Meet the 2026-2027 Executive Board Candidates

Vice Chair of Development, Amani Latimer Burris

I have previously served on the Dane Dems Board as an At-Large member, Vice Chair of Communications, and Secretary. Most recently, I served as the Alder for District 12 on the Madison City Council. Prior to my time on Council, I worked in the Wisconsin State Senate for Senator Lena Taylor.

I currently serve as a Commissioner on the Dane County Airport Commission and was recently elected statewide as the Vice Chair of the WisDems Black Caucus. I also feel incredibly blessed—and genuinely humbled—to serve as an Advisor and Assistant to my cousin, Opal Lee, who is graciously known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth for her work in establishing our nation’s 11th federal holiday. Juneteenth is a holiday that represents and celebrates freedom and our country’s ongoing commitment to expanding freedom for all.

I am passionate about bringing people together, building coalitions across our differences, and finding meaningful ways to collaborate for the good of our communities.

Goals / Membership & Development Committee:
As a former Field Organizer for WisDems, I deeply appreciate the hard work our neighborhood teams and volunteers put in year after year. I know that all of our efforts—as volunteers—depend on having the resources to support them. That is why I’m stepping up to help create effective, consistent, and fun ways to raise money while engaging each of us in the process.

I know I cannot “make bread” alone, so I welcome your ideas and ask for your help. I’m also asking each of us to commit to strengthening our cash flow so we can continue to build and grow our local party—and ensure we have boots on the ground when Election Day comes.

I look forward to working with you!

 Vice Chair of Membership, Jane Kashnig

I’ve served on the Dane Dems Board in 3 positions: 2019 At Large, 2020-21 Treasurer, and 2024-25 VC of Volunteers working especially with Neighborhood Teams. I bring work-life experience as a Project Manager, IT Developer and Social Worker/Counselor. 

I like working behind the scenes to get work done: connecting people to each other, clearing obstacles, and building the collaborative, can-do leadership that is needed in 100% volunteer organizations like the Dane Dems. I’ve learned people working together to achieve shared goals have better ideas, better plans, and get more work done than one person alone.

Goals/Membership Committee: At recent Dane Dems monthly meetings, here’s some membership-related changes people said they would like.

1. Improve membership services. Make it easier to confirm membership status, renew membership, and clarify how to join the Democratic party. 

2. Increase County Party diversity, make our big tent bigger, help us handle differences productively. People would like to see a Dane Dems presence at diverse community events, develop relationships with WisDems Caucuses and Coalitions, and connect with like-minded community groups.

3. Increase County Party membership. Fun Fact: If just 2% of the Dane County residents who voted for Harris-Walz joined the Dane Dems, our membership would be 4 times larger than it is today! 

If you would like to explore whether being on the Membership Committee might fit your available time, talents and interests, please email me at [email protected]

Vice Chair of Nominations and Elections, Michael Bell

I am a longtime democratic activist, union member, author, political singer-songwriter, and composer. I have served on the board of the Dane Dems since 2016 and as Vice-Chair of Nominations and Elections since 2017. For my day job, I am a professor of community and environmental sociology at UW-Madison. You can read more about my work at michael-bell.net.

Can a small, volunteer, local organization change the world? It has to. We in Dane County are at ground zero of the future. From issues of economic fairness to healthcare access to immigrant rights to education to gender and sexual equality to welcoming diversity to fair maps and voting rights to ensuring environmental sustainability and the well-being of all, how goes Dane County goes not only our state but our country and indeed the world. 

How do we do it? Not by just showing up when an election looms and asking people for their money and their vote. Not by just holding monthly meetings where politicians come to rub shoulders and network with one another. We do it by building relationships with people in their communities. And we do it by doing things for people. Then they will have reason to get out and vote for our party’s candidates. Then a different world will be possible.

Vice Chair of Volunteers, Jane Bernstein

I’ve been the co-leader of the Madtown Os Neighborhood Action Team for five years. The Madtown Os has one of the largest volunteer capacities in the state. During my time in leadership, we have organized volunteers to talk to voters and get out the vote in multiple election cycles. I’ve also been part of the Dane County Neighborhood Team Leaders leadership for two years. In this role, I’ve mentored new teams, helped plan the agenda for our monthly Dane County Team Leaders meetings, and co-chaired the creation and implementation of our Dane County Neighborhood Team Leadership Institute.  

I’m inspired by the legions of committed volunteers who continue to amaze me with their commitment to doing the (often unsung) grassroots work necessary to elect democratic and progressive candidates up and down the ballot. I am also inspired by Ryan Sendelbach’s commitment to building a culture of inclusion, his vision of volunteers as leaders, and his understanding of the central role that neighborhood teams (and other like-minded organizations) play in strengthening the progressive fabric of Wisconsin. 

