Officers / DNC members

Yvette Lewis is a lifelong grassroots activist with a proven record as a Democratic leader. She’s served the Party in many critical and effective ways including on the campaigns of Bill Clinton, Steny Hoyer, Kweisi Mfume, and Barack Obama. Yvette at her core is an organizer, having notably brought together a group of volunteers to knock on doors, make phone calls and register voters to elect President Obama in 2008 and enact his agenda thereafter. Yvette is open-minded but tough, with a deep belief in the Democratic Party. She founded Maryland’s “Rapid Response Network” in 2010 to aggressively push back against the Tea Party in Washington, and Bob Ehrlich’s smear campaign against Governor Martin O’Malley. She later served as national co-chair and surrogate for Governor O’Malley’s 2016 presidential campaign, which included appearances on MSNBC and other media outlets.

Yvette was first elected as Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party in 2011 and became the second African American woman to serve in the post, serving from 2011 to 2015. As Chair she raised in excess of $7 million and ran two statewide coordinated campaigns. Yvette routinely criss-crossed the state supporting county central committees and local Democratic clubs, and pushed to elevate and institutionalize the Party’s Diversity Leadership Councils. In 2012, she successfully executed Maryland’s delegation selection plan – leading to the election of the most diverse convention delegation in state history. She planned and organized all the State Party’s events at the National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, which encompassed fifteen events for more than three hundred attendees over a five-day period.

During her first tenure as Chair, she was elected Secretary of the National Association of State Democratic Chairs (ASDC) and served on the Board of the ASDC Voter Co-Op – making critical investments in the voter file for all state parties. She was the recipient of the first “Geneva Jones Award” for Service and Leadership.

After completing four years as State Party Chair, Yvette was selected to be an At-Large Member of the Democratic National Committee. She was asked to serve on the 2016 Convention Credentials Committee and later on the DNC Unity Reform Commission. Yvette believes the Democratic Party is a big tent party and must be inclusive and welcoming to all, and supported significant changes to increase participation, engage voters and compete all across the country.

Yvette is currently the DNC National Committeewoman representing Maryland. She was elected unanimously to be the Eastern Caucus female representative on the DNC Executive Committee. She is the Chair of the Voter Protection Standing Committee for the Association of State Democratic Committees and is also a member of the DNC Rules and Bylaws Standing Committee.

In 2018 Yvette created “Shop Talk.” Working with local churches, she visited beauty and barber shops encouraging people to register and vote. What began as part of the DNC Seat at the Table program grew into a Maryland Democratic Party voter engagement effort. She will replicate this program for future elections in Maryland.

In 2019, Yvette was re-elected as Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party.

Baltimore has shaped Cory since the day he was born. Now Cory is working hand-in-hand with our neighborhoods to shape Baltimore.

Like many of us, Cory grew up in a Baltimore whose greatest resource was hardworking men and women. In spite of that resource, the City often struggled to give those men and women the opportunity they deserved. As a teenager at Fairmount-Harford High School, Cory was also in search of opportunity.

After a brief trip down the wrong path as a teenager, Cory found out about apprenticeships at the age of 18. The rest is history. By 19 he had become a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. By 20, Cory was a homeowner. Cory continued to meet opportunity halfway, working his way through community college and a bachelor’s degree, all while growing a small business focused on rental properties.

Those years also brought marriage and four loving children, along with a career focused wholly on working families and the communities they hold dear. Cory continues working for his local union and as a community organizer to this day, helping expand the opportunity for a better life to men and women across our City.

In 2014, our neighbors across the 45th District chose Cory to represent them in Maryland’s House of Delegates. As our Delegate, Cory has gotten the most out of every day in office, leading news outlets like Center Maryland to call him one of the most effective freshman legislators in the entire state.

Cory’s approach to public service is listening to his constituents’ problems, and then figuring out how to solve them. When we asked for better jobs, Cory passed the ACTION and POWER Apprenticeship Acts, which expand funding for apprenticeships that lead to family supporting careers. When we asked for an investment in public schools, Cory passed legislation that scores school construction funding, so that lawmakers can’t cut Baltimore out of resources it deserves. Cory’s neighbors also asked him to make sure they have a voice in Annapolis. He gave us a voice by passing legislation that restored voting rights to thousands of Marylanders. Just weeks after the victory, Governor Larry Hogan vetoed the bill, silencing a voice at the ballot box that many men and women had found for the first time in decades. But Cory didn’t give up. He returned to the legislature more determined than ever, building a coalition of legislators from across Maryland who overturned the governor’s veto, restoring the voices that Governor Hogan had silenced.

