Meet Our Team
Howie Stanger
Founder & Director
From managing bank accounts to incorporating new entities, Howie has assisted progressive political organizations and campaigns to refine their operational strategies to ensure their strategic success, whether that is winning an issue campaign, or an election.
Howie was the COO at Sunrise Movement, where he built and oversaw the financial infrastructure, political compliance, HR functions, and risk management as Sunrise grew from a $875K organization with 2 employees to a $15 million multi-entity operation with over 100 employees.
He was a Director at a compliance firm, where he helped launch and manage the infrastructure and compliance for progressive campaigns, such as Summer Lee and Lucas Kunce, and advised organizations such as JFREJ, Athena, and Mijente on multi-entity finances and political compliance.
Howie founded Pocketbook Strategies to provide support to progressive organizations who want to dream big, and know they need strong organizational structure to succeed. Howie’s uses he/they pronouns.
Nancy Durham
Senior Accountant
Nancy is the Senior Accountant at Pocketbook Strategies, where she manages and executes the bookkeeping, accounting, and tax preparation process for all single and multi-entity partner organizations.
Nancy first encountered the non-profit world in 2006 and quickly learned what driven, like minded people could accomplish together. Nancy has worked for organizations focusing on education reform, youth focused initiatives and opportunities and, most recently, a social change advocacy organization, Tides Advocacy.
At Tides Advocacy, Nancy managed the daily financial activities of her projects from accounts payable/receivable, cash and grant management to board reporting.
Nancy received her B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Bowie State University in Bowie, MD. Nancy uses she/her pronouns.
Natalie Trent
Senior Financial Strategist
Natalie is Senior Financial Strategist at Pocketbook Strategies, where she is responsible for supporting multi and single entity budgeting, financial planning and analysis, organizational compliance, and special projects for all partner organizations.
Natalie previously taught Pre-K and Special Education, before taking on management positions across various industries, including Vice President of E-commerce Sales for a baby supplies retailer and Operations Manager for a food truck startup, demonstrating her ability to make an impact to organizations at all levels of development.
Natalie's career took a political turn as Operations Director at Justice Democrats, where she played a crucial role in launching their Super PAC and c4, Organize for Justice. She built the operations from a start-up, creating the infrastructure needed to launch JD candidate campaigns, while also supporting various independent political projects, from communications campaigns, to scalable IE programs.
Throughout her journey, Natalie's commitment to personal growth, versatility, and dedication has been a driving force in her success across diverse professional arenas. Natalie holds a Bachelors degreee in Education, and an MBA with a concentration in Finance. Natalie uses she/her pronouns.
Sade Bruce
Senior Operations Manager
Sade Bruce is the Senior Operations Manager at Pocketbook Strategies, where she is responsible for the management and oversight of the financial operations, software implementation, and protocol development for Pocketbook Strategies and its partner organizations.
Most recently, she was the Deputy Operations Director at American Economic Liberties Project and Fight Corporate Monopolies where she helped build and oversee program and project budgets, refined administrative workflows, and ensured the organization was compliant with relevant non-profit and labor law. Sade also has experience managing operations at organizations in the DC-area, including the Chamber of Progress and the Better Life Lab at New America.
Sade received an M.P.A. from the University of Delaware where she was a Graduate Public Administration Fellow and a B.S. in environmental science and policy from the University of Maryland, College Park. She lives in Maryland with her partner and enjoys sitting on her porch with the neighborhood cat, Perry, as company. Sade uses she/her pronouns.
Victoria Melton
Staff Accountant
Victoria is the Staff Accountant at Pocketbook Strategies, where she is responsible for data entry, account reconciliations, & financial report preparation. She manages the accounts payable and payroll processes for Pocketbook's partner organizations.
Most recently, Victoria was a Compliance Associate at MBA Consulting Group, where she worked on a US Senate campaign and various congressional races. She processed all accounts payable and receivable, managed budget to actuals reporting, and filed FEC reports. Victoria also has experience managing Call Time operations and fundraising for political campaigns.
Victoria graduated from UCLA with a bachelor's degree in political science and international relations. She lives in southern California and enjoys spending her free time at the beach. Victoria uses she/her pronouns.