District 30 Democratic Club Officers and Board of Directors

President: Fish Stark

Fish Stark is an educator, organizer, and social entrepreneur who works to build a world where everyone belongs and can flourish. 

He is the Head of Program & Curriculum at Legends, an ed-tech startup creating preventative mental health skill-building apps for kids, and was previously Director of Programs at Peace First, a global nonprofit that trains and funds youth activists around the world. Fish has worked with the Red Cross, Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation, the Aspen Institute, American Friends Service Committee, and Child Trends to build research-based youth development programming.

Fish holds a Master's in Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor's from Yale University with a certificate in Education Studies. He got his start as an education entrepreneur building student-run bullying prevention programs as a high school student in Anne Arundel County, and serves on the boards of the International Bullying Prevention Association, Kindness Grows Here, and the advisory board of New Village Academy.

Fish’s first organizing experience was recruiting groups of his fellow high school students to canvass for former D30 Delegate candidate Judd Legum. Since then, he’s supported progressive campaigns wherever he’s lived around the country, playing every role from field volunteer to Finance Chair and Campaign Chair. He is especially proud of helping elect the first Afghan-American state legislator and the youngest Turkish-American elected official in the US. He is currently managing Dana Schallheim’s re-election campaign for Anne Arundel County Board of Education and serves as the alternate on the Annapolis Democratic Central Committee.

Fish was raised in South County, and, after spending ten years criss-crossing the globe for school and work, returned to Anne Arundel County last year with his partner, Madi, to be closer to family. Fish and Madi, a communications strategist for progressive Jewish organizations, live in Downtown Annapolis with their cat, Kermit. In his spare time Fish can be found performing stand-up comedy around greater DC. 

Vice President: Austin Cox

Austin is a lifelong resident of southern Anne Arundel County. After graduating cum laude from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in history, Austin found that though reflecting on the nature of past governments was interesting, helping maintain the health of present governments was probably a little more pressing, and a better way to make a living. Since then, he has volunteered for several local political campaigns and the District 30 Democratic Club to get a better idea of how he can best serve his community.

Secretary: Josh Paper

Josh rejoins our Board for a second term as Secretary. Josh Paper is the Chief of Staff to Delegate Dana Jones, representing District 30A in Anne Arundel County. During the 2022 Gubernatorial election, he served as her campaign manager for the general election. Prior to coming on to Delegate Jones’ staff, he volunteered for the District 30A Slate during the primary election. Prior to beginning his political career in Annapolis, Josh attended St. Mary’s College of Maryland where he graduated as a double major in Political Science and Public Policy, with a focus on local and state government. During school Josh was a member of the Varsity Sailing Team, one of the top sailing teams in the country, and served as team captain his senior year. When he wasn’t in class or on the water he worked as a Saferide manager, tour guide, and in the College’s Center for the Study of Democracy.  

Josh was born and raised in Howard County, District 9A. He fell in love with Annapolis as a young child and is incredibly excited he is able to live and work in District 30A today. Josh enjoys coaching high school and collegiate sailing on the weekends. When he isn’t working, Josh enjoys spending time with his friends, and being active outdoors including running, sailing, and hiking. 

Treasurer: Helen Chin

Helen rejoins the D30 Board for a second term as Treasurer. She was born and educated in Australia where she attended business college before moving to USA. She is a dual citizen of Australia and USA. She has been a member of Maryland District 30 since 2012.

Helen has been retired for several years following a 35-year background in business with various employers, mostly in areas of banking and development/economic aid. She had a long career with the World Bank in Washington DC with a focus on office management and resource planning for managers with lending programs in the Middle East and African countries. During retirement she served for 10 years as treasurer of Ikebana International Washington DC Chapter, a 501C7 non-profit that promotes Japanese arts. She continues as auditor for this organization.

Prior to moving to Annapolis in 2012 from Montgomery County, her political interests lay in international and national politics. While that still applies, her interest has broadened to the state and local levels and has included local campaign volunteering with D30, and participation in the 2019 Legacy Leader Program, a partnership between University of Maryland and the Maryland General Assembly. Assignments included the offices of Delegate Susan Proctor (Prince George’s County) and Senator Ronald Young (Frederick County). Other volunteering involvements have included Hospice of Montgomery County, Anne Arundel County Women Giving Together, Planned Parenthood of Annapolis and Maryland Hall for the Arts.

Immediate Past President: Sharon Blugis

Sharon Blugis  has dedicated her career to serving and uplifting communities and has been a dedicated advocate for Democracy and Marylanders’ reproductive freedoms. 

With a career in public service and community advocacy, Sharon brings to D30 Club expertise in community and   political organizing and nonprofit leadership. After working 10 years as a litigation paralegal, Sharon earned a Master’s in Health Science and then joined the Anne Arundel County Health Department. She then managed the AACO Fire Department’s Fire and Life Safety office, a position she held for over 10 years. In 2019, Sharon joined the AACO County Executive's Office where, among other responsibilities, she served as the County Census 2020 lead. In January 2020, she joined the Office of the Maryland Comptroller as the Community Affairs Outreach Manager. In mid-2021, she became the Executive Director of a non-profit educational organization dedicated to public safety.  

