National Convening Program Books 2015 YEO National Convening Program Book | Page 43

YEO Bios
Mandela Barnes

State Representative
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
In 2012, Mandela Barnes was elected to serve in the Wisconsin state
legislature. Barnes graduated from Milwaukee’s John Marshall High
School in 2003, and graduated from Alabama A&M University in 2008.
Barnes was sworn into office on January 7th, 2013, and currently serves
on the Corrections, Education, Jobs & the Economy Committee, and Small
Business Development Committee. During his first legislative session,
Representative Barnes authored bills that would protect voters from fraud, provide small businesses
with tax relief, safeguard children’s health, enhance public safety, encourage responsible gun
ownership, and ban employment discrimination. Barnes was elected chairman of the legislature’s
Black and Latino Caucus, and had the honor to serve on international delegations to the Middle East
and Southeast Asia. @TheOtherMandela

Markus Batchelor

Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner
Washington, D.C.
Markus Batchelor was elected to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission
to represent District 8C04 in November 2014. Dubbed the “future mayor”
of Washington, D.C. by NBC Washington at the age of 17, Markus is a
22-year-old third generation Washingtonian, born and raised in the District’s
8th Ward. His campaign focused on rebuilding a fragmented community
network, improving city services, and collaborative efforts to solve the
tough issues. He currently serves D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser as an Outreach and Services Specialist
for Ward 8 in the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services (MOCRS). Markus has served
as president of his ward’s party organization, a member of the D.C. State Committee for his political
party, and was appointed by the late councilmember and mayor Marion S. Barry to D.C.’s Redistricting
Task Force at 18 years old. He has worked in senior levels on multiple political campaigns in the
District, and has interned for two D.C. city councilmembers. @MarkusBatchelor

Jim Blatchford

Vice Chair–School Committee Member

Vice Chair Jim Blatchford was born and raised in Lawrence,
Massachusetts. Blatchford served as a member of the Lawrence Planning
Board from 2008-2013 and as its vice-chairman from 2011-2013. He was
first elected to the Lawrence School Committee in November 2011, where
he has been a strong leader for transparency and accountability in the
Lawrence Public School System. After his reelection in 2013, Blatchford
was selected by his fellow school committee members to serve as vice-chairman. Blatchford is
currently working as a legislative aide to a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
@jimblatchford

YEO National Convening | 2015

Lawrence, Massachusetts

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