National Convening Program Books 2014 YEO National Convening Program Book | Page 73

Elizabeth R. Toledo

Alex Torpey

Village President
South Orange, New Jersey
Alex Torpey is the 48th village president of South Orange, New Jersey
and the youngest in the village’s history. He was elected and sworn into
office in May 2011. Torpey’s past service to South Orange includes serving
on the public library board, on the citizen’s public safety committee, and as
coordinator of the volunteer community emergency response team. Village
President Torpey is currently an active member and emergency medical technician in the South
Orange rescue squad, which he has been with since June 2010. He acquired his BA in political
science and government from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he served
as student government president for two years. He is an outspoken and vocal advocate for open
and transparent government and has been recognized by various organizations for his work on
the issue. @alextorpey

Nathan Triplett

City Council Member
East Lansing, Michigan
Council Member Nathan Triplett serves as mayor pro tem of the city of
East Lansing. He was first elected to the council in 2007. Triplett began
his service as a member of the city’s human relations commission and
community development block grant advisory committee. He authored
East Lansing’s first ordinance conditioning economic development incentives
on the use of green building practices, local purchasing preferences, and eligible
individual benefits policies. Recently, Triplett has focused on implementing a mandate calling
for landlords to distribute voter registration forms and information to tenants within the city.
Council Member Triplett currently serves as a member of the Michigan Municipal League’s
board of trustees, as well as a member of its legislative governance and land use and economic
development policy committees. He holds a master of public policy degree from the University
of Michigan and a JD from Michigan State University. @NathanTriplett
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73

YOUNG ELECTED O FFICIALS

Board of Education Member
Thermal, California
Board Member Elizabeth Toledo was elected to the Coachella Valley
Unified School District Board of Trustees in 2006. Upon re-election to
a second term, she was appointed to the Riverside County Board of
Education. Toledo began her career working as a youth promotora with
Planned Parenthood of Riverside and San Bernardino counties at the age of
15. She earned a degree from the University of California at Riverside and recently completed a
master’s program in politics, economics and business at Claremont Graduate University. Toledo
spent over seven years working in county government as a legislative assistant for the late
Supervisor Roy Wilson and Supervisor John J. Benoit, where she focused on health and human
services. Presently, Toledo is managing the Building Healthy Communities initiative in the Eastern
Coachella Valley, which is funded by the California Endowment. She is a policy fellow w