IMX Speaker – Erika Young

Erika Young brings over fifteen years of outreach and legislative experience to the Matsuda & Associates team, building on her past experience in outreach, coalition building, strategic communication, program management, public service, extensive writing, and advocacy.

Ms. Young comes to Matsuda & Associates from Smart Growth America, where as Director of Strategic Partnerships she led the organization’s outreach and coalition building work, advanced SGA’s mission and cultivated a nationwide movement of advocates to create and implement smart growth solutions. This builds on Erika’s time with Transportation for America, where she directed T4A’s outreach and partnerships program; which included maintaining relationships with partners, identifying trends and opportunities for new alliances and developing strategies for raising revenue.

Ms. Young previously ran the transportation program for a local government focused trade organization, as well as worked in the US Congress, serving Senator Hollings (D-SC) on the US Senator Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, as well as Congressman Nick Rahall (D-WV-03) as his Legislative Director and staff to the US House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where she managed a legislative team to establish and advocate the congressional district’s policy messages.

Ms. Young has a Masters in Strategic Communication from Johns Hopkins University and an Bachelors in Political Science from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.