Shaniqua McClendon has worked in politics for a decade and currently serves as Political Director for Crooked Media, home to the popular podcast, Pod Save America. In this role, Shaniqua led the creation of their midterm voter engagement program, Vote Save America, which supported victories of 2018 Democratic victories throughout the country. Prior to Crooked Media, Shaniqua began her career as a White House Intern for President Barack Obama. She then went on to Capitol Hill where she served as a policy advisor to Senator Kay R. Hagan and Legislative Director to Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, where she spearheaded the creation of the first-ever Congressional Bipartisan HBCU Caucus. Shaniqua is originally from North Carolina, and earned a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While at UNC Chapel Hill, she developed a deep interest in how politicians and public policy shape people’s lives. She also earned a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, where she received the Robert F. Kennedy Award for Excellence in Service.