YEO Policy Academies Clean Energy & Environmental Justice Pol. Academy | Page 52

YEO Bios
Massachusetts Land Court, served as a legal intern at the United States Attorney’s Office for the
District of Maine, and worked on environmental issues at the Conservation Law Foundation. After
graduating from Northeastern, he returned to Portland to practice law. Thibodeau has taken full
advantage of the newest “Foodie City” and when he is not working, you can find him reading at a
local coffee shop, running, or grabbing dinner with friends.

Erica Thomas
State Representative
Austell, Georgia
Erica Thomas is a member of the Georgia House of Representatives. She
first gained experience with the General Assembly serving as legislative
aide to the previous representative from House District 39, Alisha
Thomas-Morgan, who served as her mentor and guide. Outside of Capitol
life, Thomas runs Speak Out Loud, the nonprofit she founded, dedicated
to giving a voice to foster children who have been silenced by their
circumstances. Speak Out Loud has expanded across the country and also has chapters in Nigeria.
She has also worked to establish libraries in various locations in Africa, which earned her the 2013
Ambassador for Peace Award from the Global Peace Foundation. She currently resides in Austell,
Georgia, with her daughter Dakota. @EricaThomasHD39

Zach Vruwink
Mayor
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin

Clean Energy & Environmental Justice Policy Academy | 2016
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Zach Vruwink was elected in April 2012 as Wisconsin Rapids’ 22nd and
youngest mayor in a historic four-way election. Vruwink was born,
attended school, and started and grew a business in Wisconsin Rapids.
He is a proud graduate of Lincoln High School and of the University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He holds degrees in political science, public
administration, and policy analysis. Vruwink was awarded the Ernst &
Young/Junior Achievement Regional Youth Entrepreneur Award, was a regional winner and finalist
for the Global Student Entrepreneur Award, and was listed on the Empact100 list of top young
entrepreneurs in the country. Vruwink was also selected to be a representative of the United
States at the 2011 G20 Young Entrepreneur Summit in Nice, France, where he worked alongside
other representatives to propose measures encouraging entrepreneurship within and across G20
countries.