Cole Yates

Cole Yates—2016 Fellow

Year: Class of 2017
Major: Economics
Organization: Committee for Professional Policing

During my time as a Chuck Green fellow, I served as the campaign manager of the Committee for Professional Policing, a Minneapolis-based campaign aiming to require officers to carry their own professional liability insurance via ballot imitative. Before joining the campaign and turning my energy towards police accountability, I was a fundraiser for Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Working with a robust team of campaign volunteers and staff who were dedicated to advancing this innovative solution to police misconduct gave me hope for the future of the police accountability movement.

As the campaign manager, I worked closely with the board of directors to develop campaign strategy. Further, I oversaw implementation of this strategy by senior staff and volunteers. Working with the media and with our major financial supporters also comprised a large portion of my responsibilities. We ran a campaign without a candidate, so I had the privilege of serving as one of the loudest voices in support of the campaign as we aimed to educate voters, counter police union misinformation and fear mongering, and garner financial support to guide our campaign to victory in November.

The Chuck Green Fellowship gave me an immense opportunity to engage in the political process over the summer. I also highly valued having a support structure in place—and a great group of friends. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions about the fellowship or my experience.