIRS newsletter, a daily political digest covering the state Legislature, first as a copy editor and news scraper, then as a freelance reporter. After covering Lansing City Hall and city politics for the Lansing City Pulse, she joined the staff at Progress Michigan in the fall of 2009.
After work hours you’ll find Angela on the softball diamond, the soccer field or at home in East Lansing, where she lives with her husband and their daughter.
Karen DeMott, Michigan Policy Summit Director
Since graduating from James Madison College at Michigan State University, Karen DeMott has had the opportunity to work for Senator Carl Levin as well as Congressman Sander Levin in Washington DC. Karen returned to Michigan as Budget Director for Governor Granholm’s victorious 2006 re-election bid. Prior to joining the Progress Michigan team, she continued to work in the Governor’s political office holding a variety of roles, including Project Director for the Michigan National Governors Association
2007 Conference, and Project Director for Denver Convention 2008.
In her free time, Karen enjoys running, traveling, and spending time with her husband Shane, and bulldog Gert.
