Decision 2022: A Critical Look at the Midterm Election

See the video on the Alumni Association's YouTube channel.

Two Binghamton University alumni with expertise and experience in public policy, lobbying, voter engagement, advocacy and public opinion were the speakers for this year’s Homecoming TIER Talks. The speakers discussed the future of democracy in the United States, and how people can advocate for themselves during and between election cycles.

Speakers:
Perry Ochacher ’84 - Founder and President, Willett Public Affairs
Ochacher has a career spanning both the public and private sectors as an attorney, political consultant and legislative lobbyist. Prior to launching Willett Public Affairs in 2018, he served as partner, managing partner, senior vice president and counsel to several high-profile Albany lobbying firms (most recently at State & Broadway) providing strategic legal, legislative and communications counsel to clients in the healthcare, transportation, insurance, real estate, retail, financial services, racing and gaming, construction, and telecommunications industries. Ochacher has lectured frequently on various topics related to lobbying and public policy and has authored and co-authored several articles on the legal and business aspects of lobbying, as well as an array of other legal subjects.

Nicole Yearwood ’97, MPA ’98 - Founder and CEO, Educated Voter
Yearwood's activism began as a sophomore at Binghamton, when the governor of New York threatened to cut funding to the Tuition Assistance Program (TAP). Not long after she was voting age, she understood how elected officials have an impact on our daily existence in ways in which we are not always aware. Yearwood decided to obtain a Master of Public Administration degree and enter the field of government and politics. She became active in student government, a leader of student-run entities, and was a student representative on University boards until she obtained her graduate degree. She has volunteered and worked on several city, state and national political campaigns. In 2004, Nicole was elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention. Subsequently, she worked in Philadelphia for Pennsylvania's coordinated campaign. For almost nine years, she was director of government relations for a non-profit that provides free programs in all five boroughs of New York City. Because of the relationship between voting and the decennial census, she took a position with the U.S. Census Bureau to ensure a complete and accurate count of historically hard to count communities.