​

 

Sawait Seyoum has been engaged in policy advocacy for nearly 15 years, working in the areas of education, health care, public safety, labor and employment, housing, transportation and utilities and commerce. She began her career in advocacy as a Legislative Assistant for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), supporting the union’s efforts to protect and expand the rights of working people and their families.

​

Sawait served as Senior Legislative Consultant to Assemblymember Shirley Weber, where she helped to secure $300 million in Local Control Funding (LCFF) for the lowest performing students in the state. She also facilitated negotiations and stakeholder discussions around LCAP redesign and transparency in LCFF funding.

​

As Legislative Advocate for PICO California, the largest multi-racial faith-based community-organizing network in the state, Sawait is recognized for her work to help secure an increase in the minimum wage, access to health care for undocumented adults and several pieces of legislation, including the Restorative Justice Act, which moved California’s criminal laws away from a system that relies solely upon incarceration and punishment in its treatment of offenders.

​

Prior to representing PICO California, Sawait helped manage advocacy and lobbying efforts for Health Access California.  She helped develop and execute legislative and budgetary strategy to ensure the successful implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and is recognized for her work on several bills that were signed by the Governor, including a bill that garnered national attention, AB 339 (Gordon), which ensured better access to prescription drug medication by setting a cap on cost-sharing for high cost drugs.  She also worked with county and state officials to improve safety-net coverage for children who are undocumented.

 

Sawait built considerable expertise in government and politics while working as a Consultant in the State Capitol for Assemblymember Mike Davis and in the Speaker’s Office of Member Services.  She is recognized for her ability to build strategic alliances and develop and execute strategies to move, amend, and defeat state legislation.

​

Sawait earned a Master’s Degree from California State University, Sacramento in Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies and a Bachelor’s Degree in Government. In 2003, she was selected as a Center for California Studies Capitol Fellow, where she served as an Executive Fellow for State Controller Steve Westly. During her Fellowship, Sawait was recognized by the Sacramento Observer Newspaper as one of the top “30 under 30” leaders in the Sacramento region.