2024 PCDO Executive Board
Please note that:
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Officers and At-Large Members are elected by the Membership.
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Committee Chairs are appointed by the incoming President upon recommendation of the Nominating Committee.
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Ex-Officio Members serve by virtue of their offices and are included here for information only.
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Biographies of all the nominated candidates are on the following pages.
Officers
President
1st VP
2nd VP
Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer
Corresponding Secretary
Recording Secretary
Nick Di Domizio
Jane Manners
Dosier Hammond
Denny Velasquez
Arifa Khandwala
Amy Mayer
Jennifer Fearon
At-Large Members
At-Large 1
At-Large 2
At-Large 3
At-Large 4
At-Large 5
At-Large 6
At-Large 7
At-Large 8
At-Large 9
At-Large 10
At-Large 11
At-Large 12
Nat Bottigheimer
Liz Cohen
Jon Durbin
Rachel Grainger
Nate Howard
Akash Jim
Chris Johnson
Keena Lipsitz
Jason Mangone
Yael Niv
Abigail Rose
Dina Shaw
Committee Chairs
Advocacy
Archives *
Elections
Logistics and Events *
Local Issues
Membership *
Nominating *
Programming *
Website/Publicity *
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* Standing Committees
Liz Cohen
Joanna Dougherty
Keena Lipsitz, Rachel Grainger
Jason Mangone
Nat Bottigheimer
Amy Mayer
Lance Liverman
Jeffrey Oakman
Ari Meisel
Current Ex-Officio Members
Mayor
Council President
Council
PMDC Chair
Mark Freda
Mia Sacks
David Cohen
Leticia Fraga
Michelle Pirone Lambros
Leighton Newlin
Eve Niedergang
Felicia Spitz
Nat Bottigheimer
Nat Bottigheimer is an urban planner whose whole career has been spent on issues related to transportation investment and economic growth. He has worked on these issues in California, Massachusetts, the Washington, DC region and, since he moved to Princeton in 2012, in New Jersey. He works at the NJ Economic Development Authority. Nat chairs the Princeton Public Transit Advisory Committee, is a member of the Planning Board, and has served on various municipal committees. He’s also an avid fisherman and tennis player. Nat is married to Princeton native and professor of Astrophysics at Princeton University, Eve Ostriker.
Liz Cohen
I have enjoyed participating in both campaign work and addressing important issues that impact our community. I support this unique joint focus of the PCDO and want to continue to help build community through these advocacy efforts on issues that are especially crucial in our current political climate, especially addressing economic and racial disparities and crises in the context of covid. As past chair of the PCDO Programming Committee, I worked with a dedicated team to educate PCDO members on a range of issues and guide us toward action. I was a past nominating committee chair, have helped run phone banks and canvassing over many elections, and learned new skills in getting out the vote in the time of covid. I am a hospice social worker with PennMed Princeton Home Care and serve on the Democratic Municipal Committee where I relish working to get out the vote in my district. I am on the leadership team for RAC-NJ, a state level advocacy group for the Jewish Reform movement, and serve on its national Commission for Social Action. I am the mother of three voting young adults, (and grandmother of a voting helper) and enjoy sharing Democratic activities and values with my husband, Dave.
I affirm I will regularly attend both the Executive Board and monthly membership meetings.
Nick DiDomizio (he/him) – President
I'm looking forward to serving another year as President of the PCDO. Prior to being President, I served one year as Treasurer and another year as assistant treasurer. Last year was our first break-out from meeting almost exclusively in virtual meetings, and we have a lot to be proud of. I'm looking forward to more opportunities for growth and reform in 2024. 2023 was an incredible year in which the PCDO helped boost Democratic turnout in Princeton, and we're going to bring that same energy into 2024! My passion has always been rooted in voter outreach through door-knocking for our Democratic candidates. I graduated in 2013 from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering. I spent 6 years as a Process Engineer at an Engineering Consulting firm, and I now work at a local Drug Discovery Research and Development Organization as a Project Manager.