In 2018, Cory was elected to the MD State Senate so that he can continue expanding our opportunities, listening to our needs, and figuring out how to serve them. He asks for your support, as he continues to work on our behalf in Annapolis.

Judy Wixted, a lifelong political activist and field organizer, has worked with multiple Democratic Campaigns and Committees across the country, starting as a canvasser for then-Senator Joe Biden over forty years ago.

A graduate of Cornell University, she has run her own business, taught public speaking professionally and trained leaders up and down the East Coast of the United States. Judy is a retired corporate trainer and territory manager for Weight Watchers, International.  She has spent her life working to inspire others to better themselves and strengthen our communities. 

Elected in 1992 as Democratic Chair of Naperville Township, in Illinois, she recruited and supported candidates running for local office and found her passion.  Judy has served in Democratic Party leadership in several states since.  She believes that guiding leaders in their aspiration for local office is where Democrats can do their best, most impactful work to improve their communities. 

Judy started working in Maryland Democratic politics as a phone bank captain in President Obama’s campaign and was drafted to organize field for the TCDCC in every subsequent campaign.  Elected to the TCDCC in 2014, she helped build and execute the strategic plan that brought Democratic success starting in 2016, culminating in turning Talbot blue in a Presidential race for the first time since 1964 when Joe Biden won the county in 2020.  

She is certified by the National Democratic Training Committee to conduct political training seminars for candidates, volunteers, organizers, and activists on political strategy.  Judy has run Candidate Training for local Eastern Shore Candidates in Talbot for two cycles.  Candidates walk out of her training with a complete election plan in hand and a deeper understanding of the important responsibility that comes with seeking higher office.  Several of her “graduates” are serving in public office on the Eastern Shore today.

Judy lives in Cordova with her husband George Dappert.  Their children, Michele and James, are proud graduates of the Talbot County Public School system and are successful young professionals in Maryland and New York.

A Progressive Leader, former legislative candidate and attorney, Nicole is an advocate for working families, women’s equality and young professionals. Ms. Williams’ passion is providing enfranchisement to young people and minority groups so they may use the political process to change the world.

This passion stems from a humble upbringing by a single mother in her hometown of Washington, DC.  From a young age, Nicole has been a grassroots leader and has attempted to be a force for justice and empowerment.   In high school, she advocated for student rights and against the random searching of lockers within her high school. As a student at the University of Pittsburgh she worked for a local non-profit organization, advocating for woman’s reproductive rights and counseling minority communities about sexual transmitted diseases. She also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity to provide affordable housing for working families in Pittsburgh.  However, as a law student when the Supreme Court decided Bush v. Gore, Nicole knew at that point that it would take more than a grassroots approach to truly bring change.

She returned to the DC area in 2002 after law school, and became involved in Maryland politics through community outreach, mobilization of young voters and field strategy. In 2010, she was a candidate for the Maryland General Assembly and after the primary was invited to be a member of the 2010 steering committee for the (Governor/ Lt. Gov.) O’Malley/Brown re-election campaign.  In 2011, Ms. Williams was appointed as the Eastern Regional Female Representative on the DNC Youth Council and assisted the DNC’s efforts to increase youth participation within the party. Ms. Williams was a delegate to the 2012 Democratic Convention. In 2018, Ms. Williams was again a candidate for the Maryland General Assembly.

In addition to her law practice at Rees Broome, P.C. in Bethesda, Maryland specializing in complex real estate transactions, Nicole’s political and civic commitment include:

• Service on the Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee
• Past Chair of the Board of Directors for NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland Fund
• President of the Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt Democratic Club
• Member of the United Democratic Women of Maryland
• Former Member of the DNC Youth Council
• Past President of the Prince George’s County Young Democrats
• Past Executive Committee Member of both the Young Democrats of Maryland and the Young Democrats of America
• Nicole is an active member of the Prince George’s County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, Kiwanis Club of Mitchellville Maryland, University of Pittsburgh Alumni Association, Metropolitan Baptist Church, Prince George’s County Bar Association, J Franklyn Bourne Bar Association, Prince George’s County Historical Society and former chief counsel to the Prince George’s County Historic Preservation Commission

Nicole has been featured as one of the top Forty under 40 in Prince George’s County, The Daily Drum on WHUR-FM in Washington DC, Capital Insider on News Channel 8, CBS Radio in Maryland and “In the Know” Political Radio Show in Washington, DC.  She has moderated both legal and political workshops around the country.

