Kelsey Hamlin
Organizer, Communicator, Writer (she/her)
Kelsey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism with Interdisciplinary Honors (and a minor in Law, Societies, & Justice) from the University of Washington. She is passionate about the ways in which larger systems build (literally and metaphorically) around us all in ways that either benefit or harm different people.
Just recently, Kelsey managed Andrew Grant Houston’s mayoral campaign and staff. She previously oversaw and organized for statewide legislative efforts, significantly grew a nonprofit’s engagement, and spent years as a freelance journalist.
Originally from rural Washington, Kelsey worked and studied in Seattle, fell in love with the place, and remains.
Campaign Manager
Andrew Grant Houston for Seattle Mayor
(April 2021 – August 3rd)
- Writing, tracking, and submitting endorsement questionnaire responses
- Providing research for policy plans
- Writing policy
- Coordinating the candidate’s calendar
- Managing and coordinating the campaign and staff
- Union with IUPAT 116
- Editting
Skills & Knowledge
- Research
- Policy
- Politics
- VAN/NGP
- Salesforce
- Moderating
- Organizing
- Writing & editing
- Graphic Design
- Social media
- Photography
- Videography
- Strategic messaging
- Collaboration
- Creating websites
- Organization and attention to detail
Past Labor
Sierra Club WA’s Volunteer Outreach & Development Coordinator
(Dec. 2019 – Feb. 2021, laid off)
- Organized volunteer lobby teams in key legislative districts
- Provided research and messaging on transportation, housing, building electrification, COVID-19, and economic recovery
- Collaborated with allied organizations on the Climate Alliance’s Clean & Just table, and on transportation
- Tracked, advised, and testified on relevant legislative and campaign efforts around Washington State
- Helped with digital (newsletters, webinars, engagement, press releases, Salesforce, VAN, and outreach), fundraising emails, donor retention, and mobilized volunteers and activists
Shaun Scott for Seattle City Council District 4’s Policy Director
(Jan. 2019 – Nov. 2019)
- Presented strategic messaging, research, and data for childcare, municipal broadband, the climate crisis as it intersects with global gender inequality, freelancer rights, housing and transportation policies for the candidate, literature, video, website, and VAN scripts
- Prepped talking points specific to events and debates
- Moderated on video stream and debate
Sightline Institute’s Communications Associate
(May 2018 – Oct. 2019, laid off)
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee member, providing research and proposals to Program Directors, trainings, readings, preparing for topical lunch learnings, and hours-long, all-staff”deep dives”
- Coordinated emails through Mailchimp, social media, engagement, media outreach, performance, speaker requests, and public testimony
- In charge of revamping Seattle Neighbors’ website, making new photography, interviews, and stories
- Created graphics, branded logos, multimedia, reports, press releases, and best practices
- Collaborated with researchers, the housing team, legislators, organizers, and allied organizations
- Stayed up-to-date on PNW fossil fuel proposals, climate, housing, transportation, voting, and democracy
Freelance journalist
(Dec. 2014 – July 2018; and rarely still)
- Mentored, edited, wrote, and photographed for South Seattle Emerald, International Examiner, The Daily (UW), Seattle Weekly, Real Change News, The Seattle Times, and Capitol Hill Seattle Blog
- Covered underreported and niche communities, injustice, homelessness, immigration, police, protests, policies, Seattle City Hall, and the Legislature
- Maintained accountability to, and relationships with, readers and communities
Volunteer Work
Elected 43rd District Democrats’ Communications Chair
(Jan. 2021 – Present)
Writing press releases, contacting and answering media, updating the website, creating graphics, coordinating newsletters & emails
Washington for Black Lives
(September 2020 – Present—admittedly, the campaign made it difficult to have the time in the middle of the day and I plan to now get back into this more)
Working together in an advisory group [the decision-making group are, rightfully, only Black] to coordinate responses across the state around Legislative proposals concerning W4BL’s goals and priorities for the protection of Black lives
Progressive Workers Union member
(Dec. 2019 – Feb. 2021 lay-off)
During my time at Sierra Club, I spoke up to top level, national management about workplace inequities and the issue of retaining de facto temporary work [“limited duration positions (LDE)”] that could be renewed at any time, even for years on end, leaving employees in precarious situations [of which was my position] without specific protections or equal pay. We also fought for more equally-distributed pay between national and state chapters, more time off, a reassessment of “levels” and pay mismatching the employer’s own existing parameters (including inflation), and more. This was my first true experience within a union and it could not have been better. I was thoroughly impressed, motivated, and inspired by and with PWU.
Anti-racism workshops/trainings
(2014 – Present)
- Vance Building & Sierra Club white caucuses
- Coalition of Anti-Racist Whites
- Me & White Supremacy; The Circle Way
- Power with Not Power over training
- The Language of Racism, Passive-Aggressive Communication Norms training
- Diversity in Communications trainings
- Undoing Racism trainings
- Bystander Intervention and De-escalation trainings
GET IN TOUCH
Kelsey is always available for collaborations, talks, and questions. If you want to chat, don’t hesitate to reach out.
