FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Nicole Hensel
Executive Director
Nicole@NewEraColorado.org
983-204-4176

New Era Colorado Announces Christina Soliz as New Executive Director

Current Deputy Director Christina Soliz will Lead the Youth Political Powerhouse as Trump Takes Office

DENVER, Jan. 9, 2025 — New Era Colorado (NEC), the state’s leading youth political organization and one of the premier youth organizing groups in the country, announced Christina Soliz as its next executive director. Soliz will be the fourth executive director to serve in the role since the organization’s founding in 2006, preceded only by former Senate President Steve Fenberg (2006-2016), Lizzy Stephan (2016-2019), and Nicole Hensel (2019-2025). 

“Five years ago, the New Era Board of Directors gave me the chance of a lifetime when they hired me as executive director. I was not a political insider; I was a former teacher and firm believer in young people’s potential. More than anything, I want to live in the world that young people dream of. While we’ve accomplished so much, I’ve exhausted my vision for the organization and our next phase is about leveling up; strengthening and refining. It’s time to pass the baton,” said outgoing Executive Director Nicole Hensel. 

Soliz is already a central figure in Colorado politics. After running political campaigns at Planned Parenthood of Michigan, Soliz came to Colorado in 2019 as the program director at America Votes. She then became the political director at Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights (COLOR). 

In 2023, Soliz joined NEC as deputy director and has shaped the direction of the organization’s new programmatic approach by developing a Youth Agenda Champion endorsement program, leading the effort to turn out young voters for Amendment 79, and increasing turnout amongst young Black, Indigenous, and people of color by 9 percentage points. Thanks to her strategy, NEC elected two more Youth Agenda Champions to the state legislature in November: Reps. Katie Stewart (Durango) and Yara Zokaie (Fort Collins). Soliz also makes history as the first person of color to lead NEC.

“After a rigorous interview process, we are thrilled to announce Christina Soliz as New Era Colorado’s next Executive Director. As the current Deputy Director, Christina has upped our game and held integrity to results that make us confident in her ability to lead the organization. Colorado was able to buck national youth voter trends, leading to historic wins like expanding access to abortion and overturning a ban on same-sex marriage. Under Christina’s leadership, New Era will be able to meet the political moment and deliver progress on the Youth Agenda,” said New Era Colorado Foundation Board Chair Cody Ostenson.

With the incoming Trump administration, NEC is poised to respond to the political moment. Colorado’s young voters turned out at record levels in the November election. Youth turnout in Colorado was 69%, a full 27 points above the national average for young voters (42-44%). Young voters in Colorado maintained support for the Democratic presidential candidate despite a nationwide dip largely driven by young men and young white voters. NEC ran its most impactful cross-entity electoral program yet, reaching 1+ million young voters and our base of young people turned out at 86 percent, 17 points above the state average and at least 42 points ahead of the national average. Young Colorado voters who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of color turned out at 54%, also far above national averages and a testament to NEC’s outreach efforts.

“The next few years are critical for Colorado: we can flip local elections and make real change at the city and county level, push our state’s Democratic trifecta to pass bold, progressive policy, and elect Youth Agenda Champions as governor, attorney general, and secretary of state in 2026. New Era has the opportunity to alter the political landscape in the state and nationally and prove that young people’s vision for the world is possible. I am thrilled to lead the most effective youth organizing group in the country to rise to the occasion and chart a different and exciting path in Colorado,” said incoming Executive Director Christina Soliz.

Christina Soliz will officially become Executive Director on Feb. 3, 2025. 

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About New Era Colorado: New Era Colorado is a grassroots nonprofit that harnesses young people’s political power to co-create a Colorado that serves all of us.