In addition to her work experience, Sharon has partnered with several public health and gender justice organizations in mobilizing communities and fighting anti-abortion legislation in Maryland’s state and local governments, and is the Founder + Legislative Director of Reproductive Justice Maryland. Sharon is skilled in working in political arenas and identifying opportunities for reform and advancement, as well as brainstorming with community stakeholders to build effective coalitions and executing those ideas and policies.  Sharon and her husband, Adam, are residents of Annapolis. 

Board Member: Courtney Buiniskis

Courtney Buiniskis, a proud native of southern Anne Arundel County, is proud of her academic background, having earned three degrees from Maryland Higher Education institutions. With her master's in education, Courtney remains dedicated to teaching communication and workforce development courses at Anne Arundel Community College.

During her tenure at AACC, Courtney played a pivotal role on the SEIU Local 500 Adjunct committee, tirelessly advocating alongside her peers for improved pay and bargaining rights for Adjunct Professors. Her commitment paid off as SEIU successfully unionized following a successful vote count in the past fall, a milestone she proudly contributed to.

Beyond her advocacy for fellow professors, Courtney receives the Fannie Lou Hamer Award for her relentless efforts to educate others about the significance of voting and voting rights. Adding to her list of accolades, Courtney is actively engaged in democratic efforts as the Vice Chair of the AACDCC in AACO. In the 2022 race, she ran for the State Delegate seat in 30B, becoming the first African American woman to do so. Throughout the campaign, she worked tirelessly to inform South County residents about the importance of high-quality constituent services. 

Undeterred by challenges, Courtney continued her public service journey by joining the Office of Community Engagement and Constituent Services in the Office of the County Executive of AACO in the winter of 2023. Currently serving as the Community Engagement Officer for regions 5, 8, and 9, Courtney leverages her exceptional communication skills and strong work ethic to foster meaningful conversations and build relationships within the communities she serves.

Residing in Shady Side along the Chesapeake Bay, Courtney cherishes South County living and reflects on her various hardworking roles with gratitude. Passionate about serving Anne Arundel County residents, she remains dedicated to making a positive impact in her community.

Board Member: Harry Huntley

Despite growing up in urban Baltimore City, Harry fell in love with agriculture from a young age at the local farmers market and started a garden to bring his community together over food. His career followed this passion, and he eventually realized that the way to create the necessary change in our food system was through policy. After working for various agriculture advocacy organizations, including National Farmers Union, the Senate Agriculture Committee, and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, Harry now focuses on market-based nutrient reduction policies as the Senior Agriculture Policy Analyst for the Environmental Policy Innovation Center.

Harry's earliest political memory is of seeing Barack Obama speak in Baltimore just before his first inauguration, and he later knocked doors for his 2012 reelection campaign. Harry became involved in politics in earnest during the earliest stages of the 2016 presidential cycle and since has volunteered on presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial campaigns.

After moving to Annapolis in August 2020, Harry wasted no time before volunteering for the aldermanic campaign of a longtime friend. He has continued his involvement in the city's civic life by serving on the Annapolis Democratic Central Committee and hopes to fashion Annapolis into a national leader on the environment and electoral reforms while keeping a focus on improving everyday services for Annapolitans and of course electing Democrats!

Board Member: Spencer Jones

Spencer Jones is the President of the Anne Arundel County Young Democrats and the Owner of Chick and Ruth’s Delly in Annapolis. He’s been a member of the District 30 Democratic Club since 2022 and is running for a 2nd term on the D30 Board of Directors. Prior to moving to Maryland, Spencer was born and raised in Fairfax, Virginia. He studied statistics at Virginia Tech graduating in the fall of 2019.

Through the last couple years of undergrad he interned at the National Center for Rural Health Works in Blacksburg and Capital Associates in Alexandria Virginia, and was proud to help pass the Rural Health Clinic Modernization Act to support independent rural health clinics, and create an economic impact study supporting Medicaid expansion in Oklahoma.

Spencer moved to Anne Arundel County in 2021 to take over the restaurant. Since moving to Maryland Spencer has been an active member of the District 30 and 33 democratic clubs, as well as taking on the role of President of the Anne Arundel County Young Democrats. Spencer is looking forward to serving on the D30 Board for another year to support our candidates up and down the ballot, from school board to the presidency. Spencer lives in Crofton with his girlfriend Alyssa, who is also a D30 club member!

Board Member: Antonio Martinez

Antonio Martinez, a local resident of Annapolis, Maryland, works to create a more inclusive environment for immigrants and other underserved communities. Antonio is an accredited legal representative at Path to Hope, providing humanitarian relief to the immigrant community. He spends time volunteering with local organizations such as the West Annapolis Food Pantry and Our Lady of Guadalupe Ministries, and is dedicated to serving those in need.

