2019-2020

Executive Board

R. Matthew Barocas
President
Matt is a third-year majoring in Political Science and History. He previously as Treasurer of UF College Democrats, working to fund the club's presence on a local and national scale. Matt has previous experience in Democratic campaigning as well as in non-partisan human rights laws compliance. He currently serves as a Senator for the College of Liberal Arts and Science in UF's Student Government Senate, where he works to ensure inclusive transparent student government operations. Hailing from coastal Pinecrest in Miami, Florida, Matt has seen firsthand the impact of rising sea-levels and climate change in Florida. The issue, as well as rebuilding our nation's infrastructure, securing our progressive expansion of civil rights all drive his commitment to College Democrats at the University of Florida.
Ryan Wilder
VICE PRESident
Ryan is a third-year public relations and political science dual major at UF. He has previously served as the campaign co-chair and LGBT caucus co-chair of UFCD and the LGBT caucus chair of the Florida College Democrats. He hopes to attend graduate school and find a job in either the field of political consulting or corporate public relations. In his spare time, he is a Starbucks barista, where his favorite drink is an iced coffee. His goals are to continue the inclusivity, opportunity and the sense of family the organization brings to its members. Building a positive relationship between Alachua County and the Gator Nation through civic education and community engagement projects is a priority and a plan for the 2019-2020 school year. The most important political issues to him are climate change, the wealth gap and improving civil rights. 
Megan Wordell
Political Director
Once called "too liberal and outspoken," Megan is a third-year Political Science and Journalism major with minors in Sociology and Innovation. She is very excited to serve as UFCD's Political Director this year. She would like to thank Michelle Obama, her family and friends, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and the five people that like her tweets for inspiring her to debate the Republicans in her classes. She's pretty good at political organizing, but bad at actual cleaning. Opinions are her own and probably also Samantha Bee's. 
Eric Marsh
Treasurer
Eric is a second-year economics major from Weston, Florida. Prior to coming to UF, he was involved with Model UN and a mental health advocacy group. His involvement in UFCD began in his first year during which he served as the Labor Caucus co-chair. In addition to economics, he enjoys attempting to learn new languages (currently Spanish and Portuguese). Issues of foreign policy are of particular importance to him. He is a big fan of Latin American politics and follows policies and tensions in the region closely. Following graduation, he hopes to one day become an economics professor who specializes in international political economy and development. When he's not managing the club's finances, he enjoys reading about twentieth century history and watching historical miniseries on Netflix.
Christina Pugliese
Director of Outreach
Christina is a second-year Telecommunications and Political Science major with a minor in Women's Studies. She previously served as the Women's Caucus chair for UFCD. She also serves as the North Regional Director for the Florida College Democrats and the Vice Chair of the Women's Caucus in the College Democrats of America. When she's not in Disney, she's protesting, writing, traveling, taking pictures, and/or playing with her cats. One day, she'd like to run for political office with a platform dedicated to women's issues and education. She is extremely excited to beat Trump in 2020.
Sam Steiner
Programs Director
Samantha is a third-year political science and public health major from West Palm Beach, Florida. She previously served as a Public Health Caucus chair, and her involvement in UFCD's 2018 midterm election efforts solidified her desire to pursue law school after graduation, and eventually work in the political realm with a focus on healthcare policy and equity. In addition, she enjoys road trips, cooking vegan meals, and binge-watching British reality TV shows. 
Tre Popoli
Secretary
Tre is a fourth-year Public Health Major with minors in Health Disparities and Health Promotion. He is currently involved with Undergraduate Public Health Association, UF Beach and Indoor Club Volleyball and is serving as the secretary for UFCD this school year. Tre’s passion for politics stems from the desire to help eliminate unequal gaps in health care coverage. After graduation Tre would like to eventually pursue a Master’s in Public Health in hopes of pursuing a career in epidemiology or community health organization.​