About Us

Sara Wolk was born and raised in Oregon and has been active in the voting reform movement for over a decade. She's a peer reviewed author on voting reform and a founding member of the Equal Vote Coalition nonprofit and the larger STAR Voting project. Inspired by the idea of the win-win, she believes that voters deserve inspiring voting reform options that truly deliver on our goals while addressing valid concerns with previous proposals. With a background in sustainability and design and a passion for music, adventure, and community organizing, she is working to build the kind of coalition that can heal democracy.

Ruben Michael Montejano has been an advocate for voting reform since 2018 and helped start-up the STAR Voting California Chapter. Moreover, he focuses on conservation for natives plants in his local areas and is currently a student as well as a Behavior Interventionist. In his spare time, Ruben is probably hiking, planting, researching a variety of topics from plant conservation to voting reform, or relaxing with family and/or friends.

Duncan has long been interested in politics and civic engagement, which started with the history and social science classes he took in high school. He helped launch the STAR Voting Georgia chapter, where he served as the Volunteer Coordinator. He hosted tabling events at Middle Georgia State University, Macon-Bibb Parks & Recreation, and Open Streets Macon. Duncan clearly recognizes the value of outreach to varied, diverse groups. While he has spent considerable time communicating with politicians and journalists, he also educates marginalized and underserved communicates on the importance of electoral and voting method reeform.

Duncan now resides in Columbus, OH, continuing to advocate for STAR and electoral reform as a whole. He's working to create connections and alliances across the city and the state. Target organizations include Democratic Socialists of America, Libertarian Party, Forward Party, and Black Men Build.

Outside of STAR, Duncan works in IT as a network analyst. His hobbies include foreign languages, music, calisthenics, Halo, and Super Smash Bros. In addition to electoral reform, public transit and labor rights are top concerns for him.

Andrea Denault is a political activist who’s worked across the country for more than ten years. In 2018, she ran a landmark campaign for electoral reform, organizing the first city in America to adopt Approval Voting. After leading the historic victory in Fargo, she went on to help usher in a second win in St. Louis, spearhead similar efforts in Denver, and continues to work with electoral reform advocates throughout the U.S.

Hailing from North Dakota, Andrea is a Turtle Mountain Anishinaabekwe who was active in the occupation at Standing Rock during opposition to the Dakota Access Pipeline. She’s a longtime advocate for the related intersecting issues and prioritizes economic justice, environmental policy, and antiracist work.

Andrea has led a wide variety of successful campaigns, from city council to the White House. She’s built broad coalitions for both political candidates and single-issue ballot initiatives, alike.  She has partnered with and volunteered for the ACLU, NAACP, AFL-CIO, DSA, LWV, and dozens of other advocacy groups.

As an Equal Vote Board Director, she’s lending her nonprofit leadership expertise and the lessons learned from previous campaigns. Her goal is to realize a democracy where all people believe there is a reason to vote and feel like the legitimate stakeholders they truly are.

Currently a political consultant, Andrea previously studied Journalism and Economics in Colorado, worked in marketing, and was a human rights lobbyist focused on LGBTQ, refugee, and Native American issues. She is a writer who enjoys cycling, comedy, armchair philosophy, and physics.

Dr. Alan Zundel is the campaign manager for the STAR Voting for Oregon 2024 campaign. Alan has an M.A. (Wayne State University, 1985) and a Ph.D. (University of Michigan, 1994) in political science, and he was a tenured political science professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He was a leader in the successful initiative campaign to bring Ranked Choice Voting to Benton County, Oregon, in 2016. That same year, he ran for Oregon Secretary of State as the candidate of the Pacific Green Party. In 2017, at the invitation of Oregon Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, he chaired a Redistricting Reform Task Force. In 2018, he was a chief petitioner for the first initiative to adopt STAR Voting in Lane County, Oregon. The campaign succeeded in gathering enough signatures to get on the ballot and nearly won with 48% of voters in favor. Alan and his wife Marianne have lived in Eugene, OR since 2006. They have 2 adult children and two grandchildren in California.

Dean is a Tax Professional with the city of Lake Oswego, Oregon and is self-employed with Price Tax & Bookkeeping in Vancouver, WA. He served as Accounting Specialist with the Portland Opera full-time and attended Virginia Peninsula College. Subsequently he completed certificates in Finance Essentials for Small Business, Running a Profitable Business: Understanding Cash Flow, and Become a Financial Analysis. Dean has also served as a volunteer treasurer for Multnomah County Democrats.

