Julie Sampson
Director
Julie is the Co-Director of Citizen Action/Illinois. Previously she was a Regional Field Director for USAction, a national organization of 22 state affiliates organizing for power, democracy and social change. Julie has also served as Legislative Director and Policy Director of Citizen Action/Illinois, and on the staff of U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone. She holds an A.M. in Social Administration from the University of Chicago, a B.A. in International Studies from American University and served in the Peace Corps in Thailand. Julie lives in Chicago with her husband and two daughters but welcomes any opportunity to use her several foreign languages, at home or abroad, with a preference for beachfront locales.
Email: julie@citizenaction-il.org
Anusha Thotakura
Deputy Director
Anusha (she/her/hers) first got her start in politics knocking on doors and registering voters for Congressman Brad Schneider’s 2014 campaign. Since then, she has worked on and managed various campaigns, from school board to state legislative races, guiding candidates to victory. She especially cares about getting young people involved in politics through voting, organizing, and running for office themselves. Anusha has a passion for education policy, having previously been a Bilingual English/Spanish Math Teacher through Teach for America. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School. In her free time, you’ll find her knocking on doors for her favorite candidates.
Email: anusha@citizenaction-il.org
Kevin Barajas
Program Associate
Kevin (he/him/his) is a firm believer in the power of community and has dedicated his energy to advocating for progressive causes. Originally from Texas, Kevin’s professional background includes staffing for its State Legislature and managing a statewide voter program. He has also worked on several grassroots campaigns, from municipal to federal. He is passionate about voting rights, affordable housing, and public education. Kevin is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and holds a B.A. in Government & History. In his spare time, you can find him carving wood, reading about Mexican history, or exploring Chicago’s coffee shops.
Email: kevin@citizenaction-il.org
Julia Warheit
Program Associate
Julia (she/her/hers) fell in love with campaigns while working for Campus Vote Project in Wisconsin during the 2020 presidential election cycle. Since then, she has done policy campaigns, research and program work for Restore Justice, JB for Governor, Americans for Financial Reform and more. She holds a B.A. in Community and Nonprofit Leadership, Public Policy and Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.P.P. from the Brandeis Heller School. Julia has a passion for criminal legal reform and policies that promote economic empowerment. In her free time, you can find her puzzling, hitting her local trivia spot or trying a new restaurant.
Email: julia@citizenaction-il.org
About Us
Citizen Action/Illinois is a statewide progressive policy and political coalition. Building on 25 years of experience, Citizen Action/Illinois has been a key player in the fight for social and economic justice at the state and national levels.
Citizen Action/Illinois has led campaigns for fair taxes, affordable and quality health care, retirement security, campaign finance reform, marriage equality, voter registration and mobilization and stronger environmental and food safety protections.
Citizen Action/Illinois works hard to hold our elected officials accountable on these issues every day in the State House and in Congress.
Mission
Citizen Action/Illinois is the state’s largest public interest organization and a progressive political coalition committed to creating democratic social change both in Illinois and across the nation.
The organization is based on several core values: a belief that every human life has equal worth, that the purpose of our society is to allow all its members to live meaningful and fulfilling lives, and that there is a collective good beyond our individual interests. It seeks to promote and win public policies that reflect these values and embody social justice, but recognizes that winning justice requires political power. It exists to create that power by being a values-based, issue-oriented political center in Illinois.
Structure
Citizen Action/Illinois is both an organizational coalition and an individual membership organization. Members are asked both to financially support the organization and to take action on issues such as contacting key members of Congress or writing lawmakers. Individual members are also frequently contacted through public education efforts before elections.
These affiliate organizations are represented on the 50-member Policy Council which also includes leaders serving as individuals, among them Members of Congress, state legislators, and local government officials. The Policy Council meets regularly to determine the organization’s public policy positions, its legislative agenda, and any endorsements of candidates for public office.
The Policy Council is a standing committee of the organization’s ten-member Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is the formal corporate board of the organization, a 501(c)(4); it meets monthly and is responsible for its financial and administrative affairs as well as overseeing its day-to-day program work. Board members include a mix of affiliate representatives and individual leaders, and all serve on the Policy Council as well.
The Public Action Foundation is a 501(c)(3) affiliated with Citizen Action/Illinois. The Public Action Foundation conducts research and public education on pressing issues that have important implications for consumers, families, and Illinois residents.