Jon Durbin
It would be a privilege to continue on the PCDO Executive Board for 2024. The challenges we face in retaining control of the White House and U.S. Senate and flipping the U.S House of Representatives are some of the most critical of our lifetimes. As part of our organizational mission, I think it is critical that we continue our intentional efforts to grow and diversify our membership and leadership through a strong coordinated effort between the program, local issues, campaign, and nominating committees. Our commitment to equity, inclusiveness, and sustainability will make our local party stronger and help shape the town of Princeton over the next ten years. As a member of the Mercer County Democratic Executive Committee, I also hope to bring stronger awareness and connection to our county democratic party and examine good governance principles at the county level. As a former PCDO President and Princeton Township Democratic Committee Municipal Chair, I hope that I also can provide some sense of continuity from where we have been, while we make exciting plans on where we want to go. Many thanks for your consideration and support.
Joanna Dougherty – Archives Committee
I am running for another term as Corresponding Secretary of PCDO. In an era of email, I send meeting notices to those who want to receive them via USPS. Other duties include posting the minutes of the Executive Board meetings to the web site and distributing resolutions to their intended recipients. Through Barack Obama’s 2008 national campaign, I got connected to local PCDO efforts and participated primarily through organizing button making at the local HQ. It was an insane amount of work but also great fun. I played the same role in the 2012 and 2016 campaigns and in 2020 made most of the Biden-Harris buttons. In 2016 I became a PCDO member. The following year I became an at large member of the Executive Board and the year after that, the corresponding secretary. I enjoy serving on the Executive Board because it keeps me more connected to ongoing local and state political efforts, and through our deliberations, I can help shape our decision making. I've volunteered for local Council campaigns and Andrew Zwicker's State Assembly race and find these local campaigns even more engaging. I like to think that PCDO's efforts encourage others to engage in political activity “beyond voting” in large part because opportunities are available. After 18 years of employment in a local law office, I am now retired.
Jennifer Fearon (she/her) - Recording Secretary
I have been a life-long Democrat as well as door-knocker, leafleter, and phone banker. While I have only lived in Princeton since 2022, I have called Mercer County home throughout my life, having grown up in West Windsor. Thank you for the warm welcome in the PCDO community. I am honored for the chance to support the important work of the Executive Board to advance democratic values, elect active progressive leaders from local to federal offices, elevate diverse voices, and inform and mobilize our community. In my professional life, I have advanced public health through public service, advocacy, policy research, and strategic consulting roles from the local to global levels. I am especially passionate about expanding reproductive health and women’s rights, ensuring equitable access to quality care, and building just and effective institutions. Since 2018, I have served in the NJ state government, including the last 1.5 years as the Governor’s Policy Advisor for health and human services matters. I hold a MPH from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health in 2015, an AB from Barnard College in 2013, and a CPH from the National Board of Public Health Examiners.
Rachel Grainger
Rachel is a seasoned leader with legal, policy and political experience and a passion for community building. Rachel has decades of political experience, both on a professional and volunteer basis. Most recently, in 2023, Rachel was PCDO Elections Co-Chair where she led a successful get-outthe vote effort in Princeton to help elect Democrats up and down the ballot. Rachel has volunteered on candidate and issue campaigns nationwide for over 3 decades. She relishes the opportunity to have conversations with prospective voters about the issues they care about. She also loves the opportunity to build, develop and motivate teams of volunteers to engage in this important work of democracy. Professionally, working across start-up, non-profit and corporate settings, Rachel has earned a reputation as a strategic thinker, an effective planner and a creative problemsolver. She understands the power of unlocking people’s potential and working collaboratively. This has aided her in building, developing and motivating diverse teams and made her adept at building relationships with key stakeholders. She has most recently been deploying these skills to help area non-profits with strategic alignment, goal-setting and planning. As a lawyer, Rachel represented start-up, early-stage and established technology companies and, as in-house counsel to an early-stage technology company, served on the Operating Management Committee where she helped drive cross-functional process improvement and other initiatives to achieve corporate goals. As a non-profit executive, Rachel helped grow an early-stage policy and research business line, including through development of business strategy, resource planning and team leadership. Rachel received her JD from Stanford Law School, where she was a member of the Stanford Law Review and the Stanford Latino Law Students Association (SLLSA). She received her BA in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa and Cum Laude and was President of the Young Democrats. Rachel lives in Princeton with her husband and two children, ages 15 and 12.