Dr. Jameson Quinn's decades-long interest in advancing voting theory has driven him to many relevant accomplishments including completing a PhD in statistics from Harvard, scientific research such as his work on Voter Satisfaction Efficiency, co-organizing the British Columbia Symposium on Proportional Representation, and assisting in the design of the voting system now used to maintain the integrity of the Hugo Awards. Jameson has regularly made his household in Cambridge, Massachusetts a home for refugees.

As they were gearing up to run for US House of Representatives, Sass discovered voting method reform and quickly recognized it as “the most important first step we have to take to solve all of our other problems.” Sass’ deep dive began and their passion for voting reform ultimately led to them moving across the country to work for Equal Vote. They focus relentlessly on voter empowerment and attribute much of their growth in the voting method reform space to the welcoming and inclusive culture nurtured at Equal Vote. Sass is eager to dabble in new and diverse escapades, with experience ranging from music writing, to political activism, to martial arts. If you ever find yourself in the Eugene, OR area, be sure to ask Sass to go sing some karaoke with you!

In 2021, Arend quit his Software Engineering job to pursue Indie game development full-time, and his company, Star Garden Games, released Word Factori.

Around the same time, he discovered STAR Voting and has been passionate about voting reform ever since. Now, he co-leads the Software team, creates animations, and helps with a variety of other projects.

Arend can speak Dutch (the name "Arend" is Dutch for "Eagle"), and outside of work, he studies Korean and enjoys exploring Los Angeles with his wife and cat.

Nate is primarily a grassroots organizer based in Utah and has appeared in several media appearances and conferences to support alternative voting methods. He believes deeply in the power the people can have when they join together for a common cause. Nate holds a BS in Psychology with minors in Cognitive Science and Philosophy and is the founder of Utah Approves. In his work with Utah Approves, he has worked to gain the support of all 29 county clerks in the state for Approval Voting as the best alternative method, presented at legislative committee meetings, and worked to obtain signed letters from city councils showing interest in using Approval Voting. He enjoys spending his free time fire-performing and hiking.

Mike has been involved in the voting reform community since 2017 with his primary goal of ending extreme political polarization. He joined the Equal Vote Coalition as a volunteer in 2020 and has helped start the STAR Voting California chapter and various STAR Voting software development projects. Mike graduated from Georgia Tech in 2015 with a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Mont Chris is a composer, music director, and performer who makes his home in Portland, Oregon. Soon after after getting involved with STAR Voting, he stepped up as chair of the STAR Voting Oregon Chapter and helped lead the STAR Voting Oregon Legislative Outreach Committee and Portland Charter Review outreach project. Mont Chris is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Musicians Union Local 99, which now uses STAR Voting for its internal elections. In addition to talking about voting methods and unions to city commissioners, state legislators, and cornered family members at Thanksgiving, Mont Chris has received numerous awards for music and theater including a 2011 Kennedy Center ACTF Meritorious Achievement Award, the 2011 Portland Music Award for Album of the Year, and the 2013 Portland Area Musical Theatre Award.

Zach's background is as a teacher, former Troutdale City Council member, and Oregon House Representative. He became a teacher because he believes everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed and thrive. Zach sees Oregon's challenges—and its brightest opportunities—through the eyes of a teacher. He is passionate about investing in our kids and protecting our future. Zach works to promote equity and community, and to make the system fairer and more effective.

Jacob holds a degree in accounting from U of O and a graduate certificate in forensic accounting from WVU. He worked as an auditor for the Offices of Inspectors General of the U.S. Treasury Department and U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency in Washington DC. After moving back to Eugene, Jacob served as the Treasurer for Hands and Voices of Oregon and currently serves as Treasurer for The Eugene-Springfield Democratic Socialists of America. He is active in community and labor organizing and is a parent of two young children, one of whom is deaf. 

Jas graduated with a Masters in Political Management, is a board director for both STAR Voting Action and Equal Vote, is the owner of Awakenings Wellness Center in Portland, Oregon and was a past chair for the Oregon Public Bank Alliance. Jas has been an activist and community organizer for decades. He is a devoted father who enjoys hiking and camping in his spare time.

Mark graduated from UC Berkeley in 1996 with a degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. After 11 years in the gaming industry and the sale of his first startup, Mark turned his entrepreneurial energy towards sustainable transportation and election science, founding electric vehicle company, Arcimoto, in 2007, and the Equal Vote Coalition in 2014.