Destiny Hallenbeck

Destiny Hallenbeck is passionate upstate Democrat committed to uplifting young voices in Democratic politics in New York State. In 2021, she was elected to the Town Council in the Town of Chatham as one of the youngest elected officials in the state. Professionally, she has the worked in event planning, outreach, and constituent services in both the New York State Senate and the House of Representatives.

She is the former President of the College Democrats of New York where she led the state federation through the 2019 and 2020 election cycles.

Reed ‘RC’ Cleland is a lifelong Upstater, with roots in the Village of Homer since 2005. He was first exposed to politics as a junior in high school, when the Homer American Legion Post 465 nominated him as a delegate to New York Boys’ State 2017. As a senior, he gained early hands-on experience in local government after interning for then-Clerk of the Legislature, Eric Mulvihill, and working in the office of then-Mayor of the City of Cortland, Brian Tobin. After graduating from Homer Central Schools in 2018, Reed earned his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Colgate University in Hamilton, NY, where he received summa cum laude with Honors Distinction.

Since graduating from Colgate in 2022, Reed is happy to have returned to Cortland County, a region he envisions as his lifelong home. He works as a full-time Substitute Teacher for Homer Central Schools, and he is the Club Advisor to Homer High School’s Shakespearean & Thespian Society, where he directs two theatrical productions per year. He is a Co-Chair of the Cortland County Youth Board, works as an academic tutor for CNY Tutoring, and volunteers with the Cortland County Democratic Committee and the Cortland County League of Women Voters. In moments of spare time, he can be found performing with the Center Players or enjoying long walks around the village with Gia and Phoebe.

Kathleen, who also goes by Kat, started her journey in politics in 2017, working on a Judicial re-election Campaign for Buffalo City Court Judge Betty Calvo-Torres, the first Latina to serve on the Buffalo City Court bench appointed by Mayor Byron W. Brown. During her time in politics, Kathleen has worked on numerous political campaigns in Western New York at the Federal, State, and Local level. As a political staffer, she has worked for New York State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes and U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer. She is now a Senior Associate at Bolton St. Johns LLC.

Kathleen was raised in Syosset, NY, and is a graduate of the University at Buffalo. She is the WNY VP of the New York State Young Democrats and serves on the Eleanor’s Legacy Innovation Council.

Colton was born and raised in Central New York. He received his B.A. in Political Science from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York, and his Master of Public Policy from American University. He’s also currently working toward his Master of Science for Teachers in Childhood Education from SUNY Plattsburgh.

Colton has been involved in politics and policy since middle school when he advocated for greater funding for public schools. Since then, Colton has worked with lawmakers in Washington, DC to support the interests of Central New York and New York State as a whole. He also worked in climate education and advocacy with the Climate Reality Project, where he supported programs that empowered local leaders across the globe to help implement climate friendly projects and policies in their own communities. Colton is passionate about making space for young people in the rooms where decisions are made, advocating for greater youth involvement in local committees and supporting the election of young leaders to local, state, and federal offices.

If you can’t find Colton knocking doors, you’ll find him passionately teaching his elementary students or traveling the world.

Jacob (Jake) Tyson is an attorney with experience in complex litigation and government investigations, as well as pro bono experience in access to healthcare and prisoner and immigrant rights. He has previously served boards in drafting or reviewing policies and procedures and overseeing internal misconduct procedures.

Jake is particularly passionate about access to housing, criminal justice reform, and promoting a balanced, diverse, and equitable judiciary at every level. He is also a member of the American Constitution Society and a graduate of both the University of Rochester and The George Washington University Law School.

In his free time, you can find Jake exploring a local park with his best friend: his dog, Ashland.