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Steering Committee Bios

Kaitlin Sopoci-Belknap is Director of Democracy Unlimited. She grew up in Santa Fe, NM and came to Humboldt County in 2001 by way of Western Massachusetts where she was studying education and community at Hampshire College. In January 2004 she graduated from the New College of CA where she received a BA degree in Culture, Ecology and Sustainable Community.

She served as a member of the national Leadership Team of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom’s campaign to Challenge Corporate Power, Assert the People’s Rights. She currently serves on the STORY (Strategy Training and Organizing Resources for Youth) Board of the SmartMeme Project and is a co-founder and Secretary to the Board of the California Center for Community Democracy, Democracy Unlimited's fiscal sponsor. She is also a Principal with Program on Corporations Law and Democracy and a Fellow for Liberty Tree: Foundation for the Democratic Revolution

In November 2004 Kaitlin was elected to serve on the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District Board. She is the youngest member to serve in this position, as well as the the first woman to take this office. She also served on the Housing Advisory Board for the City of Eureka from 2004-2006.

In 2005 and 2006 Kaitlin served as campaign co-manager for Measure T and she was the spokesperson for that campaign.

Kaitlin spends most of her time trying to think up ways to get humanity out of this mess we find ourselves in. She lives with her dog, two cats, two ducks, two chickens, her partner David, and their roommate Jared.

Kaitlin can be reached at kaitlin (at) duhc (dot) org - she works in the office Wednesdays and Thursdays during office hours.


Ryan Emenaker is a member of the Democracy Unlimited Steering Committee and on staff for the organization. He is also a founding member of the Humboldt County Youth Arts Program. He helped open the Placebo, an all-ages music and art venue that gives youth a positive alternative to drugs and alcohol. The majority youth board works on a collective basis to run the venue enabling youth to learn valuable skills, thus becoming better advocates for themselves and their community. Ryan has performed numerous benefit shows at the Placebo and other venues with his band Winston Smith.

In 2000 he helped co-found the Network of Resistance, a loose web of groups dedicated to positive social change. The Network has become one the most active campus clubs putting on numerous events and improving much needed community access to Humboldt State University.

From 2003-2006 Ryan was co-chair of Arcata's Committee on Democracy and Corporations and the youngest member of the committee. He has helped write legislation that is now gaining nationwide attention that limits the ability of corporations to subvert democracy at the local level.

In 2006 Ryan completed his Master’s degree in the Humboldt State University Multidisciplinary Environment And Community Program. His thesis on "A Corporate History of Humboldt County" and is available in the DUHC Library.

Ryan is on leave in the Alaska wilderness until fall 2007 with his partner Heather. For more information about this adventure visit: http://northernlightlegacy.blogspot.com/


David Cobb was the Green Party nominee for President of the United States in 2004. He served as the General Counsel for the Green Party until declaring his candidacy in 2003. His entire legal career is dedicated to challenging illegitimate corporate power and to creating democracy. In 2002 he ran for state Attorney General in Texas on a platform to use the office to revoke the charters of corporations that break the law and challenge corporate ability to manipulate the legal system at the expense of the people.

David is a volunteer member of the DUHC Steering Committee. He has worked intimately with the Program on Corporations, Law and Corporations, the Center for Voting and Democracy and ReclaimDemocracy.org.

David currently serves on the Sierra Club's national Corporate Accountability Committee and as a Fellow for Liberty Tree: Foundation for the Democratic Revolution. He is also a co-founder and member of the Board of Directors for the Green Institute, and as a Principal with Program on Corporations Law and Democracy.

David also shoots a mean game of pool and is a barely competent juggler. He moved to Humboldt County in January 2003.

David can be reached at david (at) duhc (dot) org - he is in the office Mondays during office hours.


Jared Wilken is a staff member of the DUHC steering committee. Working with DUHC is his first foray in community organizing. After his introduction to the group he began studying corporate history and models of strategy and quickly became active as a volunteer. Jared shares volunteer coordination responsibilities with Ryan, among other activities.

Aside from his aspirations to bring down corporate rule, music is a major focal point in his life. He performs as the solo artist "The Radical Devil" and is in a band with fellow Steering Committee member Hannah.

Jared can be reached at jared (at) duhc (dot) org - he is in the office Tuesdays and Wednesdays and during office hours.

Shannon Tracey is a member of the DUHC Steering Committee. Originally from Madison, CT, she came to Humboldt County in the summer of 2004. With a background in community organizing and environmental education, Shannon is delighted to bring her energy and experience to the fight against corporate rule in Humboldt County and beyond. As a volunteer for DUHC, she helped to organize the first Skill Share in July 2005. She also participated in the campaign to pass Measure T in the spring of 2006. In July 2006 she was appointed to serve on the Arcata Committee on Democracy and Corporations. She joined the DUHC Steering Committee in June 2006.

Shannon's interests range from sustainable food systems to transformative education to water sports.   She believes in challenging herself and others to embrace complexity and explore wholistic means of healthy, community-based resistance. When she's not directly pursing the DUHC mission, she is most likely riding her bike, floating in local waters, or trying to keep in touch with loved ones far away.

Shannon can be reached at shannon (at) duhc (dot) org - she is in the office on Mondays and Wednesdays during office hours.

Jon Zaiglin is a member of the DUHC Steering Committee. Originally from the East Coast, Jon came to Humboldt County to intern with Democracy Unlimited in the fall of 2007. Jon cut his teeth on organizing at the Green Corps Field School for Environmental Organizing.

Jon can be reached at jon (at) duhc (dot) org - he is in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays during office hours.

*If you'd like to contact former staff member Hannah Clapsadle, she can be reacheded at hannapesha (at) riseup (dot) net.