Dosier Hammond – Second Vice President
I have been actively involved in PCDO for 11 years, and have worked actively to elect Democrats in the primaries in the general elections for 17 years. I have served on the Executive Board these past 5 years. I was on the Flip NJ Blue PCDO in 2018 committee that developed a coalition of 10 local progressive groups to help flip 4 of 5 Republican House districts to Democrat, and worked in 2020 on state and national elections in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I was a panelist on the local issues committee Affordable Housing presentations. And in the last couple of years, I have worked to expand the advocacy of the PCDO on important local, state and national issues. I want to grow the PCDO, and make it even more effective in local, state, and national issues, and help it serve the needs of all Princetonians and Americans to have good jobs, $15 per hour, benefits, healthcare, affordable housing, legalizing marijuana and ending mass incarceration, and civil rights. I want to work on the issues above as well quality of life and diversity in Princeton.
Nate Howard
I am currently a junior at Princeton University studying in the School of Public and International Affairs. I served as President of Princeton College Democrats last year, and I now serve as Vice-President of the College Democrats of New Jersey (CDNJ). Last summer I interned in the office of Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman.
I graduated from Princeton High School in 2021, where I was co-president of PHS Democrats in Action, co-president of Junior State of America, and lead attorney for the Mock Trial Team; I was also involved in organizing for PHS March for Our Lives and coorganized climate strikes.
Akash Jim
I am a sophomore at Princeton University, where I am a member of the College Democrats. I graduated from Princeton High School in 2022. I am also involved with the College Democrats of New Jersey, which I recently reconstituted. I am particularly interested in local affairs, and I hope that the enthusiasm surrounding this year federal elections can be channeled into increased community involvement in local issues. I will also work to maintain and strengthen PCDO relationship with the College Democrats, with particular attention to the important state-level elections in 2024 and 2025.
Chris Johnson
Christopher P. Johnson has lived in Princeton with his wife and daughter since 2013. His wife grew up in Princeton, her family having settled here in 1984. He is a Director of Technology Solutions at ETS, where he has worked since 2015. Chris has an established history of community service and volunteerism, most recently and currently serving on the Board of Trustees for the Campbell Woods Homeowners Association since 2015, and as President since 2016. In his role with Campbell Woods, Chris has managed a strong balance sheet for the community, has overseen major capital improvement projects, manages vendor engagements, coordinates regularly with the community’s management company, and has regular interactions with homeowners. With a daughter enrolled at Littlebrook Elementary, Chris is committed to staying engaged with the community and working toward a sustainable future. He is a strong collaborator and communicator, effective in myriad forums from in-person board meetings to online discussion boards to at-large meetings in the community. Chris is eager to expand his volunteerism in the community, and is hopeful a role with the PCDO will afford an opportunity to continue being an effective advocate for Princeton’s residents and the community overall.
Arifa Khandwalla – Assistant Treasurer
Arifa Khandwalla has diverse work experience that spans research in climate change, technology policy and real estate development. She is currently focused on financial analysis in real estate development. Arifa has a broad academic background in applied mathematics and policy that includes degrees from Smith College, Carnegie Mellon University and an MBA in Finance from NYU. Volunteer work includes auditing the PTO accounts in New York City, serving on the board of the PTO as vice-president of the Garden Committee at Riverside Elementary School and as a chapter leader of a local interfaith group. Arifa was an active volunteer for NJ Muslims for Biden and participated in numerous phone-banking sessions.
Keena Lipsitz
I'm a political scientist that teaches and writes about American politics at Queens College and the Graduate Center in the City University of New York. My area of specialization is campaigns and elections. My family lives in Princeton where my spouse teaches at Princeton University and my two children attend the middle school and high school. I am currently on the board of the Friends of Herrontown Woods and the PHS Track/Booster Club. After 2016 I also served on the Indivisible Princeton Steering Committee for several years where I helped organize events and canvassing campaigns. I look forward to helping the PCDO advance its important agenda.
Lance Liverman – Nominating Committee
Lance Liverman was born and raised in Princeton, N.J. Lance attended the Princeton Public Schools (Littlebrook, John Witherspoon and Princeton High). Lance married LaTonya Kilpatrick-Liverman in June of 1993. They met while LaTonya was a graduate student at Princeton University. Lance and LaTonya have three beautiful daughters (Kelsey, Ashlyn and Savanna).
