Charles Adkins for VP of External Affairs
As an advocate and proud enrolled member of the Yurok Tribe, Charles focuses on local and state advocacy. He previously worked as a Legislative Policy Analyst for the Tulalip Tribes focusing on Education, Housing, and Indian Child Welfare. Charles also serves as an elected school board member for the Everett School District. From his childhood on the Yurok reservation, he was sent to one of the remaining Indian Boarding Schools where his experiences helped inform his fight for social and economic justice. His father, a decorated combat veteran from Afghanistan, suffered from PTSD which eventually led to Charles leaving home as a teenager and soon finding himself homeless throughout his time in High School. Charles’ passion to help others like himself saw him earn a degree and rise to prominence in the political community.
His experience encompasses roles such as Health Policy Director for the Children's Alliance, Vice President of Federal Affairs for Washington Students Association, Director of Legislative Affairs for Students of the Evergreen State College and as a contract lobbyist. He currently is the Councilmember representing Tribal Nations on the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s Advisory Council, he also is the Youth Representative on the State Advisory Council on Homelessness and served as the Vice-Chair for the City of Everett's Planning Commission, and serves on several boards including the Children’s Campaign Fund and previously served on the board of the Washington Student Association. One of his proudest career achievements is authoring and successfully lobbying for the passage of Senate Bill 5800 which launched a pilot program in which colleges provide additional assistance for homeless and food insecure students.
Charles holds a Bachelor’s degree in Tribal Administration from the Evergreen State College and is currently enrolled in the UBC Masters of Public Policy and Global Affairs program.
-First Indigenous Member of the Everett School Board
-Successfully advocated for the hiring of a indigenous student success coordinator
-successfully advocated for the creation of an Indian parent committee
-successfully advocated for the creation and funding of school based health centres at two of our high schools
-Legislative Policy Analyst for the Tulalip Tribes
-lobbied state, local, and federal governments.
-lobbied the federal government regarding the reform and abolition of taxpayer funded Indian boarding schools
-Organised lobby days around indigenous education and indigenous child welfare
-wrote and successfully advocated for the passage of the Native American Apprenticeship Assistance Program
-successfully recruited and managed the campaigns of two indigenous women running for school board
-health policy director, children’s alliance
-advocated for children’s oral healthcare
-successfully advocated for homeless youth to be able to get healthcare
-VP of Federal Affairs, Washington Student Association
-advocated on behalf of the hundreds of thousands public university students in WA state to the US federal government.
-DOLA, Evergreen Geoduck
-successfully wrote and advocated for 5800 creating wrap-around supports for homeless students
-successfully wrote and advocated for legislation that made it so veterans affected by trump’s transgender ban in the military could receive tuition waivers from WA state that they could not access before
-successfully wrote and advocated for legislation that allowed first nations to create their own state-funded opportunity scholarship programs
-organised several lobby days, invited numerous elected officials to speak to students at evergreen, organised several “legislative polls” for students to give input on the student government’s advocacy agenda.
-successfully advocated for comprehensive sex ed health curriculum to be taught in Washington State schools.
Washington Student Engagement Network, Student Liaison
-helped coordinate students to advocate and educate lawmakers about how the state need grant impacts students and their ability to go to college.
