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Meet Our Executive Board
President - Emma Fetzer (She/Her)
Emma Fetzer is the President of YDU and is the founder and chair of the Utah County Young Democrats. She was previously the Secretary and Vice President of YDU. She is an activist, leader, and student who believes in the power of young people. As a high school student, Emma became passionate about helping people. She worked to register voters in her community and redefined feminism in her school through starting the Utah Chapter of Girl Up. She knows that when young people use their voices, they have the power to change their communities for the better. Emma is currently living in Provo and attending Brigham Young University as a Political Science major with a double minor in Communications and Civic Engagement.
Vice President - Ben Peck (He/Him)
Ben has lived in Salt Lake County his entire life, working on campaigns in five election cycles, an enumerator for the U.S. Census Bureau, a Bus Driver for UTA, and ultimately serving as the Executive Director of the Salt Lake County Democratic Party. As Executive Director he oversaw the County Party’s extensive coordinated campaign in 2022 which consisted of hiring four additional staff, knocking on 20,000+ doors, calling over 70,000 people, and sending out over 600,000 texts. He hopes to utilize his passion for local politics and his experience to supercharge YDU’s communications and build the infrastructure needed empower young people all over Utah.
National Committee Representative -
Angela Charles (She/Her)
Angela is a Utah transplant originally from Southern Florida, a self-proclaimed Jimmy Carter enthusiast, and the daughter of two Haitian immigrants. She discovered her passion for politics by watching her mom become a U.S citizen during the 2008 presidential primary. Angela is currently attending Snow College, where she hopes to transfer to Weber State and earn a Civic Advocacy degree. In addition to serving as a National Committee Representative for YDU, she is also the Chair for the Salt Lake County Black Dems, the First Vice-Chair for the Young Democrats of America's Black Caucus, and the South West Region director for the Young Democrats of America.Angela lives in Salt Lake County with her cute and always hungry dog Soku. She enjoys reading books about politics, race, and housing and singing off-key to Hall & Oates and many other pop songs of her youth in her spare time. She also enjoys contemplating life's biggest questions like "Why did the universe make me a South Florida native root for the Los Angeles Clippers or "What's a harder struggle being a Black Democrat in Salt Lake or a Miami Dolphins fan since birth?" She never has and will never miss an opportunity to tell people why James Earl Carter, Jr. is one of the most under-appreciated presidents modern history presents.
Treasurer - Zachary Silva (He/Him)
Zachary Silva is serving as the Treasurer of YDU. Born in Salt Lake City, Zach has lived almost his entire life in Lehi, Utah. He has long had a passion for both local politics and international relations, having worked as a policy writer for the 2022 Ann Schreck for Utah House 53 Campaign and having served as a research assistant at the Latvian Institute of International Affairs in Riga, Latvia. Zach also has a passion for foreign languages and is studying both French and Russian. He loves reading, skiing, and snowboarding, and is a huge fan of the Utah Jazz and Ferrari F1 team! He hopes that while serving on the YDU Executive Board, he can make a positive impact in his community and help make his home state a better place to live!
National Committee Representative -
Jack Davis (He/Him)
Jack is one of YDU’s two National Committee Representatives and is an active member of the Utah County Democratic Party, where he serves as parliamentarian and member of the executive team. A political nerd at heart, Jack has spent most of his life fascinated by the public policy process. Beginning with his first high school job in a city council office, Jack has had the opportunity to intern and work in numerous local, state, and federal government positions. He currently works as an economic development specialist assisting Utah communities recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jack graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in economics and holds a certificate in public policy analysis from the London School of Economics & Political Science. He lives in Vineyard with his always adorable dog, Ivy, and enjoys camping, hiking, and skiing in Utah’s stunning outdoors.
Communications Director - Mason Hughes (He/They)
Engagement Director - Xander Johnson (He/Him)
​Xander was born and raised in Davis County and is a recent graduate from the University of Utah. A creative at heart, he has sought to use that skill to create positive change in his communities. He previously worked at an agency where he helped 13 Democratic campaigns across the country—ranging from congressional races, ballot initiatives, city commissioners, and more—win. He believes in young people’s potential to make Utah a more inclusive and welcoming place to live​​