Lance has always given back to the Princeton Community. “I am so fortunate to live in Princeton and to be around so many good hearted people, that giving my time to help others is a real joy “ said Lance. Lance had served on the Princeton Township Committee and Princeton Council for 15 years just retiring in Dec. of 2018. During this time Lance has served as the liaison for Corner House for 15 years. Lance is currently the Chairman of the Trustee Board for First Baptist Church of Princeton, Chairman of the Real Estate Committee for the First Baptist Church of Princeton, serves on Princeton Affordable Housing Board and is Treasurer and Board Member of Mercer Council on Alcoholism and Drug Addiction.
Lance has served in the past on the Corner House, Princeton Community Housing, Princeton Human Services and Princeton Planning Board’s. Lance has never been one to stray away from his beliefs that all children are a blessing and they all need to have a chance to make it in this world. Lance continues to look for rewarding volunteering work that will have an everlasting impact on the community.
Lance is currently Owner/President of Liverman Associates (real estate management company that began in 1993).
Jane Manners – First Vice President
I’m a legal historian by training and am currently an assistant professor at Temple Law School, where I teach torts, legislation, and legal history. I moved to Princeton with my family over a decade ago so that I could get my PhD in American history at Princeton University. My husband John is an emergency medicine doctor at Rutgers-Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick, and we have three children, one at Princeton High School and two at Littlebrook. I’ve been involved in progressive policy work and Democratic politics in some capacity at many points in my career, including three years working on campaign finance reform at what was then the Open Society Institute (George Soros’s U.S. foundation) and a stint on Wesley Clark’s 2004 presidential primary campaign. I’ve been a member of the PCDO’s Executive Board for three years, and am looking forward to continuing our important work.
Jason Mangone
Jason Mangone is Kara's husband, and Joseph, Anna and Anthony's dad. He moved his family back to Princeton, where he was born, because he wanted his kids to be raised around their great grandparents. He recently became a volunteer firefighter to trick his children into thinking he's cool, and he also serves on the board of Princeton Little League.
Professionally, Jason was most recently the CEO of Newbury Franklin Home Services, a provider of concierge maintenance services in locally-led markets across the country. He began his career as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps from 2006-10, including deployments to Iraq and Haiti. After his military service, he was a Research Associate at the Council on Foreign Relations.
After graduate school Jason expected to return to work in the national security sector, but ended up running the Aspen Institute’s Franklin Project, an initiative to make a year of national service a common expectation for every young American. He led the Franklin Project’s merger with two other nonprofits, resulting in the creation of the Service Year Alliance, where Jason was Chief Operating Officer.
He then spent a year helping to build New York City’s Department of Veterans’ Services as a Senior Advisor to the agency’s Commissioner. In 2018, he co-authored the national bestselling book Leaders: Myth and Reality, which the Financial Times named a “Best Business Book of 2018.” His writing has also been published, among other outlets, in the Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Task & Purpose, and Philadelphia Inquirer.
Amy Mayer – Corresponding Secretary
Amy Mayer practices law (remotely) at a small firm located in Brooklyn, NY, where she focuses on corporate governance and real estate development projects for cultural institutions as well as for-profit clients. She also serves as Secretary of the Board of Trustees of One Community, a non-profit organization serving residents of Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. Her volunteer work has previously included serving on the boards of Trenton Circus Squad, Princeton School Garden Cooperative and the Pratt Area Community Council (now IMPACCT Brooklyn). She has been a member of the Princeton Municipal Democratic Committee (District 16) since 2019 and previously served on the PCDO Executive Board in 2017, 2022 and 2023.
Ari Meisel – Website Committee
As the Vice President of the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad, I have dedicated a significant part of my life to serving our community in Princeton. I am passionate about productivity and efficiency, both in my professional life as an author and expert in the field, and in my volunteer work. My focus has always been on making things better and more effective, whether that's through my writing or in the practical, hands-on work I do as an EMT and non-profit board member. I'm excited to bring this same passion and skill set to the PCDO, particularly in enhancing our online presence. I believe that by improving our website and social media platforms, we can engage more effectively with the community, share important information, and foster a stronger, more connected Princeton.