Bob is an attorney with the law firm of Offit Kurman, P.A. resident in its Frederick, Maryland office, where he has practiced for over 30 years. He has been a party officer since 2003, serving as Treasurer since 2010.

A graduate of Western Maryland College and University of Baltimore School of Law, Bob has been active in Democratic politics since his days as a College Democrat. He served two terms as President of United Democrats of Frederick County and has been a member of the Frederick County Democratic State Central Committee for 22 years, serving over 5 years as its Chair.

Robbie is an attorney at the Law Offices of Evan K. Thalenberg, P.A. He has spent over a decade fighting for justice in Baltimore City courtrooms. First, as an Assistant Public Defender, where Robbie tried well over one hundred cases. Then, in civil litigation where he has represented children who have been poisoned by lead-based paint.

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Robbie graduated from Towson University in 2003 with a degree in Political Science. He attended the University of Baltimore School of Law and received a Juris Doctor degree in 2007. During law school, Robbie got a head start on trial practice as a Rule 16 Student Attorney with the Office of the Public Defender in Baltimore City.

He was promoted to Assistant Public Defender upon graduation from law school. He was known as a fearless trial lawyer who zealously advocated for his clients in district, circuit and juvenile courts. Robbie also worked on the Public Defender’s government relations team to explain to the Maryland Legislature how proposed laws can impact all of us.

Since 2012, Robbie has successfully transitioned to civil litigation where he has won several million-dollar verdicts on behalf of lead-poisoned children in Baltimore. His courtroom success has motivated insurance companies to settle dozens of cases without the need to go to trial. Robbie was selected to the 2016, 2017, and 2018 Maryland Super Lawyers Rising Stars list, an honor bestowed upon only 2.5% of Maryland’s lawyers. He is also a member of the Maryland Association for Justice, American Association for Justice, and the Baltimore County Bar Association. Robbie also serves as Adjunct Faculty in the Legal Studies department at the Community College of Baltimore County.

Robbie is an active member of his community. He recently served on the Baltimore County Board of Parks and Recreation to make sure that our kids enjoy the same opportunities that he had growing up. Robbie has also served as Chair of the Baltimore County Democratic Party, was an alternate delegate to the Democratic National Convention, was a member of the Electoral College and has been the Democratic nominee for House of Delegates and State Senate in Baltimore County. He has organized and volunteered on numerous campaigns and is a strong believer in grassroots.

Devang Shah is a lifelong resident of Montgomery County, Maryland. He has been actively involved in the Democratic Party serving the Asian American and Pacific Islander (“AAPI”) and broader communities in a volunteer capacity. Since 2017, Devang has served as Chair of the AAPI Leadership Council where he seeks to have more AAPIs’ engaged in the political process. He has organized many events including several large events including an AAPI Heritage Month event in 2020 with over 450 people. Devang has served on the Finance Council of the Maryland Democratic Party since January 2020 and is a Trustee for the Party since 2017. He recently began organizing Business Roundtables for the State Party. 

In 2020 he was elected for the 6th Congressional District as a delegate for President Biden to the Democratic National Committee. During the Presidential election, Devang was active in the campaign serving as a Senior Advisor to South Asians for Biden; serving on Biden’s AAPI Kitchen Cabinet; and forming the Mid Atlantic AAPI Council where he exported AAPI volunteers from Maryland and Virginia to the swing states of Pennsylvania and North Carolina. 

Devang has worked on behalf of the AAPI community throughout the state serving on Governor O’Malley’s South Asian Affairs Commission coordinating various South Asian community activities and advising the Governor on policies to enhance and improve community programs.  He currently serves as Co-Chair for Montgomery County Executive’s Asian Pacific American Advisory Group, Co-Chair of Congressman Trone’s AAPI Advisory Board and as a member of Howard County Executive AAPI workgroup. 

Devang has a long history of working with various nonprofit organizations. He serves on the Board of AICS which addresses the barriers to physical and mental health care. Devang also serves as Board Chair of Interfaith Works, an organization that helps people experiencing homelessness or living in poverty. The organization has 130 employees, 7000 volunteers and a budget of over $7 million.  

Professionally, Devang is an Immigration Attorney having established a law firm in 1995 serving clients throughout the United States. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan, law degree from American University Law School and a Master of Law Degree in Taxation from Georgetown University Law School.  

