Natasha McKenzie is a successful political fundraiser who spent many years building up her career and working towards helping her clients and party gain political success. Throughout that time, she built up the value she already had of supporting the community and continued to recognize their role in political campaigns. We sat down with Natasha McKenzie to learn about her experience supporting communities.
“When I first started in my political career, I worked for a DC Councilmember, who represents all eight wards in DC, so city-wide and DC,” says Natasha McKenzie. This is how she was introduced to working with and for the community of DC.
“It was great because I got to work directly in my community and with constituents. We would do things like helping people get out to vote, we would do community cleanups, food donation drives, and school visits to help provide kids with their school meals,” says Natasha McKenzie discussing her work with a DC Councilmember.
Through her work, Natasha McKenzie was able to foster relationships with the members of the DC community as well as members of the DC political circuit. She says, “So, it was a great experience to be directly involved in the community. After working for two years, I got to know pretty much everybody.”
Thanks to this, she could improve her networking skills and build her career on the relationships she gained through this work. “Because this is not a state, the political community of DC politics is tiny compared to national politics. And because I was young and served as the executive director, I had the chance to directly connect with people everywhere,” says Natasha McKenzie.
After working with a DC Councilmember, Natasha McKenzie was allowed to further her political fundraising skills by taking on a role with the DSCC (Democratic Senatorial Campaign committee). In her most recent position, Natasha McKenzie says, “I just finished being a statewide finance director on a campaign. And we raised over $3.5 million.”
When asked about role models, Natasha McKenzie mentioned a name familiar to young girls aspiring to be in politics. She says, “When I was a little girl, growing up, in New York, Hillary Clinton was the person that every little girl aspired to in politics.” A pivotal and exciting moment in her career was being able to work for her community and for her role model at the same time.
“A moment in my carer where I felt ‘I am making a difference was being a member of the DNC (Democratic National Convention) Credentials Committee at the convention, and the power of the committee to help nominate then-Secretary Clinton,” says Natasha McKenzie.
Through this, she was a part of history with the nomination of Hilary Clinton for presidential candidacy. Although Hilary Clinton did not become president, Natasha McKenzie is proud to have worked with her team, making historical progress for women and young girls across the United States.
“It was just so exciting to me, especially when I was just in that room with all those amazing people and being at the convention and seeing her give her speech,” says Natasha McKenzie.
She continues to nurture her skills in political fundraising while working towards her goal of owning or working for a firm that prioritizes candidates of color to provide them with the resources they need to have a successful political career.
