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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.
Secretary - VACANT
Treasurer - VACANT
Communications Director - Sandrine Mimche (She/Her)
Sandrine is serving as the high school cause chair of YDU. As the daughter of immigrants and an immigrant herself, from Cameroon located in west/central Africa, she values the power in criticizing the government in power. She currently goes to Brighton and founded her own club called “Bengals for Change”. At Brighton, Sandrine has worked hard not only to teach her peers about issues in the world currently but also to try her best to learn more about politics and social issues. Sandrine originally became interested in politics when learning about history in elementary school, and her fascination for history tied with her passion for government and law created a woman who is commonly defined by her peers, and other adults, as an activist and leader who will create big changes in the world today. Sandrine plans to further her education in politics by majoring in sociology and/or political science when graduating from high school in 2023 and going to law school after obtaining her bachelor’s degree.
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.
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.
Professionals Caucus Chair -
Matthew Davis (He/Him)
Highschool Caucus Chair -
Events Director - Mason Hughes (He/They)
Engagement Director - Hope Goeckeritz (She/Her)
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Hope Goeckeritz has dedicated her life to public service and political advocacy. Born a proud Utah native, Hope has traveled around the world to pursue her calling. She has worked in Washington, D.C. for the Third Congressional District of Utah and thereafter relocated to London to work for the British Parliament. Hope has also worked in community development for the City of South Jordan and as the Executive Director for VOTERISE, a nonpartisan nonprofit committed to increasing voter registration and turnout among 18–29-year-olds and underrepresented groups. She is currently employed at a local municipality in business development, licensing organizations and assisting small businesses still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2022, Hope ran for the Utah State House of Representatives in House District 39, a red district. Hope is the youngest candidate in Utah’s modern history to run for State House on the General ballot. Born on Election Day, she made the cut-off by just four days and ran at only 24-years-old. She credits her incredible team of staffers, volunteers, and donors for flipping several precincts blue and receiving roughly 45% of the vote.
Hope holds an Associate of Science degree in General Studies from Salt Lake Community College and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utah in Political Science with a minor in Economics, a minor in Strategic Communication, an emphasis in Law and Politics, and a certificate in International Relations.
Hope is devoted to advocating for extensive voter education, studying inclusive legislation, and encouraging underrepresented communities to participate in our democratic processes. She firmly believes that each vote has an impact, big and small, on every single individual.
Parliamentarian - Ethan Bassett (He/Him)
Raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ethan Bassett moved to Utah in the fall of 2019 to pursue a political science degree from Utah Valley University. After serving as a delegate to the 2021 Young Democrats of America Convention, he reestablished the College Democrats of Utah Valley University where he served as the organization's founding President. Ethan was an intern in the Utah State Senate during the 2021 General Session and an Oxford Research Assistant for the Quill Project studying state constitutionalism. He has an Associate of Arts from the College of Southern Nevada as well as an Associates of Science and Bachelors of Political Science with a minor in Constitutional Studies from Utah Valley University. He lives with his wife in Provo, Utah.