As VC of Volunteers, I will focus on increasing and supporting volunteers. I hope to collaborate with other committees to recruit volunteers from a diverse range of experiences, make it easier for volunteers to find their neighborhood teams, and help volunteers find the best fit for their interests and skills. I will also continue to serve as a liaison between the teams and the Dane Dems, including helping them expand their volunteer base, listening to what they need to be successful and thrive, and advocating for them at the county party level. 

Secretary, Erica Throneburg

My name is Erica Throneburg and I’m running for Secretary of the Dane Dems. I’ve lived in Madison for 13 years, work at a local hospital, and have 2 kids in middle school.

For the last 5 years I’ve been a co-leader of the Madtown Os Neighborhood Action Team. In that role I’ve helped plan, organize, and publicize events to activate and grow our volunteer base. Our team has a large volunteer capacity so organization and clear communication are key to holding successful events like canvasses, phone banks, texting actions, speaker events, and more.

Recently I’ve been keeping minutes at our Dane County Neighborhood Team Leaders monthly meetings. I prioritize clarity and timeliness in getting these notes to participants, with a goal of getting them edited and shared by the day after the meeting. I strive to create a clear picture of the meeting for people who couldn’t attend and provide an easy reference for the busy volunteers doing this work. I’ll continue that focus on the Executive Board of the Dane Dems.

I’ve felt empowered in my work with the neighborhood teams and look forward to joining the Dane Dems board. I’m inspired every day by the volunteers spending countless hours working to strengthen political leadership at all levels through the slow grind of organizing. We have a lot of work to do and I truly believe that together we can help create a stronger, more inclusive future for Dane County and beyond.

48th Assembly District Representative, Avery Renk

I’m a Sun Prairie resident, where I was born and raised. I graduated high school in 2017 from Sun Prairie High School, UW-Madison in 2021, and The University of Wisconsin Law School in 2024. I currently work as an attorney for the United Auto Workers. I also ran for the Wisconsin State Assembly District 48 in 2024, finishing third in the Democratic Primary. 

It has long been my goal to serve the people of Sun Prairie and the East Side of Madison, hence running for the assembly seat myself. Losing that race has not changed my goals. However, my job prevents me from making any further political runs in the near future. Therefore, I’m hoping to support other candidates though this position with the Democratic Party. I’m also a big fan of Ryan and think he will be a great chair, and I’m looking forward to supporting him. 

80th Assembly District Representative, Barbara Arnold

I grew up in Dane County and received my undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I lived and worked out of state for my career, primarily working as an in-house attorney for Toyota Motor Sales, Toyota’s US headquarters located in Southern California. To be closer to family, my husband and I moved to Madison in 2019 after we both retired.

Almost immediately upon my return, I started volunteering with Dane Dems and Team Gold, my neighborhood team located on the far westside of Madison. I quickly became a co-leader of Gold. In addition to organizing volunteers in our neighborhood, Gold is also working with WisDems to mentor a rebuilding Verona team. I am also a member of the committee that is reviewing Dane Dems’ governing documents in an effort to update and clarify them.

For the last two plus years, I facilitated the monthly meeting of the leaders of the Dane County teams. Working with team leaders from across the county, and with Jane Kashnig in her role as Vice Chair of Volunteers, has given me a better understanding of the amazing energy and strength some of our long-standing teams bring to the table as well as the challenges faced by some of the newer or rebuilding teams. There are opportunities to strengthen all neighborhood teams by virtue of strengthening Dane Dems. 

I was inspired to become more involved with Dane Dems when I met Ryan Sendelbach and learned about his vision for the county party. His commitment to work more closely with and provide greater support to the neighborhood teams resonates with me. Working together, we can make Dane County even more effective in support of Democratic candidates and values.  

81st Assembly District Representative, Sam Petricca

A lifelong democrat, I have spent my career in public service. My current professional role is with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in the legislative office. Before that, I served as a budget and policy analyst with the Department of Children and Families, and as policy staff for the Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus. An Illinois native, I have spent the last 11 years as a Wisconsin resident, in addition to my time at UW-Madison. I live in the Town of Westport with my wife Jen and daughter Livia.

I am excited to serve as the 81^st district representative for the Dane Dems. We are at a critical point in our local, state, and national politics, and I feel compelled to volunteer my time and effort in shaping its trajectory. The principles of liberalism—equality before the law, secularism, open society, individual rights—are sacred, hard-won, and fragile. I feel it is my responsibility to work, and to lift up the work of others, in service of these principles. Dane county is a Democratic stronghold, and its party infrastructure should reflect that strength. By mobilizing our smart and driven constituents, we can stand up for our democracy in the county, state, and beyond.