DPO Staff

A Northwest native, Molly joined the DPO in August 2017.

Molly came to the DPO from Multnomah County, where she served as Communications and Policy Advisor to County Commissioner Dr. Sharon Meieran. In 2015 and 2016, she served as the Communications Director for the Oregon Secretary of State, overseeing communications for implementation of Oregon’s pioneering Oregon Motor Voter program. Prior to the Secretary of State’s Office, she served as the Communications Director and Chief of Staff for the Oregon Senate Democrats for several sessions.

Molly began her involvement in politics in high school as a volunteer for Clatsop County Democrats in 2000. She later founded a chapter of College Democrats at Portland State University, where she earned a BA in politics and communications and later pursued a MA in Political Science. A first generation American and college student, Molly is passionate is about the Democratic Party’s commitment to a strong social safety net and education as a foundation of a functioning democracy.

Ron Morgan serves as the Political Organizing Coordinator for the Democratic Party of Oregon. Ron developed a passion for sustainable grassroots organizing as a volunteer for countless progressive candidate and issue campaigns, and transitioned into his second career as a professional organizer in 2001. Ron has worked as an organizer for community non-profits, as campaign staff and manager for progressive candidates, and, more recently, as the Field Director for the Democratic Party of Washington County. He lives in Beaverton with his wife of thirty years, Loren, and they have three adult daughters.

Candy Emmons is the Operations Director of the Democratic Party of Oregon.

Candy is a 5^th Generation Oregonian, raised in Salem, Oregon. Candy became interested in local politics and government at a young age when she met Governor Barbara Roberts at the Capital in Salem on a visit with her Girl Scout Troop.

Candy has volunteered for a variety of campaigns and issues including LGBT and Reproductive Healthcare issues, working as an Organizing Fellow for President Obama’s 2012 Campaign, and serving as the Vice-Chair of the Benton County Democrats.

In 2016, after many years working in Youth and Camp program management, Candy joined the Democratic Party of Oregon Staff and is glad to put her skills to work helping to defend working families, immigrants, veterans, and other vulnerable populations through her work with the Democratic Party. Candy lives in Portland with her husband Vaughn and their dog, Dobby.

Katie Drumm is the Development Director at the Democratic Party of Oregon.

Katie started her political organizing career in 2008 as a MASSPIRG Campus Organizer- training and organizing community college students to help increase youth voter participation, fight global warming, and increase public transportation. Since then, Katie has worked in various organizing and fundraising positions within The Public Interest Network- standing up to powerful special interests on behalf of the public. She has run numerous grassroots outreach field campaign offices and during 2008, 2012, and 2014 election cycles she has overseen voter protection, voter registration, and get-out-the-vote campaign offices in Ohio and Colorado.

She started getting involved in politics because of global warming and is proud to have been an organizer in the movement that stopped fracking in New York. Katie grew up in Baltimore and graduated from Kalamazoo College in Michigan with a B.A. in Biology. She moved to Oregon in 2016 and is happy to call it home.

Katie is excited to be able to continue her career fueling grassroots organizing efforts and working to elect more Democrats who stand up for our shared values.

Mario Parker-Milligan is the Constituency Organizing Coordinator for the Democratic Party of Oregon. He came to the DPO after helping merge ColorPAC and Progressive Majority WA to create Amplify NW where he focused heavily on recruiting progressive people of color, women, LGBTQ folks and people under 35 to run for local office in Oregon and Washington.

He got his start in politics at Lane Community College, where he worked with students to organize and campaign for Democrats in Lane County from then Presidential Candidate Senator Obama to Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy. After college he worked for the Oregon Student Association – one of the nation’s last remaining student run – student lead non-partisan statewide organizations, first as Equal Rights Organizer, then Legislative Director before becoming their Executive Director. Focusing on leadership development, legislative and campus advocacy, and building power for college students by running one of the country’s largest and most effective non-partisan voter engagement programs.

Originally from Washington state, Mario has called Oregon home since 1999 and has resided in the Portland metro area since 2012. He aims to increase and broaden the membership and participation in the DPO and local politics across the state.