Democracy needs defenders, and it starts with you! Sign up to attend the Renew Democracy 250 weekly Zoom community call. Hear from special guests, learn how to take action, and connect with community members.

Special Guest Speaker: Joey Novick

Joey Novick is man of many trades. He is a retired attorney, storyteller, radio show host, professional speaker, editorial director, professional stand-up comedian, and former councilman for many years. As a stand-up comedian, he has appeared on MTV & Comedy Central and has worked with many of the greats, including Robin Williams and Jerry Seinfeld.

Joey leads humor programs that have been featured in the New York Times, AP, Washington Post, ABC, CNN, and many more. He has performed all across North America at conventions, theatres, and for non-profits and corporations.

As a lawyer, Joey graduated from Seton Hall and was trained in 2004 at Harvard Law School as an advanced mediator and is an honors graduate of the Leadership New Jersey Fellowship Program. He has taught hundreds of lawyers, law school students, judges, and elected officials, the benefits of legal skills derived of improvisation. He has been a member of the board of trustees of the ACLU of NJ since 2009. And he continues to be active with his political and performance efforts.

Educational topic of the week:

Democracy needs defenders, and it starts with you! Sign up to attend the Renew Democracy 250 weekly Zoom community call. Hear from special guests, learn how to take action, and connect with community members.

Special Guest Speaker: Greg Vartan

As a fourth-generation resident of Summit, New Jersey, Greg Vartan has called this community home his entire life. Growing up here, he learned hometown values of hard work, honesty, and service from his family, teachers, coaches, and pastors. He saw the importance of people coming together and volunteering their time to their community. That is why he stepped up as soon as he could.

Starting in high school, Greg served for 12 years as a volunteer on Summit’s First Aid Squad and was elected as the youngest President of the Summit Council. During his tenure the Council built a brand-new firehouse, funded every request from the police department, and coordinated a strong response to the pandemic. They also worked to lower taxes, keep our local economy vibrant, invest in education, and improve infrastructure.

Greg is running for U.S. Congress because he sees how rising costs and extremism in Washington have threatened our way of life. He believes that the American dream—the promise of owning a home—should be within reach for more families. Our country and our Democracy are at a turning point, and we need people in Congress who are fighting for something other than themselves. Greg Vartan will work to protect what makes our neighborhoods great places to live—proximity to good jobs and vibrant communities—while still being affordable for families. Greg will also stand up to Donald Trump, his own party, or anyone who threatens the people of his district. He will work to lower costs and taxes, protect our fundamental freedoms, and improve healthcare, education, and transportation.

To learn more about Greg Vartan, click here

Educational topic of the week:

Democracy needs defenders, and it starts with you! Sign up to attend the Renew Democracy 250 weekly Zoom community call. Hear from special guests, learn how to take action, and connect with community members.

Special Guest Speaker: Guy Citron

Guy Citron is a third-generation New Jerseyan, small business owner, and dedicated community leader running for State Assembly to bring bold, people-first leadership to Trenton. A longtime advocate for civic engagement, Guy currently serves as Chair of the Political Action Committee for the Hunterdon County NAACP and he previously sat on the executive committee of the North Hunterdon Voorhees Intellectual Freedom Fighters, where he fights for free expression and mental health support in schools.

Professionally, Guy brings global experience and local results. After building a multimillion-dollar media company abroad, he returned home to raise his son and get to work advocating for working families, public schools, and small businesses. He is deeply involved in his community from organizing voter outreach to mentoring youth as a Scouts assistant den leader.

Guy just won the democratic ticket in the recent NJ primary election and is now the democratic candidate for State Assembly, because LD-23 deserves representation that listens, responds, and delivers. He is focused on preserving the small-town character of our communities, investing in trade education, cutting red tape for small businesses, and ensuring government works for everyone, not just special interests.

Guy stands for integrity, accountability, and local economic growth. He opposes overdevelopment, bureaucratic licensing hurdles, and political stagnation. Guy is not a career politician, he’s a father, a problem-solver, and a fighter for the future of New Jersey.

To learn more about Guy Citron, click here

Democracy needs defenders, and it starts with you! Sign up to attend the Renew Democracy 250 weekly Zoom community call. Hear from special guests, learn how to take action, and connect with community members.

Special Guest Speaker: Sheree Rust

Sheree Rust became the co-chair of the Somerset County NJ Chapter of Indivisible after Bev Pranzatelli started the chapter about 8 weeks ago. Sheree's been protesting since the Vietnam War days, and in recent years, fought against the early implementation of Project 2025 in Florida. "I’m very passionate about this – the guardrails are falling even further and faster than I feared. I can’t enjoy my golden years retirement when so many are losing everything." Sheree also founded the Community Advisory Board at Robert Wood Johnson/RJ Barnabus Health System supporting the NJ transgender community at various clinics throughout NJ.

To date, Indivisible's Somerset County Chapter has held two public protests that were extremely successful. “We pulled off a successful No Kings rally on Sunday, despite opposition from the town that caused two last minute location changes. Our attendees were amazing, persisting and resisting in the rain. Seeing our neighbors stand steadfast for our Constitution has filled me with hope. We need many more leaders in our Chapter and are confident we will be able to get them and make a positive difference."

No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance. From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism—and show the world what democracy really looks like.

Democracy needs defenders, and it starts with you! Sign up to attend the Renew Democracy 250 weekly Zoom community call. Hear from special guests, learn how to take action, and connect with community members.

Special Guest Speaker: Mike Davey

Mike is a proven problem solver with a record of putting people first, and is running for Florida’s 27th Congressional District.

Raised in a family that valued hard work and social justice, Mike learned from a young age the importance of taking action. Whether it was marching for the ERA with his mother or later stepping up to make his own street safer, Mike has always been driven to make a difference.

Democracy needs defenders, and it starts with you! Sign up to attend the Renew Democracy 250 weekly Zoom community call. Hear from special guests, learn how to take action, and connect with community members.

Special Guest Speaker: Amit Pandya

Amit is a national expert in civil liberties, international law, and democratic institutions. His insights on the erosion of democracy in the U.S. will help you connect the dots - and prepare to push back.