Abena is a New York native, and lifelong Democrat. Abena has lived in Charles County more than 11 years with her Husband and college sweetheart Willie, a native of the area. Abena earned her Bachelors degree with cum laude honors from Nyack College in 2007, and earned her Juris Doctorate from the David A. Clarke School of Law in 2013. Abena is no stranger to community advocacy or representing the ideals of the Democratic Party. In 2013, Abena drafted the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillator Requirements Act of 2013. The Act initiated a CPR and AED program across schools in the District of Columbia, and established procedures for responding to medical emergencies.

Her Democratic Party involvement includes service as Chair of the Charles County Democratic Central Committee and more. In an effort to encourage more Democrats to run for office in Charles County, Abena hosted the county’s first candidate training workshop and campaign finance workshop. As Chair, Abena made a commitment to do more fundraising for the party and as a result the Charles County Democratic Central Committee had it’s highest grossing Truman Kennedy Obama Awards Dinner of all time. Additionally, under her leadership the Charles County Democratic Central Committee’s Get Out The Vote(GOTV) efforts were effective and increased voter turn out by more than 49% in Charles County. As a result Charles County was one of four counties throughout the State that produced a win for Ben Jealous and every Democrat on the ballot in November 2018.

Abena has supported dozens of Democratic campaigns at the local, state and national level, including Barak Obama’s 2012 Presidential re-election campaign, Congressman Anthony Brown’s 2014 campaign for Governor of Maryland, and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign to name a few.

Abena’s civic involvement is extensive, as she has never been one to sit on the sidelines. When a cause is important, she rolls up her sleeves, joins the team, and does what it takes. In the wake of the growing discontent with Law enforcement in our nation, in December of 2014, Abena organized a countywide panel discussion with several community leaders, local politicians, and the newly elected Sherriff, to discuss community relations, racial tension, policing practices, accountability issues, and how to build a stronger relationship between the Charles County Sheriff’s Department and citizens. In 2017, Abena helped to organize a bus for Charles County residents to attend the Women’s March on Washington. Following the march, Abena founded one of the most progressive organizations in the county, Women of Action Charles County (WOACC). Women of Action Charles County MD (WOACC) is a large diverse network of local women dedicated to empowering and supporting women and all people by mentoring, performing community service and offering educational opportunities to further the common good and general welfare of residents in the community. In 2018, WOACC organized a bus to take residents from the tri-county area to the March for Our Lives. Since it’s inception, WOACC has been featured on Good Morning Washington, hosted a meet and greet with Congressman Steny Hoyer, House majority leader of The United States Congress, held educational town halls, harvested food to feed low-income residents across Maryland, started a teacher supply closet to give teachers around the county free classroom supplies, and raised funds to support Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. In December 2018, Abena was elected Deputy Secretary of the Maryland Democratic Party and serves as the co-Chair of the party’s Ethics and Sexual Harassment Committee.

Abena is a hard worker and truly dedicated to serving the community.  She attributes her strength and love of service to her faith and family. She currently resides in Waldorf Maryland with her husband Willie, their 2yr old daughter Reagan, and their two dogs.

Greg Pecoraro has served as a DNC member from 1996 to 2020. Prior to that, he was a member and Chair of the Carroll County Democratic Central Committee, and is the Party’s long-time Parliamentarian. In 2000 he served as one of Maryland’s Presidential Electors.

A member of the Westminster City Council for over 15 years, Pecoraro has held senior positions in the Administrations of Governor Parris Glendening and Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith. Earlier, he served as an assistant to U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes and State Treasurer Lucille Maurer. Currently, he is the CEO of a not-for-profit economic and transportation alliance focused on Central Maryland.

Bel Leong-Hong, President and CEO of Knowledge Advantage, Inc., founded in 1999, after a very exciting thirty-year career in public service. She held many “first” senior level positions, including being the first career female AAPI to become a Depputy Assistant Secretary of Defense. An At-Large member of the DNC since 2001. She was elected in 2005 as the Chair of the DNC AAPI Caucus. She is a member of the DNC Executive Committee, the Women’s Caucus, and the Credentials Standing Committee. She is a member of the National Finance Council, a Presidential Partner, and a national Co–Chair of the DNC Asian American Leadership Council. At the Maryland Democratic Party, she is on the Executive Committee, as well as a Party Trustee.

Cheryl Landis is a highly respected member of the Maryland Democratic Party. With 40+ years of professional and volunteer service, she has earned the unwavering support and respect of Democratic Party Leaders throughout Maryland. Her visionary leadership, organizational effectiveness, and strategic planning techniques have added tremendous value and efficacy to her ability to consistently produce exemplary results. She is well known for her political and community activism, as well as her advocacy to help educate Marylanders on the importance of voting and the consequences of not voting.