We’re thrilled to introduce and welcome another new member of our CVI team, Anne Zabala as our Campaigns Manager. As CVI’s Campaigns Manager, Anne is responsible for supporting the Field Associate and Voter Outreach Team. She plans and executes CVI’s community organizing and mobilization strategies, electoral work, endorsement process, field work, digital organizing, and data management.
Although she was born in Arizona, her parents relocated when she was only a week old to move closer to extended family in the Treasure Valley. Anne has deep Idaho roots. Her aitxitxa (grandfather) immigrated to Idaho from the Basque country in the 40s to herd sheep and she is a third generation Idahoan. After graduating from Middleton High School, Anne went on to receive her B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Idaho in 2016.
Challenging the Luna Laws as a volunteer caller in 2012 was Anne’s first introduction to politics. From there she volunteered and worked for several campaigns in her North Idaho district championing the need for a much more balanced approach in the Idaho Legislature. Anne was also active in student government and spent the 2015 legislative session advocating for U of I and college students across the state—a job that taught her the importance of electing people to power that represent your values. As an advocate for young people being civically engaged, one of her proudest accomplishments was launching a paid fellowship program in 2016 to recruit and train other young people as mini-organizers to work on-the-ground in key legislative districts throughout Idaho.
Before joining CVI, Anne worked for two years as a digital fundraiser for the University of Idaho and most recently as the Executive Director of a gardening and gleaning nonprofit fighting food insecurity, Backyard Harvest. She is thrilled to bring her skills and talents to the work of fighting for conservation throughout Idaho in her role as Campaigns Manager. Currently Anne is also serving her second term on the Moscow City Council. Councilwoman Zabala is proud to have received CVI’s endorsement and support in both her election and re-election campaigns.
In her free time, Anne enjoys hanging out with friends, reading, hiking, lifting weights, going to shows, petting other people’s dogs, and spending time in and on the water. She has used quarantine to hone her culinary skills.