Yael Niv
Yael Niv is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Princeton University, where she studies learning and decision making as they pertain to mental health conditions. She is also an academic activist working to combat gender bias and racism in academia. Outside academia, she is a cofounder of Princeton Progressive Action Group (PPAG), a local Princeton group that aims to make clear the connection between local (zoning) policies and progressive values of inclusivity, social and environmental justice. She is also cofounder and president of the Good Government Coalition of New Jersey (GGCNJ), a non-partisan group that focuses on increasing democracy in New Jersey by promoting ballot reform to bring our primary election ballots in line with those of every other state in the US. Her volunteer work in USA previously included tutoring at Sanctuary for Families in NYC and emergency relief work at The Action Center in Queens in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. In Israel, she volunteered with youth who had been displaced from their families. She has been living in Princeton since 2013 and has two children who attend Princeton public schools.
Jeffrey Oakman – Programming Committee
As a 11-year resident of Princeton and lifelong Democrat, I would be honored to continue on the Executive Board of the PCDO. Since joining the Board in 2017, I have chaired the Programming, Local Issues, and Nominating Committees, and served for a time as Vice President, during which I coordinated the Blue Wave effort in 2018 alongside our progressive sister organizations. As part of PCDO I will continue to fight for progressive values, grow and diversify our membership and participation, support strong local leadership, and encourage people throughout the community to take positive action for our party and country.
After a 2-year stint in the Clinton White House, I received my masters in public affairs and urban planning at Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs in 2003. Since then, I have built a career in economic development and affordable housing, working inside and outside government to serve the needs of low-income communities. I have spent the past 4 years as a Senior Policy Advisor to Governor Murphy. My wife Tara and I are proud parents of 12-year-old twins who attend Princeton Middle School.
Abigail Rose
I grew up in Roosevelt NJ in Monmouth County and attended Princeton Public Schools from 7th - 12th grades. I attended as a commuter student as my mother Merle Rose was a PHS English teacher and was able to bring my sister and me to PPS. Growing up in the historically interesting and politically active town of Roosevelt laid the groundwork for my continued interest in progressive politics.
I am a Family Physician with Capital Health where I provide primary care to all ages. My husband Adam and I have lived in Princeton since 2006. We have two children, a son and a daughter, who both attend Princeton High School.
I have been actively involved in many Democratic campaigns and a long-time member of PCDO. I am honored to be part of the 2024 PCDO Executive Board slate and look forward to learning more and helping to encourage new member involvement.
Dina Shaw
My family and I have lived in Princeton for 19 wonderful years. I’ve raised my children here, built two successful businesses here and made significant contributions to the community through leadership roles on Littlebrook and PUMS PTO’s, the Board of the Friends of Public Library, the Princeton Council’s Economic Development Committee, Moms Demand Action, the Princeton Jewish Center, and the PCDO.
While volunteering in Princeton Public Schools, I also continued a successful executive search business from our home. In 2010, my husband and I launched a new company we had developed over the years, growing from our home basement to a corporate office on Alexander Road and nationwide. As the Chief Operating Officer, I managed all aspects of our growth: finance, sourcing, admin, and talent development. In 2019 we sold our business to a major multinational company. I attended Cornell University with a major in History, and a minor in Business Administration. I am fluent in French and am learning Spanish.
I am interested in continuing on the Executive Board of the PCDO because as a staunch Democrat, I want our party to remain engaged, active and vibrant in Princeton and Mercer County. An organization like the PCDO, is important for these goals to be achieved. I enjoy participating in the democratic process and hope to be able to help the PCDO grow and reach more people in our community.
Denny Velazquez – Treasurer
My wife and I chose to raise and educate our son in Princeton over 11 years ago. We were looking for a diverse community with open minded people who value public education. I must say that we have not been disappointed. We have been active parents, and our son has also been active in school as well as athletics. After the 2016 election I wanted to become more engaged in our political life. As a son of an immigrant, whose parents value freedom and the rule of law, I felt compelled to fight for those freedoms I have taken for granted.
My wife and I are both first in our families to go to college and then obtain graduate degrees. I have always been in business as a financial planning and analysis professional and my wife has dedicated her career to work with at-risk youth. Our son attends Princeton High School and has also become interested in politics. We all appreciate what this country has offered our families and we want to ensure that all Americans are afforded the same opportunities.
I find local and national politics and policy fascinating and appreciate the energy that the PCDO members bring to the issues at hand. In the past I was a member of the programming committee and Second Vice President.