Board Member: Dave McCarthy

Originally hailing from the Philadelphia suburbs, Dave McCarthy is an experienced public policy professional who has had a decade of experience at the intersection of technology and government relations. After completing a BA in economics and political science from Florida State University, McCarthy worked in government advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels advocating for and monitoring a wide range of policy issues in the tech space. After soaking in a wealth of experience at organizations small and large in the nation’s capital, McCarthy joined the government relations program within Axis Communications, where he focuses on a variety of technology issues facing the greater security industry. In his position, McCarthy oversees legislative and policy developments, manages collaboration with industry associations and works internally to ensure product line compliance with government regulations. 

Outside of his government experience McCarthy has worked on two different swing state campaigns, most recently in 2020 for a Pennsylvania State Senate candidate in the Philadelphia suburbs. After months of hard work and coordination with the Biden Campaign, his candidate won. The race was the only red to blue flip in the State Senate that cycle.

McCarthy firmly believes in the mantra that “politics is a pendulum” and those with a keen eye on political trends and developments will be best prepared for the future. 

Board Member: Steffani Mykins

Steffani Fine Mykins is deeply entrenched in the vibrant community of Annapolis, Maryland, where she has established herself as a stalwart advocate for environmental health and safety. Armed with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Georgia, Steffani has amassed over two decades of experience in the environmental sector, notably in compliance management.

Steffani fell in love with Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay when she first visited and chose to relocate here in 1996 to continue her career in the environmental health and safety field after graduating from the University of Georgia with a BS Environmental Health Science degree. She was actively involved in the industry for 20 years, working to achieve positive health and safety outcomes in the workforce until she paused her career 18 years ago to focus on being a full-time mom to her growing family. Together with her husband, Steffani has three children ranging in age from 21- 16-years old, all of whom have benefited from being students in the AACPS system. Steffani and the family are active in local sports, boating, and enjoying all that the community and culture have to offer.

However, Steffani's professional trajectory assumed a transformative dimension following her daughter's diagnosis with a rare disability. This pivotal juncture galvanized her advocacy efforts, propelling her into the realm of political disability rights activism. Determined to secure equitable access to resources and support, Steffani has leveraged her expertise to navigate the medical, academic, and governmental frameworks.

In parallel with her advocacy endeavors, Steffani has remained steadfast in her commitment to community service, volunteering extensively within public school systems and championing initiatives aimed at bolstering educational support for students with special needs. Looking ahead, she remains resolute in her pursuit of electing Democrats committed to environmental stewardship and advancing inclusive policies for individuals with disabilities.

Educating her children in public schools, including a daughter with special needs led Steffani to her passion of advocating for a strong public school system, particularly one that actively accommodates the needs and provides opportunities for success of both mainstream and special needs students. She has advocated for safe start times and accommodations for special needs students. This advocacy eventually led to her second passion of being politically involved in local and state government.

Beyond her professional and advocacy pursuits, Steffani cherishes moments spent with her family, boating, reading and interior decorating. 

Board Member: Keanuú Smith-Brown

Keanuú Smith-Brown (KSB) is the eldest of six siblings and a first-generation college graduate. He was born in Annapolis, Maryland, and raised by his mother, Tameka Smith. Keanuú has been involved in politics and government since age 13. From 2019-2020, he was the scholarship manager and legislative assistant for District 30A Maryland State Delegates, Alice Cain and Dana Jones. He served as president of the District 30 Democratic Club from 2020-2021 and, from 2019-2021, on the Board of Directors. In 2021, Smith-Brown became a candidate for Alderman of Ward 3 in Annapolis; currently, he leads his own political/social consultancy. 

KSB is the chair of the Annapolis Board of Supervisors of Elections, a member of the Board of Directors of the Annapolis Police Foundation, and a member of the Caucus of African American Leaders and Anne Arundel County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Smith-Brown is vice president of Superior Future, Incorporated, a local nonprofit impacting hundreds of families and youth across Annapolis. Formerly a substitute teacher at Georgetown East Elementary School, he now serves as a fourth-grade teacher at Walter S. Mills-Parole Elementary School and is on the Board of Directors of the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County.

Board Member: Michael Walsh

Michael Walsh is a resident of Annapolis and has been actively involved in Democratic politics his whole life. Initially from Massachusetts, Walsh was introduced to politics through his family. With a father who was a political science professor at a local university, politics were a common dinner table discussion. Walsh attended ungrad at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut and volunteered on a few local and Congressional campaigns during school and afterwards. He currently works for a public affairs firm located in Annapolis.

Board Member: Luisa Wayman

Luisa Wayman is a graduate of St. John's College and an activist for trans rights, reproductive rights and affordable housing. She has fought for the Trans Health Equity Act which passed last year and the current Moderately Priced Dwelling Units bill in the county council. recently joined the board of Reproductive Justice Maryland and works in the Maryland House of Delegates as a clerk to the Committee on Ways and Means.