Sharpening Skills, Building Community: GSO Organizers Reflect on National Training
September 23, 2025
In August, Golden State Opportunity (GSO) sent three organizers — Andy Rodriguez, Malia Bert, and Jose Quezada — to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the Center on Civic Engagement’s New and Intermediate Organizer Training. The program brought together organizers from across the country to strengthen skills, share strategies, and build connections that will strengthen movements nationwide.
The training featured two tracks, one for new organizers and another for intermediate organizers. Andy joined the intermediate track while Malia and Jose participated in the new organizer sessions. They worked on everything from campaign planning and volunteer recruitment to canvassing and phone banking with local organizations.
Beyond technical skills, the training was about connection and perspective.
“A lot of the work I do is me alone on the ground,” Malia reflected. “It was cool to be in a space with other organizers, to network, and to get our strengths sharpened, to think about the many hats we wear and the different roles we play in building power.”
The training also provided a valuable opportunity to meet organizers working with different populations across the county.
“It was so valuable to be able to interact with communities that are not normally represented in these spaces,” said Jose. “For instance, I was able to meet with organizers from other areas who work extensively with Native American populations. I’m really hoping to work with Native American tribes in San Bernardino county, who are often underserved, so it was great to get perspective and knowledge about working with those communities.”
For Andy, that ability to connect with other organizers and learn was key to this conference’s value.
“We must constantly learn from each other and understand the unique needs of each community,” said Andy. “In an ever changing environment of cultural trends and needs, learning different ways to do things is vital.”
Each organizer left with a key takeaway. For Malia, it was a deeper understanding of the many ways organizers can lead. For Jose, it was the energy of directly engaging community members through canvassing and phone banking. For Andy, it was the relationships built with organizers nationwide, including partners close to home in California.
The lessons from Milwaukee will ripple through GSO’s work in California. From running Tacos & Taxes events to connecting families with free tax preparation and tax credits, our organizers are ready to apply what they learned to expand outreach and deepen trust. As Andy described, GSO organizers are “super-connectors,” helping communities access resources, building partnerships, and lifting up the voices of Californians too often overlooked.