Our Team
ENGAGE. ADVOCATE. WIN.
Meet the team
ZACHARY YEATES
For the last decade Zachary has worked on campaigns across California, including Congressional and legislative campaigns in Sacramento, Central Valley and LA. He has led local initiative efforts, managed field campaigns in Mayors races in both San Francisco and Sacramento. He has also served as the Congressional Liaison for a statewide public employee union and as the Director of Civic Engagement for the Mayor of Sacramento, leading education efforts around the new Voters Choice Act voting model in California.
RENE MACLEAY SANTIAGO
René has spent the previous ten years working in campaigns and government in Sacramento and in the field across four different states. He served as a gubernatorial appointee, including in the Governor’s Appointments Unit and on the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force. In 2020 he organized in Iowa and Illinois for Elizabeth Warren and led a field team in Milwaukee, WI for Biden. In 2022 Rene was responsible for Grindstone’s teams in Sacramento and the Bay Area, including races for State Assembly, State Senate and District Attorney.
EMMANUEL AVILA
Emmanuel brings a decade of on-the-ground campaign experience to Grindstone Campaigns. He spent the 2020 cycle working leadership roles on presidential campaigns, including the Iowa caucuses, Illinois primary, and Wisconsin for the general election. Experienced in coalition building and outreach to diverse populations, he has a proven track record of managing large field operations. In 2022 Emmanuel was responsible for Grindstone’s teams in the Central Valley including Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield, managing Congressional, State Assembly and State Senate races.
LEILA KHADER
Leila had key roles in legislative campaigns in the 2016 and 2018 cycles and managed Grindstone's efforts on over 30 races in the 2020 primaries and general election. In addition to field and live-call experience, Ms. Khader has experience as a staff director, responsible for recruiting and retaining talent as well as managing operations.