Rutland local Anna Tadio has co-founded Vermont’s first Young Democrats group along with Giovanni Falco.. Falco currently serves as the president of the organization while Tadio serves as general counsel.
The founders and board of directors of the Vermont Young Democrats officially launched the organization last week, joining the Vermont Democratic Party at the University of Vermont’s Davis Center for the 24th annual Curtis-Hoff Dinner. During the event, Falco and Tadio met with leaders across the state to launch Vermont’s first chapter of the Young Democrats.
Tadio, an attorney in Rutland, leads the Rutland City Democrats and is vice chair of the Rutland County Democrats. Falco is currently a Northeastern University student and current staffer for Congressman David Trone (D-MD) in Washington, D.C.
The Vermont Young Democrats empowers and engages youth in civic discourse across the state of Vermont from Burlington to Rutland to Bennington. It is “the largest youth-led, partisan political organization in the nation and serves as the national federation for all state and territorial Young Democrat chapters.” Anyone below the age of 36 can be a Young Democrat. Currently, Vermont is not one of the 49 U.S. states and territories with an officially recognized chapter. The organization is getting young Democratic Vermonters engaged in their communities and with politics on the local, state, and federal levels.
The goal of the organization is to create a party that represents Vermont’s demographic, keep young people in Vermont; provide workshops and learning opportunities for young people to learn how to organize and engage with politics, causes, and campaigns; get young Vermonters engaged with their communities; coordinate and partner with the state party; help and encourage young Vermonters to run for elected office; and give Vermont a voice at the national convention.
At the event, Falco and Tadio met with former Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray, U.S. Representative Becca Balint, Executive Director of Emerge Vermont Elaine Haney, and others to discuss the future of the organization and how tn work together to engage young people in Vermont.
“We hear from politicians across the state that more and more young Vermonters are leaving, yet we provide limited opportunities for students and young adults to engage with their communities, join an organization, or fight for a cause that matters to them,” said Falco of the Vermont Young Democrats. “This organization will provide young people with the tools, resources, and voice to build a Vermont that helps keep folks in the state by engaging in civic discourse. This is not only beneficial to the longevity of the party but for the future of Vermont.”
Follow the Vermont Young Democrats at @YoungDemsVT for updates on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
