Taryn has worked for 15 years at the local, state, and national level on a range of issues, from stopping oil pipelines, to raising the minimum wage, to passing harm reduction policies in response to the opioid epidemic. Whether working in the legislative or electoral or community organizing arena, the through-line has been her commitment to shifting power structures and building a more leaderful movement.
Taryn believes that everyone, including and often especially white people, are ultimately out there looking for a sense of belonging – something the Right knows all too well and exploits as an essential part of their divide-and-conquer strategy. She draws hope and inspiration from movement history and SURJ’s organizing lineage, as well as from science fiction. She is her happiest when knocking on doors, puttering around the kitchen, or involved in any kind of team-based activity.
